Having swung slightly back towards Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) at the British GP, the 2024 title race pendulum crept back into Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) grasp at the Austrian GP as the reigning World Champion earned a third Tissot Sprint and Sunday double of the year.
Despite Bagnaia’s recent hot streak on a Sunday – and Martin not picking up a 25-point haul since Le Mans – the gap remains at just five points between the duo ahead of being reunited with MotorLand Aragon for Round 12. The last time MotoGP™ visited Alcañiz, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) beat Pecco to the win by 0.042s.
The ‘Beast’ claimed a Sunday podium in Austria, but the #23 couldn’t hit the same heights as he did at Silverstone two weeks prior. 61 points is the deficit that Bastianini sees between him and his teammate in the overall standings after Bagnaia turned up the wick at the Red Bull Ring, so a repeat of his 2022 Aragon heroics is craved.
Just 5 points in it! 🤏
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 18, 2024
Small margins between @PeccoBagnaia and @88jorgemartin in the #MotoGP standings as we leave Austria 🔥#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/70Xex5iStU
A Tissot Sprint crash from P2 and a technical issue on the start grid for Sunday’s battle saw Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) take home 13 points from Austria. It was a weekend that promised much more than a Sunday P4, with the eight-time World Champion now sitting 83 points away from the Championship summit.
In the fight for the top five, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) moved up to P6 and closed in on Maverick Viñales’ (Aprilia Racing) tally after the South African secured a first Sunday top five since Portimao. Viñales’ 139 plays Binder’s 128, with Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) tricky weekend seeing him slip to P7 on 125 points.
Another fascinating 2024 chapter awaits in Aragon. Will there be another change of the Championship lead? Home turf hero Martin will certainly be hoping so.