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Moto GP 2024: Bastianini wins the weekend

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Moto GP 2024: Bastianini wins the weekend
credits-Moto GP

The 3 day action at the Silverstone GP gave us fans plenty to talk about. From 110% performance from Bastianini to heartbreaks for others, we had everything. Read it all in DRC’s review of the weekend.

Bastianini delivers double victory for Ducati

Moto GP 2024: Bastianini wins the weekend
Enea Bastianini; credits-Moto GP

We are quite familiar with Ducati bikes dominating entire weekends in Moto GP this year. However, this time at the British GP, it was not Jorge Martin or Francesco Bagnaia that achieved this feat. But it was Enea Bastianini. He showed exceptional pace on Saturday and Sunday causing his fellow riders to play the catching game.

He started his British weekend slow. Finishing FP1 in 6th position, he was nearly 4 tenths back on the table topper Martin. However, he still was the lead Factory Ducati. In the second competetive session, Enea placed 5th, that saw him safely sail through to Q2.

The final qualifying session was curtailed as Maverick Vinales dropped his bike in Turn 2. Bastianini, however, posted a time well enough for P3 while his rivals Pecco and Martin started in P2 and P4 respectively.

The next session of Sprint, however, was where the points would be awarded. And Bastianini let all his pace out of the bag. As the dust settled and some laps passed, it was Bastianini fast on the tail of Martin for the lead. Another bomb that dropped in this sprint was Pecco crashing at Lap 5, turn 4. This meant that if Martin wins, he would be leading the championship. However, he still had Bastianini to contend with. In an ongoing scrap, Bastianini shot into the lead at Lap 6 and started opening up the gap. And with the final lap remaining, Bastianini extended his lead to a second, and secured his first trip to the Sprint podium in style.

Enea Bastianini after winning the Sprint
Enea Bastianini; credits-Moto GP

The Race

With a spectacular performance on Saturday, Bastianini was looked upon by many as the top contender for the win. As the race started, Bagnaia got the best start out of the front runners. Overall, the top trio of Bagnaia, Bastianini and Martin, all passed Espargaro at the start. Martin was determined to do one better than Sprint and soon passed Bastianini for 2nd. He was passed by Espargaro too. As the race progressed, however, Bastianini passed Aleix to get back into the podium places and back on the attack.

‘The Beast’ wasn’t done here. He soon pounced on a mistake by Bagnaia and began applying pressure on Martin. With six laps to go, Bastianini closed the gap tenth by tenth. Finally with just 2 laps left, Enea was right at the tail of Martin. The #23 bike surely looked intimidating for Jorge as he slid wide twice, with Enea passing him at the second time.

Just within the final lap, Bastianini pulled out a gap of nearly 2 seconds on Martin. Just another way to flex on your opponents.

Enea  Bastianini celebrating
Enea Bastianini; credits-Moto GP

This superb weekend has resulted in Enea replacing Marquez from the P3 spot in championship. He now leads over Marquez by 13 points.

The Championship table changes once again

Throughout the first part of the weekend, Jorge Martin looked determined to take his championship lead back. He capitalized on every mistake that his rivals made.

Jorge Martin on his bike
Jorge Martin; credits-Moto GP

When we entered into this weekend, Jorge Martin trailed the world champion by 10 points. However, as the weekend progressed we saw how determined he was to get back into the lead. Out of the top 2, Martin looked more dialed in this weekend. Going into the sprint, he was the most probable winner on everyone’s cards. Even as Francesco Bagnaia fell off his bike in sprint, Martin kept his cool and eventually finished in 2nd. This made him just one point short of the lead in Championship.

Francesco Bagnaia fell off in Sprint
Francesco Bagnaia fell off in Sprint; credits-Moto GP

Even in the race, Martin was the better of the two as he finished nearly 4 seconds ahead of Bagnaia. Bagnaia even exclaimed that he risked crashing in the race if he tried catching up to Martin.

Another change in the championship is Marc Marquez being replaced by Enea Bastianini for P3. Marquez had a subpar weekend by his own standards. He qualified in 7th for the sprint and the race. In the closing stages of the sprint, he lost his bike which didn’t help his case either.

Moto GP 2024: Bastianini wins the weekend
Marquez crashed in the Sprint on Saturday; credits-Moto GP

In the race, Marquez was part of the top 5 that broke away from the rest of the field. Come the end, he was on track to catch Pecco for third but ultimately ran out of laps. He finished P4 on track. But with Bastianini finishing first, Marquez conceded his championship position to Bastianini.

Aprilias unable to deliver

The bikes of Aprilia Racing were looking quite fast as the weekend started. Both the factory Aprilias were fast in FP1, scoring a P2,P3. In the practice session, Aleix Espargaro posted a time for P2, missing P1 by 0.045 seconds. This difference was vanished, however, in the qualifying session.

Moto GP 2024: Bastianini wins the weekend
Aleix Espargaro secured pole position; credits-Moto GP

Aleix Espargaro secured pole position over Francesco Bagnaia by 2 tenths. However, a large part of that difference is down to the qualifying session being interrupted. Maverick Vinales in the other Aprilia crashed at Turn 2, which brought out the yellow flags. Hence his performance was not on full display. He qualified P8 on the grid.

This was as good Aprilia’s weekend would get however. Aleix Espargaro was unfortunately unable to capitalize on his pole position in both Sprint and the Race. In the Sprint, he scored a P3 but was far from the leading 2. Vinales was at the tail-end of points scoring postions as he came home in P8.

On the Race day, Espargaro was again unable to get a good start as he dropped to P4. However, he was able to keep up with the top riders, and even had some fights himself. But ultimately, he crossed the finish line in 6th. He was passed by VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio who had a superb comeback drive from 10th to 5th. Vinales, meanwhile, finshed the race down in P13.

Moto GP 2024: Bastianini wins the weekend
Miguel Oliveira (#88) and Raul Fernandes (#25); credits-Moto GP

It was not a smooth Sunday for their satellite team as well. Raul Fernandes had recieved RS-GP 24 from this weekend. But he wasn’t able to put it to full use as both Trackhouse bikes retired on first lap. This mishap happened as Raul lost his bike at Turn 6 on the first lap and took out Miguel as well.

KTM – GASGAS battle

Perhaps the biggest battle of the weekend apart from the top riders was between the bikes of Brad Binder(Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). Both the KTM riders and future teammates were fighting tooth and nail in sprint for 5th place at the moment.

credits-Moto GP

In a fiery scrap that ensued, Acosta and Binder came too close for comfort, even shattering their winglets. Marquez was able to get past both of them, but Acosta swept back past the spaniard.

With these two soon to be team-mates at KTM, such fights might be the new normal from 2026.

Championship standings

After the British GP, here is how the championship looks like:

Moto GP 2024: Bastianini wins the weekend

Here we wrap up our review from the weekend. Moto GP will return after a week’s break. The next round will hosted at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, from 16-18 Aug.
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MotoGP Aragon: Marc Marquez Dominant at His Backyard

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Marc Marquez at the MotoGP Grand Prix of Aragon.
Credits: MotoGP

MotoGP made its way to Aragon, a place that is known as Marc Marquez’s backyard. Marquez demonstrated why exactly. A complete dominance from the Spaniard that saw him take the Pole and sprint win on Saturday, and then a win and the fastest lap of the GP on Sunday. Alex Marquez continued to be at the tail of his brother, finishing second, and Francesco Bagnaia scored a P3 on Sunday, a podium that will do a world of good to the confidence of the Italian before we head to his home turf in Mugello.

Read More: MotoGP Heads to Marquez’s Backyard in Aragon

Marquez Takes his 4th Win of MotoGP 2025

It’s not often you get to see a masterclass live, in Aragon, that is what everyone watching the Aragon GP witnessed. Marc Marquez had a perfect weekend, leading every session and every lap of the race. This win felt a long time coming, as this was Marquez’s first win since Qatar, which was all the way back in April. But before Qatar was Austin, where Marquez made a big mistake that resulted in him retiring from the race, Marc explained how those mistakes start to creep in and build doubts in the head.

ā€œIf we want to fight for the Championship, we cannot have a weekend where we repeat mistakes like we did in Austin. The other ones, okay, but Austin was a big mistake and then today I was very focused. With six or seven laps remaining, I started to think about that mistake. I asked myself, ā€˜how should I manage the situation?’ But then I was looking the lap time and I was riding on low: 47s without full concentration. Then I decided to increase the speed to be focused again.”

MotoGP Aragon: Marc Marquez Dominant at His Backyard
Marquez takes the win in Aragon. Credits: MotoGP

Confidence Boost for Bagnaia Before Mugello

Bagnaia has been struggling with his GP25 from the start of the season, but the last two races have been very miserable. The Italian rider had a retirement and a 16th place in the previous two GPs, even in the sprint, he only had a lonely P6 in the previous one. However, a P3 in Aragon has done a world of good for Bagnaia. In his own words, he has a confidence boost heading to Mugello, a track where he has always been competitive.

Positives for Joan Mir and Honda

It was the first time for Joan Mir to get back-to-back points finishes riding a Honda. A P7 in Aragon was a very positive result for the factory Honda team, their best this season. It was also Joan’s best finish since his P5 finish at the Indian Grand Prix in 2023. After a few hard years, Honda now seems to be getting back to fighting for points more consistently. They would hope to continue this fight and soon move up the ladder.

Championship Standings

As things stand, Marc currently sits 32 points clear of his brother Alex Marquez at the top of the standings.

Up Next

MotoGP heads to Mugello next from 20-22nd of June for the Round 9 of the world championship.

Desi Racing Co.Ā is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us onĀ Twitter/X/,Ā Instagram, andĀ LinkedInĀ to keep up with the latest motorsport newsĀ andĀ updates.

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MotoGP Heads to Marquez’s Backyard in Aragon

MotoGP returns after a weeks break, this time in Marc’s backyard in Aragon. Will we see him return to the top step or will we get another unpredictable winner?

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MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon
Marc Marquez after winning the Aragon GP in 2024. Credits: MotoGP

The FIM MotoGP 2025 championship takes us to Spain for the Aragon GP, the eighth round of the Championship. Spaniard Marc Marquez, who won the 2024 Aragon GP, is heading back to what people call his backyard, currently leading the championship by 24 points. Marquez, famously known as ā€œel tro de Cerveraā€ (Thunder of Cervera), has won 7 races at the iconic track since its inception, once for Moto 2 and 6 times for Moto GP, including 6 poles.

Marc Marquez Looking to Get Back to the Top Step at his backyard

Marc Marquez last won a Grand Prix back in April in Qatar. Since then, he has finished outside the points once and on the podium twice in the 3 races that followed. Coming to Aragon, he would be looking to return to the top step. This is also Marquez’s spiritual home GP, as turn 10 has also been named after him to suggest his dominance at the track with his 7 wins and 4 consecutive wins in the years 2016, ā€˜17, ā€˜18, ā€˜19.

Marc Marquez at MotoGP GP of the Americas
Image credits: MotoGP

Can Fabio get his first win of the year in Aragon?

Fabio Quartararo is on an insane qualifying run, the Frenchman has scored 3 pole positions in the last 3 rounds. Sadly for him, he has converted 0 of them to race wins, even retiring in the last 2. He comes to Aragon after a heartbreak in Silverstone, where he had to retire from a comfortable lead in the Grand Prix due to a technical issue with his holeshot device. Fabio will be looking to finally get himself on the top step of the podium this weekend.

MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon

Luca Marini’s Absence in Aragon

Honda Rider Luca Marini, who crashed and sustained multiple injuries during the testing for 8H of Suzuka and was left in intensive care, will not be returning for the Aragon GP. Honda has also decided not to call in any of their reserve drivers, instead, the team will run only Joan Mir for the Aragon GP.

Bagnaia continues to struggle

Pecco Bagnaia is yet to match Marc’s pace in the factory Ducati, but for the last 2 GPs, he is not matching his own standards. Bagnaia’s results in the previous 2 GPs are a 16th-place finish in Le Mans and a DNF in Silverstone. Bagnaia has struggled with the GP25 from the start of the year and is yet to find his feeling back with the bike again, as he mentioned to the press earlier. But, Bagnaia is still full of confidence as he mentions 2022 when he was 91 points behind the leader and still won the championship eventually. He would be looking to get back to the front this weekend.

MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon
Image credits: MotoGP

Unpredictable as ever: 5 Different Riders have won the last 5 races

When the season started, everyone thought it would be a walk in the park for Marc Marquez after looking at his utter domination early on this year. But, MotoGP has lived up to its unpredictable nature, and we have seen 5 different riders take the win in the last 5 races. It is also important to note that we have also seen 3 different manufacturers take the win as well, including a satellite Honda, something not a lot of people would have placed their bets on. As we head into Aragon, will we get a 6th different winner?

Where to Watch MotoGP in India

You can watch all the action live in India on Fancode or Eurosport. The detailed schedule in IST is given below:

MotoGP Heads to Marquez's Backyard in Aragon

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X/, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro’s Search for a Win Continues

Marco Bezzecchi makes the most of Fabio Quartararo’s misfortunes as he takes the win in MotoGP British GP.

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Marco Bezzecchi celebrates after winning the MotoGP British Grand Prix
Credits: MotoGP

Fabio Quartararo did something that many thought would be impossible at the start of the year: he scored a hat-trick of pole positions riding the Factory Yamaha bike. However, he is yet to convert it into a victory. Despite starting 6 races from the front (3 Grand Prix and 3 Sprints), he is yet to stand on the top step of the podium. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi made the most of Quartararo’s misfortune to take his first win of the season.

Read More: MotoGP 2025: Riders brace for unpredictable weather at Silverstone

Hattricks of Poles and a Brace of DNFs for Quartararo

When the season started, anyone, even Fabio for that matter, would not have expected to get 3 back-to-back pole positions on his Factory Yamaha, a bike that has not been the most competitive in the recent past. But to his surprise, and everyone else’s, Fabio put in a storming lap to go 3 tenths clear of the rest of the field and get his third Pole Position of the season. But, as fate would have it, he also scored a back-to-back DNF in the Grand Prix.

In Silverstone, it was looking good for the Frenchman, as he was leading the race ahead of Bezzecchi, but a ride height issue in the middle of the race forced the Yamaha rider to retire from the race. He tried half a lap to fix the issue, but to no success.

Bezzecchi Gets His First Win of The Season

Starting from 11th on the grid, not a lot of people would have had Marco Bezzecchi on their cards to win the British Grand Prix. But the Aprilia rider slowly and steadily picked off riders one by one to climb up to second position, and when Quartararo’s misfortunes hit, Bezzecchi was at the perfect place to make the most of it and cross the finish line in first.

A season with lacklustre results for the Italian driver, this win would do him a world of good. Before this race, his best finish was 6th; now the win has shot him to 7th in the standings.

MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro's Search for a Win Continues
Marco Bezzecchi wins the British GP. Credits: MotoGP

Another Weekend of Struggle for the Factory Ducati

Riding on a wave of success at the start of the season, the Factory Ducatis have been struggling of late. Marc Marquez is no longer the dominating force, as he has lost out on Pole Position in the last 3 races, and in the most recent one, he wasn’t even on the front row. Marquez has still managed to salvage the Sprint races, winning every single one of them this year except the one on British GP Saturday, where he finished second to his brother Alex Marquez. Meanwhile Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the race after struggling throughout and dropping down the order before he went down.

Marquez struggled throughout this weekend, this has been a circuit where he does not go well historically either. His qualifying run put him on the second row in P4, Sprint was better as he managed to finish P2. The struggle paused for 2 laps at the start of the main race, where he took the lead of the race, before eventually crashing out of the race. A red flag due the another incident further meant the race would be restarted, but even then Marquez could only manage P3, after he dropped down the order outside the Top 10, then made a recovery ride to finish on the podium.

Back-to-Back Grand Prix Podiums for Zarco and Honda

Johann Zarco has been having a very underrated season this year. The last 2 races specifically, the French rider has managed to put the Honda on the top step of the podium in Le Mans and in second place in Silverstone. Throughout this season, Zarco has only been out of the points in one race. He currently sits fifth in the Riders’ standings with 97 points; for comparison, the next Honda rider is Luca Marini on 38 points in 13th.

MotoGP British GP: Bezzecchi Capitalizes as Quatraro's Search for a Win Continues
Johann Zarco celebrates after finishing P2 in the British GP. Credits: MotoGP

Championship Standings

As things stand, the Marquez brothers still sit at the top of the standings with Marc ahead of Alex by 24 points.

Up Next for MotoGP

After a small break, MotoGP will now head to Aragon for Round 8 of the world championship from 6-8 June.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/XInstagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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