MotoGP

Moto GP 2024: Bastianini wins the weekend

Published

8 months ago

August 5, 2024

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

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; 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.

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.

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.

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:

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

GP of the Americas 2025 : Márquez brothers aim for glory at COTA

The Ant of Cervera seeks to reclaim his title as the King of COTA. But will one of the other challengers prevent him from doing so?

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2025

Sayujya Apte

GP of the Americas 2025 : Márquez brothers aim for glory at COTA

Going into the Grand Prix of the Americas, we have Marc Márquez on top of the championship standings, having won the trebles (pole, sprint victory and race victory) at both the previous events. However, Alex Márquez is also emerging as a very strong challenger, and he has demonstrated his skills against his brother previously. Bagnaia is still at a massive disadvantage. Circuit of the Americas, however, is one of those tracks that just shakes the order up, as we have seen historically. Join us as we go over everything you need to know before the lights go out in America.

Will the King of COTA reclaim his throne?

Marc Márquez is definitely the strongest rider going into the American GP. COTA is a counterclockwise track, which is Marc’s forte. And, Marc has previously demonstrated his mastery at this track, having clinched the victory a whopping seven times. Combine that with the absolutely perfect run he is having this season, and Márquez presents a strong case. However, COTA is no stranger to surprises and Marc might have to compete against two unexpected but strong riders and maybe others to reclaim his throne.

What about the younger brother?

Alex Márquez does not have as strong a track record as his brother. In fact, he has never managed to crack the top 10 at Texas in the premier class. His only podium here comes from 2018 when he was racing in Moto2. So, history is not on the younger brother’s side going into this weekend. But he has just as much momentum as Marc this season, and if he can maintain that momentum, he might just be the one to break Marc’s perfect streak.

Jorge Martin loses any hope of a championship

The track awaits you, Champ! 🦾#MotoGP #JorgeMartin pic.twitter.com/o6nDD7hDZg
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 24, 2025

After missing the first two races of the season due to a testing injury, the defending champion is set to miss the third. And that, combined with the run Márquez is on, crushes any of Martin’s hopes of defending his championship title.

Martin’s Aprilia is a very good motorcycle, and Martin had just found great form near the end of last season. Unfortunately, it appears that due to the serious nature of his injuries, the full capability of Martin on an Aprilia will remain the largest what-if of this season.

Could Álex Rins rise to the occasion?

🥇 @Rins42 gave @lcr_team their 100th podium with a stunning victory at COTA in 2023! ✨#AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/cZekI0ftAk
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 26, 2025

Álex Rins might just be the strongest rider on the track after Márquez. He has two victories in COTA, including one on a Honda in 2023, which was at that time the absolute worst bike on the grid. However, as of recently, Rins has been hanging around the middle-to-back of the pack due to some injuries he sustained.

But, Rins is now appearing to recover somewhat from his injuries. Combine that with the strides Yamaha has been making, Rins could be a potential dark horse contender for the sprint race or even the GP.

Maverick Viñales – contender or not?

Maverick Viñales has not been doing very well this season. He is taking time to acclimatize to the KTM and has only managed to secure 4 points so far. However, this does not disqualify him from performing well at Texas. Viñales has won at COTA in 2024, being the only non-Ducati rider to win a race that season. Moreover, he also holds the all-time lap record, the race lap record and the top speed recorded at the track. However, his recent struggles with KTM indicate that his possibility of a surprising performance is slim.

Championship Standings

Following are the championship standings going into the GP of the Americas :

Where to Watch

All MotoGP sessions can be watched in India on Fancode (digital) or on Eurosport (TV broadcast).

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MotoGP

Argentine GP 2025 : Termas-terclass from the Márquez brothers

The Márquez brothers repeat 1-2 feat in Argentina, Marc achieves a historic 90th win.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2025

Sayujya Apte

Argentine GP 2025 : Termas-terclass from the Márquez brothers

The Argentine GP at Termas de Río Hondo showcased a thrilling sibling rivalry as the Márquez brothers repeated their 1-2 feat in qualifying, the sprint race as well as the grand prix. This victory not only extended Marc’s unbeaten streak this season but also solidified the brothers’ dominance in the championship standings. Join us as we review, session by session, the spectacle of the Argentine GP.

Marc Márquez continues dominating, breaks long-standing records

Marc Marquez takes the chequered flag at the Argentine GP 2025. — Marc Márquez crosses the finish line after the GP victory. Credit: motogp.com

Just like the season opener in Buriram, Marc Márquez snatched the triple again – he got pole position in qualifying, victory in the sprint race and victory in the Grand Prix. Most impressively, however, over the course of the weekend, Marc Márquez set four new all-time lap records – one during Practice on Friday and the other three during Q2 on Saturday. He beat his own all-time lap record at this track which he had set back in 2014.

During the sprint race, Marc cruised to a rather comfortable victory. He had a good start off the line, and though he was initially pressured by his brother, he was able to break off in the latter stages, taking the chequered flag 0.903s ahead of Alex.

The race, however, was a completely different story. On the third lap, Marc made a mistake and ran wide, allowing his brother to take the lead. He had to spend a good chunk of the race battling against his own brother and was able to retake the lead on the 20th lap and cruise to a victory.

As tense as it gets! @marcmarquez93 takes the lead with 5 laps remaining 🚨#ArgentinaGP 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/xFZ805yNJr
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 16, 2025

This victory is Marc’s 90th in all of GP racing combined, and he has equalled Ángel Nieto’s record, taking the third place for most victories in GP racing combined, standing just behind legends like Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini.

Alex Márquez gives his brother a tough time

Alex Márquez qualified just behind Marc in P2. However, he was on Marc’s tail throughout the sprint. In the Grand Prix, Alex took the lead after Marc made a mistake on the third lap, and he held on to the lead for a good part of 15 laps. He was consistently keeping up his pace with Marc’s, even though Marc was breaking records. Overall, Alex had a stellar weekend in Argentina.

Johann Zarco surprises on the Honda

Johann Zarco is certainly not the most technically skilled rider on the grid, nor is he on the best motorcycle by any metric. However, he had a surprising performance in Argentina, to say the least. He took P3 in qualifying just behind the Márquez brothers, even though the Honda lacks the straight-line speed of the Ducatis. He had an amazing sprint, finishing in P4. He had a nothing short of astounding race as well, keeping his position cemented against challengers, and consistently staying on Pecco’s tail, ultimately finishing in P6.

It is hard to imagine that not too long ago, Honda was running at the very back of the field, struggling to make points, and now, they’re putting bikes on the front row and finishing in the top 5.

Morbidelli makes his comeback in the race

The past few years have been tough for Franco Morbidelli. He was the runner-up in the 2020 MotoGP championship standings, but has since struggled, first with the bike, and then with his health. In these four years, Morbidelli has had multiple crashes and injuries, each one degrading his performance more and more. However, in the Argentine GP, even though he started the race from eighth on the grid, he worked his way up to P3, getting a podium finish. This was his first podium since Jerez in 2021, 1414 days ago.

KTM continue on a downward spiral

Not too long ago, it appeared that the only manufacturer who could challenge Ducati’s dominance in the sport was KTM. So naturally, going into the 2025 season, fans had great expectations from them. However, so far, their performance has been underwhelming, to say the least. In the sprint, Acosta was their best rider, finishing P9 after Binder crashed out. In the race, Binder finished P7, with Acosta right behind in P8. However, the Tech3 crew is still lurking at the very bottom of the rankings. Even the factory crew was beaten by Zarco’s Honda during the race, and both Zarco and Mir on the Honda and Bezzecchi on the Aprilia during the sprint.

KTM needs to find their groove again, or they will be in threat of being overtaken by manufacturers like Aprilia and Honda.

Ai Ogura disqualified for inexplicable infringement

⚠️ @AiOgura79 crossed the line in P8 and was then disqualified from the Grand Prix for using a version of software not homologated by the Championship#ArgentinaGP 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/P7UUlHf7vQ
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 16, 2025

The rookie Ai Ogura had a mixed weekend in Argentina. Due to a crash during qualifying, he started P15 on the grid. He wasn’t able to do much in the sprint, but turned things around in the race, going all the way up to P8, and finishing ahead of Acosta. However, he was stripped of his result after his Trackhouse Racing Aprilia RS-GP was found to be running a “non-homologated software” on the ECU. It is unclear as to how this happened, as MotoGP has been running spec ECU software for the whole grid since 2016.

Highlights of the Argentine GP

Following are some moments in the weekend that I consider particularly exciting :

Early battle for 3rd in sprint between FB63, PA37 and FQ20
Crash between FA54 and MO88 during the sprint
Battle for 3rd between FB63 and FM21 in the Grand Prix
Four-way battle for 7th in the Grand Prix between FD49, JM36, AO79 and PA37
Late-stage battle between MM93 and AM73 in the Grand Prix

Championship Standing

This is what the championship standings look like after the Argentine GP :

MotoGP

MotoGP 2025 : Argentina awaits – can anyone rival Márquez?

Marc Márquez seeks to extend his championship lead as Francesco Bagnaia hopes to catch up, all while the reigning champion is still out of the action.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 13, 2025

Sayujya Apte

MotoGP 2025 : Argentina awaits - can anyone rival Márquez?

The MotoGP paddock returns to Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo in Argentina after a year away. Termas has delivered some of the most memorable battles and impressive performances in recent memory, from the likes of Marc Márquez and Valentino Rossi. Join us as we go over everything you need to know before the lights go out in Argentina.

Can Márquez conquer Termas again?

Marc Márquez is definitely the favourite choice, going into the Argentine GP, coming off a masterclass performance in Thailand. Also, he is the most successful rider in Argentina, having won the Argentine GP three times already – in 2014, 2016 and 2019. He has also been involved in some of the most thrilling battles this track has seen – from Márquez’s clash and subsequent crash with The Doctor in 2015, to his battles with Rossi in 2016 and 2018 being some of the most memorable in recent history.

A clash of titans during the 2015 #ArgentinaGP ⚔️@ValeYellow46 🆚 @marcmarquez93 #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/T6NSRDYfXq
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 11, 2025

The question now is, with three wins to his name, will Márquez try to clench a fourth? Or will he be overpowered by a re-motivated Bagnaia?

Bagnaia seeking his way back to the top.

Bagnaia at the MotoGP Thai GP. — Pecco before the Thai GP. Credit : @PeccoBagnaia on X

Although Márquez currently sits atop the championship standings, his teammate and two-time world champion Pecco Bagnaia seeks to change this. Bagnaia has stated, “We weren’t perfect in Thailand, we have to work to have our say this weekend.”

However, if we look at history, we see that Pecco hasn’t what one would call a strong track record in Termas. In fact, his best finishing position in Argentina is P5, and he crashed out of P2 the last time he raced here. The best move for Pecco right now would be to not let his ambition get the best of him, and tail behind Márquez, finishing on the podium and racking up points.

The defending champion Martin still out of the picture

Can't wait to have our Champ back! 🦾#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/oo6kB5ftCZ
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 4, 2025

Jorge Martin got into a significant crash during the Day 1 of Sepang testing. He sustained fractures to his right hand and left foot, and has underwent surgeries for it. He missed out on the season opener because of his injuries, and it appears that he has been ruled out for the second race as well. This is sure to make it more difficult for Martin to be a serious championship contender this year, especially with the pace that Márquez has found.

Could Bezzecchi hold any surprises?

Termas holds a special place in Marco Bezzecchi’s heart. It was where he got his first premier class victory in 2023. He has also taken victory in Argentina while in Moto3 in the year 2018. On the other hand, Aprilia has set a precedent of being a good performer in Argentina, and Ogura’s exploits during the season opener also deem it a competitive motorcycle in general. All these facts support the possibility of Marco Bezzecchi being a dark horse in this race. Bezzecchi has the ability to fight for the podium, or even the victory. But will he be able to find his channel his form from two years ago?

Is there a comeback in KTM’s fortunes?

After nothing short of an underwhelming performance in Thailand, KTM will surely be seeking redemption in Argentina, and Binder may be the only one who can do something about it.

Brad Binder took home the Argentine GP Sprint race victory in 2023, pulling off a spectacle starting from 15th on the grid. However, there have been 20 consecutive rounds since where Binder has not scored a podium in either a sprint race or a full-length race. However, standings-wise he is currently KTM’s best rider. Will KTM find redemption? Only time will tell.