MotoGP
MotoGP 2024: Marquez wins back-to-back in Magical Misano
Marc Marquez won a chaotic flag-to-flag race in Misano as Jorge Martin gambles and looses out big.
The 2024 MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix was a race of treacherous conditions, insane rides and vicious gambles. With uncertain weather conditions, this flag-to-flag race is already amongst the greats. Join us as DRC reviews a fantastic San Marino Grand Prix weekend. Read more MotoGP news, reviews and previews here.
Table of Contents
What is a flag-to-flag race?
Before we get into the review, lets talk about what a flag-to-flag race in MotoGP is. Unlike Formula One or other forms of car racing, MotoGP or any Motorcycle Grand Prix racing employs other forms of pitstops. MotoGP pitstops work in the sense that there are different bikes with different sets of tires on them, so if you want to pit, you just ride into your box and hop onto another bike.
In MotoGP, a rider can freely enter the pits during qualifying and practice, but only at certain times during the sprint and the race. This is during times where the weather conditions have drastically changed and it would be unsafe for riders to continue on the same tires. This is signaled to the riders in the form of a white flag, allowing them to enter the pits. This type of race with changeable weather conditions wherein a rider can use multiple bikes in the same race is called a Flag-to-Flag race.
Some famous flag-to-flag races in MotoGP include the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, the 2016 German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring and the 2015 San Marino Grand Prix at Misano.
Marquez reigns in the chaos
Marc Marquez did not have a good saturday at all. After his comeback win in Motorland Aragon last week, the Spaniard looked quick from the get go. But his chances at pole slipped when he crashed out from a pole worthy lap in Q2. He would then start and finish the sprint in a lackluster ninth place.
He was in ninth for a little while when the race started, but quickly picked off places from Fabio Quartararo, Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzechi before capitalizing on Pedro Acosta and Franky Morbidelli’s crash to move up into fourth. This was when the chaos started. A white flag was waved in leu of rainfall at the track. Jorge Martin was the first to enter the pits to swap bikes and Marquez moved upto third behind Jack Miller and Bagnaia. He would then pass both of them the next lap and win comfortably with a huge margin of 3.1 seconds.
Martin on the other hand, changed bikes too early and was racing with wets on a relatively dry track. He had to pit again and had to go a lap down, ultimately finishing 15th. Francesco Bagnaia followed his guts and managed to finish second ahead of team mate Enea Bastianini who once again, sliced through the field on a late charge to the podium.
This in Marc’s own words, was a ‘special win’ as he led Gresini to their first home win. He also dedicated his win to the late Fausto Gresini, in whose honor the team was running a special livery.
KTM and Jack Miller Impress, while Aprilia struggle
KTM was the main contender of Ducati in Misano instead of the Aprilias. Pedro Acosta was the lead KTM as he qualified fifth ahead of another KTM of Brad Binder, both the Gresini Ducatis and the factory Ducati of Bastianini. Binder would then show why he is called the ‘sunday-man’ after losing out in the start to utimately finish in fourth. Acosta the rookie was also impressive, dueling with the Prima Pramac Ducati of Morbidelli until he crashed from fourth place. Thankfully he was able to get back up but finished a lap down in seventeenth.
Another talking point for the weekend was Jack Miller. The Australian finished 8th, but there is more to that story. He was running as high as second, and even dueled with Bagnaia and Bastianini, but would then be passed after his tires ran out of grip. This is a much needed result for Miller, as he is without a ride next season and this race showcased just how great his racing skills are. Wildcard Pol Espargaro finished tenth, making it three KTMs in the top ten, ahead of every single Aprilia.
The Aprilias struggled for pace all weekend. Maverick Vineales was the lead Aprilia in Qualifying in 11th, while Miguel Oliviera was the only Aprilia to score points in the weekend when he finished eleventh in the race. Top Gun finished sixteenth, a lap down while Raul Fernandes finished eighteenth a lap down. Aleix Espargaro retired from the race in a pretty dismal weekend for Aprilia.
Fabio and Yamaha blitz out, while Honda No-Show
Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha have clearly taken their recent lump very seriously, and are hard at work trying to fix the bike’s problems. This weekend at Misano was a very good one for them. Fabio locked in his world title here back in 2021, and now he puts Yamaha in the top 7 this year. Quarataro finished 6th and 9th in the practice sessions, guaranteeing himself a spot in Q2. He would then outqualify the Aprilia of Maverick Vineales and then go onto to finish an impressive seventh in the race. Alex Rins was also running in the top 12, but finished 19th at the flag due to the downpour.
Honda on the other hand, had a mixed weekend. The LCR Honda team, who were running Stefan Bradl as a wildcard this weekend, finished 9 points at the hands of Johann Zarco, Taka Nakagami and Stefan Bradl respectively in 12th through 14th. The factory Repsol Honda team on the other hand was a no show. Both Joan Mir and Luca Marini were sick from friday and decided not to participate in the race saturday itself, with Mir set to miss the Misano test as well. This comes as a salt on wounds type situation for Honda, after Repsol ended thier partnership with them earlier this weekend.
Championship Standings and the next races
Following the San Marino Grand Prix, the championship looks like this:
The next race is also at Misano with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix taking place September 20-22.
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MotoGP
Indian GP Dropped for 2026 – A Brewing Dispute Between Dorna and Organizers?
Desi Racing Co understands from its sources that a dispute has been ongoing between Dorna and the Indian organizers, a likely factor in the Indian GP being dropped from the 2026 calendar.
The Indian GP has been dropped from the MotoGP calendar for the third consecutive time, following its first and only appearance in 2023. Visa issues in 2023, extreme weather and operational challenges in 2024, and operational constraints in 2025 — What could have caused cancellation in 2026?
2023 – Visa Issues
As teams and riders traveled to India for the first Indian GP, held from September 22 to 24, 2023, at the Buddh International Circuit, many were unable to fly due to pending visa approvals, including riders such as Marc Marquez and Joan Mir. Over 500 visa applications were granted initially, but hundreds remained pending as the race weekend approached, prompting urgent logistical interventions.
Here’s a tweet from our page back in 2023, when Marc Márquez, Brad Binder, and Joan Mir had to delay their arrival in India due to visa issues.
Organizers at Fairstreet Sports, working with the Uttar Pradesh government, attributed the delays to a technical glitch caused by an agency handling visa applications, which initially delayed as many as 600 applications out of approximately 1,800 required for riders, staff, and officials. By Wednesday evening (Sept 20), most outstanding visas had been cleared, allowing riders and team personnel to begin arriving at the circuit in time for the first on-track sessions. Despite the initial chaos, the Indian GP went ahead as planned.
2024 – Unfavourable Weather and Operational Challenges
The Indian GP was initially scheduled for September 2024 at the Buddh International Circuit. However, high temperatures and humidity at the 2023 inaugural event (with ambient readings around 40 °C) caused severe discomfort for riders and staff, prompting calls to shorten race distances.
Indian GP Organisers judged that the September weather conditions were not safe or sustainable, and a mutual decision, involving Dorna, Fairstreet Sports, and the Uttar Pradesh government, led to the rescheduling of the race to March 2025. While reports were hinting at delayed payments by the promoter Fairstreet Sports, Fairstreet denied this was a factor, attributing the postponement solely to scheduling and weather-related concerns
2025 – Operational circumstances
Although the event had been tentatively shifted to March 2025, it was eventually dropped from the 2025 MotoGP calendar entirely due to broader operational constraints. Dorna confirmed in September 2024 that the race would serve only as a reserve event for 2025, with no available calendar slots later in the season, and targeting a full return in early 2026.
“Operational circumstances have obliged the event to be delayed from its initial slot near the start of the 2025 calendar. With no available dates towards the end of the season, MotoGP™ will therefore return to India in the early stages of 2026.” – MotoGP statement
The decision followed the signing of a new three-year contract directly with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, bypassing Fairstreet Sports. However, no new promoter was secured in time, and scheduling windows were tight, pushing the return further into 2026.
What happened to the 2026 race?
According to our sources, a dispute has been ongoing between Dorna and the Indian organizers over funding-related issues, which may have contributed to the race being dropped from the calendar. Additionally, we understand that charges have been filed against Pushkar Nath Srivastava, the Chief Operating Officer at FairStreet Sports. Among the key issues was a failure to raise sufficient funds, which appears to have been a primary trigger for the fallout. Currently, we don’t have the exact details of the matter.
Hosting a MotoGP race is a substantial financial commitment, involving substantial fees paid to Dorna, as well as costs for circuit upgrades, logistics, security, and hospitality. Here is the estimated cost of running MotoGP’s Indian Grand Prix, according to Invest UP’s tender in 2024:
What’s next for the Indian GP?
Despite a contract running until the end of 2027, the chances of the Indian GP returning to the MotoGP calendar are now minimal. The race has been dropped for 2024, 2025, and now 2026 as well. No local promoter has been confirmed, and ongoing logistical and financial issues remain unresolved. As it stands, a comeback before 2027 looks highly unlikely.
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.
MotoGP
MotoGP: Unstoppable Marquez Makes it 93 Wins for #93 in Mugello
Dominant Marc, Vintage Bagnaia and edge of the seat action, MotoGP delivered it all in Mugello.
MotoGP went from Marquez’s backyard in Aragon to Bagnaia’s backyard in Mugello, but the end result was the same: a complete domination by Marc Marquez. This weekend it was made more special as Marquez got his 93rd win in all classes of two-wheeler racing.
Read More: MotoGP Aragon: Marc Marquez Dominant at His Backyard
93 Wins for #93
Marc Marquez had another dominant weekend in MotoGP, taking yet another Pole, Sprint win, and Grand Prix win at Mugello. After a short winless streak of 4 races, Marc bounced back strong to have 2 dominant weekends in Aragon and in Mugello. In Mugello, however, it was not an easy ride.
During the Sprint race, Marquez had an issue with his bike just as the lights were about to go out, which resulted in Marc dropping places going into Turn 1. But Marc soon made up places, going up to P3 at the start of Lap 3. What commenced was a battle for victory between Marc, Bagnaia and Alex. On lap 4, Marc made the move for the lead, and it was smooth sailing for him afterwards as he converted his 100th GP pole to the sprint win.
The GP race on Sunday was a treat to the eyes. The opening laps in Mugello were some of the best we have seen this year in terms of racing. Marc was constantly challenged and overtaken for the lead by his teammate and brother, a proper edge-of-the-seat drama. Ultimately, Marc took the win with his brother following him in P2.
Vintage Bagnaia on Display in Mugello but in Vain
For the first time this year, we saw the Bagnaia we had been expecting to see from the start. When Marquez signed for Ducati, everyone was looking forward to Marquez vs Bagnaia, but that did not happen this year, until Mugello. Pecco was in his vintage mode, taking on Marquez toe to toe and more often than not coming out ahead of his teammate, although eventually it was Marquez who got the better of him. Pecco still had a decent weekend, a P3 in the sprint and narrowly missing out on the podium on Sunday after leading the race early on.
Another Solid Weekend from Alex Marquez
Alex Marquez got his 6th podium of the season and a fourth Marquez 1-2 of the year. Alex did briefly challenge for the win in both races in Mugello, but eventually lost out to Marc, just like everyone else. Currently sitting second in the standings, Alex is 40 points behind his older brother, and there is still a long season to go. Although there have been allegations made after Mugello that Alex does not race his older brother like he races others, if Alex does take on Marc, it will be a championship battle to watch out for.
Di Giannantonio Matches His Best Season in MotoGP in Terms of Podiums
Fabio Di Giannantonio got his second podium of the year, finishing P3 in Mugello, matching his best finish of P3 in Austin earlier this year. The Italian rider had a stellar show on Sunday, charging up to claim the podium, narrowly missing out on P2 as he ran out of laps to chase down Alex. Overall, it is a weekend Diggia will be happy with and will look to build on it for the rest of the season. He currently sits 5th in the standings, only 8 points behind his teammate in fourth.
Up Next: Assen
No time to rest as the paddock moves to TT Circuit Assen for the MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix from 27th to 29th June for the second leg of the double header. Who triumphs in the land of the Dutch? Only one way to find out. Watch all the MotoGP action live in India online on Fancode or on your TVs at Eurosport.
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.
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.
“If 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, ‘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.”
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.
Can't keep a good Mir down. Bouncing back with a race full of fights!
— Honda HRC Castrol – MotoGP (@HRC_MotoGP) June 8, 2025
🅿️7️⃣ "I gave everything, used all the tools I had to battle with these guys" @JoanMirOfficial
📄 https://t.co/TCGhLRPGMo #AragonGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/1bASO4NqT5
Championship Standings
As things stand, Marc currently sits 32 points clear of his brother Alex Marquez at the top of the standings.
📈 @marcmarquez93 extends his lead in the standings after the #AragonGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/AleE8DM0gz
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 8, 2025
Up Next
MotoGP heads to Mugello next from 20-22nd of June for the Round 9 of the world championship.
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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