We're in the last quarter of the season, starting the Asia/Oceania tour with an instructive weekend in Mandalika (Indonesia).
Bagnaia then Martin this weekend, Martin then Bagnaia overall
Francesco Bagnaia may have won Saturday's sprint, but it was Jorge Martin who dominated Sunday's main race, consolidating his lead in the world championship. It's easy to forget, given the overall standings, but the Spaniard's last Grand Prix victory dates back 10 stages to the French GP! First of all, the 'Martinator' had to recover from a crash in the sprint , eventually increasing his lead to 21 points over Bagnaia, 3ᵉ behind Pedro Acosta. The latter, impressive at the start of the season before experiencing a slight slump, this time put in a brilliant race. Although he was investigated for a possible tire pressure infringement, this was refuted.
MotoGP Indonesia 2024 sprint race results :
MotoGP Indonesia 2024 race results :
Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini (2ᵉ the day before in the Sprint race) had to retire, reducing their hopes in the standings. Worse than that, for the former, after two crashes in qualifying, it was his engine that caught fire in the race, forcing him to change bikes and then retire on lap 11ᵉ.
Marc Marquez's statement following his retirement from the Indonesian GP
On the lap it happened, I was doing my personal best lap. I was unlucky. It's a pity because the fire extinguishers they have here aren't the right ones and the bike was totally damaged, at every level, the brakes, etc. It's a pity for the team. It's a shame for the team because for a private team, it's a major cost. You have to have the right fire extinguishers, or those with the latest technology, on every track, otherwise you destroy the bikes.
On the French side, Fabio Quartararo is where he's been for three Grands Prix now: 7th, although frustrated at not having done better on a circuit he loves. Who better to explain his feelings, and in particular his complicated first lap?
"It's much better now, we're working to move forward"
CANAL+ MotoGP (@CanalplusMotoGP) September 29, 2024
fabio Quartararo's 3rd race in a row, where he finished 7th, shows that he's on a roll despite his poor start!
What did you think of the Frenchman's weekend? #IndonesianGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/OhRb1reTWK
Johann Zarco also had a solid weekend, finishing 8th in the sprint and 9th in the GP, his best results this season.
MotoGP 2024 rider standings after the Indonesian GP (29/09/2024)
In the end, only 12 will remain
With nine withdrawals from the 21-strong field, this weekend was all about survival. Only Miguel Oliveira will suffer the after-effects, as a plate has been fitted to his wrist. Nothing has been made official, not even the name of his replacement (Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori is said to be in the running), but the Portuguese rider is set to miss at least the next two races.
MotoGP 2024 race calendar :
1 Qatar Grand Prix (Losail circuit), March 10. Winner: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
2 Portuguese Grand Prix (Circuit Internacional do Algarve), March 24. Winner: Jorge Martín (Ducati)Argentine Grand Prix (Termas de Río Hondo), April 7. 3Grand Prix of the Americas (Circuit of the Americas), April 14. Winner: Maverick Viñales (Aprilia)
4 Spanish Grand Prix (Jerez circuit), April 28. Winner: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
5 French Grand Prix (Bugatti circuit in Le Mans), May 12. Winner: Jorge Martin (Ducati)
6 Catalan Grand Prix (Barcelona-Catalunya circuit), May 26. Winner: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
7 Italian Grand Prix (Mugello circuit), June 2. Winner: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)Kazakhstan Grand Prix (Sokol International Racetrack), June 16. REPORT
8 Dutch Grand Prix (TT circuit Assen), June 30 Winner: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
9 German Grand Prix (Sachsenring circuit), July 7. Winner: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
10 British Grand Prix (Silverstone circuit), August 4 Winner: Enea Bastianini (Ducati)
11 Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg circuit), August 18: Winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
12 Grand Prix of Aragón (Motorland Aragon circuit), September 1. Winner: Marc Marquez (Gresini)
13 San Marino Grand Prix (Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli), September 8 Winner: Marc Marquez (Gresini)Indian Grand Prix (Buddh International Circuit), September 22. CANCELLEDKazakhstan Grand Prix (Sokol International Racetrack), September 22 CANCELLED
14 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix (Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli), September 22.winner: Enea Bastianini (Ducati)
15 Indonesian Grand Prix (Mandalika International Street circuit), September 29. Winner: Jorge Martín (Ducati)
16 Japanese Grand Prix (Twin Ring Motegi circuit), October 6.
17 Australian Grand Prix (Phillip Island Circuit), October 20.
18 Thai Grand Prix (Chang International circuit), October 27.
19 Malaysian Grand Prix (Sepang International circuit), November 3.
20 Valencia Grand Prix (Ricardo Tormo circuit), November 17.
With five rounds to go, the battle for the title between Martin and Bagnaia promises to be tighter than ever.
Photo credits: MotoGP
