2024 MotoGP: A clash of titans in Malaysia MotoGP, championship goes down to the last race in Barcelona

While mood in the paddock was sombre during the 2024 Petronas Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) due to the recent natural calamity in Valencia, Spain, trackside action saw a fantastic battle between Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team and Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac Racing.

Bagnaia, the incumbent MotoGP world champion and challenger Martin, fired shots at each other the day before, beginning in qualifying. With Martin posting the fastest qualifying time of 1:56.553 in the second session, Bagnaia fired back with a 1:56.333.

Martin, the Spaniard, squared off against Bagnaia, the Italian, in the 10-lap sprint race on Saturday, with one thought in mind, to finish first which would give him the lead in the championship. With both men battling hard, Bagnaia dropped the ball when he low-sided in the infamous uphill left-hander turn 9 at Sepang.

This immediately gave Martin the lead in the world championship with the mathematical chance of taking the crown during the race scheduled for Sunday. As Sunday dawned with the heat Sepang circuit is known for, the starting grid had Bagnaia in pole position with Martin in second, followed by Alex Marquez on third position.

As the racers flagged off, disaster struck on the first lap as Brad Binder dropped his KTM in turn 2, collecting team mate Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha on the way. The race was immediately red flagged as marshals cleared the bikes and debris.

Racing resumed with a 19-lap race with Miller not restarting and Binder pulling in with an injured shoulder after the initial sighting lap while Quartararo resumed racing, eventually finishing sixth, highest placed of the Japanese manufacturer bikes.

From left to right: Jorge Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini

The race saw a ding-dong battle between Bagnaia and Martin, with Marc Marquez filling close behind. At the finish, Bagnaia crossed the line first, with Martin coming in second, followed by Enea Bastianini, thus giving Ducati a one-two-three finish with the Ducati Lenovo factory team taking first and third spots on the podium.

At the conclusion of racing, Martin tops the rider’s championship table with 485 points, with Bagnaia having 461 points in his pocket followed by Marc Marquez at a distant 369 points. This means the MotoGP championship decider race will likely be in Barcelona, Spain, on November 15 to 17, substituting for the cancelled Valencia Grand Prix.

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