RACE REPORT | MotoGP Aragon 2024

The Aragon Grand Prix delivered a race to remember as Marc Marquez claimed his first victory in over 1,000 days, while Jorge Martin finished second, significantly shaking up the Championship standings. Francesco Bagnaia's title hopes suffered a major setback after a dramatic crash, allowing Martin to extend his lead.

The Aragon Grand Prix will be remembered for ages, with Marc Marquez securing an incredible victory—his first in 1,043 days. Jorge Martin claimed second place, finishing nearly five seconds behind the race winner. The race significantly shuffled the championship standings, as Francesco Bagnaia's hopes for the title took a major hit, with the rider scoring no points on Sunday.

Pedro Acosta completed the podium in third place, marking his first podium finish since the Americas Grand Prix earlier this year. The rookie star currently stands fifth in the championship. The race began with a dramatic start; Marc Marquez took the holeshot and led the pack, while Bagnaia had a nightmare start, dropping to P7. The opening laps were eventful, highlighted by Miguel Oliveira’s crash at Turn 16.

Acosta initially looked strong, holding P2 with Martin close behind. On lap 2, Martin tried to overtake Acosta but ran wide at Turn 8, allowing Acosta to retake the position. However, it wasn’t for long, as Martin reclaimed the position from Acosta at Turn 13. As Acosta began to fade, Alex Marquez moved into the podium positions. Meanwhile, Bagnaia started to recover from his poor start, overtaking Brad Binder for sixth place. The Italian then set his sights on Franco Morbidelli ahead, who soon dropped to eighth after making a mistake, allowing Bagnaia to move up.

Fabio Quartararo was unable to secure another top-ten finish, as he crashed out at Turn 5. Further back, Enea Bastianini was battling for a spot inside the top ten alongside Fabio Di Giannantonio and Jack Miller. At the front, Marc Marquez was extending his lead to over three seconds, with Martin maintaining his position as the closest challenger. Martin’s priority was to stay ahead of his rival Bagnaia, who had moved up to P4 after a spectacular overtake on Acosta on Lap 11. Bagnaia then set his sights on Alex Marquez ahead of him, closing in lap by lap.

However, on Lap 19, Bagnaia collided with Alex Marquez at Turn 12 after Marquez went wide at Turn 11. Both riders crashed out, and Bagnaia had to undergo a medical check-up, but he was declared fit. This incident had a major impact on the Championship, with Bagnaia failing to score points, allowing Martin to extend his lead.

In the closing laps, Marc Marquez maintained his five-second lead and secured his first victory since 2021. The day was critical for the Championship as Martin finished second with Acosta in third.

Enea Bastianini had an impressive recovery, finishing fifth after starting 14th on the grid. Another impressive ride came from Alex Rins, who finished ninth after starting 21st.