Bagnaia crushes Catalunya and takes ’24 MotoGP until the last
As with the other 39 races and twenty weekends of the season, the Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona saw the stars of MotoGP leave everything on the asphalt. This time it was for the campaign finale.
Reigning double world champ Francesco Bagnaia took the title dispute all the way to the last ripple of the checkered flag after nine months of globe-trotting ‘back-and-forth’ with Jorge Martin.
The Ducati ace could do nothing more at the sun-kissed but cool Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya: Pole Position and dominance in the Saturday Sprint as well as a lights-to-line victory in the 24-laps on Sunday. Martin picked up the podium places he needed and the difference after so much mileage, tension and brilliance throughout the series came down to just 10 points.
“I am not considering this like a proper loss because I learnt from my mistakes: we don’t have the championship because of these mistakes, and it is something I will improve,” Pecco conceded from the central position as race winner in the post-GP press conference. “When I’m racing, I just want to be as far forward as I can…but maybe next year we have to analyze that more,” the powerful Italian added after his eleventh success from the 20 rounds.
“If someone had to win it then I prefer it’s him,” he said of his close rival Martin. “I was smiling watching him celebrating [afterwards] because I know how nice is that moment: you try to arrive to this goal all your life and as soon as you achieve it then it’s the best emotion you can have.”
Martin ruled MotoGP to become the first Spanish world champ since Joan Mir in 2020. The year after Joan’s success and before the Bagnaia double in 2022 and 2023 belonged to Fabio Quartararo and the Frenchman was 11th in Barcelona to bookend a long calendar. His factory Monster Energy Yamaha crew have been the busiest in the paddock. Quartararo and Alex Rins have sweated racing, testing, grinding and maximizing the Concessions rules as the Japanese giants try to convert the M1 into a motorcycle to ‘park’ in Parc Ferme. “In terms of riding and terms of really working with the team I think it is the best,” FQ20 summed-up of 2024. “We wanted the improvement to be much faster and better but on my personal side and the riding I think I managed to get something extra, and it’s in the tough moments where you really learn.
Fabio stamped 2024 with 13th but is planning to be much luckier in 2025 and the Yamaha effort will be bolstered by the conscription of the championship-winning Pramac team and two more M1s in the fray.
Bagnaia’s teammate, Enea Bastianini, was just edged out of the battle for 3rd in the championship in Catalunya but has racked-up the trophies in 2024: nine times the Italian was on the box. Franco Morbidelli, who recovered from a serious pre-season crash and a concussion for his first spell on a Ducati, classified 9th for the season and was ahead of the absent (due to shoulder surgery) but impressive Fabio Di Giannantonio.
As has become the norm, the next season begins on the coattails of the previous one. The first test of 2025 takes place two days after the Prosecco has sweetened the last podium. MotoGP faces a considerable movement with the title-winning team changing manufacturers and almost half of the grid swapping saddles. Those first tastes of new bikes, new pitboxes, new staff - and all run in new colors - gets fast on Tuesday. The rush to the opening test in Sepang in the first week of February and then to Thai Grand Prix that will fire it all up to pace again will pass in a blur.
