Jerez 2024 gave away the return duel. A delicious one-on-one between the champion and the multiple champion, between Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Márquez, which the Italian won to get back on track in the fight for the title. The one from Turin surpassed the one from Cervera in an intense battle, who recovered the best version of himself, aggressive, daring and boisterous, to achieve his first Sunday podium with Ducati.
Leader Jorge Martín fell while leading – like Márquez on Saturday – but retains control of the MotoGP World Championship. Although he already has Bagnaia only 17 points behind.
“Today was a super important race. I crashed in Austin, I crashed yesterday. I had the speed to come back. It was a very tight race, like in the old days, with touches. He had something more today. This first one is very important. podium,” he said, showing off his scratched monkey. “It doesn’t matter that I lost the fight. I’m going to keep fighting until the end,” commented an exultant Márquez at the end of the race, jumping again for joy and climbing over the fences.
From pole, which he had not enjoyed for a year (Portimao, March 25, 2023), Marc Márquez was able to lead from the start. The Catalan started well, seeing in the rearview mirror Martín and Bezzecchi following him closely, but above all Bagnaia jumping up to fourth position, plugged in so as not to lose positions.
The champion wanted to make up for such a fall and hit the table. The Ducati Italian took control of the race from Márquez before closing the first lap. Marc wanted to fight back, but Martín overtook him and fell to third place. The fight between the three was ready.
However, Bagnaia made a mistake at turn 13, going wide, and Martín took advantage of it to take the lead on lap 3. The Italian saved second position from the harassment of Márquez, who was unable to progress from third place.
Bezzecchi was fourth and Àlex Márquez fifth, closing the first group of the race. Behind, Binder, Oliveira, Bastianini and Miller. Pedro Acosta, with a bad start, was fighting to climb positions from 16th place, and Dani Pedrosa crashed on the fourth lap.
As the laps fell, the duel for victory was taking shape: Martín and Bagnaia opened a gap with respect to Márquez, 6-8 tenths behind, behind Bezzecchi, third. The two contenders for the 2023 title reissued the duel. Márquez followed Bezzecchi’s wheel, without losing sight of Jorge and Pecco.
The surprise came on lap 11, when Martín fell while braking at turn 6. When the Spaniard managed the lead, he blocked the front axle and crashed, leaving control of the race to Bagnaia. Bezzecchi and Márquez were 8 tenths behind the champion. A zero that, however, would not make him lose the leadership of the World Cup, but would weaken his authority.
Bagnaia, without Martín on the track, catapulted to victory. He took 1.2 seconds ahead of Bezzecchi, who on lap 14 managed to overtake the Italian in the VR46. The Catalan was faced with his opportunity to chase the victory: he had Bagnaia 1.2 seconds behind. He began the chase with 11 laps to go.
Bagnaia, without Martín on the track, catapulted to victory. He took 1.2 seconds ahead of Bezzecchi and Márquez, who on lap 14 managed to overtake the Italian in the VR46 to go for the win. Jerez went crazy. The Catalan was faced with his opportunity to pursue the victory that had eluded him so much: he had Bagnaia 1.2 seconds behind. He began the chase with 11 laps to go.
Márquez gritted his teeth and began to repel tenths, lap by lap. On lap 17 (with 7 to go) he was already only 7 tenths behind. But the two drivers traced their times as if it were a qualifying session, so the distance barely changed.
But with 6 laps to go, Márquez got on top of Pecco, just 1 tenth behind. He already had it in his sights. He put the bike into the left-hand corner of turn 9, the Catalan passed slightly in front and they touched laterally in turn 10. Bagnaia regained control, but he saw how Marc was doing it. Márquez tried again on lap 22 at the same point, but it went a little long and Pecco kept his head.
Bagnaia tried to distance himself by opening more gas and achieving the best lap of the race. He managed to gain 4-6 tenths of a margin with Márquez to avoid the attack in the last lap. Six tenths to take the victory for the Italian. For the third time in a row, the driver from Turin took the victory in Jerez. Márquez was able to repel him by 3 tenths, but he needed a little more lap to finish the chase.
Bagnaia imposed his calculation, his coldness and his power to catch his breath and win again, and avoid Márquez’s bite. The Catalan was leaving Jerez, his cursed circuit, with his first Sunday podium this year to dream of the return of the usual Marc: since Japan 2023, Márquez has not climbed into the box.
Bezzecchi closed the podium with third position. Àlex Márquez, fourth, achieved his best position this year. Maverick Viñales was ninth and Pedro Acosta, tenth, after a brave comeback.
