In the 2024 Japanese GP we have experienced a new duel between the only two drivers who have a real chance of winning the title: Jorge Martín and Pecco Bagnaia. After the mistake on Saturday in Indonesia, Martín could not fail again and Bagnaia had to put as much pressure on the Spaniard as possible without making a mistake.
At this point in the championship any mistake is going to start to weigh heavily, and can give the opponent something that neither of them wants. And the one who “failed” of the two and we put it in quotes, is Jorge Martín, who made a mistake in what is his strong point, Q2, which condemned him to having to row against the current for the rest of the weekend.
That opportunity, together with an incredible lap by Marc Márquez that was invalidated when he stepped on green, left the pole in Pedro Acosta’s pocket. Although he is not a candidate for the title, he is, along with Marc himself and Enea Bastianini, the only one who can steal points from them. , seen what has been seen.
Marc Márquez and Enea Bastianini GIVING THEIR EVERYTHING
What a great battle for second place they gave us 😍#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 #MotoGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/6lmUsT26RM
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) October 5, 2024
Already in the Sprint Race we saw how Martín came back to minimize damage, and how Bagnaia did not risk more than necessary, letting the weight of the race be carried by Acosta, who ended up on the ground. So being as fast as he was intelligent, Bagnaia managed to win with Bastianini second and Márquez third, while Martín without getting on the podium minimized the damage by finishing fourth.
The 2024 Japanese GP has been a clear example of what Martín and Bagnaia are willing to fight for the title
On Sunday things could have been more complicated for Martín, but he nailed it again at the start of the race. He showed pace, and while a relentless Bagnaia cemented his eighth victory of the season, the 26th in MotoGP and the 900th for an Italian rider, the Spaniard climbed back to second position behind him. Not satisfied with that and even knowing that Pecco is a real wall that does not usually give in to pressure, Martín did not give up the effort and managed to get below the barrier of the second before Bagnaia could finally be faster than Jorge and take the victory.
From starting 11th on the grid to finishing SECOND 💥🔥
The spectacular comeback of @88jorgemartin in Motegi 🙌#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 #MotoGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/085mrZmrzn
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) October 6, 2024
But if this new face to face makes anything clear, it is that the two are currently far above the rest, that they are not allowed to fail and that they are capable of withstanding the pressure when things get ugly. And they are going very fast and their errors are minimal, and achieving that is only within the reach of the best.
Leaving aside the two protagonists in the fight for the title, it has been an interesting weekend for Pedro Acosta because he has fought face to face with them, although inexperience in the category and having an obviously inferior motorcycle leads him to make mistakes. But that is part of the learning process, and it gives it extra merit when you see what position and place the rest of the KTMs are on the grid.
NOOOO!!! Pedro Acosta crashed when he was running second!
The Murcian started from pole but could only make it to the fourth lap 😰#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 #MotoGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/ZKF9jcs0PI
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) October 6, 2024
A similar thing happens with Marc Márquez, who is systematically the only GP23 in the lead and leaves Japan with two podiums that, perhaps, could have been better if his fastest lap in qualifying had not been annulled. And be careful, because it is well cancelled, but it was not communicated in time and that deprived it of being able to try again.
But there is no doubt that Marc is recovering his best form and has understood the Ducati and, perhaps, what these modern MotoGPs need, where you have to ride the bike in a much finer way than he did. with the Honda.
Off the podium on Sunday but fighting like a titan, one of the drivers whose work is perhaps least recognized: Enea Bastianini. In 2024 he is being fast, but he is paying for the mistakes at the beginning of the year and, above all, being measured against Bagnia, Martín and Márquez. Perhaps his departure from Ducati will give him wings.
In the next world were the others because if between Bagnaia and Bastaini there were four seconds, between Bastianini and Mordibelli who was fifth there were 13. There is no better example of what the first four classified did than this. Then, much closer between them Binder, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, Aleix Espargaró and Jack Miller.
Honda and Yamaha continued to approach this second group and Quartararo, in fact, had the top 10 in his hand until he ran out of gas again, which made him even surpassed by Johann Zarco, who was eleventh ahead of his compatriot.
Obviously there is a long way to go for the Japanese bikes, but it does seem clear and we can already confirm that they are moving in the right direction. And that is good, not only for them but for a championship that seems monopolized by Ducati, which has only lost a Sunday race this year, that of Viñales in the United States.
Now it’s time for a short break before preparing for the second triplet, which will start in Australia on the 18th. A deserved break for drivers and teams, although the rest of us are looking forward to seeing the next installment of this relentless battle.
