Two weeks have passed since the spectacular Grand Prix held on the asphalt of Austin and the MotoGP world championship is already ready to be talked about again with fourth meeting of the 2024 season, the Spanish GP in Jerez de la Frontera. The Andalusian circuit is traditionally considered the first real test of the calendar, a suitable place to bring out the real values on the field, which are often not so clear during the first trips outside Europe (despite the fact that this year the race has already taken place in Portugal). The 4423 meters of asphalt named in memory of the champion Angel Nieto are also the scene of one of the most historic stages of the entire calendar, present without interruption since 1987.
PREDICTIONS
As we were saying, the Texan race has definitely left its mark, providing a great spectacle especially on Sunday, where Maverick Viñales, already winner of the Sprint Race on Saturday, managed to recover, after a bad start, from eleventh to first position, leading Aprilia to triumph and regaining victory after three years of starvation. ‘Top Gun’ has gone through numerous difficulties in these three years and the American success has every appearance of being something more than a single enlightened weekend. The Spaniard had already been very fast in Portugal, where only a gearbox failure on the last lap had robbed him of a well-deserved second place after his victory in the Sprint. The Aprilia care, passed through the wise management of Massimo Rivola and the grandiose technical evolution of the RS-GP 24, seems to have given us back a regenerated pilot, intact as perhaps we had never seen him before, freed from his own limits and from that insecurity that often undermined his results. A rider in this state of form undoubtedly represents a serious threat even for the presumed title favourites, also considering the 14 points gap from the top of the standings. In MotoGP Vinales achieved three podiums aboard the Yamaha, but he has never won on his home circuit of Jerez, something he only managed in Moto3 in 2013, the year of the title.
The rebirth of Vinales, however, was not the only theme delivered to us by Texas: Pedro Acosta he once again demonstrated his crystalline talent, fighting like a lion among the big names in the category, achieving a second place, which, at this rate, could be a prelude to a first success in this debut year in the premier class. Jerez already represents a very tempting opportunity for KTM to win their first victory of the season: here last year the RC16 played the role of the bike to beat and Brad Binder he was able to win the Sprint race and finish second on Sunday, missing the victory by a whisker.
In short, Aprilia and KTM they left the New Continent as motorcycles reference for the entire category. In fact, Ducati’s streak of consecutive victories was interrupted at 11. The Rossa from Borgo Panigale, not fully centered at the start of the season, will certainly return to galloping as soon as she touches Andalusian soil, where she has been the undisputed queen for three years.
Let’s not forget that leading the world championship we actually find a Desmosedici, not that of the official team, but rather the Pramac one Jorge Martin, at 80 points with a victory and two podiums already under his belt. The Spaniard showed great maturity in the last round, securing the consistent points of fourth place without overdoing it, a mistake that had cost him a lot on several occasions during 2023. In the first part of 2024 we instead saw a more balanced driver, capable of measuring himself and always bringing home the best possible result based on the conditions. Although his record in MotoGP is not very exciting (fourth place in 2023 as best result) the points leader, with 11 points ahead of Enea Bastianini, is considered by experts as the favorite for the Andalusian event.
Jerez could be one great opportunity for Pecco Bagnaia. The reigning World Champion emerged victorious from the corners of the Angel Nieto circuit in 2022 and 2024. With the two extremely dull performances of Portimao and Austin, which placed him 30 points behind Martin, the friendly track in the Iberian south has everything what is needed to re-establish hierarchies. Furthermore, Ducati has been winning here for 3 years and if the youth problems of the GP-24 found in the first three races were to be resolved on a real track like this, then the red would once again have a consistent advantage for the next 7 stages Europeans.
To conclude, a point about Marc Marquez and on his adaptation process to the Gresini team’s GP-23. The delay of “Cabroncito” from the top is 44 points and, after two consecutive zeros between Portugal and the United States, it will be It is crucial not to make any new mistakes such. The last victory of the older Márquez here in Andalusia dates back to 2019, while the 2020 Grand Prix is still in the minds of many, with the extraordinary comeback however ending in the gravel of Turn 3.
Credits: (Getty Images)
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