The MotoGP championship will return to the scene only at the end of the month with the Dutch Grand Prixbut after 7 races it is already time to take stock for some pilots. We are now in fact a third of the way through the season, which will end after 20 races. Originally, as announced in September, the calendar should have actually included 22 races with the addition of the Kazakhstan Grand Prix and the return of the Aragon Grand Prixhowever the Argentine Grand Prix was canceled in January, while the Indian one was postponed to 2025. The longest championship record ever will have to wait, therefore. In total there are 20 races, at least for now, this seasonwhich will end in mid-November in Valencia, as per tradition.
Qatar and Portugal: Bagnaia and Martín alternate at the top
In March, in Qatar, the reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia immediately tried to set the record straight by taking first place and leaving his direct rival Jorge Martín only third place. Already at the end of the last championship it was the head-to-head between the two that animated the competition and in all likelihood the situation will remain unchanged this year too. A small turning point occurred already during the second Grand Prixthat of Portugal, which saw “Pecco” forced to retire following an accident with Marc Marquez, who instead finished the race without obtaining any points. That time it was Martín who wonstarting to put his breath down the Italian driver’s neck.
Vinales at the top, Bagnaia loses ground
In the third stage, which coincided with the Grand Prix of the Americas, curiously it was no one between Bagnaia and Martín who excelled, but rather Maverick Vinales. “Pecco” however missed a good opportunity to get back on track, arriving only in fifth position and leaving Martín in fourth, allowing him to still accumulate an advantage over him. The Italian needed a bit of luck to readjust the rankings and the opportunity presented itself immediately with the Spanish Grand Prixwhich saw him triumph while the Spaniard, winner of the Sprint race, had to withdraw. Martín took his revenge already in Francecoming first again, while Bagnaia placed himself on the last step of the podium.
A continuous ups and downs, which however in the long run was risking damaging “Pecco” above all. With a considerable surge of pride, faced with a ranking that risked becoming truly merciless, Bagnaia put the turbo in and he won both the Catalan Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix, where the Spaniard came in second and third place respectively. Both the professionals and the MotoGP betting they now point to Bagnaia as the probable winner of the championship, although Martín is still ahead in the ranking, as he occupies first position with a total of 171 points. The gap to Bagnaia now amounts to just 18 points and the next round in Holland could already write a fundamental page for this season.
Last-ditch challenge: Bagnaia under pressure
It is not just a challenge of skill, but also a contest of endurance and nerves. However, it is Bagnaia who suffers the most pressure from the situation, who still has a title to defend. Indeed, two considering also that of 2022. Martín, on the other hand, has still never won a championship in the premier class, becoming world champion only in Moto3, way back in 2018. To date, his best result in 4 MotoGP seasons coincides with second place last year. Regardless of how it ends, in 2024 both the Italian and the Spaniard will certainly be protagonists until the end…
