MotoGP: Bagnaia's grand prix win, Martin's title!
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) enjoyed a grand-slam weekend at the last clash of the 2024 MotoGPTM World Championship, claiming pole-position and both race wins. Next to him on the podium after Sunday's showpiece in Barcelona was Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), while third place sufficed for Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) to secure this year's crown. The MICHELIN Power slick range contributed to the entertainment by delivering its hallmark grip and consistency despite the delicate conditions. Read on to find out more about what happened at the season's finale...
The Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona saw Bagnaia produce a flawless run, beginning with his sixth qualifying success of the year. He followed that up with a lights-out to checkered flag victory in Saturday's 12-lap sprint and did the same on Sunday after a good getaway on hard and soft Michelin Power slicks front and rear. It was his 11th victory of the campaign.
Second-placed Marquez opted for the same tire pairing, but Martin combined the hard front with the medium rear. From fourth on the grid, the latter completed the first of the grand prix's 24 laps just behind his Italian title-rival. He dropped a position next time around, however, and subsequently focused on keeping out of trouble to make sure of his first MotoGPTM title. It was a fitting reward for a consistent season which also saw him become the first Independent rider to top the championship's overall standings since 2001.
Given the relatively chilly conditions expected for the fixture in northern Spain, Michelin provided a choice of seven different tire specs (four fronts and three rears), instead of the usual five. They all performed strongly and all three rears could be spotted on Sunday's grid. Both the soft and medium compounds finished on the podium.
After a break on Monday, the riders will reconvene at the same circuit for the first official test session ahead of the 2025 world championship.