Six races that could have decided the 2024 MotoGP crown

Just ten points out of a potential season maximum of 740 separated new MotoGP champion Jorge Martin from rival Francesco Bagnaia at the conclusion of this year's world championship.

These are the six races where Martin, who made history as the first satellite title winner of the ‘MotoGP’ era, outscored reigning double champion Bagnaia by at least that amount…

1. Portimao GP race, Round 2
Martin 1st (25 points)
Bagnaia DNF (0 points)

Martin (Sprint) and Bagnaia (GP) began the year with a win each in the Qatar opener, arriving in Portugal just three points apart.

The pair were then third and fourth in the Portimao Sprint, but Martin suddenly gained 25 points over his main rival by winning the grand prix while a struggling Bagnaia crashed late in the race after tangling with Marc Marquez over fifth.

2. Jerez Sprint, Round 4
Martin 1st (12 points)
Bagnaia DNF (0 points)

Bagnaia’s second non-score of the season came in the damp Jerez Sprint where the Italian was sent down and out after becoming sandwiched between Marco Bezzecchi and Brad Binder at Turn 1, on lap 3.

Martin won the Sprint but the tables were turned the following day when Bagnaia took a brilliant victory over Marc Marquez in the Grand Prix, while Martin crashed out.

3. Le Mans Sprint, Round 5
Martin 1st (12 points)
Bagnaia DNF (0 points)

Bagnaia failed to finish his second Sprint in a row, and suffered his third non-score in six starts, due to a technical issue at Le Mans.

“[The bike] was doing crazy things and I had to retire,” Bagnaia explained.

Martin took his only 37-point weekend maximum of the season by winning both French races, with Bagnaia finishing a close third to Martin and Marc Marquez in the grand prix.

4. Aragon Grand Prix, Round 12
Martin 2nd (20 points)
Bagnaia DNF (0 points)

Although Bagnaia crashed out of both the Catalunya (round 6) and Silverstone (round 10) Sprints, Martin only gained six and nine points respectively. 

The Spaniard also made mistakes in the Mugello Sprint and most notably the Sachsenring grand prix (round 9), where Bagnaia took the title lead for the first time since Qatar.

Martin had snatched it back at Silverstone, but it wasn’t until round 12, at Aragon, that the Spaniard pulled 10+ points over Bagnaia in a single race again, finishing second to Marc Marquez while his title rival crashed out due to a costly late collision with Alex Marquez over third.

Combined with just one point while struggling for grip in the Sprint, Aragon was Bagnaia’s worst weekend of the season.

5. Misano (Emilia Romagna) Grand Prix, Round 14
Martin 2nd (20 points)
Bagnaia DNF (0 points)

After taking 16 points out of Martin’s title lead at the San Marino round (where Martin made a big mistake by pitting during rain spots in the Grand Prix), Bagnaia chipped three more points away by winning the Emilia Romagna Sprint during MotoGP’s second visit to his home track.

Bagnaia was just 4 points behind Martin heading into the Grand Prix but endured his seventh DNF of the season when he crashed under braking while trying to chase down Martin and Enea Bastianini.

The only good news for Bagnaia was that Bastianini went on to beat Martin with a controversial last-lap pass.

6. Sepang Sprint, Round 19
Martin 1st (12 points)
Bagnaia DNF (0 points)

The sixth and final double-digit swing in Martin’s favour came at the penultimate Sepang round and was surely the costliest.

Bagnaia had kept his title hopes alive by winning in the Buriram rain the previous weekend, trimming Martin’s lead to 17 points.

74 points were still available and Bagnaia was seen as the stronger rider at Sepang, where he landed a significant early blow by beating Martin to pole with a new lap record.

But the final twist in what Bagnaia had already called a ‘championship of mistakes’ - due to the DNFs he and Martin had suffered - saw the Ducati Lenovo star slide out of second behind the Pramac rider in the Sprint. It was his eighth and final DNF of the year.

While Bagnaia won all three remaining races, Martin made sure he finished on the podium and was confirmed as champion in the 40th and final race of the season in Barcelona (where Bagnaia claimed his fifth perfect 37-point maximum of the year).

Bagnaia’s five biggest gains…

Here are the five races (in chronological order) where Bagnaia helped keep his title hopes alive by cutting at least ten points from Martin’s world championship lead…

Jerez GP, Round 4: 25 points (Bagnaia 1st, Martin DNF)
Mugello Sprint, Round 7: 12 points (Bagnaia 1st, Martin DNF)
Sachsenring GP, Round 9: 25 points (Bagnaia 1st, Martin DNF)
San Marino GP, Round 13: 19 points (Bagnaia 2nd, Martin 15th)
Mandalika Sprint, Round 15:  12 points (Bagnaia 1st, Martin 10th)