Emilia Romagna MotoGP: Bastianini wins after tough last-lap Martin move as Bagnaia crashes
Bastianini takes win with aggressive last-lap move on Martin as Bagnaia crashed out
Enea Bastianini took Ducati’s 100th MotoGP win in controversial circumstances after an aggressive last-lap overtake on Jorge Martin in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, while Francesco Bagnaia crashed.
Pramac’s Martin led for much of the 27-lap grand prix, but faced intense pressure from Bastianini in the final laps as the factory Ducati rider looked for a way through.
On the final lap, Bastianini launched his Ducati up the inside of Martin into Turn 4 - but the pair made contact, with the latter forced off track.
Bastianini took the chequered flag 5.002s clear of Martin, though there has been no word of any stewards investigation yet.
Martin’s championship lead has grown to 24 points after poleman Bagnaia crashed out on lap 21 as he tried to recover the gap to the top two having dropped back in the early stages.
Bastianini’s win has secured Ducati the 2024 constructors’ championship.
Martin grabbed the lead off the line but ran wide at Turn 2 and allowed Bagnaia back in front, while Bastianini sat third.
Martin tried to take the lead from Bagnaia at Turn 4 on the third lap, but ran wide again and conceded first.
On lap four, however, Martin made a move stick and ensured there was no way for Bagnaia to respond.
Martin quickly pulled away from Bagnaia, who lost second to team-mate Bastianini on lap five as the world champion struggled for pace.
At one stage, Bagnaia was over two seconds behind the leading two as the gap between Martin and Bastianini fluctuated.
But around mid-distance, Bagnaia’s pace began to improve again and he started coming back towards Martin and Bastianini.
His march ended on lap 21, though, when he locked the front wheel under braking for Turn 8 and crashed.
In the battle for the win, Martin led Bastianini across the line to start the final lap, with the latter launching an aggressive move into Turn 4.
The pair made contact, with Martin forced well wide as Bastianini moved into a comfortable lead to cement his second grand prix win of the season.
The crash for Bagnaia promoted Gresini Ducati’s Marc Marquez to third, with Marco Bezzecchi fourth on the VR46 Ducati after he gambled on the soft rear tyre.
Franco Morbidelli was fifth on the sister Pramac Ducati, with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales sixth ahead of Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.
Aleix Espargaro was eighth on the second of the factory Aprilia, with Alex Marquez (Gresini) and Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse) rounding out the top 10.
Joan Mir was top Honda in 11th, while there were crashes for Tech3’s Pedro Acosta and KTM’s Brad Binder - who remounted to finish 19th.
