Enea Bastianini: “It's still not mathematically impossible…”
Enea Bastianini's 2024 MotoGP title hopes hanging by a thread.
With five rounds to go, starting at Motegi this weekend, five riders are still in mathematical contention for the 2024 MotoGP world championship.
But with fifth place Pedro Acosta needing to win every remaining Sprint and Grand Prix, and for Jorge Martin not to score, the KTM rookie can be discounted.
That leaves a Ducati quartet of Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez.
Martin and Bagnaia start this weekend’s Japanese MotoGP 21 points apart, with 185 points remaining and everything still to play for.
But Mandalika took a heavy toll on the title chances of Bastianini and Marquez.
Neither reached the finish of Sunday’s race - Bastianini due to a fall and Marquez an engine failure - leaving them 75 and 78 points behind Martin, respectively.
That means they need to outscore Martin by an average of 15-16 points per round for five events in succession.
"I'm happy to get back on track right away and leave last Sunday behind me for good,” said Bastianini, who crashed out of a late third place while hunting down Martin and Acosta.
“It's been two years since I last raced in Japan, but I’ve always liked the Motegi track, and recently, we've been fast on almost every circuit.
“The gap in the championship is getting bigger, but it's still not mathematically impossible.
“It will be important to stay focused in these final races, give our best, and always push hard."
Before Mandalika, Bastianini had scored 127 points in the five rounds since the summer break.
Only Martin scored more, with 129 points. Marquez brought in 115 and Bagnaia only 95 over the same period.
If those scores are repeated in the final five events, the order of the championship top four will remain unchanged.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
