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Starting from P17, Verstappen takes stunning win; enhances title chances
Sao Paulo, 3 Nov 2024: Max Verstappen took a stunning win at the São Paulo Grand Prix, climbing from 17th place on the grid to take his eighth victory of the season almost 20 seconds clear of the chasing pack. Behind the three-time champion, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly took a surprise double podium for Alpine.
On the formation lap ahead of the start, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crashed and Race Control indicated an aborted start. That should have signalled the drivers to remains on the grid after the formation lap to await further instructions. Norris, however, pulled away and a number of other drivers followed the pole sitter. Another formation lap was the result and Norris and several others were informed that the incident would be investigated agfter the race.
When the light eventually went out, front row starter Russell reacted best and he stole the lead on the run to Turn 1 ahead of Norris. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda held his starting third place ahead of Ocon, while Ferrrari’s Charles Lecler moved ahead of RB’s Liam Lawson to take fifth.
Further back, Verstappen made a brilliant start from P17, and as the field exited the Senna S, the Dutchman charged around the outside to climb to P11 behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. And at the start of lap 2 the Dutchman dived down the inside of the Mercedes to climb into a points-paying position.
Verstappen wasn’t done, though, and after picking off Alpine’s Pierre Gasly’s Alpine at the start of lap 3, he muscled his way past Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso on the following lap. He then chased down Oscar Piastri and Lawson and by the end of lap 11 he was a remarkable sixth.
At the front, on lap 20, Russell still led, just under a second ahead of Norris. Eight seconds behind the top two, Tsunoda headed a DRS train consisting of Ocon, Leclerc and Verstappen.
On lap the shape of the race changed. In worsening rain, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg went wide in Turn 1 and stopped at the edge of the track. The VSC was deployed, sparking a flurry of pit stops.
With the aid of marshals, Hülkenberg was able to rejopin – a move that ultimately led to him being black-flagged – and just as the VSC ended, the top three of Russell, Norris and Tsunoda dived into the pits for more Inters. That promoted Ocon into the lead, with Verstappen in P2 ahead of Gasly.
With the VSC spell complete, Norris eased past Russell to claim fourth place but with the conditions worsening badly, the Safety Car was eventually deployed. And when Williams’ Franco Colapinto lost control in Turn 12 and hit the barriers, the red flags came out and the race was halted.
At the restart, Ocon held his lead over Verstappen and Gasly, but behind them Norris went wide and Russell was able to sneak through to P4. On lap 40, though, Sainz, who had been trying to catch Pérez, crashed at Turn 8 and the Safety Car took to the track for the second time.
The restart took place at the end of lap 42 and this time Verstappen judged it perfectly. He stuck with Ocon and when the Frenchman tried to pull away, Verstappen stayed close enough to dive down the inside into Turn 1 and steal the lead.
Behind them Gasly managed to hold onto third but Russell, Leclerc and Norris were all jockeying for position. Desperate to avoid a collision, Norris locked up behind Russell and dropped back to P7 behind team-mate Piastri. The Australian, facing a time penalty for a collision, would later wave the Briton through to P6.
At the front, Verstappen began to stretch away from the pack and with 20 laps remaining the Dutchman had pulled out a five-second gap to Ocon, with Gasly three seconds further back in third.
In the closing stages, Verstappen took complete control and after posting a staggering 17 fastest laps that earned him a bonus point the Dutchman crossed the line to take his eighth win of the season and his first the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
Behind the champion Ocon and Gasly completed a shock double podium for Alpine, while Russell took fourth ahead of Leclerc. Norris, facing an investigation for breaching starting regulations when the original start was aborted, finished sixth ahead of Tsunoda and Piastri while Liam Lawson made it a double points finish ahead of Hamilton.
2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 69 2:06’54.430
2 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 69 2:07’13.907 19.477
3 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 69 2:07’16.962 22.532
4 George Russell Mercedes 69 2:07’17.695 23.265
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 69 2:07’24.607 30.177
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 69 2:07’25.802 31.372
7 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’36.486 42.056
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 69 2:07’39.373 44.943
9 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’44.882 50.452
10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 69 2:07’45.183 50.753
11 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’45.961 51.531
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 69 2:07’51.515 57.085
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 69 2:07’58.018 1’03.588
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 69 2:08’12.479 1’18.049
15 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 69 2:08’14.079 1’19.649
Carlos Sainz Ferrari 38 – 31 laps
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 30 – Retirement
Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 0 – Not started
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 0 – Not started
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 30 – DSQ -
Title fight rolls on as Bagnaia beats Martin in an all-time thriller at Sepang
A brawl at the start becomes a statement for the ages as one of the sport’s best ever battles sees #TheRematch roll on.
Sepang, 3 Nov. 2024: On Sunday, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) headed out to keep his World Championship hopes alive with a win at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, and he did just that. It was a sensational ride from the #1, who put the hammer down after a breathtaking battle with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in the opening laps that will go down in history as one of the best duels the sport has ever seen. From there it was a cat and mouse to the finish, with Bagnaia finding enough to keep Martin at bay and reduce the gap to 24 points by the flag. And remember, the maximum score per weekend is now 37…
Behind them, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was able to grab the final spot on the podium in a crucial day for ‘The Beast’, who moved a step closer as he continues his fight for third position in the Championship against the very same Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) who crashed out from third after getting a box office seat for the duel at the front.
Pecco Bagnaia after his 10th win this year. A MotoGP image Once the lights went out, it was a good launch from Bagnaia but he was near side-by-side with Martin on the charge into Turn 1. However, a crash at Turn 2 involving Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) would bring out the red flag and reset the tense showdown once again before a lap was complete. Miller was taken for checks and deemed fit, Quartararo and Binder walked away, but the South African pulled in before the restart.
After that pique of adrenaline, the lights went out again, with Bagnaia making an incredible launch on take two, catapulting into the lead on the run to Turn 1. Martin was forced to slot into second, with Marc Marquez battling into the podium places on Lap 1. As soon as was possible at the head of the field though, it was GLOVES OFF. Martin made his first move on the opening lap, with Bagnaia instantly responding as the title fight kicked into another gear. Game on.
Bagnaia and Martin continued to lock horns, trading places and trading blows in the opening stages of a spectacular Malaysian GP. The tension was high as the lead continued to swap hands at every opportunity, with just inches separating them on the circuit. Paint was exchanged between the title rivals in the opening stages including one near bash on the straight, and with Marc Marquez watching on from behind in third place.
It was a true spectacle, with the two title contenders absolutely going at it… and still able to somehow pull a gap on those behind. By Lap 5 though, Bagnaia had made it stick and a small mistake from Martin saw a sliver of breathing space become the fastest lap from the #1 as he got the hammer down. Now it became a battle of a different kind.
Some more drama then hit near the front, and “What will Marc Marquez do?” got an earlier answer than the eight-time World Champion intended as he slid out, rejoining down the order. That left Bastianini in third as he’d pulled away from the group on the chase but not homed in on the front battle. Behind, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was fending off Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) for P4, and Quartararo wasn’t far off them either.
And then. Ater it could have seemed a foregone conclusion at the front, the gap suddenly started to come down. From over two seconds it disappeared in a tenth here and a tenth there, with Bagnaia either struggling or teasing. Just as it got below 1.5s, however, the #89 made a crucial mistake at Turn 9 – dropping a further eight-tenths behind. The possibility had proven strong but Martin didn’t falter with the temptation as much as Bagnaia may have been hoping, forced to settle for second but seemingly content to do so as his points advantage remains sizeable.
At the front, Bagnaia didn’t falter either, crossing the line to win by 3.141s on a critical day in the 2024 MotoGP World Championship. The Italian’s victory sees #TheRematch to roll on after defeating Martin in Malaysia, and after the duo served up a true, true all-time great duel.
Bastianini made one error to halt what seemed like it could be a possible charge, wide at the final corner, but kept it on the road thereafter to take that third place. Behind, Alex Marquez claimed fourth, with the #73 continuing to defend from Acosta in the closing stages of the Grand Prix. 1.469s separated the duo at the line as Quartararo heroically finished inside the top six after a stunning ride from the Frenchman on the restart, taking his and Yamaha’s best GP result of the season so far. The #20 placed ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Alex Rins as the #42 grabbed eighth.
The final spots on the top 10 spots were taken by Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) as Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LRC) bagged 11th. Marc Marquez charged to P12 after rejoining, ending a strong recovery ride with points as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Morbidelli, and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) scored the final point on Sunday.
After Bagnaia was able to keep his title hopes in reach this weekend, it leaves everything to be decided at the finale! Make sure you keep up to date on motogp.com to find out the latest news regarding the final round of the season. We can guarantee two things: it will be a show like nothing else on earth… and it will be a show with purpose as we continue #RacingForValencia.
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Lando Norris claims pole in dramatic wet qualifying at Sao Paulo GP: F1
Inter Lagos, 2 Nov 2024: Lando Norris claimed a potentially crucial pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix at the end of a chaotic, rain-hit qualifying at Interlagos that was red-flagged five times and which left the McLaren driver’s title rival Max Verstappen in P12 and facing a P17 start after he takes a grid penalty for PU changes.
In soaking wet conditions a long queue formed at the end of the pit lane ahead of the session and when the green lights came on it was Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who set the early pace with a lap of 1:29.916. Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez slotted into P2 a tenth further back but RB’s Yuki Tsunoda then bypassed both with a lap of 1:29.172.
The first red flag of the session then came out. Franco Colapinto lost control of his Williams in the middle of Turn 3 and spun off into the barriers. The Argentinian was unhurt but the session was suspended.
After an eight-minute delay, the action got underway again, and with a couple of minutes left, Verstappen moved out of potential danger by claiming P5. His lap was deleted, however, as double waved yellow flags were being shown for an off for Nico Hülkenberg and the champion plummeted down to P12. However, in the final seconds he posted a lap 1:28.522 to jump to the top of the order ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Mercedes’ George Russell.
Further back there was no place in Q2 for Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver dropped out in P16 ahead the Haas of Ollie Bearman, the unfortunate Colapinto, the second Haas of Hülkenberg and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu.
Verstappen was to the fore again at the start of Q2. After Pérez got the ball rolling with a lap of 1:28.158, Verstappen powered past that, clearing his team-mate by 0.387s to set a time of 1:27.771.
However, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri had made the switch to Intermediate tyres and the Australian jumped to P1 six tenths of a second ahead of Verstappen, before improving again by almost a second to set the pace at 1:25.179.
That sparked a mass move to Intermediates but while Russell and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll were able to exploit the green-banded tyres to climb to second and third respectively, there was no chance for anyone else to improve before the session was red-flagged for a second time. Carlos Sainz spun in Turn 2 and the Ferrari driver went backwards into the barriers, causing heavy damage to the back of the car.
After another eight-minute halt, the session was restarted and once again, on a drying track, the lottery kicked into gear.
Norris was first out on track and the Briton jumped to top spot with a lap of 1:24.844. However, further back on track, Stroll crashed in Turn 3. The red flags came out again and the stoppage denied both Red Bull drivers the chance to improve. With just 45 seconds left on the clock, there would be no resumption and Verstappen exited in P12, immediately ahead of team-mate Pérez. Also eliminated at the end of the middle segment were Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas in P11, Sainz in 14th place and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in P15.
At the start of Q3, it was Norris who made the most of the conditions and the McLaren driver took top spot with a lap of 1:24.158, half a second clear of Albon, with Piastri in third place.
However, almost immediately after Norris crossed the line the red flags were flown for a fourth time. Fernando Alonso lost control in Turn 11 and he went off into the barriers at high speed.
After a 12-minute delay to repair the barriers, and with seven minutes left, the session resumed. But once again the action was brief. With three minutes remaining Albon’s Williams stepped out under braking into Turn 1 and he slammed hard into the barriers, doing severe damage to the rear and front left of his car. The red flags appeared for the fifth time.
And when the session resumed for the final time there was no stopping Norris. The Briton improved again to take pole with a time of 1:23.406 ahead of Russell with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda in third place. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was fourth ahead of the second RB of Liam Lawson. Leclerc qualified sixth ahead of Alnon and Piastri with the Astons of Alonso and Stroll in ninth and tenth.
Lando Norris Quote:
“A positive job as a team today. The car has great pace this weekend and I felt good out there. I think we were strong but it’s difficult to judge in a Sprint when everyone is looking at how much to manage and how much to push. Oscar deserved it today, but we’ve done what we had to do with our pursuit of the two Championships. We executed it very well and I’m thankful for his support. It’s a disappointing afternoon for the fans with Qualifying not going ahead but I’m looking forward to a strong performance tomorrow.”
2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:23.405 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:23.578 0.173
3 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:24.111 0.706
4 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:24.475 1.070
5 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1:24.484 1.079
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:24.525 1.120
7 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:24.657 1.252
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:24.686 1.281
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:28.998 5.593
10 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes – – –
11 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:26.472 3.067
12 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:27.771 4.366
13 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:28.158 4.753
14 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:29.406 6.001
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:29.614 6.209
16 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.150 7.745
17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:31.229 7.824
18 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:31.270 7.865
19 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:31.623 8.218
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.263 8.858 -
Lando Norris handed Sprint win by Oscar Piastri; Verstappen third
Sau Paulo, 2 Nov. 2024: Lando Norris took his first F1 Sprint win after being waved through by McLaren team-mate and long-time leader Oscar Piastri in the closing stages of the 24-lap race at the Autódromo Carlos Pace. Red Bull’s Championship leader Max Verstappen crossed the line in third but was handed a five-second time after the race for a VSC infringment dropping him to fourth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the final classification.
At the race start, both McLarens got away well and polesitter Piastri moved across the track successful defend the inside line against front-row starter Norris who held second. Leclerc also defended well into the Senna S to keep Verstappen at bay.
Across the opening laps Verstappen pressed hard to provoke a mistake from Leclerc and initially that allowed the McLarens to open a gap. But Norris, in his team-mate’s dirty air, then fell back from Piastri who was subsequently asked to drop back and provide DRS to his team-mate.
As the race reached half distance, Verstappen began to get some reward for his efforts, as Leclerc began to struggle more on his Medium tyres. And on lap 18 the Ferrari driver made a small mistake in the Senna S. Verstappen closed in through Turn 3 and with DRS engaged muscles his way around the outside through Turn 4 to claim third place,
The Dutchman then began to eat into the gap to Norris, narrowing McLaren’s chances of pulling off a positional swap between Piastri and Norris.
However, both McLarens were able to build a healthier two-second gap to the Red Bull and when Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg stopped at the edge of the track at Turn 8 and the threat of a Safety Car appeared, the McLaren pitwall pulled the trigger.
Piastri moved across on the run to Turn 4 and Norris slipped past to take the lead. The time lost meant that Piastri was now under threat from Verstappen but just before the start of the penultimate lap, race officials imposed a VSC to deal with Hülkenberg’s stranded car and the gaps froze.
The VSC ended midway through the final lap and Verstappen closed right up to Piastri in Turn 4 just as the caution was coming to an end. The Dutch driver’s proximity to the Australian was noted and then was investigated after the Sprint.
The Stewards handed Verstappen a five-second penalty, saying that “Article 56.5 states in part ‘All cars must also be above this minimum time when the FIA light panels change to green.’ The driver was 0.63 seconds below the minimum time at VSC End when the FIA light panels changed to green. This indicates a sporting advantage gained under VSC.’
Verstappen crossed the line third but the time penalty dropped him to fourth behind Leclerc and ahead of the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, with Mercedes’ George Russell in sixth,. Pierre Gasly held on to seventh place for Alpine, just ahead of the hard-charging Sergio Pérez who battled through from P13 to take the final point on offer.
2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Sprint
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 24 –
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 24 0.593
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 24 1.497
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 24 5.656
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 24 7.224
6 George Russell Mercedes 24 12.475
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 24 18.161
8 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 24 18.717
9 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 24 20.773
10 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 24 24.606
11 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 24 29.764
12 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 24 33.233
13 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 24 34.128
14 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 24 35.507
15 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 24 41.374
16 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 24 43.231
17 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 24 54.139
18 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 24 56.537
19 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 24 57.983
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 19 – Retirement -
Martin supreme to set up match point on Sunday as Bagnaia suffers shock crash at Sepang
#TheRematch: It’s all on the line on Sunday as a seismic Tissot Sprint sees the Martinator rule as the reigning Champion slides out from second to fall 29 points behind.
Sepang, 2 Nov. 2024: The Tissot Sprint at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia was always going to be pivotal. How pivotal was to be decided over 10 laps of technical racetrack shared by 22 riders in the searing heat, two of whom are fighting it out to be crowned 2024 Champion. In the dance of risk and reward, points leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) took off at the front to lay down the gauntlet. And as he so rarely has when under pressure, reigning Champion Francesco Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) took just that tiny bit too much risk as he slid out from second. Now, it’s 29 points at the top… and it could all come down to Sunday at the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang.
Behind that drama, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) came home second after keeping Martin honest following Bagnaia’s crash, with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the podium.
The tension rose even more following a brief spattering of raindrops, but as the grid roared off, the track was dry and Martin got the jump from second on the grid, nabbing the inside as Bagnaia hung it round the outside. But the #1 had to concede into Turn 2 and they shot off at the front together as the shuffle settled, with Marc Marquez for close company.
Just behind, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had dropped back from the front row and was squabbling with Franco Morbidelli (Prima Prama Racing) for fifth, with Bastianini having leapfrogged them into fourth. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was soon up into that mix too, off the mark quick and with the speed to go with it.
Meanwhile at the front, the leading trio pounded on. Martin was setting some serious space, with the #1 and #93 in hot pursuit. And then it happened – the moment that may have decided the 2024 MotoGP™ World Championship. Or certainty one of them.
As Martin pushed on, Bagnaia had no choice but to push just as hard – with a 17-point deficit on the way into the Sprint. That then suddenly became a potential 29 as the reigning Champion slid out in one of the lowest speed, highest stakes crashes in recent memory. Rider ok, Bagnaia was forced to watch on as Martin kept Marquez at bay at the front, likely cheering for the #93 for the first time in his life.
Martin did keep him at bay, however, never letting the Gresini machine really home in over the seven laps between the him and that 29-point advantage. The #89 kept it calm to cross the line with just under a second in hand, setting up his first ever outright Championship point in MotoGP™. Marc Marquez took second, keeping some pressure on but not able to really cut that lead.
Bastianini’s quick start and good pace rewarded him with third after he proved able to pull away from Alex Marquez, with the #73 taking P4. Just behind him came Quartararo after a stunning Saturday afternoon for El Diablo, taking his and Yamaha’s best result of the season in a Sprint or GP, equalling the P5 from Jerez on Saturday.
Morbidelli was forced to settle for sixth, ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) at the head of a KTM/GASGAS showdown – with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) just able to stay ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) this time round, returning the favour from Buriram. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) missed out on the final Sprint point by just seven tenths.
Was that the moment that decided the crown? After racing for 678 points, every moment has its sway. But in the final stint they decide when and where that ultimate prize is on the line, and in 2024 that will now be Sunday at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia.
If Martin wins the Grand Prix, Bagnaia has to follow him home in second or it’s game over in the title fight and a new name will be etched onto the trophy. But Saturday already showed how quickly everything can change… so join us for match point on Sunday at 15:00 (UTC +8)! -
Bagnaia takes the fight to Martin with stunning wet weather win in Thailand
The #1 stays calm under pressure to escape his title rival and take his first wet weather win in MotoGP as Marquez and Bastianini crash at Buriram
Buriram, 27 October 2024: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) reigned supreme with a stunning wet weather win under pressure at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. The #1 battled Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) for the lead before the #93 crashed out of contention, leaving Bagnaia to steel his nerves and get the hammer down at the front to escape Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) by nearly three seconds. With that statement made, the gap at the top is back down to just 17 points with two race weekends remaining, and it’s now officially two contenders for the crown. #TheRematch is on!
Behind that battle there was another, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) claiming the final spot on the podium after a stunning showdown against Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jack Miller.
There was drama before the Grand Prix began, with the wet conditions catching out Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) on the sighting lap. He made the start though, and as the skies above Buriram continued to brood, the lights went out to decide the winner of the 2024 Thai Grand Prix.
Martin made a rocket start, snatching the advantage on the run to Turn 1 as a shuffle through there saw Bagnaia emerge in second, Marquez move up to third and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) lose out as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) went on the attack.
The Championship rivals began to duel – locking horns on the opening laps as Martin went wide, Bagnaia took over but the #89 responded swiftly as he sliced past the Italian at Turn 4. Martin began to extend his lead to almost half a second, shadowed by Bagnaia, with Marquez on their tail as Acosta duelled Quartararo in their wake. The rookie then sailed well wide, giving himself work to do as Quartararo suffered a worse fate following contact from Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing). The Italian was given a Long Lap, and the Frenchman was forced to rejoin at the back.
Back at the front, the first frisson of drama came on Lap 5 as Martin made a crucial error, running wide at Turn 3 and dropping down to third position – behind Marc Marquez. That gave Bagnaia the lead and made it a different tone of Jaws music for the reigning Champion as the #93 continued to shadow him.
More drama hit in the meantime, as Morbidelli’s day soon went from bad to worse, crashing out at Turn 8, moments before Bastianini’s Grand Prix also came to a halt at Turn 8, with the #23 losing the front and ending any hopes of scoring strong points on Lap 9 – after Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) had also slid out.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez began his charge for victory, sending a move down the inside at the final corner. It was repelled. The #93 began to pile on the pressure though, with Martin lurking and waiting for an opportunity to pounce in P3. Marc Marquez sent his next attack on Lap 13, unable to make the move stick, with Bagnaia fighting back.
Marc Marquez continued to push to the limit, but then he pushed over it. The #93 made a crucial mistake at Turn 8 – skitting across the track on his knee and almost, almost saving it, but it wasn’t to be. The eight-time World Champion was on the floor on Lap 14, promoting Martin into P2. #TheRematch was all but guaranteed, and the top two were now leading the race – in reverse order.
Bagnaia pounded on at the front, with Martin not able to home in but this now a battle of nerves. It was a nail-biting finale to the Grand Prix at the front as the laps ticked down for what must have seemed like hours for Bagnaia, but behind we were treated to an incredible show of a different kind.
After his earlier dramas, Acosta was back on terms with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and managed to slice past the South African, then next up was Miller. The Australian put up a stunning fight as the two went toe-to-toe, sideways and all which ways in a high-speed game of chicken, but in the end the rookie was able to make it stick.
At the head of the field, Bagnaia sealed the deal. Nearly three seconds clear and taking his first wet weather MotoGP™ win when he needed one most, the reigning Champion cuts it back down to 17 points ahead of the final two races. With plenty on the line too, Martin’s composure in second ensures it’s still some gap at least – to falter would have been to cede the title lead. And he didn’t.
Acosta completed the podium after his late charge, in the end finishing ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) as the Italian put in his own final bout of glory. Miller was forced to settle for fifth, ahead of teammate Binder, with Aprilia Racing rider Maverick Viñales next up. The #12 was a further 2.60s behind, crossing the line in front of CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco in P8 who takes Honda’s best GP result of the season so far.
Meanwhile, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Alex Marquez rounded out the top 10 after a dramatic Thai GP. Marc Marquez recovered to 11th, walking away with key points after beating Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team), Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR), Bastianini and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), with the #36 securing the final point. Marquez also had to drop a position and did so somewhat contentiously, having earlier made contact with Mir.
So that’s it. A day that could have seen everything turn on its head instead turns the screw at the top of the standings, and the rematch now begins. Martin, Bagnaia, 17 points and one crown. There are only two weekends to go, so don’t miss the next one as we head for the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia with everything on the line. -
#GoldenAi: Ogura crowned 2024 Moto2 World Champion
Ai came, Ai saw, Ai conquered: a podium in Thailand sees the Japanese rider secure the crown
Buriram (Thailand), 27 October 2024: Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) is crowned the 2024 Moto2 World Champion at the Chang circuit here on Sunday! The Japanese star took second place at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand to seal the crown, becoming the first former Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup rider to become a World Champion and the first rider from Japan to win a world title since Hiroshi Aoyama’s 250cc triumph in 2009.
The #79’s journey to Moto2 World Champion status began in the ATC back in 2015, and it didn’t take long for a first win to arrive. Three podiums – including that win – were achieved in his first ATC season and in 2016, three more wins were pocketed on his way to a P2 overall finish. 2016 also saw Ogura race in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and in just his third race, the Japanese rider notched up a P3 finish.
2017 brought more success as Ogura claimed two wins in the Rookies Cup and a debut win in the JuniorGP World Championship. In 2018, Ogura continued in the JuniorGP class and racked up a further five podiums, one of which was a victory, which helped Ogura finish fifth overall.
2018 also saw Ogura make his World Championship debut in Jerez – and it was an impressive one too. A first Moto3 point was earned and after making three more appearances on the world stage that year, a full-time World Championship ride beckoned for the 2019 campaign with Honda Team Asia.
In his first full season as a Grand Prix rider, Ogura collected nine top 10 results, including a second place finish in Aragon, on his way to P10 in the standings. That signalled a strong start to life as a World Championship rider, and in 2020, Ogura was a title contender. Despite not winning a race, consistency was key for the Japanese star. Seven podiums saw Ogura finish third in the Championship, as a move up to Moto2 awaited.
Promoted through the Idemitsu Honda Team Asia ranks, Ogura didn’t take long to gel with a Moto2 bike. After pocketing six top seven finishes in his first 10 intermediate class races, Ogura’s maiden Moto2 rostrum was bagged at the Austrian GP with a P2 and having secured a P8 Championship finish in his first season, Ogura went into 2022 as a serious title contender.
And that’s exactly how it played out. Ogura’s first Moto2 win came in Jerez, with two more following in Austria and Japan. Unfortunately, a disappointing final three races – including a crash out of P2 on the last lap in Malaysia – saw Ogura narrowly miss out on the title to Augusto Fernandez.
Ogura’s 2023 campaign was curtailed before a wheel had been turned in anger when a pre-season training crash resulted in a broken wrist. That caused Ogura to miss the opening two rounds of the season, and it was an injury that plagued him for a number of months. Three podiums were still enjoyed by the Japanese rider, but another title charge was out of the equation and ahead of going again in 2024, a new challenge was on the horizon.
A switch from Idemitsu Honda Team Asia and Kalex machinery to an MT Helmets – MSI and Boscoscuro combination was a big change. However, now fully fit and firing on all cylinders, Ogura’s season started well with a P4, P5, P7, P6 run up to the French GP. In Le Mans, he was back on the podium in second and at the following race in Barcelona, Ogura’s first win with his new outfit arrived. Two more wins in Assen and at the San Marino GP cemented Ogura’s name as one of the main title candidates, and back-to-back P2s in Indonesia and on home turf in Japan, while his main Championship rivals slipped up, put Ogura in a commanding position – 60 points clear to be exact – ahead of a date with Phillip Island.
There, he took another solid P4 as he kept cool under pressure, not converting his first match point but setting himself up for glory at the Thai GP. After fighting his way up to second place, the changing weather then brought the race to an early end – and with full points awarded. Those 20 more ensure the #79 is the 2024 Moto2 World Champion – from the ATC to the top of the world!
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Carlos Sainz powers to sixth career pole: Mexico City GP
Mexico City, 26 October 2024: Carlos Sainz powered to his sixth career pole position beating Max Verstappen and Lando Norris by more than two tenths of a second to claim top spot on the grid for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix. At the other end of the timesheet, though, there were shock Q1 exits for McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and for home hero Sergio Pérez.
“A great couple of laps,” said Sainz of his final runs at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. “A lot of times around Mexico you always have the feeling like you cannot put a lap together and it’s extremely difficult with how much sliding there is. But today, honestly, my two laps of Q3 were pretty much identical, almost perfect. And yeah, I just put two really solid laps in Q3, enough for pole.”
Earlier at the start of Q1, there was drama in the closing moments when Piastri and Pérez were both dumped out of the session. For Pérez the issue was a lack of confidence under braking and ahead of the final runs the Mexican found himself rooted to the bottom of the timesheet. In normal circumstances, a final run would have provided the platform for a vault to safety, but this time Pérez failed to make the jump and he exited in P18.
Piastri, meanwhile, had a late lap time deleted and then, during a last-ditch final flyer, the Australian made a mistake on his final run, taking too much kerb in Turn 12, It was an error the McLaren driver said cost him “a second” of time and he was ruled out in P17.
At the top of the timesheet, Norris looked to have pace in hand as he beat Sainz and Verstappen by almost three tenths of a second. And the McLaren driver carried that good form into Q2. He again went quickest, this time eclipsing Verstappen and Sainz by two tenths, with Charles Leclerc fourth ahead of the Mercedes cars of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Behind them, in the final seconds of the session, Yuki Tsunoda lost control of his RB and the Japanese driver spun into the barriers. The crash brought out the red flags and the clutch of drivers behind Tsunoda were all denied a final run.
It meant that Tsunoda exited in P11, but his crash also denied 12th placed team-mate Liam Lawson another attempt and the New Zealander dropped out ahead of fellow hopefuls Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas.
At the start of Q3 Verstappen went out on track early and the Dutchman posted a good time of 1:16.368. However, within moments the Red Bull driver’s lap was deleted for going beyond track limits in Turn 2 and he dropped to P10. Norris, meanwhile, had a poor opening and ahead of the final runs he sat in fifth. Sainz though was on fire and the Spaniard took provisional pole with a lap of 1:16.055, a sizeable 0.360s ahead of Leclerc, Russell and Hamilton
Verstappen went late at the end of Q3 but though the Dutchman found an improvement and crossed the line in 1:16.171 it wasn’t enough to deny Sainz who took a superb pole as the only man to dip below 1m16s with his P1 time of 1:15.946. Norris also improved, but with the McLaren driver later saying he had found the limit of his car in Q1 and Q2, he had to settle for third.
Leclerc, who suffered a snap of oversteer on his final lap, was left with fourth ahead of Russell and Hamilton, while Kevin Magnussen is set to start seventh for Haas ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Williams’ Alex Albon and the second Haas of Nico Hülkenberg.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:15.946 – –
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:16.171 0.225
3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:16.260 0.314
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.265 0.319
5 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.356 0.410
6 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.651 0.705
7 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:16.886 0.940
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:16.892 0.946
9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:17.065 1.119
10 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:17.365 1.419
11 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:17.129 1.183
12 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1:17.162 1.216
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:17.168 1.222
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:17.294 1.348
15 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:17.817 1.871
16 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:17.558 1.612
17 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:17.597 1.651
18 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:17.611 1.665
19 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:17.617 1.671
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:18.072 2.126 -
Bastianini unstoppable as Martin fends off Bagnaia in a tense Buriram Sprint
Buriram, 26 October 2024: Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) charged to victory in the Tissot Sprint at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, taking glory by 1.357s after a sublime performance escaping at the front to lay down the gauntlet. Behind, the top two in the title fight went toe-to-toe, with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) just able to hold off Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the final two laps to increase his Championship lead to 22 points.
The Beast stormed to glory in the Tissot Sprint as Martin triumphs over Bagnaia to increase the title gap to 22 pointsOnce the lights went out, Bagnaia made a phenomenal launch from pole, taking a slight advantage on the run to Turn 1. However, Martin was on the attack, launching a move down the inside and sending both himself as his main title rival wide enough to allow Bastianini and Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) through. The #89 was now left with work to do, dropping even further to fifth as Pedro Acosta (Re Bull GASGAS Tech3) also picked his way past and defended when Martin tried to move straight back through.
On Lap 2 Martin was back in fourth though, past the rookie before Acosta had overcooked it and slid out. The next target for the Championship leader was Marc Marquez. Martin made a textbook move at the final corner to overtake the #93, and it got close on the exit but the #89 kept it, digging in to now chase down the next target: Bagnaia in second.
Martin began to edge closer to the reigning World Champion as Bagnaia, Martin and Marc Marquez were all glued close together on track. Once Martin was right on the tailpipes of the #1 though, he pounced at Turn 7. And there came some controversy as he ran slightly wide on the exit, that proving the next strike to award the Spaniard to a track limits warning. But he kept the position…
It was building to be a tense finale, with Bastianini checked out at the front but the title rivals separated by a mere 0.350s on the chase. Bagnaia continued to pile on the pressure at every corner in an enthralling end to Saturday’s action, looking like he was going to be able to set up a move.
By the final lap though, Martin had reeled in Bastianini more than Bagnaia had managed to make ground on the #89, and in a tense final few kms the three sliced round Buriram. Ultimately, the ‘Beast’ kept it tidy to take a second Sprint win of the year in style, Martin held on under intense pressure to take second, and Bagnaia was forced to cede two more points in that Championship battle as he came home third.
Marc Marquez crossed the line in fourth, grabbing some strong points after the #93 was unable to match the pace of the top three in the latter stages. The eight-time World Champion finished ahead of teammate Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who rounded out the top five positions after a sensational ride. The Spaniard had to work hard in the closing laps, with Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) finishing a further 0.947s behind in sixth.
Further back, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio had a battle of their own. The Italians fought it out throughout the Sprint as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) began to drop down the order after climbing to P6 in the opening stages. Bezzecchi took P7 in the end, a tenth ahead of his teammate as Binder was forced to watch on and settle for the final point in ninth.
Another ding dong just behind saw Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) able to escape Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with the Australian then forced to fend off Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) by the flag as the Frenchman also stayed ahead of Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team).
After another twist in the tale, make sure you join us as the world’s most exciting sport returns at 15:00 local time (UTC +7) on Sunday, where Bagnaia will launch from pole and attempt to close Martin’s advantage. It’s 22 points – and 25 are on the table tomorrow… -
Charles Leclerc leads Ferrari 1-2 at US GP: Formula 1
Austin, 20 October 2024: Charles Leclerc took a dominant US Grand Prix win as Carlos Sainz followed the Monegasque driver to the flag to hand Ferrari a 1-2 finish at the Circuit of the Americas. Behind them Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third place after a thrilling battle with title rival Lando Norris that ended with the McLaren driver getting a five-second penalty for passing Verstappen off the track.
At the start, polesitter Norris got away well but on the approach to Turn 1 Verstappen attacked on the inside and when both he and Norris went wide on exit, Leclerc slipped through to claim the lead ahead of Verstappen Sainz and Norris.
On lap 3 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton spun off and with his car beached in a gravel trap, the Safety Car was released. Hamilton’s Mercedes was quickly recovered and the action resumed at the start of lap six. And though Verstappen stuck with the Ferrari driver on the restart, Leclerc was comfortably able to keep the Dutchman behind and once the initial threat was nullified, he was able to pull away across the remainder of an impressive first stint on Medium tyres.
Leclerc made his sole pit stop of the race on lap 26. He emerged behind the McLarens of Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri, but after passing Piastri and then waiting for Norris to make his stop for Hard tyres, the Monegasque driver stretched his legs in the second stint to take a comfortable win.
Sainz, meanwhile, used his sole pit stop to undercut Verstappen and though stayed in touch with Leclerc, the Spanish driver settled for second and his 24th career podium finish.
While the Ferrari drivers’ drive to the podium was smooth, behind them a more turbulent contest was developing.
Verstappen was unhappy with his Hard tyres in his second stint, telling the Red Bull pit wall that he couldn’t “brake” or “attacke the corners”. And with Norris more comfortable on six-lap younger Hard tyres behind him it was only a matter of time before the McLaren driver reeled in the Dutchman.
After the pit stops, Norris rapidly chewed through a six-second deficit to Verstappen and hauled himself within DRS range of Verstappen by lap 45. He then began a relentless series of attacks, always pressing in Turns 1 and 12 to see if he could provoke a mistake.
Verstappen defended expertly, however, to keep Norris at bay with the result that on lap 52 Norris went for broke.
The McLaren driver tried to attack on the outside of Turn 12 but both drivers went wide and Norris overtook his rival off track to steal P3. Expecting a sanction he tried to press ahead and gain a five-second advantage over the Red Bull driver, but Verstappen was resolute and when they crossed the line he was just four seconds in arrears. The race Stewards had already delivered their verdict of a five-second for passing off-track and Verstappen made it onto the podium by just 0.9s.
Oscar Piastri took fifth place in the second McLaren, 34 seconds clear of George Russell. The Mercedes driver put in a strong performance, starting from the pit lane and recovering from a five-second penalty in the race to power through to P6, passing Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez in the closing stages.
Nico Hulkenberg took eighth for Haas, while Liam Lawson delivered an equally strong race rising from 19that the start to claim P9 and two points on his return to F1. Franco Colapinto collected the final point for Williams.
2024 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix – Race
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 56 1:35’09.639
2 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 56 1:35’18.201 8.562
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 56 1:35’29.051 19.412
4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 56 1:35’29.993 20.354
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 56 1:35’31.560 21.921
6 George Russell Mercedes 56 1:36’05.934 56.295
7 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 56 1:36’08.711 59.072
8 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 56 1:36’12.596 1’02.957
9 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 56 1:36’20.202 1’10.563
10 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 56 1:36’21.618 1’11.979
11 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 56 1:36’29.421 1’19.782
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 56 1:36’40.197 1’30.558
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 55 1:35’11.365 1 lap /1.726
14 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 55 1:35’17.851 1 lap /8.212
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 55 1:35’26.622 1 lap /16.983
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 55 1:35’27.731 1 lap /18.092
17 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 55 1:35’43.972 1 lap /34.333
18 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 55 1:35’51.751 1 lap /42.112
19 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 55 1:35’58.879 1 lap /49.240
