Rennie Scaysbrook | November 17, 2024
Sunday MotoGP Race
After 20 Tissot Sprints and 19 Grands Prix, everything came down to the final race of the season… and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) held his nerve. The #89 was crowned the 2024 MotoGP™ World Champion with a third place finish, becoming the first Independent Team rider to clinch the title in the MotoGP™ era. Even with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) taking an incredible 11th GP victory of the season, the podium was enough for the #Mart1nator to take the crown.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) claimed a strong second place, shadowing Bagnaia for much of the race before being forced to settle for second. It was, however, his 150th GP podium as he prepares to saddle up in red.
Bagnaia held off Marquez for the win but couldn’t stop Martin taking the title. Bagnaia nailed the start to take the holsehot, but Martin got a rocket launch too to slot into second – initially. By Turn 1 on Lap 2 though, Marc Marquez attacked the Championship leader to tag onto the back of Bagnaia in the lead. A rear gunner or just waiting to pounce?
Martin then had Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) for company, but soon enough Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was on the scene. He diced with the ‘Beast’ before Bastianini then went deep into Turn 1 and dropped back into the battle for fifth, leaving Espargaro as the rider safe on the chase behind Martin. Another rear gunner?
Bastianini was ultimately left fighting with Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as at the front Bagnaia and Marquez were stretching away. Martin was in a safe enough third, but as the laps ticked on the battle behind him was going from any questions about rear gunners to serious throwdown as Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) arrived on the scene.
Bagnaia’s pace was relentless, remaining inside the 1:40 bracket with 11 laps remaining. It was an impressive ride from the Italian, pulling out all stops to increase a half-a-second gap to Marc Marquez. The #93 tried everything to respond, initially looking like he was fading before beginning to turn up the wick and match the Italian’s pace.
In his last race, Espargaro (41) did his best blocking performance ever all in the name of helping Martin. Alex Marquez (73) eventually got past for fourth. Behind, it was getting loose. Acosta was sixth on the circuit, losing a position to Bastianini before dropping to ninth on Lap 18, losing a further place to Morbidelli and receiving a track limits warning as the trio and Binder battled it out. Elbows were likewise out.
In the closing stages, it was becoming clear. Bagnaia was going to win the Grand Prix as he started to stretch away, and Marc Marquez was going to sign off from Gresini on the box. But Martin was going to win the 2024 MotoGP™ World Championship. Where in 2023 he may have faltered or doubted or come up short, not this time. The #89 staked his claim on the #1 plate with a third place finish, celebrating the title in style with a record-breaking 16th GP podium of the year, a new record for a Ducati rider. One he shares with Bagnaia, whose throne he now takes over despite the 2022 and 2023 World Champion’s awesome 11 GP wins this year.
Jorge Martin becomes the first Independent Team rider to take the premier class crown since Valentino Rossi in 2001. Alex Marquez managed to edge out Espargaro in the closing laps, finishing fourth and missing the podium rostrum by just 1.512 seconds. Espargaro would round out the top five after the #41 defended heroically in the closing laps in his final outing as a full-time rider. Meanwhile, Binder claimed eighth, beating Bastianini to the line after an epic battle.
Further back, Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Acosta rounded out the top 10, just ahead of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), the returning Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the latter two sign off for new adventures. The final points were awarded to Johann Zarco (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), who was forced deep at Turn 1 from the off.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—MotoGP Race
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | (Ducati Lenovo Team) | |
| 2 | Marc Marquez | (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +1.474 |
| 3 | Jorge Martin | (Prima Pramac Racing) | +3.810 |
| 4 | Alex Marquez | (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +5.322 |
| 5 | Aleix Espargaro | (Aprilia Racing) | +5.753 |
| 6 | Brad Binder | (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | +7.081 |
| 7 | Enea Bastianini | (Ducati Lenovo Team) | +7.393 |
| 8 | Franco Morbidelli | (Prima Pramac Racing) | +8.709 |
| 9 | Marco Bezzecchi | (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) | +10.484 |
| 10 | Pedro Acosta | (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | +10.618 |
Moto2 Race
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) has grabbed victory at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona, holding firm after a stunning ride from the #44. Canet defended in the closing laps to beat Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™) by just 0.091s, a result that helped the #18 bag third in the World Championship. In the battle for third, Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing) triggered his inner Valentino Rossi to pass World Champion Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) at the final corner to become the first Brazilian to finish on the intermediate class podium since Adu Celso at the 1973 Swedish GP.
There was drama from the off as front-row starter Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) and Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) crashed out together at Turn 1. Both riders were conscious, but both went to a local hospital for further examination after their Lap 1 incident. Elsewhere, Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) and Jorge Navarro’s (OnlyFans American Racing Team) race ended early at Turn 5 as the pair made contact and crashed – riders OK.
Canet held on to take the final Moto2 win of the year. At the front, Gonzalez put the hammer down in the opening laps as he built a half second margin over polesitter Canet. Meanwhile, Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp) served his Long Lap penalty from the Thai GP which dropped the #54 to P13.
Canet’s key move came on Lap 4, igniting a duel with Gonzalez at the front of the field. Ogura sat comfortably in third, chipping away at the leader’s gap as the newly crowned World Champion sported a special livery to celebrate a successful 2024 campaign for MT Helmets – MSI.
Ogura had Moreira for company, with the Brazilian glued to the #79’s stars’ tailpipe. The impressive rookie was showing a consistent pace and the battle ignited on Lap 19, with Moreira’s first attempt arriving at Turn 3, but Ogura responded instantly at Turn 4.
Gonzalez (18) tried all he know to get past Canet but he had to settle for second. Canet secured glory after a drag race to the line, winning by just 0.091s, fending off the hard-charging Gonzalez at the flag. It was a stunning end to the Grand Prix, with Moreira and Ogura’s duel being decided at the final corner. The Brazilian produced a magical final corner move to pocket a debut podium and secure Rookie of the Year honours, with Ogura forced to settle for P4 in his last intermediate class dance.
Filip Salač (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) rounded out the top five positions as Sergio Garcia capped off a confidence-boosting end to the season with a P6. The #3 finished ahead of Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) in seventh as Albert Arenas (Gresini Moto2™) rounded out the top eight spots.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—Moto2 Race
| 1 | Aron Canet | (Fantic Racing) | |
| 2 | Manuel Gonzalez | (Gresini Moto2™) | +0.091 |
| 3 | Diogo Moreira | (Italtrans Racing Team) | +1.124 |
| 4 | Ai Ogura | (MT Helmets – MSI) | +1.167 |
| 5 | Filip Salac | (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) | +3.450 |
| 6 | Sergio Garcia | (MT Helmets – MSI) | +4.705 |
| 7 | Izan Guevara | (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) | +5.647 |
| 8 | Albert Arenas | (Gresini Moto2™) | +6.106 |
| 9 | Alonso Lopez | (Sync SpeedUp) | +7.610 |
| 10 | Fermin Aldeguer | (Sync SpeedUp) | +7.660 |
Moto3 Race
For a truly incredible and historic 14th time in 2024, David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) emerged victorious in another brilliant Moto3™ battle. 0.147s split the Colombian and second place Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) at the chequered flag as the latter pockets the 2024 silver medal, as Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) earned a final race of the year podium after teammate Adrian Fernandez was handed a post-race three-second penalty.
Once the lights went out, Alonso took the holeshot after a phenomenal launch from pole position. The #80 seized an advantage over Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) and Holgado as the final Grand Prix of the season got underway. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) was the rider on the move in the opening laps, with the #64 charging to fourth after qualifying P12 on the grid. Muñoz soon joined the podium battle, overtaking Ortola before pipping Alonso to enter second place on Lap 3.
It was a slipstream city at the front, with positions changing hands at every opportunity, to the delight of the Spanish crowd. Fernandez emerged as the contender for the lead, beginning to engage in a fierce duel with Holgado. Meanwhile, Alonso sat comfortably in eighth position, waiting for his opportunity to return to the podium fight.
David Alonso (60) closed out the Moto3 season with an incredible 14th win of the year. There was action at every turn as Alonso worked hard to slowly carve his way through the field. Taking advantage of Ortola’s and Muñoz’s battle, the #80 was able to surge into second position. The Colombian was chasing a remarkable 14th win of the season, with tension mounting as he retook the lead on Lap 14.
The gloves were off in the closing laps, with elbows out throughout the top 10 as the season finale prepared to go down to the wire. Alonso had the lead on the final lap, securing a three-tenth margin after the front group continued to battle behind. Holgado was in pursuit, looking to find an opportunity on the newly crowned World Champion.
At the line, Alonso powered out of the final corner to win by a mere 0.147s ahead of Holgado. The #96 gave his all on the final all of the final lap, unable to catch Alonso as Holgado took another podium to secure second position in the World Championship. Meanwhile, Piqueras took the final spot on the podium after a shortcut from Fernandez on the final lap.
Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) turned around his weekend, fighting from P17 on the grid to finish in P4, beating Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) who rounded out the top five in Barcelona. The #6 was promoted ahead of Muñoz, who was demoted one position due to irresponsible riding on the final lap. Muñoz ended the Grand Prix ahead of Honda Team Asia’s Taiyo Furusato and Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), the Australian rookie taking P8.
Further back, Ortola and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) rounded out the top 10 positions as the duo settled for P4 and P3 in the Championship respectively. Fernandez was dropped down to 11th after his three-second penalty, finishing ahead of Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) and Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). Meanwhile, Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team’s David Almansa and Matteo Bertelle took the final point-scoring positions in the curtain closer.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—Moto3 Race
| 1 | David Alonso | (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) | |
| 2 | Daniel Holgado | (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | +0.147 |
| 3 | Angel Piqueras | (Leopard Racing) | +1.210 |
| 4 | Jose Antonio Rueda | (Prima Pramac Racing) | +1.352 |
| 5 | Ryusei Yamanaka | (MT Helmets – MSI) | +1.685 |
| 6 | David Muñoz | (BOE Motorsports) | +1.558 (+1) |
| 7 | Taiyo Furusato | (Honda Team Asia) | +1.753 |
| 8 | Jacob Roulstone | (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | +2.025 |
| 9 | Ivan Ortola | (MT Helmets – MSI) | +2.093 |
| 10 | Collin Veijer | (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) | +2.713 |
2024 Solidarity MotoGP News—Saturday
Aleix helping Jorge
There were nerves throughout Friday and Saturday for championship leader Jorge Martin. But so far so good for the Spaniard, who had to rely upon the help of good friend Aleix Espargaro to qualify fourth before taking a solid third in the Sprint.
Aleix Espargaro (41) is firmly with Team Jorge (89) and gave him a helping hand in qualifying. The qualifying tactics were planned ahead by the two friends with Espargaro later revealing, “I talk to Jorge more than with my wife. I’m not really happy to be able to help him, because I would love that he is flying and the fastest one, but it’s like beautiful for me, because I’ve been following him in the qualifying in the last three seasons, so at least for one last time to be able to help him a little bit to help him get this title, I feel very good.”
Acosta and Marquez contact
Pedro Acosta’s Sprint was cut short after contact with Marc Marquez at Turn 3 in just the first lap. “A frustrating two corners,” lamented the rookie, who felt his elder compatriot was clearly at fault for the collision.
Seconds after the start, Marquez (light blue) and Acosta (deep red) came together, forcing the latter’s retirement. “Another weekend when we were feeling quite competitive and were in the rhythm. I was in front. I didn’t see anyone until Marc hit me. I was fully right on the inside and he went in like it was a normal lap as if no one was there. It was the third corner on the first lap… It was not necessary to go like this but racing is racing. I was really in front.”
Marquez refused to comment on the incident.
KTM to not directly replace Sterlacchini
KTM will not directly replace Fabiano Sterlacchini, its Technical Director who departed at the end of June. Instead, the Austrian factory will combine the expertise of existing staff in a bit to reenergise its MotoGP program in 2025.
Fabiano Sterlacchini is off to Aprilia and KTM’s not going to directly replace him. “Fabiano was working at home (in the factory) and at the race track, trying to do everything,” said Motorsport Director Pit Beirer in Barcelona. “Now we’ll have Sebastian Risse (Project Manager) at the track making decisions with Aki. Then at home we have a very strong team with Kurt Trieb on the engines and Wolfgang Felber on chassis. They’ll take clearer responsibilities. All these names will make decisions and there’ll be no one man show.”
Saturday MotoGP Sprint Race
It was pretty much a must-win Tissot Sprint for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona, so win it he did. But it was also nearing a must-not-bin Sprint for Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), and he passed his test too. After the elbows came out early on, Bagnaia escaped in the lead and kept it cool as Martin threw down with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) behind – with the ‘Beast’ winning that duel with a final lap lunge to force Martin to settle for third. It’s now 19 points between Martin and Bagnaia as #TheRematch rolls into the final day of the season.
Revs up, lights out – it was a tight, tight run into the first corner, with it looking like Bagnaia was set for the holeshot before Martin made up the metres to move alongside – and then Bastianini sailed past both. But Bagnaia attacked back in the melee, grabbing the lead again round Turn 3.
Pecco did what he had to with the Sprint Race win. Now he needs some serious luck tomorrow to win a third-straight title. There was drama at the same corner on Lap 1 as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) then tangled, however. Both headed wide and both stayed upright, but Marquez was able to collect it – and Acosta’s front fairing got ripped off, leading the rookie to limp back to pitlane, out of the action.
Bagnaia led Bastianini led Martin, but by the end of Lap 2 the reigning Champion was starting to build a small gap as the #89 lined up Bastianini. He got the job done into Turn 1, close but perfectly-judged, and stayed ahead until the next time round – when Bastianini did an even more brutal carbon copy to take back second.
The two were then locked together for another lap before Martin hit back, finding a few more milimetres to really push both to the edge. With that, the momentum behind for Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) got them involved, but Martin was just clear and Bastianini shouldered his way back through to third. As you were.
At the front, Bagnaia pounded on. Martin was hovering just over a second away but the gap was going up tenth by tenth, with those on his tail not being left behind either. Bastianini had faded briefly but got back within half a second, and both Alex Marquez and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) were now on the scene as Morbidelli started to get dropped.
Bastianini (23) did his teammate Bagnaia a favor and pinched two more points off Martin (89) by taking second place on the last lap. By the penultimate lap it was Bagnaia holding a small gap ahead of that quartet. But then Alex Marquez was wide at Turn 10 and Espargaro got through, dividing the four into a duel for fourth and a decisive one ahead: the points leader vs his title rival’s teammate for second.
Down the main straight for the final time, Bastianini wasn’t quite close enough. But he was able to close in and by Turn 5, the red machine darted out from behind the Championship leader and went for it. Breath held, the move was aggressive but clean enough, and crucially it got the job done. Now Martin had to decide whether to try and reply or take the third place he’d got pretty secure. He looked tempted but Bastianini offered no way back through.
Bagnaia crossed the line just less than a second clear to ensure the Championship fight rolls on to the final showdown of the season, staying near perfect under pressure. Bastianini got his elbows out to stake a further claim on that third overall, as well as proving his own point.
Regardless of where Bagnaia finishes tomorrow, if Martin finishes ninth or better, he’ll be crowned champion. Martin put in the exact performance needed to ensure he remains in a comfortable position heading into the Grand Prix – now 19 points clear. Can he wrap it up on Sunday?
The duel behind saw Espargaro hold onto fourth, with Alex Marquez completing the top five. Morbidelli, meanwhile, had to fend off Marc Marquez after the #93’s earlier tangle with Acosta. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were incredibly close there too, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) just losing out in the tussle and denied the final Sprint point, taking tenth.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—MotoGP Sprint Race
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | (Ducati Lenovo Team) | |
| 2 | Enea Bastianini | (Ducati Lenovo Team) | +0.942 |
| 3 | Jorge Martin | (Prima Pramac Racing) | +1.270 |
| 4 | Aleix Espargaro | (Aprilia Racing) | +1.857 |
| 5 | Alex Marquez | (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +1.942 |
| 6 | Franco Morbidelli | (Prima Pramac Racing) | +5.263 |
| 7 | Marc Marquez | (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +5.303 |
| 8 | Marco Bezzecchi | (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) | +5.507 |
| 9 | Brad Binder | (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) | +5.573 |
| 10 | Fabio Quartararo | (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) | +5.937 |
MotoGP Qualifying
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) will start the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona from pole as the #1 stayed cool under pressure to hold on at the top. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) made a late lunge for glory but came up short by just 0.055 in his final Q2, with Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) completing a fascinating front row – and one that doesn’t feature Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). He will instead start P4… directly behind his title rival Bagnaia.
FP2 delivered a final opportunity for the MotoGP™ stars to perfect their setups, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) taking top honours as Bagnaia finished ahead of Martin in a busy start to Saturday. Once Q1 itself was underway, Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) set a blistering pace in his opening laps – briefly topping the timesheets. With the clock ticking down, Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) then suffered a late crash at Turn 5. Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) were the riders who moved through, earning their spot in Q2 ahead of the final battle for pole.
Bagnaia bagged pole in a critical qualifying session. The stage was set for Q2, with tactics at play during the first flying laps as Bagnaia went fastest, with Martin sitting in third. It seemed like Espargaro may have been on his own mission for Martin too, but it didn’t ultimately pay off.
Everything came down to the final five minutes, with Bagnaia finding further time and Morbidelli then pushing Martin off the provisional front row. The Championship leader was under pressure and did deliver a faster lap on his final push, but it wasn’t quite enough for that front row. He leapfrogged his teammate but remained behind Marc Marquez. Meanwhile, Espargaro’s last dash saw him challenge for pole, missing out by almost nothing.
Bagnaia, Espargaro and Marquez will stare down Turn 1 from the front row, and Martin stares down Bagnaia from directly behind him, at the head of Row 2. Martin will have to work hard to wrap up the title in the Tissot Sprint after qualifying just ahead of teammate Morbidelli. The Italian rounded out the top five spots in Q2 as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) ended the session as the top KTM/GASGAS rider in sixth.
Viñales spearheads the third row of the grid, ending Q2 a mere 0.351s adrift from Bagnaia’s benchmark. Alongside the #12 will be Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), with ‘The Beast’ now left with some work to do as he is joined by compatriot Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) on the third after the Italian took ninth ahead of Quartararo.
Further back, Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) narrowly missed a spot in Q2 by 0.028s and will line up from 13th. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder also missed a chance to fight in Q2, with the South African starting from P18 on the grid and surely a candidate to move forward.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—MotoGP Qualifying
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | (Ducati Lenovo Team) | 1:38.641 |
| 2 | Aleix Espargaro | (Aprilia Racing) | +0.055 |
| 3 | Marc Marquez | (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +0.157 |
| 4 | Jorge Martin | (Prima Pramac Racing) | +0.208 |
| 5 | Franco Morbidelli | (Prima Pramac Racing) | +0.245 |
| 6 | Pedro Acosta | (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | +0.308 |
| 7 | Maverick Viñales | (Aprilia Racing) | +0.351 |
| 8 | Enea Bastianini | (Ducati Lenovo Team) | +0.437 |
| 9 | Marco Bezzecchi | (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) | +0.480 |
| 10 | Fabio Quartararo | (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) | +0.568 |
Moto2 Qualifying
A 1:42.003 handed Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) a final race of the season pole position at the Solidarity GP of Barcelona, and by a decent margin too. A tenth and a half was the Spaniard’s advantage over second place Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™), as a late flyer from Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) saw the Dutch star grab a front-row start in third.
Canet’s on fire right now and took another pole position in Moto2. Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) was the rider to narrowly miss out on a top three in Q2 after van den Goorbergh beat the Brit’s time by a slender 0.020s. That means it’s P4 for Dixon on the grid ahead of his final race with Aspar, and joining the #96 on Row 2 are World Champion Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) and Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team).
Malaysian GP winner Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) launches from P8 behind Filip Salač (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), with stand-in rider Jorge Navarro again impressing on the OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex after qualifying in P9.
A bunch of top 2024 names will be starting from outside the top 10 in Sunday’s race. After coming through Q1, Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) settled for P13 – one place ahead of Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI). Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) begins his race from P15 and after a crash towards the beginning of Q2, Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp) has a mountain to climb from 18th.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—Moto2 Qualifying
| 1 | Aron Canet | (Fantic Racing) | 1:42.003 |
| 2 | Manuel Gonzalez | (Gresini Moto2™) | +0.146 |
| 3 | Zonta van den Goorbergh | (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) | +0.212 |
| 4 | Jake Dixon | (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) | +0.232 |
| 5 | Ai Ogura | (MT Helmets – MSI) | +0.367 |
| 6 | Diogo Moreira | (Italtrans Racing Team) | +0.531 |
| 7 | Filip Salac | (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) | +0.601 |
| 8 | Celestino Vietti | (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +0.616 |
| 9 | Jorge Navarro | (OnlyFans American Racing Team) | +0.664 |
| 10 | Senna Agius | (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) | +0.675 |
Moto3 Qualifying
It’s now seven pole positions in 2024 for World Champion David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) as the Colombian again shone brightest on a Saturday afternoon. The #80 claimed pole by over three tenths in Barcelona to head Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) on the front row, as both set their sights on finishing as the overall runner-up in 2024 on Sunday.
Alonso made light work of the Moto3 field for the final pole of the year. 2024 Rookie of the Year, Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing), fronts the second row of the grid, with Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) launching his silver medal bid from the middle of Row 2.
Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) aims to end his impressive debut Grand Prix campaign on a high from P6 on the grid, as Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) goes hunting for a top five World Championship finish from P7 – the Spaniard sits nine points away from David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), with the latter P12 on the grid.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—Moto3 Qualifying
| 1 | David Alonso | (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) | 1:45.905 |
| 2 | Collin Veijer | (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) | +0.347 |
| 3 | Ivan Ortola | (MT Helmets – MSI) | +0.371 |
| 4 | Angel Piqueras | (Leopard Racing) | +0.568 |
| 5 | Daniel Holgado | (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | +0.645 |
| 6 | Luca Lunetta | (SIC58 Squadra Corse) | +0.670 |
| 7 | Adrian Fernandez | (Leopard Racing) | +0.773 |
| 8 | Taiyo Furusato | (Honda Team Asia) | +0.875 |
| 9 | Jacob Roulstone | (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | +0.909 |
| 10 | Tatsuki Suzuki | (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) | +0.948 |
2024 Solidarity MotoGP News—Friday
Martin: My head’s a machine
With a 24-point advantage, the pressure is very much on Jorge Martin heading into the final round of 2024. And the Spaniard admitted taking to the track on Friday was welcome, “because a lot of things went through my mind this week.”
Will the Martinator finally pull it off this weekend? Pressed on how he’s controlled his nerves, Martin revealed, “My head’s a machine of predicting the future! So I’m always trying to analyze. But in everything in my life. This season I worked a lot on that to try to calm down, to try to live more the pressure. But the important thing is to focus day by day.”
Maverick’s donation
Series organizer Dorna was keen to press MotoGP is ‘racing for Valencia’ after flooding devastated the region in late October, and forced the final round to be moved from the Ricardo Tormo Circuit to the Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya.
There are few things more sacred to a rider than his (or hers) title-winning bike and Vinales has just donated his to help people in need. Riders and teams were pushing to raise funds for relief efforts in the Valencia region through the weekend, with an auction taking place in the paddock on Friday, with several high-profile items for sale. Among them was Maverick Viñales’ title winning Moto3 KTM from 2013, which the Catalan donated.
“I feel it’s a correct thing to do, especially because the meaning of the bike and also because I won in Valencia. And we are always very close to Valencia. When I was a kid, most of the championships were there so we always went there. Also (it’s important) to help the people.”
Marc’s satellite farewell
Marc Marquez opened up on his first year as a satellite rider during his Gresini farewell. “I found the perfect atmosphere to be reborn, to feel again that I’m competitive,” he said of the 2024 season.
Marquez is back off to factory team territory next year but there’s still one more race in Gresini blue to deal with. And the positives of being in such a set-up? “It reminds me a bit of the passion of motorbikes. Everything is like a bit more casual. More familiar and it reminds you more of a Moto2 team. You speak with the boss of the team, so the ones that take the final decision, you can go to Nadia (Padovani – Team Owner). “I think this”, “OK, we go ahead”. And of course, the most important thing is they have the bike. A satellite team with a good bike, you can achieve very good things.”
Friday MotoGP
Day 1 of #TheRematch decider at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona belonged to the hunter – Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The reigning #1 set the pace on Friday to land an important early jab on World Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), as the latter managed to hold onto a fifth place finish after encountering some Turn 5 troubles deep into Practice. It’s job done in terms of getting into Q2 without too many issues for the #89, but there’s plenty of room for improvement for the rider who sits 24 points clear of the current #1 with the biggest Saturday of the season firmly on the horizon.
Operating inside the top three on Day 1 was second fastest – and one of Bagnaia’s chief allies – Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian was on song in Practice as he aims to bid farewell to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team with a podium finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. And if Day 1 is anything to go by, then the Italian is looking good to challenge for just that. P3 went the way of Catalan GP Tissot Sprint winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) after the retiring home hero set a strong lap in the closing stages to sit 0.107s off Bagnaia’s lap.
Bagnaia’s started off on the right foot with P1 on Friday. Following a relatively quiet opening three-quarters of the session as the riders flicked through their respective programmes, the session really kicked into sixth gear with just under 15 minutes remaining. Traditions. And speaking of traditions, Martin climbed to a familiar P1 with a 1:39.652 and on his next flyer, a 1:39.214 was landed to see the World Championship leader sit 0.330s clear of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing). At this stage (10 minutes to go) Bagnaia was fifth, just under half a second down on his title rival’s effort.
That three-tenth advantage was slashed to just 0.010s as Viñales improved. Then, one of the standout riders of the season demoted Martin to P2. Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) set a 1:39.197 to grab top spot, with the top five now split by less than a tenth. Those were Zarco, Martin, Viñales, Bagnaia and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™).
In his last ride on a Ducati before switching to Aprilia, Bezzecchi went P2 on Friday. Heading into the final four minutes, Martin couldn’t get a lap going and at Turn 5, the Spaniard produced a more than decent front-end save. The #89 cut a frustrated figure as Bezzecchi propelled his GP23 to P1 before Bagnaia went 0.080s quicker than his compatriot to pinch P1 off his VR46 Academy stablemate.
With a minute to go, Martin was P5 and not going any quicker, but he looked out of danger in terms of not getting into Q2. No one else was improving enough to trouble the sharp end of the timesheets, so it was job done for #TheRematch contenders. Bagnaia was top of the class on Friday, and Martin was fifth without too many dramas. Roll on qualifying.
One race to go in the career of Aleix Espargaro. Zarco’s incredibly impressive Friday afternoon stint saw the Frenchman keep hold of P4 ahead of Martin, with Viñales, Alex Marquez, his teammate Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) acting as the other riders who clinched automatic Q2 spots, as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) missed out in P11 by just 0.020s.
So that’s the final Friday of the year done. Bagnaia heads into a title-defining Saturday at the summit, exactly where he wanted to be. Martin faces match point Saturday in P5, but that could all change when qualifying comes around. And what a session it promises to be.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—Friday MotoGP
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | (Ducati Lenovo Team) | 1:38.918 |
| 2 | Marco Bezzecchi | (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) | +0.080 |
| 3 | Aleix Espargaro | (Aprilia Racing) | +0.107 |
| 4 | Johann Zarco | (CASTROL Honda LCR) | +0.279 |
| 5 | Jorge Martin | (Prima Pramac Racing) | +0.296 |
| 6 | Maverick Viñales | (Aprilia Racing) | +0.306 |
| 7 | Alex Marquez | (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +0.377 |
| 8 | Marc Marquez | (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) | +0.443 |
| 9 | Pedro Acosta | (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | +0.500 |
| 10 | Enea Bastianini | (Ducati Lenovo Team) | +0.549 |
Friday Moto2
0.231s is the advantage Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) holds heading into Saturday at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona after the Spaniard set a 1:42.426 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) pocketed P2 on his final Friday with the Aspar outfit, as Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™) claimed third as the Spaniard goes hunting for a third place Championship finish.
Canet’s the form man in Moto2 and topped the Friday running. After claiming a phenomenal podium in Malaysia, Jorge Navarro (OnlyFans American Racing) kicked off his Solidarity GP with a P4 in Practice 1, as Sepang winner Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed Friday’s fastest five.
Newly crowned World Champion, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI), had a solid outing to end the day in P6, one place ahead of the returning Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp) as both look to end their Moto2™’s careers on a high before jumping into MotoGP™ action on Tuesday.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—Friday Moto2
| 1 | Aron Canet | (Fantic Racing) | 1:42.426 |
| 2 | Jake Dixon | (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) | +0.231 |
| 3 | Manuel Gonzalez | (Gresini Moto2™) | +0.293 |
| 4 | Jorge Navarro | (OnlyFans American Racing Team) | +0.298 |
| 5 | Celestino Vietti | (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +0.388 |
| 6 | Ai Ogura | (MT Helmets – MSI) | +0.551 |
| 7 | Fermin Aldeguer | (Sync SpeedUp) | +0.555 |
| 8 | Diogo Moreira | (Italtrans Racing Team) | +0.677 |
| 9 | Filip Salac | (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) | +0.731 |
| 10 | Alonso Lopez | (Sync SpeedUp) | +0.827 |
Friday Moto3
Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) topped the Moto3™ timesheets in Practice 1 thanks to a 1:46.568, but it wasn’t by much as compatriot David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) lapped within a tenth of the #96. Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) slotted his Honda inside the top three, just under two tenths away from Holgado’s pace.
Daniel Holgado topped Moto3 on Friday. Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) bagged top five results on Friday as the latter aims to beat Holgado on Sunday to the 2024 silver medal honour. The duo sit tied on points ahead of qualifying and the race.
David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) had a quiet day at the office, ending the day just on the right side of the Q2 cut line in P14. The Colombian will be hoping to find some improvements in Practice 2 to climb the timesheets ahead of qualifying.
2024 Solidarity MotoGP Results—Friday Moto3
| 1 | Daniel Holgado | (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) | 1:46.568 |
| 2 | David Muñoz | (BOE Motorsports) | +0.081 |
| 3 | Angel Piqueras | (Leopard Racing) | +0.174 |
| 4 | Joel Kelso | (BOE Motorsports) | +0.242 |
| 5 | Collin Veijer | (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) | +0.287 |
| 6 | Adrian Fernandez | (Leopard Racing) | +0.338 |
| 7 | Jose Antonio Rueda | (Red Bull KTM Ajo) | +0.351 |
| 8 | Scott Ogden | (FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing) | +0.388 |
| 9 | Stefano Nepa | (LEVELUP – MTA) | +0.426 |
| 10 | David Almansa | (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team) | +0.464 |
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