MotoGP News: Bagnaia takes crucial wet Thailand feature race win

Using the power of the factory Ducati bike on the straights, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) won the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, soaring to victory in wet conditions.

The #1 battled hard, fighting for the lead in the early laps before putting down the hammer to win by 2.905s.

The Italian defeated Jorge Martin, also on a Ducati, who crossed the line in second, with his lead being reduced to just 17 points as The Rematch begins.

The #89 took a strong second, losing just five points on Sunday on what was an important day in the Championship, with just Martin and Bagnaia now able to fight for the title.

Pedro Acosta claimed the final spot on the podium, battling hard in the closing stages.

There was drama before the Grand Prix began, with a wet track due to a downpour, which caught out Alex Marquez on a year-old Ducati, with the #73 crashing on the warm-up lap. Once the lights went out, Martin made a rocket start, snatching the advantage on the run to Turn 1.

On Lap 5, Martin made a crucial error, running wide at Turn 3 and dropping down to third position – behind Marc Marquez on his year old Gresini Ducati. This took the pressure away from Bagnaia, who would continue to eat into the #89’s title advantage.

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.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez began his charge for victory, sending a move down the inside at the final corner. The #93 began to pile on the pressure, 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, making a crucial mistake at Turn 8 – crashing out on Lap 14 – promoting Martin into P2. This ended the #93’s chances of remaining in Championship contention and stopped his charge for a fourth win of the season.

😱 @MARCMARQUEZ93 COULDN’T SAVE IT!

Just as he was pressuring for the win, it oomes crashing down! 💥#ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/4anUYrvFFC

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 27, 2024

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) clinched fourth at the line, beating Miller by less than 0.896s at the line. The Australian rounded out the top five spots, crossing the line ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and top Aprilia Racing rider Maverick Viñales. The #12 was a further 2.60s behind, crossing the line in front of CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco in P8.

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.

Grand Prix of Thailand Race Results

* Rookie