The end of the MotoGP season in 2024 is set for a climax, with Francesco Bagnaia getting hold of the pole position for the Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona. Championship contender Martin, who leads Bagnaia by 24 points going into the race will start from position four, and the stage is set.
Francesco Bagnaia Breaks Through
What had become clear during qualifying was that Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati was the quickest machine as he took the pole with a time of 1:38.641 during a late run in Q2. This is a very important pole position, not only because it provides clear dominance before the race, but it allows the reigning world champion to help reduce the gap in the standings. Francesco Bagnaia had already started setting the benchmark in the early stages with a 1m39.583s, and after a minor chip-in, he signed off the timesheet as the fastest ahead of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and Gresini’s Marc Marquez.
Martin Faces Tough Challenge
Jorge Martin, who has been the leader of the championship most of the year, was not very lucky during the qualifying phase. Although Jorge Martin developed better times than those he set in the first session, he only placed himself fourth on the starting list, right behind Francesco Bagnaia. The Pramac Ducati rider knows that to retain his one-point advantage in the championship, he has to beat Francesco Bagnaia by at least two points in the sprint race. That has been made difficult for him, especially by the performance of compatriot Bagnaia, who has been impressive this weekend.
Espargaro had to perform at his best in what could be his last season in MotoGP when he took a second-place spot in the last few minutes of the qualifying round. The Aprilia rider was only 0.055s behind Francesco Bagnaia’s pole time in a brilliant showing. The race was won by Stoner, aboard the Italian team’s Ducati, with Marquez emerging second before the Spanish upstart could stamp his authority on Sunday’s race on the same Gresini Ducati.
Martin Struggles To Find Confidence
While Factor was fighting for the championship places, the young Australian rider Martin openly said he faced confidence issues with his Pramac Ducati bike. His qualifying performances put him in a position to take a provisional front-row start early on, which he failed to overcome. A spin at the first turn during the final building phase of his flying lap on the penultimate lap meant he was unable to significantly better his time and claimed fourth place.
Grid Overview
Second in the second row was Franco Morbidelli, who finished the qualifying fifth. Young Spanish newcomer Pedro Acosta, who races in MotoGP for Tech3 GASGAS, finished qualifying in the sixth position. Maverick Vinales, who had been closing in on Martin’s place to take a DNF, finished seventh, followed by Enea Bastianini. The third row sees Marco Bezzecchi in ninth position while Fabio Quartararo completes the top 10 list. Alex Marquez, who crashed at the beginning of this session, will start 11th. Johann Zarco is 12th and Miguel Oliveira 14th, and both will look for a good race to end their year.
Final Thoughts
As has been seen, with Francesco Bagnaia making such an early statement being on pole and Martin starting fourth, the focus will be on the title fight, especially as the Barcelona GP is expected to be a thriller. Francesco Bagnaia must finish ahead of Martin to have a shot at the championship, and he must make use of his pole position as an advantage. The winner of the 2024 MotoGP championship will be the rider who can withstand the intense race.
