Grapevine

Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP, cuts Martin’s championship lead to 10 points

It was the eighth Grand Prix victory of 2024 for Ducati Lenovo rider, who is seeking a third straight MotoGP title.

Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia has won the Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi to complete a weekend double and cut his gap to rival Jorge Martin at the top of the world championship down to 10 points.

The Ducati Lenovo factory rider, who qualified in second after dominating practice and won Saturday’s sprint, kept Martin at bay for 20 laps on Sunday to clinch an eighth win of the season for the first time in his career.

Martin’s second-place finish on Sunday moved him up to 392 points while Bagnaia is second on 382, with four races left in the 2024 championship season.

“I feel super happy. We managed to gain 11 points during this weekend,” said Bagnaia, whose win was the 900th by an Italian in MotoGP history.