MotoGP, Misano Race LIVE: Marc Marquez “The Magnificent”! Bagnaia and Bastianini complete the podium

Here we are in Misano at the big moment of the Grand Prix of San Marino with the long race that counts in a title race with big points to take and in the statistics for posterity. Yesterday, during the Sprint, Jorge Martin gave Pecco Bagnaia a lesson on his home turf and despite a starting position at the top of the starting grid. In the championship, the Pramac rider, future Aprilia factory, now has a 26-point lead over the Ducati factory. And a victory this afternoon brings 25…

Before we jump into the fray, here's a look at the top of the starting grid...

Francesco Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) qualified on pole for the second time this year with Assen, where he won both the Sprint and GP rounds, setting a new lap record at Misano. This is his third pole position at Misano in MotoGP. He finished second in the Sprint (his fifth Sprint podium). He will be aiming for his eighth Grand Prix win so far this year, making it his best season in MotoGP in terms of wins. He would become the first rider to take eight or more wins in a single MotoGP season since Marc Marquez in 2019 (12), and would join Marquez, Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. He remains second in the championship, 26 points behind Jorge Martin.

If Ducati wins, it would be their 12th victory so far in 2024, their sixth here and their third in a row.

Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) qualified second for his first top-three qualifying result since qualifying second at Jerez in 2021. He finished third in the Sprint (his first Sprint podium), and he will now aim to secure his first GP podium as he also finished P3 at Jerez in 2021.

Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) qualified third, his second top-three finish in qualifying so far this year with Jerez taking his only Grand Prix podium so far this year, finishing P3. He crashed out in the sprint but will be aiming for his first win since India last year.

George Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) qualified fourth, making it only the fifth time this year that he has missed the top three in qualifying. He won the Sprint for his 11th Sprint podium of 2024 and fifth victory. This Sunday, he will be looking for his eighth MotoGP victory and third of the season. He now leads the championship by 26 points over bagnaia, which means he is assured of keeping the lead at the end of this San Marino Grand Prix.

Peter Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) qualified fifth for his fourth top-six qualifying result so far this year. He finished P6 in the Sprint after being passed by Marc Marquez on the final lap. Aged 20 years and 106 days On Sunday, he will try to become the second youngest winner of the premier class after Marc Marquez (20 years and 63 days in Austin in 2013).

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) qualified sixth and finished P7 in the Sprint. He will now try to reach the podium for the second time since the start of the year with Qatar (P2), or win for the first time since Austria in 2021.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) qualified seventh but finished 10th in the sprint, missing out on points. He will now aim to add to his collection of podiums in the premier class (two with Honda and three with Ducati so far) or take his first MotoGP victory.

Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) is third in the championship, tied on points with Marc Marquez qualified eighth. He finished fourth in the Sprint. Sunday's win would be his seventh MotoGP victory, equaling Martin et Loris Capirossi in fourth position on the list of drivers Ducati the most successful in the category. This would be his fourth podium in four visits to the track in the category.

Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) qualified ninth after a crash in Q2, his worst qualifying result since qualifying 13th at the Sachsenring earlier this year. He finished fifth in the sprint and will now aim to make it two wins in a row for the first time since the Americas and Emilia Romagna 2021. It would be his fifth MotoGP victory at Misano.

fabio quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP qualified 10th for his best qualifying result since qualifying eighth in France. He finished ninth in the sprint to take a point on Saturday and will now aim for his first podium since Indonesia last year (P3).

Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) qualified 11th, equaling his second worst qualifying result since the start of the year with Jerez, and finished the Sprint also in P11. He would be aiming for his 11th MotoGP victory, his second with Aprilia and Austin this season.

The Aprilia and KTM/GASGAS riders will be looking to give their manufacturer(s) their first win at Misano. So far, their best result here is P3.

Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing qualified 12th, his eighth top-12 finish this year. He finished P8 in the Sprint and will now aim for a podium finish for the first time since P3 in Spain last year.

Now that the introductions are done, what will this Grand Prix of San Marino in Misano have in store for us? Before we know, here is the table that summarizes the facts known so far.

MotoGP™ San Marino, Misano	2023	2024
FP1	1'31.909 Michele Pirro (See here)	1'31.707s Jorge Martin
Practice	1'30.846 Marco Bezzecchi (See here)	1'30.685 Francesco Bagnaia
FP2	1'31.803 Jorge Martin (See here)	1'31.237 Marco Bezzecchi
Q1	1'31.272 Miguel Oliveira (See here)	1'30.903 Aleix Marquez
Q2	1'30.390 Jorge Martin (See here)	1'30.304s Fancesco Bagnaia
Sprint	Martin, Bezzecchi, Bagnaia (See here)	Jorge Martin, Bagnaia, Morbidelli
Warm Up	1'31.785 Pecco Bagnaia (See here)	1'31.687 Franco Morbidelli
Course	Martin, Bezzecchi, Bagnaia (See here)	Marc Marquez, Bagnaia, Bastianini
All time lap record	1'30.390 Jorge Martin (See here)	1'30.304 Francesco Bagnaia

Welcome under the umbrellas.. live from the Misano track

Note the absence of Marini

For our goldfish memories, here is the reminder of the grid…

Drivers will have 26 laps to complete

The time has come to make your predictions.

The mood is rising…

A victory for Morbidelli today??

Or will the good dynamics, partner of MMarquez, still make him shine here in Misano?

Raindrops are settling on the track…

There's going to be some sport!!! The VR46 team is not going to concede anything to their opponents at home....

Warm-up lap…30° in the air/30° on the track

Flag to flag course announced..by race direction..white flag

It's off and it's Bagnaia who takes the lead ahead of Martin, Morbidelli, Acosta and Binder

Contact between Bastianini and MMarquez. 6th/7th

It's getting hot up front between Bagnaia and Martin... the Pramac rider tries to pass in vain...

Acosta tries to pass Morbidelli but leaves a piece of the bike flying away, he goes back but fails again, he fights to gain 3rd position.

After 3 rounds, the top10 is made up of: Bagnaia, Martin, Morbidelli, Binder, Bastianini, MMarquez, Miller, Bezzecchi, AMarquez and Quartararo

Acosta Falls

The drivers are hot and bothered... they are pushing each other at all levels of the rankings... it's a tough battle...

Morbidelli Falls.

The top 10 is moving: Bagnaia takes off but no more, he has a lead of 0.313s over Martin. Bastianini, Binder, MMarquez, Miller, AMarquez, Bezzecchi, Quartararo and Di Giannantonio complete this top 10

It's raining !!!

Vinales returns to the box…

Fall of Afernandez..

Martin returns to the box…rain motorcycle…

MMarquez takes the lead of the race ahead of Bagnaia..Miller, Bastianini and Binder complete the top 5

MESSAGE on the track!! The rain stops!!

AEspargaro and Acosta return to the pits…Martin does the same to get back on his other machine…what a mistake!!! He is 16th with 1 lap behind…

Things are calming down on the track: at the front MMarquez is the leader of the race ahead of Bagnaia (0.607s), Bastianini, Miller, AMarquez, Binder, Bezzecchi, Quartararo, Di Giannantonio and PEspargaro: there are 14 laps left before the finish.

AMarquez attacks Miller to gain 4th position and it goes through...

AEspargaro returns to the box..

With 10 laps to go, Marquez holds on to his pursuer Bagnaia. The Gresini rider has a lead of 0.619s over the official Ducati. Bastianini, AMarquez, Binder, Miller, Bezzecchi, Quartararo, Di Giannantonio and PEspargaro complete the top 10

Will we have both Marquez brothers on the podium??

Record lap for MMarquez who pushes Bagnaia to 1.094s. AMarquez comes back strong on Bastianini who is suffering with his tires…he’s playing for the 3rd step of the podium…

Martin fights with Vinales for 15th position, by 1 point!!!

There are 4 laps left and MMarquez is pulling away..he has a 2.259s lead over Bagnaia. Behind, Bastianini and Binder who has just got rid of Marquez, thus recovers 4th position

Last round…

Miller makes a gap which benefits Quartararo…he recovers 7th position

Victory for MMarquez ahead of Bagnaia and Bastianini. 

 

MotoGP, Misano Race: ranking