Francesco Bagnaia wins Thailand MotoGP to narrow Martin’s championship lead

The reigning satellite champion closed the spread connected title person Jorge Martin to 17 points with 2 races remaining.

Francesco Bagnaia has won the Thai MotoGP to adjacent the spread connected title person Jorge Martin with 2 contention weekends left, with the Spaniard 2nd successful tricky bedewed conditions.

Martin’s pb implicit defending champion Bagnaia of Italy was chopped from 22 points to 17 up of different section successful their rubric tussle astatine Sepang successful Malaysia adjacent week.

MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta was 3rd astatine Buriram International Circuit connected Sunday.

Pramac Ducati’s Martin began the contention successful 3rd and made a lightning commencement to drawback the pb from his pole-sitting rival, Bagnaia.

But Martin, 26, did not enactment determination long, moving wide to autumn to 3rd presumption arsenic Bagnaia took the pb with six-time MotoGP satellite champion Marc Marquez successful blistery pursuit.

At the halfway constituent of the 26-lap race, the contention for apical honours was betwixt Bagnaia and Marquez, with Martin struggling to support up.

But Marquez pushed excessively hard successful the bedewed conditions arsenic helium went for the lead, sliding disconnected the way connected his Ducati.

That near the rubric rivals to conflict it retired for victory, but Bagnaia held his nerve, holding disconnected Martin successful the demanding conditions to spot retired a important ninth triumph of the 2024 campaign.

Bagnaia besides started Saturday’s sprint contention connected rod but ended up third, conscionable down Martin. Bagnaia’s Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini won the sprint.

After Malaysia, the play finale is astatine Valencia connected November 15-17.

Earlier, Japan’s Ai Ogura was crowned Moto2 satellite champion arsenic helium came 2nd successful a red-flagged contention won by Spain’s Aron Canet.

The 23-year-old Ogura volition determination up to MotoGP adjacent season.

Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin (#89) leads Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia (#1) into the archetypal country of the Thailand MotoGP contention connected October 27, 2024 [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]