- 2024-10-27
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SPORTS
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MotoGP Thai GP: Francesco Bagnaia Takes Pole Position, Enea Bastianini Wins Sprint Race in Thailand
The Round 18 of MotoGP 2024, PT Grand Prix of Thailand took place at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram on October 26, 2024.
In Qualifying, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) took pole position with a new Buriram lap record 1'28.700sec. This marks his fourth pole position of the season.
His team-mate Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo) was 2nd. The championship leader Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) crashed at turn five in Q2 and finished in 3rd.
Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati) was 4th. Marc Marquez (Gresini Ducati) crashed as with Jorge Martin and was 5th.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) advanced to Q2 from the Q1 and will start on the second row in 6th.
Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) alongside with Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati), and Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) will start the third row.
Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) and felled duo Franco Morbidelli (Pramac Ducati) and Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) make up the fourth row.
Francesco Bagnaia said, “I'm very optimistic at the moment. I think we did a very good job with the bike and this morning we took a little step in front. I was confident I would be able to be in the front row. We managed to do a very good lap time.”- In the Sprint Race, Enea Bastianini led the race from start to finish and claimed his second Sprint Race victory of the season, following British GP.
Jorge Martin failed the start, dropping to 5th, but climbed to 2nd, finishing ahead of Francesco Bagnaia, who was 3rd.
With this result, Jorge Martin extended his the championship lead of 22 points over Francesco Bagnaia.
Marc Marquez and his brother Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) finished in 4th and 5th, respectively.
Following them, Franco Morbidelli was 6th, VR46 Ducati duo Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio completed 7th and 8th.
The eight Ducati riders filled the top eight and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) was 9th to score a single point as the only different factory rider. - Enea Bastianini said, “It was more than my expectation, the race of today. The qualifying has been [good], but, checking my pace, I wasn't ready to win today. But, at the end, I don't know, all the race I give my 100 per cent from the first lap. Also, to be alone probably, in that track, can be an advantage, because you can brake much harder and also for the temperature of the tyre, we know that. Well, when I was in first position after the first corner, inside my mind I think 'Okay, you have to push for three, four laps to try to bring some distance'. At the end, I also [take] some risks to do it. At the end, it was the good choice. After, I have managed very well the situation, because for all the race the gap to the rider behind was always 1.3, 1.4 seconds. At the moment, we have found something, probably, because for the qualifying always we are competitive. But, we have more problems for the long distance. We have to solve that problem for the three races that remain. Probably in the front it's better and you can push more. But it's like this many times and all the riders know that. When you are behind, you have to stay out of the slipstream, and if the pressure is coming up it can be a disaster. Also, when you are alone it's not easy. When you are behind it's much hotter, but when you are alone to stay focused is more difficult, but for tomorrow we have to stay focused. For me, it can be a risk to put the medium [compound tyre] on the rear [for the Grand Prix]. Also, for the Sprint, it was pushing a bit the front, and when I start to push the front started to move a bit. Probably the best solution will be the hard [compound rear tyre]. It's not my choice at 100 per cent for tomorrow, but probably the hard will be the choice.”
PT Grand Prix of Thailand Qualifying Results- Francesco Bagnaia / Ducati Lenovo / 1'28.700s
- Enea Bastianini / Ducati Lenovo / +0.232s
- Jorge Martin / Pramac Ducati / +0.430s
- Marco Bezzecchi / VR46 Ducati / +0.624s
- Marc Marquez / Gresini Ducati / +0.686s
- Fabio Quartararo / Monster Yamaha / +0.708s
- Pedro Acosta / Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 / +0.719s
- Fabio Di Giannantonio / VR46 Ducati / +0.735s
- Alex Marquez / Gresini Ducati / +0.827s
- Maverick Viñales / Aprilia Racing / +0.928s
- Franco Morbidelli / Pramac Ducati / +1.036s
- Johann Zarco / LCR Honda / +1.097s
- Brad Binder / Red Bull KTM / 1'29.535s
- Aleix Espargaro / Aprilia Racing / 1'29.568s
- Jack Miller / Red Bull KTM / 1'29.773s
- Augusto Fernandez / Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 / 1'29.828s
- Alex Rins / Monster Yamaha / 1'29.835s
- Takaaki Nakagam / LCR Honda / 1'29.903s
- Joan Mir / Repsol Honda / 1'30.045s
- Raul Fernandez / Trackhouse Aprilia / 1'30.102s
- Luca Marini / Repsol Honda / 1'30.137s
- Lorenzo Savadori / Aprilia Racing / 1'30.592s
PT Grand Prix of Thailand Sprint Race Results- Enea Bastianini / Ducati Lenovo / 19m 31.131s
- Jorge Martin / Pramac Ducati / +1.357s
- Francesco Bagnaia / Ducati Lenovo / +2.372s
- Marc Marquez / Gresini Ducati / +5.402s
- Alex Marquez / Gresini Ducati / +10.140s
- Franco Morbidelli / Pramac Ducati / +11.087s
- Marco Bezzecchi / VR46 Ducati / +11.538s
- Fabio Di Giannantonio / VR46 Ducati / +11.680s
- Brad Binder / Red Bull KTM / +13.692s
- Fabio Quartararo / Monster Yamaha / +14.483s
- Jack Miller / Red Bull KTM / +18.397s
- Johann Zarco / LCR Honda / +18.544s
- Joan Mir / Repsol Honda / +19.265s
- Raul Fernandez / Trackhouse Aprilia / +19.688s
- Aleix Espargaro / Aprilia Racing / +19.988s
- Augusto Fernandez / Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 / +21.298s
- Alex Rins / Monster Yamaha / +21.413s
- Takaaki Nakagami / LCR Honda / +23.400s
- Luca Marini / Repsol Honda / +23.979s
- Maverick Viñales / Aprilia Racing / +29.474s
- Lorenzo Savadori / Aprilia Racing / +39.389s
Photo by MotoGP - source : MotoGP
