Marquez wins San Marino GP as Martin's tyre gamble backfires

In what has been one of the most unpredictable race weekends this year, Marc Marquez claimed his first back-to-back win on Ducati machinery, while the factory Ducati duo of Bagnaia and Bastianini finished second and third, respectively. Jorge Martin finished 15th after his decision to pit and switch to a wet-setup motorcycle backfired.

1. Gap between Martin and Bagnaia now down to 7 points
2. First back-to-back wins for Marquez on a Ducati

Martin’s pitstop slashes his championship lead

At the start of the race, there was a prediction for rain, so the marshals decreed it a flag-to-flag race, meaning riders could come into the pits and swap bikes set to their wet setup. Unlike the Sprint race, where Jorge Martin had a flawless start and led the race to win, the main GP was a different story. Sunday man Francesco Bagnaia led the race early on, while Martin's unfortunate decision to pit and change bikes affected his performance.

Marc Marquez takes first back-to-back wins with Ducati

In the tricky mixed conditions, Marc Marquez came to the fore, as he has done many times before. While Bagnaia was playing it safe and managing his pace, Marquez was confident and fast enough to snatch the lead from the reigning World Champion. Bagnaia did try to catch Marc over the remainder of the race, but the 8-time World Champion showed unmatched pace and consistency to ultimately secure the win. This is the first instance (and surely won’t be the last) of Marc Marquez taking back-to-back victories on Ducati machinery. 

2024 MotoGP championship standings

A second place finish for Bagnaia complemented by a distant 15th for Martin ensured that Pecco slashed his points deficit to Martin to just 7 points. Entering this weekend, the gap between the two Ducati riders was 27 points. 

2024 San Marino MotoGP results