The Emilia-Romagna GP gave us drama by the bucketload, with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) taking a superb win after a late overtake on Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), while Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crashed out of his 100th GP.
Sunday proved one of the most exhilarating days of racing in 2024, and these are some of the biggest Talking Points from Round 14!
“I think next time if I have to do the same, for sure no consequence, I hope”
Bastianini’s late race-winning attack on Martin has divided opinions in the paddock, with some deeming the move over the limit, while others believe it is just good, old-fashioned racing! Below you can see what the riders thought of the move!
Jorge Martin: “For sure, now I think we are clearer about the Race Direction ideas for the future. So, I think next time if I have to do the same, for sure no consequence, I hope.”
“Even Marc Marquez said that he thinks it should be drop one position!”
Enea Bastianini: “I saw the only chance to attack him on the last lap was at Turn 4. He tried to close the line. I was a bit on the limit with the front, but then I closed the corner and I won the race.”
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™): “Enea was not able to keep the bike inside the racetrack, so for me, it’s drop one position. But it’s Race Direction that decides.”
Francesco Bagnaia: “I think it was a racing overtake. Nothing different compared to what Jorge has already done in the past, with me in last season and in Qatar and India he did the same. I think it is normal.”
Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team): “If you push another rider out of the track and you just go over - don't make the corner.
“Please, if Martin makes the same move in Indonesia, I expect the same treatment - as Martin, Pecco, me, everybody. Only this.”
Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing): The rules are clear. Once you are in a direct fight with a rider, and you go on the green, you need to give up a position. The fact that he didn't go on the green, because it's not painted green over there, but he didn't make the corner. So it is a last lap overtake, everyone is fighting to the centimetre, and it is difficult to overtake with the MotoGP bike, so you need to take every opportunity.
“If it is for the win, I don't mind, but I leave it up to the stewards. The rules are clear, so he's not penalised because the paint is not green, it's blue, or whatever. If you overtake in a different corner and you touch the green, you need to give up the position. So he knew exactly where to overtake!”
Jack Miller: “It’s a racing incident. Last lap battle. If you would like to have a look at Zarco or me on the last lap at Turn 14 or Di Giannantonio or Mir at Turn 14… that's racing. It happens throughout the whole grid. It’s the last lap of a race.”
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing): “I have no words really, because one rider touched the other one, and both riders went out of the track”
“I don’t know what was ‘normal’ from today”
It proved a frustrating day for the reigning World Champion Pecco Bagnaia in Misano. Despite starting on pole and leading across the opening laps, he quickly found himself going the wrong way before finally establishing some rhythm in P3. The #1 was recovering ground on both Bastianini and Martin before disaster struck and he found himself tumbling through the gravel at Turn 8. Post-race, he was at a loss to explain what went wrong.
Bagnaia: “I don’t know what was ‘normal’ from today.
“I did not brake hard. I braked 18m before the fastest lap I did and I still lost the front like I touched the bump that isn’t there. Strange but everything was strange from the start.
“This was first race that I fully enjoyed”
Over at Honda, Luca Marini, Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and Johann Zarco (CASTROL LCR Honda) all finished inside the points, with Marini particularly pleased by their package. A P12 finish for the Italian is his best of the season, and it seems that progress is being made on the RC213V.
Marini: “Really happy, really satisfied. I think this was first race that I fully enjoyed. It was a positive race. We found a good package with all the upgrades that we have in the bike now.
“The biggest is the fairing. The aerodynamic now works really, really well. But there are a few smaller changes that also give us a better feeling. The swingarm and other few things that worked really well. If I have to say the biggest one is the fairing, but it is a new package that works really well and I think it gained, compared to the other package from two and five tenths.”
“I had no fuel”
It was also a hugely encouraging weekend for Fabio Quartararo. The factory Yamaha star recorded his joint second best qualifying of the year and picked up points in both the Tissot Sprint and feature race with a double P7. However, it was close to ending in disappointment with the chequered flag in sight!
Quartararo: “At the second to last corner I had no fuel, so I tried to do everything that was possible. I’m super happy about the race, the only thing that is quite frustrating is that we have a slow engine and we cannot finish the races.
“Best weekend by far, we have to see what kind of result will be in the overseas. If In Indonesia we have the same kind of weekend it can be a big step forward for us. I don’t know if we have make a big step or not, but I’m feeling much better with how I’m riding, so I think we can be happy with what we’ve done the last few weeks.”