Written by Finn Glover, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Jorge Martin has officially been crowned MotoGP champion after a steady season finale at Barcelona, ending Bagnaia’s two-year winning streak in flawless fashion.
In a weekend of so many possibilities, there was seemingly only one outcome for Martin, who, in the face of a boisterous Bastianini in the sprint, and tricky conditions all weekend long, remained calm and composed.
A double P3 in the championship was more than enough for the Spaniard, who won the championship by a narrow margin of 10 points in a much-improved season, with fewer mistakes and a lot more maturity in his riding.
For Bagnaia, it was a season of missed opportunities and ruing mistakes, featuring multiple crashes and incidents that wrecked his hopes just as he was trying to get back on track. Despite winning 11 main races, he will have to settle for the runners-up spot in the standings.
This was a weekend where Bagnaia dominated. Pole, sprint win, and a dominant race win, he did what he could, although he was unable to reel in the points difference coming into the weekend.
Bastianini did what he could in the sprint, battling relentlessly with Martin with the two almost coming to blows on multiple occasions. And in the main race, Bagnaia cruised out in front, while Martin settled for third after being passed by Marquez early on. The battles raged behind, but in the top three, it was all cool and breezy.
Best mate Aleix Espargaro finished his MotoGP career in style, being the best rear gunner possible for Martin and holding up the rest of the field perfectly.
Martin’s remarkable championship victory marks the first satellite rider to win in 23 years, before the MotoGP era. It marks an epic comeback after last year’s heartbreak, and after a challenging start to life in MotoGP in 2021.
He will embark on pastures new next season, joining Aprilia and providing the most compounding of departing gifts for Ducati; taking the number 1 to their rival Italian manufacturer. The real question lies now; did Ducati do wrong in allowing Martin to go to Aprilia?
Well, he’s certainly proved he’s championship worthy. The Martinator is your 2024 MotoGP World Champion!
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