Written by Finn Glover, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
After four consecutive races on the road, MotoGP heads to the final stop on its Asian jaunt, to the steamy heats of Sepang. After Bagnaia's tremendous Thai performance, he further closed the gap to Martin, now resting at just 17 points.
One of the longest laps and most attritional races on the calendar, Sepang plays an integral and often dramatic role in the championship picture year after year.
Throwback: 2023 Malaysian Grand Prix
The heat of Sepang threw up a few surprises last time out in 2023. After a woeful season, it was Ducati's Enea Bastianini who claimed a dominant win in the main race. He was followed home by Gresini's Alex Marquez in second after he claimed a dominant sprint win.
In the sprint, the No 73 clambered through the field quickly, launching it down the inside of Bagnaia on the second lap at the final corner for the lead.
But Marquez went wide, slipping to third. Yet, he stormed back into the lead only four laps later and held it to claim his second sprint victory of the year after Silverstone. He left Martin, Bagnaia and Bastianini to scuffle behind, with the trio finishing in this order in a Ducati-dominated sprint.
Bastianini sent it around the outside and tucked it to the inside in a ludicrous move on the first corner of the race on lap one, to claim the lead of the race. The Italian never looked back, speeding off into the distance.
The two championship protagonists battled hard behind for third, with Bagnaia beating Martin to the flag after the race settled down in the second half. They followed Bastianini and Marquez home, with the noticeable achievement being Quartararo finishing fifth for Yamaha behind the Ducati quartet.
Round 18: Thai Grand Prix
Buriram produced yet another barnstormer last time out, with inclement and unexpected weather playing havoc in the main race.
Bagnaia claimed pole in a Ducati Lenovo top two, yet it was Martin who had a phenomenal start on the Pramac, and launched into the lead at turn one. He forced Bagnaia wide, and it was Bastianini the beneficiary from this, as he soared off into the lead.
Martin was down to fifth, but quickly made his way back up the order, and controversially barged past championship rival Bagnaia to second at turn eight.
Yet, he couldn't chase down Bastianini, who dominated out front, claiming a flawless sprint victory ahead of the Pramac rider and Bagnaia in third. The sprint marked a momentous moment — all eight Ducatis finished in the top eight of a race for the first time, truly undermining their dominance and determination in 2024.
In the main race, unexpected rain hit the track just a few hours prior to racing, changing run plans completely, and adding another variable into the mix. It was Martin with yet again another flawless start, ahead of a soaring Yamaha of Quartararo in second. Down the long back straight, Quartararo lost places, and it all meant Martin slid wide and Bagnaia surged into the lead.
Martin retaliated, and reclaimed the lead after going elbow-to-elbow with Bagnaia. He then went wide again at turn five, opening the door for both Marquez and Bagnaia. The future Ducati teammates then squabbled, with Marquez passing Bagnaia twice into the final corner, but getting repassed straight away.
Marquez then went down in the slippy conditions, giving Bagnaia breathing room. Meanwhile, Morbidelli and Quartararo collided, with Bagnaia’s teammate Bastianini also going down.
This change of order meant the KTM squads ran at higher-than-average positions. Miller was in third, battling Acosta relentlessly, with the rookie coming out on top after a poor run of form. Di Giannantonio was also charging, the VR46 rider moving up to fourth in what was his final round of the year, ahead of the factory KTM's of Miller and Binder.
Bagnaia finished first to reignite his championship hopes, ahead of Martin and a superb Acosta. Now, only two possible championship winners remain — Martin and Bagnaia.
After a classic Buriram weekend, the championship top five stands as follows:
1- Jorge Martin (Pramac) 453 Points
2- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) 436 Points
3- Marc Marquez (Gresini) 356 Points
4- Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo) 345 Points
5- Brad Binder (KTM Factory) 203 Points
The Track
Once a fan favourite amongst F1, the Sepang International Circuit is a fast and flowing challenge, and one of the longest laps on the MotoGP calendar.
At 5.543 km (3.445 mi) and 15 turns, it houses two incredibly long straights punctuated by a sharp hairpin. The first corner is extremely challenging, a 180-degree twisting right hander plunging downhill in a heavily-cambered section of the racetrack.
From Rossi vs Marquez to fabulous battles and last-lap drama, the track is a drama haven, its flowing long corners and heavy braking zones posing the potential for overtaking and technical challenges.
The challenge is only amplified by Malaysia's high humidity levels and challenging, unpredictable weather often causing chaos — a true test of a rider's physical and mental strength.
As we head into the penultimate weekend of 2024, we still have so many unknowns. In a track that is so often decisive, what will this season's edition throw up?
Martin vs Bagnaia rests at 17 points. Marquez and Bastianini sitting eight points apart. One mistake now may prove vital in the championship picture. And if recent races are anything to go by, this might be very exciting.
18 races down, two to go. What will happen? What will the weather throw up? Who will be victorious? Let's find out!
The Malaysian Grand Prix kicks off at 7 am GMT. An early start, but could well be worth waking up early for, considering how action-packed races around Sepang have been in the past.
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