Francesco Bagnaia capitalized on Pedro Acosta’s misfortune to claim victory in a chaotic Japanese GP Sprint at Motegi, securing his third consecutive sprint race win. The reigning world champion inherited the lead after Pedro Acosta crashed out from the lead.
The race kicked off under unpredictable conditions, with heavy cloud cover looming but the track staying dry. Bagnaia made a quick start, taking the lead as the lights went out.
With drama behind asAlex Marquez and Joan Mir collided, Acosta, who had slipped to third initially, quickly recovered and passed Bagnaia on Lap 3. By Lap 8, the Spaniard had stretched his lead to 0.6 seconds, showing no signs of faltering.
Two bikes completely stuck together 🤯
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) October 6, 2024
The race ended early for @alexmarquez73 and @JoanMirOfficial after huge contact 💥#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/BeUByOtTu7
However, the race took a sharp turn on Lap 9 when 2024’s sole MotoGP rookie dramatically crashed out from the lead, ending up in the gravel trap with his head in his hands in despair.
His exit opened the door for Bagnaia, who was now in control of the race, while Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez moved up to fight for the final podium position.
Despite growing pressure from behind, Bagnaia held firm at the front. Marquez was particularly aggressive, putting Bastianini under threat.
Very light rain in the last three laps did not hinder Bagnaia as he crossed the line 0.181 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Jorge Martin, who had quietly climbed through the pack.
Marc Marquez delivered a strong ride to secure third place finishing 0.349 seconds behind Bagnaia. Enea Bastianini, who had looked solid throughout, had to settle for fourth after losing pace in the final laps.
