Francesco Bagnaia wins Thailand MotoGP to narrow Martin’s championship lead

The reigning world champion closed the gap on championship leader Jorge Martin to 17 points with two races remaining.

Francesco Bagnaia has won the Thai MotoGP to close the gap on championship leader Jorge Martin with two race weekends left, with the Spaniard second in tricky wet conditions.

Martin’s lead over defending champion Bagnaia of Italy was cut from 22 points to 17 ahead of another chapter in their title tussle at Sepang in Malaysia next week.

MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta was third at Buriram International Circuit on Sunday.

Pramac Ducati’s Martin began the race in third and made a lightning start to grab the lead from his pole-sitting rival, Bagnaia.

But Martin, 26, did not stay there long, running wide to fall to third position as Bagnaia took the lead with six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez in hot pursuit.

At the halfway point of the 26-lap race, the race for top honours was between Bagnaia and Marquez, with Martin struggling to keep up.

But Marquez pushed too hard in the wet conditions as he went for the lead, sliding off the track on his Ducati.

That left the title rivals to battle it out for victory, but Bagnaia held his nerve, holding off Martin in the demanding conditions to see out a crucial ninth win of the 2024 campaign.

Bagnaia also started Saturday’s sprint race on pole but ended up third, just behind Martin. Bagnaia’s Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini won the sprint.

After Malaysia, the season finale is at Valencia on November 15-17.

Earlier, Japan’s Ai Ogura was crowned Moto2 world champion as he came second in a red-flagged race won by Spain’s Aron Canet.

The 23-year-old Ogura will move up to MotoGP next season.

Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin (#89) leads Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia (#1) into the first corner of the Thailand MotoGP race on October 27, 2024 [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]