Written by Finn Glover, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Is it paradise, or is it going to be torture? MotoGP’s seven-month European road trip has finally ended; the series now heads into the deep, humid unknowns of Asia and Australia up ahead for the final few rounds of the season.
With a close championship battle, anything could happen, and the first stop is the narrow, dirty and twisty Indonesian Grand Prix.
Throwback: 2023 Indonesian Grand Prix
The Mandalika circuit played host to possibly one of the most dramatic races of the 2023 season in the premier class. With chaos, crashes, and unbelievable battles, the circuit didn’t disappoint in its first-ever MotoGP dry race.
In the sprint, Jorge Martin claimed victory after climbing the field from p6 on the grid. Vinales led from early on, before being caught and passed by the ressurging Martin. It was a fairly exciting sprint race, one filled with collisions and crashes, and the eventual champion Bagnaia a lowly eighth.
The main race, however, was much more dramatic. Marini led the field from pole, but not for long, with Martin blitzing the field, and blasting into the lead at turn one. It was an extremely messy first few laps with numerous collisions, as pole-sitter Marini collided with Binder at Turn 10.
Bagnaia battled back to third in the early stages. But lap 13 proved to be unlucky for rival Martin, who crashed dramatically at turn 11, throwing away his championship lead at the time. That meant Viñales led, before being passed by Bagnaia after a brilliant battle. He remained close, right until the end, but it was Bagnaia, having started 13th, who got lucky and won the race.
It was one of the closest Top three finishes in MotoGP history, with Bagnaia, Viñales and Quartararo separated by just +0.433 seconds as they crossed the line.
Round 14: Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna
Many were disappointed when MotoGP cancelled it’s much-awaited race in Kazakhstan to return to Misano for the second time in two races, for the Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna. Yet, the weekend proved to be one of the most decisive, and dramatic of the 2024 season so far…
After starting second, Martin rocketed into the lead at Turn One, followed by a brilliant Binder. Bagnaia quickly dispatched the KTM out of turn 6, and the chase was on.
The chase remained stagnant, until, with six laps to go, Martin ran wide at Turn 13 and handed the lead to Bagnaia. Although it remained close, Martin couldn’t catch the Italian, who reigned victorious to the delight of the partisan home crowd.
The main race was a different story. After initially leading, Martin was overtaken by Bagnaia at Turn 2 on the first lap with an awesome move. Two laps later, chaos broke out, with Bagnaia, Martin and Bastianini battling relentlessly for the next few laps.
Ultimately, Martin claimed the lead on lap 4, and Bastianini followed him a lap later, relegating Bagnaia to third. But with seven laps to go, Bagnaia repeated the 2021 heartbreak, crashing out and destroying his championship challenge at turn 8.
It was all too perfect for Martin, but Bagnaia’s teammate Bastianini was homing in. The duo were remarkably close over the past few laps, and nearly made contact down the straight at one point.
On the final lap, Bastianini bit the bullet and went for the move at turn 5, forcing Martin wide and grabbing the race win in dramatic, controversial fashion. It was still positive for Martin, who was followed home by Marc Marquez for third.
It was a vastly improved weekend for the lethargic Japanese manufacturers, with both Honda and Yamaha drastically improving. Quartararo finished a lofty seventh, which was fifth till the last lap, while Joan Mir and Luca Marini came home with a wondrous 11th and 12th respectively, marking the Japanese team’s best result of 2024.
And in their home weekend, Ducati claimed a dominant constructed championship, rounding out the top 3 on the podium to celebrate.
After Round 14, the championship top five are as follows:
1- Jorge Martin (Pramac) 341 Points
2- Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo) 317 Points
3- Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo) 282 Points
4- Marc Marquez (Gresini) 281 Points
5- Brad Binder (KTM) 165 Points
The Track
Similarly to Misano, the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit is one of the narrowest and shortest on the MotoGP calendar. Featuring 17 corners composed over 2.680 miles, it is known to be one of the most accident-prone, technical circuits.
Unlike Misano, the track is extremely dirty. It is not used regularly, so expect low grip, and low confidence amongst the riders. Also unlike Misano, the track is very twisty, lacking the long flowing straights and providing a more unique challenge in terms of overtaking.
Instead, it is a steady mix of medium and low speed corners, and the occasional high speed twists to add some wood to the fire.
And it certainly will be fiery, with temperatures expected to reach around 34°C, possibly posing challenges to the track surface.
This race marks the start of the notorious MotoGP Asian stint. Often providing frantic races, unexpected results and championship-defining moments, there is certainly a lot to look forward to for the final run-in to finish the season.
It provides a new challenge. For the first time in 2024, they will be faced with the gruelling humidity and heat of South-East Asia. And, with unpredictable weather forecasts that change every minute, who knows what to expect?
The championship gap may have widened to 23 points, but that means nothing if this season is anything to tell. The underdogs in Bastianini and Marquez are now an inch over 30 points away from Bagnaia, so don’t discount them from the title fight just yet.
It would also be fair not to discount the other manufacturers too soon. Last year, all manufacturers placed in the top ten, and the podium in 2023 was composed of three different marquees too. Absolutely anything can happen, and we can’t wait to find out what!
Tune in to find out who fares well to kick off MotoGP’s flyaway leg of the year at Mandalika, at the much earlier time of 8 am BST (2 pm track time).
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