The Ducati Lenovo Team is triumphant in the German Grand Prix with Francesco Bagnaia, who becomes the winningest rider in Ducati’s MotoGP history while returning to the top of the championship standings. Fourth place for Enea Bastianini after a great battle with Morbidelli.
Bagnaia was third entering turn one and managed to make his way to first position in the following two laps courtesy of two, identical overtaking manoeuvres first on Oliveira and then on Martín at the last corner. During lap six, Pecco was overtaken by Martín and then, moments later, by Morbidelli.
The reigning world champion then lost a little bit of ground but then managed – at the halfway point of the race – to make it back to second position. From then on, a close-quarter battle began between Bagnaia and Martin as the two kept logging very similar lap-times, with the gap being consistently around 0.7secs. Bagnaia did not give up as he was determined to bridge the gap to his rival while applying pressure on the then-leader. The turn of events took place with two laps left, when Martín crashed out of turn one, leaving clear track ahead to Bagnaia who stormed to his sixth Sunday win of the 2024, in what was the 200th Grand Prix of his career.
Bastianini put together an excellent performance from ninth place of the grid despite a minor setback at the start, as the Ducati rider #23 fought hard first with Marc Márquez and then with Franco Morbidelli. He was eventually fourth at the finish line, despite the many position changes with the latter towards the end of the race.
As he ninth event of the 2024 MotoGP season draws to a close, Bagnaia now sits atop the championship standings with a ten-point lead over Martín, while Bastianini is fourth and 67 points behind his teammate. The Ducati Lenovo Team leads the teams’ standings with 377 points, with Ducati on top of the manufacturers’ one (315 points).
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on August 2nd for the Monster Energy British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Francesco Bagnaia (#1 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“We were both on thin ice in the last laps, as the front kept tucking and the rear sliding, we had no traction left and we were still lapping in the 21.0/21.1s, so it was really tough. The lap before Jorge’s (Martín) crash I also lost the front, but I managed to save the day by running a bit wider. It was clear that the first to give up would have lost and truthfully, I believe it could have happened to any of us. We didn’t have the easiest start to the season, but we did an incredible job and even here, where we weren’t the strongest, we still managed to put ourselves in the condition to fight for the win. Today’s race craft was very important, as it had been in Barcelona: I saw that both Jorge and Franco (Morbidelli) were pushing a bit too much, but still it was a tough race and to come out victorious from it is simply fantastic.”
Enea Bastianini (#23 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 4th
“I did a good start but then I inadvertently touched the device and therefore lowered the bike; I then rode the first corners with the locked rear, which cost me some time. I tried to make my way back towards the front and managed to do so; then when I got close to Marc (Márquez) a good battle began. Today he had the better of me as he pulled away and quickly overtook Franco (Morbidelli). I, on the other hand, took a bit longer in doing the same and that’s where I lost the opportunity to battle for the podium. Still, it was another great race.”
Claudio Domenicali (Ducati CEO)
“It was a fantastic race for Ducati. The first thought goes to Jorge (Martín) who put together an incredible performance and rode with extraordinary pace, so it’s a pity for how it went as he and Pecco were doing a different type of sport today. Pecco managed to narrow the gap down to half a second and Jorge did everything he could to win, and we all know how it unfolded. This is racing however, often unpredictable: with the competition being at such high level, a tiny mistake can change the outcome of a race completely. I’d like to still congratulate everyone because they gave us plenty of excitement once again.”
