MotoGP Round 12 Report | Masterful Marquez victorious at Aragon

MotoGP Round 12 Report | Masterful Marquez victorious at Aragon 1043 days, multiple surgeries, a change of team and factory later, and Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) is back on the top step of the Grand Prix podium. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP

It was a stunning end to MotoGP™ Practice at the Gran Premio GoPro de Aragon, with high-speed action and thrills to close Friday’s action. At the end of the hour-long session, it was Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) who came out on top – setting a stunning new lap record.

Read our Round 11 report here…

The #93 had the best start to a weekend since the 2021 Americas GP, topping both sessions. He ended the day ahead of Aprilia Racing duo Aleix Espargaro, who jumped to second, and teammate Maverick Viñales as the Noale factory also had plenty to write home about on Day 1. Aprilia led right until the final flying miracle from Marquez, with the #93 getting back on top right at the end. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) took fourth after a busy session for the #89. Alex Marquez recovered to P5 as he notably did some running in tandem with the #93 side of the Gresini box.

Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) stormed to pole position on Saturday morning, setting a sensational 1:46.766 to pull a stunning 0.840s clear of the pack. It’s the largest pole margin in dry conditions since the 2011 Valencia Grand Prix, where it was 1.014s in favour of Casey Stoner at the front. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) started second after battling through from Q1 and pinching P2 on his final lap in Q2, with the rookie placing just ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).

The reigning Champion grabbed third on the grid, just ahead of his main title rival, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). The #89 was relegated to fourth following a crash on his first run that forced him into recovery mode on his second exit.

Read the full practice and qualifying results here…

Moto2

Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) completed a perfect Friday at Aragon with a new lap record in P1 after having already led the way on Friday morning. The #21 set an impressive 1:50.989 benchmark to move two tenths clear of the first on the chase, rookie Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), with CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team’s Jake Dixon taking the final spot inside the top three within a tenth of the Brazilian.

Fourth was even closer, with Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp) within just 0.007 of Dixon, and small gaps from there on out: Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) in fifth was only half a tenth further back, ahead of Albert Arenas (QJMotor Gresini Moto2™), at a similar deficit, and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team).

Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) earned pole as the British rider improved on his final lap to slam in a 1:51.636 and earn a 0.134s gap to rookie Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team). It was a great session for the Brazilian, however, whose best intermediate class qualifying put him a mere 0.014s ahead of Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) to round off a competitive front row ahead of Sunday.

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed a fantastic quali in fourth place, his best yet in Moto2™. The rookie will start in front of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who secured P5 after going through Q1.

Moto3

David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) took control on Day 1 in Aragon, with the #80 entering the low 1:57 bracket and finishing 0.210s ahead of his rivals – breaking the lap record in the process.

However, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was charging hard behind, having a strong day and setting almost 15 laps during Practice 1. The #99 was ahead of David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), who had an equally impressive afternoon, rounding out the top three spots and finishing as the top Honda.

Dutchman Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) ended Friday in P4 but at a deficit of nearly eight tenths. It was an intense Saturday for the Moto3™ field, with David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) continuing to impress, topping Practice 2 before storming to a phenomenal pole position. The Colombian set a 1:58.059 to claim an incredible 0.433 advantage over Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo). P3 went the way of BOE Motorsports’ David Muñoz – unable to break into the 1:58 bracket as only Rueda got within a second of the polesitter. Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) lost time in the final sector but secured P4, lining up ahead of Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) and SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Luca Lunetta.

Saturday
Tissot Sprint

Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) is a Tissot Sprint winner! The #93 started from pole position, secured with the biggest gap in the dry since 2011, took the holeshot and never looked back on Saturday afternoon at the Gran Premio GoPro de Aragon. It’s the first Sprint win for the eight-time World Champion as he escaped Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) by nearly three seconds.

As the lights went out, there was an immediate front row fracas for Bagnaia, with the reigning Champion snapping sideways off the line, getting bogged down and then coming close to Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). Ahead, there were no such dramas for Marc Marquez as he took the holeshot and then got the hammer down, shadowed by Martin up from Row 2 and Acosta in third.

Bagnaia was holding station in fourth initially, able to stay ahead of Alex Marquez, but the reigning Champion was making no inroads on the top three. Then he was wide at Turn 5 to drop back to sixth ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), before another few scrappy moments saw the South African get past him – and then the fight for sixth lit up.

Binder, Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) had their own throwdown, and Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) sliced past all of them to start making some space in fifth. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was next on the scene and it settled into Oliveira in fifth, Binder trying to hold off Bastianini and a flashback battle between Quartararo and Bagnaia.

Up ahead, Marc Marquez laid down the gauntlet ahead of the Grand Prix as his first Sprint win upped the hype even more. The Gresini Racing MotoGP™ rider had led every session of the weekend and was aiming to clinch his first victory since 2021, over 1000 days ago. More on that later.

Martin pulled out a gap on Acosta by the flag, and the rookie also managed to keep some fresh air ahead of Alex Marquez in fourth. Oliveira kept fifth, with Binder staying in P6 by just over a tenth over Bastianini.

“I feel super good, especially as it was a very good weekend until now – the race is always the race – you cannot make any mistakes. Of course the most important day is tomorrow, so today we celebrate because this feels great. It’s really important for us to win the Sprint race,” explained Marquez.

Tissot Sprint Race Results

Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati
Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+2.961s)
Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (+6.694s)
Alex Marquez Gresini Ducati (+9.950s)
Miguel Oliveira Trackhouse Aprilia (+11.749s)

Sunday
MotoGP

The #93 dominated the majority of the Gran Premio GoPro de Aragon. Marquez shot off the line for the holeshot and never looked back, underlining one of the greatest comebacks in MotoGP history. There was plenty to talk about in his wake too, with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) taking second and extending his title lead – gained back from Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) on Saturday – after Bagnaia’s podium charge came to a halt in a clash with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). The verdict from the FIM MotoGP Stewards: racing incident and no further action. The verdict from each rider wildly opposes both that and each other.

Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) took the final spot on the podium, back on the GP box for the first time since the Americas GP in April and adding to an impressive points tally for the rookie, who currently sits fifth in the World Championship standings. As the lights went out, Marc Marquez took the holeshot once again, and there was drama for Bagnaia once again as the #1 struggled off the line and got close to Alex Marquez in a near-repeat of the Sprint start. Acosta moved up into second and Martin took over in third, with Bagnaia left with work to do down in P7.

The #89 attempted a move at Turn 8 on Lap 2, running wide and allowing Acosta back through before making an overtake stick at Turn 13. Acosta then began to drop back, with Alex Marquez now entering the podium positions. Bagnaia began to recover positions, overtaking Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for sixth position. The Italian set his sights on Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), aiming to re-enter the top five, and not long after Morbidelli then ran wide and allowed the #1 through. After an early crash for Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team) then joined him, unable to secure a double top 10 finish in Aragon after a crash at Turn 5.

Further back, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was battling for the final places inside the top 10 with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Back at the front, Marc Marquez extended his lead to over three seconds, with the #89 remaining his closest rival. Martin, however, still held that crucial ground on Bagnaia as the #1 was up into P4 after a spectacular overtake on Acosta at the end of Lap 11. Next target: Alex Marquez.

By Lap 19, Bagnaia was tagged right onto the back of the #73, and, as the Gresini ran wide on the entry to Turn 12, the door seemed open. Bagnaia went for it, meanwhile Alex Marquez tried to keep his spot. The result was contact between the two as they slid off in a tangle to forfeit the podium, riders ok and Martin’s points advantage suddenly bolstered to 23 points by the flag.

Up ahead though, Marc Marquez suffered no such dramas. Extending his margin to five seconds, the #93 kept it calm at the head of the field to take that coveted first victory since 2021, his first with Ducati and Gresini, 1043 days – and so much more – later. Behind Martin and Acosta, who swept past the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez drama to complete the podium, was a strong P4 for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Bastianini, after a somewhat disastrous grid position as he lost out on Q2, put in a classic comeback to round out the top five.

“One year ago, I was just thinking about (whether to) stop my career or continue. Someday I will retire. But when I retire, I will not have any question marks about my possibilities. I will try everything to go longer and longer and longer in my career and to be competitive. The Gresini team gave me this opportunity and I tried to enjoy it,” Marquez insisted.

MotoGP Race Results

Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati
Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+4.789s)
Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (+14.904s)
Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+16.459s)
Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo (+18.776s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points

Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati – 299
Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 27
Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati – 22
Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo – 228
Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 – 148

Moto2

It was another Moto2™ showstopper, with Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) storming to a second victory of the season, holding off Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) as the Italian got back on the podium for the first time in 2024. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) topped off a weekend to remember in his rookie Moto2™ season, becoming the first Turkish rider to finish on the podium in the intermediate class since Kenan Sofuoglu in 2011.

Polesitter Dixon claimed the holeshot at the start, but Arbolino hit the front on Lap 4 in a big group battle. A couple of laps later though, the Brit made the decisive move to take back the lead and start pushing to break the group. Meanwhile, there would soon be problems for Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp), who suffered a crash on Lap 7 after contact with Öncü – leaving the #54 with zero points on Sunday. He wouldn’t be the only key name to fail to score either, with points leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) battling outside the points, getting an LLP and then pulling in.

Meanwhile, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) was on the verge of points as he returned from injury, entering the top 15 at the end of Lap 7. Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) soon dropped back towards Ogura too after contact with OnlyFans American Racing Team’s Joe Roberts on the entry to Turn 16. Roberts was later handed a Long Lap for the incident, dropping the American to eighth. And on the very final lap he then became another key Championship contender to take no points, sliding off.

As Öncü fought back following the contact with Aldeguer that sent him wide, Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) became the final hurdle before a podium position for the Turkish rider. Once past, Öncü was able to make enough of a cushion to secure that maiden Moto2™ podium.

Up ahead, Dixon was able to hold Arbolino at bay and then find some margin in the latter stages to pull out 1.7 seconds by the flag. That puts him 43 points off the top now, in fifth, behind Roberts. Arbolino’s second was still a first rostrum of 2024, and for Öncü it was a stunner too.

Lopez, meanwhile, missed out on the podium but that P4 is a valuable haul as only Dixon, in the top five in the title fight, outscored him. The #21 is now third overall. Ogura managed to charge up to eighth, however, closing teammate Garcia’s lead down to just 12 points and staying ahead of Lopez.

Moto2 Race Results

Jake Dixon CFMoto Inde Aspar Team
Tony Arbolino Elf Marc VDS Racing (+1.779s)
Deniz Oncu Red Bull KTM Ajo (+5.479s)
Alonso Lopez Sync Speed Up (+9.190s)
Manuel Gonzalez QJMOTOR Gresini (+11.098s)

Check out the full Moto2 race results here…

Moto2 Championship Points

Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI – 162
Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI – 150
Alonso Lopez Beta Tools Speed Up – 133
Joe Roberts OnlyFans American Racing Team – 130
Jake Dixon CFMoto Inde Aspar Team – 119

Moto3

The Gran Premio GoPro de Aragon saw Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) make a little history, taking his own maiden win and, in doing so, becoming the 400th different winner in Grand Prix history. After David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) shot off into an early lead and made a gap, Rueda was one of those able to hunt him down, get past and then take his own turn leading from the front before extending his advantage impressively.

Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) came home second after leading the charge for the chasing pack, with Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) the final rider able to arrive at, and overhaul, Alonso in the latter stages. For the Italian, it’s a maiden Grand Prix podium, rewarding a quality season so far. Alonso shot off the line and had rapid pace in the opening stages, earning some clear space on track before Veijer was able to cut three seconds back to nothing and pounce on Lap 12, demoting Alonso as Rueda and Lunetta also began to edge closer.

In a four-way fight at the front, Rueda then took over in the lead on Lap 13. Entering the final lap, Veijer was less than one second behind but the #99 pushed on to open up some breathing space to bank his first win. Lunetta caught and passed Alonso, relegating the Colombian to fourth.

Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) rounded out the top five, just ahead of Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia). The #72 showed strong pace in the opening stages on Sunday, and finished ahead of David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports).

Moto3 Race Results