MotoGP Italian GP: Bagnaia Holds off Marquez for First Sprint Win; Martin Crashes

Francesco Bagnaia won the 2024 Italian MotoGP Sprint race, leaving Marc Marquez behind in second place. The championship leader, Jorge Martin, had a crash, forcing him to withdraw. Bagnaia, the reigning world champion, dominated the race from beginning to end. Although Marquez narrowed the gap briefly, Bagnaia held onto his lead. Rookie Pedro Acosta secured third place after Martin's crash, a good way to celebrate his promotion to KTM for the 2025 season and beyond. Enea Bastianini and Martin initially chased Bagnaia but collided, leading to Bastianini's crash. While there was an investigation, no penalties were issued. Unfortunately for Martin, he crashed out after Marquez overtook him. Initially slowed by Brad Binder, Acosta swiftly caught up and overtook the South African rider. Miguel Oliveira and Fabio Quartararo also crashed out early in the race.

MotoGP Italian GP: Mugello Sprint Race Result

Raul Fernandez secured a solid sixth place for the Trackhouse team in the race standings, while Alex Marquez and Aleix Espargaro followed closely in eighth and ninth, respectively. Further down the pack, Jack Miller and Marco Bezzecchi trailed behind, with Alex Rins of Yamaha making a commendable recovery from a poor start to finish 13th.

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Meanwhile, on a wildcard entry for KTM, Pol Espargaro clinched the 14th spot, while Johann Zarco salvaged a point for Honda in 15th place, as factory rider Joan Mir retired from the race.

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With Martin's mishap causing him to lose ground, his lead over Bagnaia narrowed to just 27 points heading into Sunday's grand prix, setting the stage for an exciting showdown between the two title contenders.