Sunday MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 race recaps from Jerez

2024 MotoGP World Championship
Round Four – Gran Premio Estrella Galicia 0,0 de España
Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – Sunday

Marc Marquez took the holeshot but Jorge Martin got incredibly close to the rear of the Gresini Ducati and almost punted his countryman, but the Championship leader was forced to settle for second into turn one as Bezzecchi and Bagnaia slotted into third and fourth in the aftermath. Fourth wasn’t enough for Bagnaia though, right from the off, as Bagnaia went for an incredible 2-for-1 move at the end of the back straight… around the outside, and up into second place.

By the final corner on the same lap, Marquez was just wide enough on the exit to open the door. Bagnaia sliced through to lead, but by Turn 1 Marquez was heading back up the inside, both were slightly wide, and Martin was trying to pick their pocket. Bagnaia shot back into the lead though, now with Martin on his tail and Marquez relegated to third.

By the final corner, next time around, it was all changed again, with Bagnaia the rider in hot – letting both Martin and Marquez through but the latter temporarily as Bagnaia hit back at Turn 1. The next key move came from Bezzecchi at the final corner as he got through on Marquez, and then came the big title drama.

With Bagnaia right on his tail but a potential huge points lead up for grabs, Martin then suddenly lost the front, and the Championship took an instant twist. Martin in the kitty litter, leaving key rival Bagnaia to lead Bezzecchi and Marquez in the chase for 25 points.

The race pounded on as Martin was left to watch from the sidelines. Bagnaia led the way as the tension rose on his tail, Marquez inching closer to Bezzecchi ahead. The Gresini Ducati glued to him when the VR46 machine went very slightly deep at the final corner. Later that lap, he struck, kept it, and then set off after Bagnaia. The duel was taking shape.

The gap hovered around a second, but with just under ten laps to go, Marquez was three-tenths quicker. Bagnaia responded, and then Marquez responded, with the two not yet sharing the same bit of track. But the distance back to Bezzecchi was growing and growing.

By five to go, the first mission was complete for Marquez. The Gresini was tagged onto the rear tyre of the Ducati Lenovo machine, and he didn’t stalk his prey for long. Marquez went for it at Turn 9, but Bagnaia responded immediately into 10, slicing straight back alongside Marquez as the two bashed into each other and jostled over the racing line. Ducati management couldn’t look… Marquez was ahead, but as Bagnaia sliced through into the next apex, Marquez had no choice but to concede. Something not many have ever made him do. That dust up done, the tension started to build again…

A lap later, the stadium section got another show. This time, Marquez divebombed it, and the door for the cutback was left a little more open. Bagnaia needed no second invitation, back in the lead, slicing straight through. Three to go. Marquez was forced to regroup, but over the line to start the next lap, Bagnaia had found even more – setting a new best race lap in a brilliant display of controlled aggression under maximum pressure on tyres well past their best.

Both on the absolute limit, the crowd on their feet. Two laps, four-tenths, two riders, one win. Bagnaia was relentless up front. Marquez cut back into the gap, centimetre by centimetre. But the tarmac left to race at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto was disappearing in metres and kilometres, not centimetres, and Bagnaia was holding strong. The final chance for Marquez to create his fairytale was the final corner… but he just wasn’t close enough. Bagnaia made a statement, Marquez also clearly declared he was back in the game…

0.372 is a small margin to be part of such a big statement, but it was a mammoth race win for the reigning Champion after a tougher run – and it brings him to just 17 points off Martin in the Championship. Second overall after his second GP win of the season.

Marquez takes his first dry-weather podium since 2022, but that win will likely be on his mind as the paddock arrives at Mugello. The opposite home turf.

Bezzecchi, meanwhile, was back on the rostrum for the first time since his incredible Indian GP win in 2023, making his own statement after a performance to remember.

Behind, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) took fourth to just deny Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) by the flag, the two with some tenths in hand over Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) took P7 and held off top Aprilia Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing), with COTA winner Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) just tenths off in P9.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) crashed earlier in the race with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR).

Superstar rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) had a mammoth crash in Warm Up, but he regrouped to come home tenth in the race and bag some points.

Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) held off Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) in a near photo finish just behind, with Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the points.

There was drama early on as Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) collided with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), both crashed out early on in the race. Daniel Pedrosa’s Red Bull Factory Racing wildcard came to an early end with a crash too.

After the drama for some, glory for others, and scores to be settled noted down for many on the grid, the record-breaking Spanish GP comes to an end. But that duel, that defeat, and that win will not be forgotten. Next up it’s Le Mans, with another huge crowd assured. And another chance for the world’s most exciting sport to prove that’s far more than a tagline.

Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager

“Pecco’s race was one of the best, I would say the best, I’ve ever seen in MotoGP, and honestly speaking I’ve seen many of them. He overtook two riders under braking on the outside, he reacted in an incredible way to the attacks coming from Marc (Márquez) and managed to put together a superb lap time at the end of the race with the tyres completely worn out. He did everything he could to show once again how much of a great champion he is and that he deserves the two titles he has won so far.”

MotoGP Jerez Race Results

Jerez MotoGP Top Speeds Across Weekend

MotoGP Championship Standings

Moto2

Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) was pre-season favourite for many after his storming end to the 2023 season, and came into the year with a 2025 Ducati contract in his pocket to boot. But the first three Grands Prix were a mixture of bad luck and trouble, a run he put to an end at Jerez on home turf, and in some style. After a stunning duel with Manuel Gonzalez (QJMotor Gresini Moto2) in the early stages, he was able to put the hammer down at the front and take that win. Behind, a charge from Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) saw the American slice up the order to duel Gonzalez over the final laps, coming out on top and those 20 points for second putting him in the Championship lead as the #18 was forced to settle for third.

It’s the first time an American has led a World Championship since Nicky Hayden in 2006, the first time an American has taken three podiums in a row since the very same campaign, and Roberts’ score at the top of the table is 69 points.

Once the lights went out, Gonzalez pounced to steal the lead, setting the fastest lap early on and holding off Aldeguer on the opening lap. Americas GP winner Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) also had a strong start, looking like he’d defend or extend his Championship lead coming into the race.

It was a dramatic start further down the field for Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), however, as he and Zonta Van Den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP) collided.  The Dutchman received a long lap penalty for this, but the 18-year-old Moto2 World Championship rookie Senna Agius unfortunately crashed out of the race.

Senna Agius – DNF

“I went into turn 6 on my normal line and saw that van den Goorbergh had gone very wide and gone off the track. I already had the corner behind me, but suddenly I just saw this other bike in front of me. I think it was reckless of him that he cut back like that. I am very disappointed, but in future, we should be further forward in the field to avoid such critical situations. We need to be better in qualifying, so we don’t get into similar situations on the first laps. That will make life a lot better.”

Back at the front, as the race progressed there were fireworks, with Aldeguer executing a heroic overtake on lap four only to be met with Gonzalez’s response to fight back immediately, kicking off a stunning early race duel. However, once Aldeguer had a clear track in the third sector, the #54 began to build a gap and the Gresini didn’t have an answer.

Roberts was the rider with the pace in the middle stage of the race, stealing the fastest lap after setting a 1:41.020 on lap 10. The American had worked his way up and pulled off an unbelievable move to steal third from Garcia, who had no response as Roberts continued to lap in the low 1:41 bracket.

On the final lap of the race, Aldeguer had even time in hand to celebrate with the crowd throughout the last lap. However, the battle for second continued, with Roberts having arrived at Gonzalez and attacked, then able to just hold on.

Further down the order, Garcia held onto fourth – losing time in the latter stages of the race but staying ahead of Albert Arenas, who capped off a great weekend for the QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 squad in the top five. Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) was sixth, ending the Spanish GP with a solid point-scoring finish after a charge up the order, ahead of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who claimed his best finish of the season so far in seventh. Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team’s Jeremey Alcoba was eighth a further 0.143 after a tense battle against the #14. Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was ninth ahead of Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia), who rounded out the top 10.

Turn 13 claimed a handful of victims in the opening stages of the race, including Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika GAS UP Team), Xavier Artigas (KLINT Forward Factory Team), and Dennis Foggia (Italtrans Racing Team), and Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Jake Dixon (CFMoto Aspar Team) were two high profile additions to the DNF list later in the race, too.

Moto2 Jerez Race Results

Moto2 Jerez Top Speeds Across Weekend

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Huqsvarna Intact GP) is back on the top step! The Dutchman put in a perfect final lap to hold off David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) at the Gran Premio Estrella Galicia 0,0 de España, taking his second Grand Prix win in style. Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) completed the podium on home turf, with a shock early crash – rider ok and remounting – for polesitter David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team).

Muñoz got the start and then banged bars with Alonso, pushing the number 80 down to second. But the Colombian hit back later that on Lap 1 before he and Muñoz started to make a small gap, but the dream was over by the end of the very first. The number 80 slid off at the final corner, rider ok and able to rejoin but the freight train of riders disappearing into the distance. The race was on.

That had left Muñoz in the lead, but Veijer soon attacked and made his way through. Veijer, Muñoz, Ortola, Joel Esteban (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team), Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) and Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) were the leading group of six in the early stages as Dani Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) tried to move his way through the second group on his fight back from P18 on the grid.

On Alonso watch, the fight back was also on. The Colombian was on the move and by eight laps to go was homing in on the points. By five to go, he was well within them in P12, trying to make up the gap to the next group. But it was some distance up the road.

Meanwhile, the fight at the front was now a four-rider group, with Esteban and Kelso fading slightly into their own private duel for fifth. Veijer led Muñoz led Ortola led Yamanaka, before another few laps later it became a trio as Yamanaka also started to lose ground. Three riders, three places on the podium, and one win. It was going to the wire.

Onto the final lap, Veijer led Muñoz, with Ortola at a few bike lengths. The fight for victory seemed set to be a duel. The #64 looming but the Dutchman held strong – and his unbelievable pace through the fast final right handers was enough to avoid getting attacked into the final corner. It all went down to the drag to the line as Muñoz tucked in behind the #95, but Veijer kept the edge to take his second Grand Prix win 0.045. Ortola was forced to settle for third, not quite able to get back in that battle.

Collin Veijer – P1

“It’s a great feeling, I’m really happy. Overall, the race was quite consistent, and our pace was good. It’s a bit of a shame that Alonso crashed because I think we could have had a very nice battle right to the end. But a race is always different. As for my tyres, I was a bit on the limit. Nevertheless, the feeling was good, and I was able to keep the pace. I was expecting a possible attack on the last lap, but I already won here in the JuniorGP, so I tried to do the same way as then and it worked well. There were still wet patches, but I found my way through as I knew where they were. One critical spot was the last corner, especially in the middle of the bend. A big thank you to the whole team for the work they do every time.”

Yamanaka took what became a lonely fourth place to equal his best GP result so far, just like COTA. Kelso came out on top in what became a big group fight just behind, the Australian heading Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), Championship leader Holgado, Nicola Carraro (LEVELUP – MTA and Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) after last corner heartbreak for rookie Esteban as he crashed out unaided.

Jacob Roulstone had suffered two difficult crashes on Saturday, and headed into the race starting from P17. The body felt painful, but the young rookie decided to fight through it on his first Moto3 race in his adoptive country. When the lights went out, he gained two positions, and then progressed to the point-scoring positions two laps later on, to sit behind Taiyo Furusato. The pain appeared manageable as he made a move on the number 72, to progress to P14, and later on he progressed to P12 as he had settled into a decent race pace. However, on lap 12, the Australian rider started to drop positions and go through a loss of rhythm, but he did not give up and progressively made his way back to 13th. The late crash of Esteban offered him the 12th position, a great achievement for Jacob who showed today that he was a fighter! The rookie has scored points every weekend so far.

Jacob Roulstone – P12

“I felt a lot of pain in my body after my two crashes from yesterday, but I decided to push through anyway. We started quite well, but after ten laps the pain in my shoulder and wrist became more intense, and I lost a bit of rhythm. I decided to settle into a pace, got at the back of my group and focused on finishing the race. We scored points, which is very important, so we can be happy today. Thank you to my team for their work!”

Moto3 Jerez Race Results

Moto3 Jerez Top Speeds Across Weekend

Moto3 Championship Standings

2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar (Updated)

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