Bagnaia’s Strategic Triumph at Japanese GP Narrows MotoGP Championship Gap: A Comprehensive Rider Rating Analysis

Japanese MotoGP Competitor Evaluations: Impressive Marks for the Unsung Ducati Competitor

Crash.net's assessment of the lineup from the 2024 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix

Francesco Bagnaia achieved a significant back-to-back win at the Japanese Grand Prix, narrowing Jorge Martin's lead in the MotoGP championship standings.

The Ducati team's rider showed speed right from the start on Friday and fulfilled his forecast of being the quickest in terms of race pace during Sunday's 24-lap Grand Prix.

His victory from start to finish comes after his win in the sprint race, which came somewhat fortuitously after Pedro Acosta fell from the leading position. However, Bagnaia seized the opportunity when it mattered and capitalized on an unusual lackluster performance from Martin.

The Pramac team member struggled with his Ducati's performance on Friday, followed by a mishap in the qualifying round that resulted in an 11th place start. Despite these challenges, he made a significant comeback to finish fourth in the sprint race and secured second place in the main grand prix event.

However, he was forced to acknowledge his loss to Bagnaia in Motegi, accepting the 11-point shift in the championship standings that now favored the Italian.

Marc Marquez shrugged off a disappointing lap disqualification that relegated him from first to ninth place in the qualifying round, managing to secure a spot on the podium in both events. Meanwhile, Acosta saw his aspirations for a maiden MotoGP victory vanish twice at Motegi.

Here are the evaluations for all the riders from Crash.net following the 2024 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix.

Francesco Bagnaia – 8.5

After a challenging weekend in Indonesia, the current world champion, Francesco Bagnaia, was in need of a strong comeback in Japan. Bagnaia did just that, securing a second-place start in qualifying and positioning himself perfectly to benefit from Acosta's unfortunate crash during the sprint lead. Given the speed of the Tech3 newcomer before his fall, it appears Bagnaia's best possible outcome for that race was second place. Another fall from Acosta deprived us of the chance to fully assess Bagnaia's competitiveness. Nevertheless, Bagnaia navigated the race that unfolded with exceptional skill on Sunday, maintaining a robust pace against Martin and warding off a late push to clinch his eighth grand prix victory of the year, marking his fourth sprint/GP double.

Jorge Martin faced a significant challenge during the Japanese Grand Prix, following a tough Friday where, despite his speed, he wasn't feeling at ease on the track. An expensive error during qualifying saw him fall to his lowest grid position since Austria the previous year, starting 11th. He managed to climb to fourth in the sprint race, though his performance was somewhat hindered by sporadic rain that necessitated a more careful strategy. In the main race, however, Martin quickly found his form, advancing to second place within the first four laps. He aggressively pursued Bagnaia in the final part of the race but had to dial back his efforts after a close call, ultimately securing 20 points. Starting further up the grid might have improved his chances against Bagnaia, especially since he had to push his rear tyre harder early on to make up for lost positions. Despite seeing his lead in the championship reduced to just 10 points, Martin's ability to consistently perform well keeps him a strong contender for the 2024 championship title.

Marc Marquez – 8.5

During the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, Marc Marquez seemed to revisit the challenges he faced earlier in the season, expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of the Gresini-operated GP23. Despite its shortcomings compared to the newer GP24 model, Marquez managed to set a new lap record and secure pole position in Q2, although his achievement was nullified due to exceeding track limits. This resulted in him starting ninth, yet he impressively climbed to third in both races, showcasing the remarkable skill and determination that have characterized his performances throughout 2024. Remarkably, the next closest GP23 rider finished a full 17 seconds behind, highlighting Marquez's exceptional ability to maximize the potential of the less competitive, older Ducati model.

Enea Bastianini – 8

The anticipated tyre degradation at the Japanese Grand Prix, which was expected to favor Bastianini, didn't quite elevate his performance as anticipated. Despite a strong start qualifying fourth, his progress was hindered significantly by the time it took to pass KTM's Brad Binder during the race, preventing him from contending for the win. This delay also played a part in him narrowly missing out on a third-place finish to Marquez after making a considerable effort in the final stages. Finishing second in the sprint and nearly overtaking a decelerating Bagnaia on the final lap showcased Bastianini's consistent performance from Saturday to Sunday, a trend observed in recent races, and helped him maintain his slight lead over Marquez in the battle for third place in the championship standings.

Franco Morbidelli – 7.5

Morbidelli's showing in Japan fell notably short of the expectations for a GP24 rider this season, a trend that has persisted throughout the year. However, he managed to piece together an impressive weekend for Pramac. Securing sixth place in the qualifiers, he finished the sprint and the grand prix both in fifth place. The main issue, however, was his considerable 13.6-second lag behind the leading group of four. Yet, with the exception of Acosta's recent performances, no one has really managed to contend with that top group effectively. Therefore, it wouldn't be entirely just to assess Morbidelli's performance at the Japanese GP based on this gap alone.

Brad Binder – 7

The rider from South Africa might have scored slightly higher if not for a technical hiccup that interrupted his sprint, preventing him from leveraging a promising fifth-place start to stay in contention for a podium position he had initially fought into. During the grand prix, he couldn't keep up with Acosta, KTM's top performer, in speed, yet he managed to secure a sixth-place finish, doing well under the circumstances, particularly as his rear tyre significantly deteriorated towards the end. It was an improved weekend for Binder, albeit with noticeable areas needing enhancement to match Acosta's pace.

Marco Bezzecchi – Rating: 6

Riding for VR46, Bezzecchi has seen an improvement in his performance during the latter part of the season aboard the GP23, despite not being able to replicate the competitive edge that had him vying for the championship on the GP22. Despite being outperformed in qualifying by his teammate, who wasn't at peak fitness, Bezzecchi didn't earn any points in the sprint race but managed to secure a commendable seventh place in the grand prix.

Fabio Di Giannantonio – 6.5

Despite grappling with an arm injury, Di Giannantonio managed to perform impressively at one of the most challenging tracks, riding the VR46 Ducati team's other bike. He secured a seventh-place start, outpacing his teammate Bezzecchi, and finished sixth in the sprint race. During the main race, he was embroiled in a close contest within the top 10, ultimately finishing eighth, narrowly over a second behind his teammate.

Alex Espargaro – 5

As the MotoGP season progresses into the latter half of 2024, veteran rider Alex Espargaro isn't receiving the farewell from the sport he might have envisioned, due to the ongoing challenges with the Aprilia motorcycle. Struggling with grip issues throughout the event, Espargaro failed to advance beyond Q1 and suffered a crash during the sprint race. Despite these setbacks, he managed to secure a ninth-place finish in the main race, becoming the highest-placed rider on an RS-GP. However, his teammate Maverick Vinales demonstrated glimpses of what the motorcycle is capable of, a level of performance Espargaro has struggled to match.

Jack Miller – Rating: 5.5

During the Japanese Grand Prix, Miller's persistent problems with rear chatter on his KTM were witnessed by all, providing him a sense of justification for the issues he's been vocal about throughout much of 2024. Despite a challenging start, finishing 14th in qualifying, he managed to improve to eighth position in the sprint race. He even broke into the top five early in the main race before slipping back to finish 10th. Compared to his teammates Binder and Acosta, Miller appears to be facing more challenges adapting to the RC16, a fact that was underscored in Japan.

Johann Zarco – 4.5

The weekend proved to be less successful than anticipated for Johann Zarco, the star performer from Indonesia, riding for LCR Honda. Starting in 16th position, and despite being the highest-placed Honda rider, Zarco's performance took a significant hit after an incident where he crashed into his teammate, Takaaki Nakagami, at the second turn during the sprint race, causing Nakagami to fall off his bike. This action led to a deserved penalty for Zarco. In the main race, he was set to finish just behind Fabio Quartararo but ended up in 11th place when Quartararo's Yamaha ran out of fuel on the last corner's exit. Zarco's position as the leading Honda was secured by a narrow margin of only 1.5 seconds.

Fabio Quartararo – 6.5

The race at the Japanese Grand Prix presented significant challenges for Yamaha, particularly due to the M1's struggle with rear traction, which is ill-suited for the sharp corners and straight sections of the Motegi track. Despite introducing a new chassis, Quartararo couldn't overcome the bike's inherent shortcomings. He admirably advanced from Q1, yet the bike's limitations capped his progress to a 12th-place finish. He maintained this position in the sprint race, and during the main race, he was poised to finish 11th until a fuel shortage just after the last turn caused him to lose a spot to Zarco. Despite these hurdles, Quartararo remains significantly ahead of his Yamaha teammate Alex Rins, continuing to extract the best possible outcomes from difficult circumstances.

Takaaki Nakagami – 5.5

In what was his last home race as a regular competitor, Nakagami finished with dignity following a commendable performance throughout the weekend. The Japanese rider barely missed a direct slot in Q2 after practice sessions, and his qualifying efforts saw him unable to secure a spot higher than 21st. Despite an inevitable collision with his teammate during the sprint, Nakagami managed a respectable finish in 13th place, only 1.5 seconds behind the leading Honda rider, Zarco, marking a strong performance for him.

Luca Marini's performance during the weekend on Honda's home ground was modest, as he started the race just behind his team member Joan Mir, securing the 20th position on the starting grid. However, he managed to finish as the highest-ranking Honda rider in the sprint, claiming the 13th spot. Finishing slightly less than two seconds after Nakagami, Marini crossed the finish line of the grand prix in 14th place, demonstrating pace that was quite similar to that of his HRC colleagues. Opting for a more audacious approach by selecting soft tyres over medium ones might have improved his outcome slightly, but overall, it wasn't a disappointing weekend for the Italian racer.

Raul Fernandez, riding for Trackhouse, narrowly missed qualifying for Q2 by a mere 0.117 seconds, resulting in a 13th place start. Despite the challenges with the Aprilia's performance, he managed to climb to 11th in the sprint. However, his overall race outcome was less than satisfactory as he barely secured the last available point by finishing in 15th place. Although Fernandez feels more confident on the RS-GP, his improvement has yet to be reflected in his results, particularly at the Japanese race.

Alex Rins – 4

Rins had an unremarkable showing at Yamaha's home event, trailing significantly behind his teammate Quartararo from start to finish. Starting 19th and ending 16th in each race, he was over eight seconds behind Quartararo at the finish line, a difficult outcome for Rins, especially after initially feeling more comfortable with the M1's rear grip. Unfortunately, this progress was negated when his medium Michelin tires lost their effectiveness.

Remy Gardner took over the Yamaha wildcard position originally meant for test rider Cal Crutchlow, who was sidelined due to persistent injuries. Despite qualifying and finishing last in both events, expectations for the Australian were low given his limited experience on the bike after a hectic schedule in the World Superbike series.

Pedro Acosta – 6

Following the Indonesian Grand Prix, Acosta demonstrated that his assertions of nearing his first MotoGP victory were not unfounded. He emerged as a significant contender from the beginning of the event, showcasing impressive pace during longer runs. Despite the fortuitous circumstances surrounding his first pole position in the class, due to the last-minute disqualification of Marc Marquez’s lap, Acosta fully deserved the accolade. He was on the verge of securing his initial sprint victory before an unfortunate crash on the ninth lap out of 12 thwarted his efforts. A similar error occurred during the early stages of the grand prix while he was in the second position, leading to a visibly disheartened Acosta. It's important to remember that such setbacks are part of the learning curve for a newcomer to the series. However, in three out of the last four grand prix events, Acosta has seen potential successes slip through his fingers due to mistakes. While he is still adapting, it's crucial for him to minimize these errors going forward.

Maverick Vinales – 5.5

Vinales has been vocal for several races about the untapped potential within the RS-GP setup, believing that with a few adjustments, better outcomes are just around the corner. His performance in Japan was commendable, securing a third-place start. However, his inability to deactivate his bike's front start mechanism played a role in his fall to ninth position in the sprint race. Another sluggish start in the main race caused him to drop back once more, and by the time he crashed on the 12th lap, he was already outside the top 10. While Vinales showed speed, his lack of consistency was evident, a recurring issue in his performances.

Augusto Fernandez and his Tech3 crew implemented significant modifications to his KTM during the Japanese race, aiming to recapture some of the performance he felt was lacking in 2024. Despite these adjustments, the improvements have yet to significantly impact his outcomes, as he finished 15th in the sprint race and did not finish the main event due to a crash.

Lorenzo Savadori – 3.5

Serving as Aprilia's test rider, Savadori isn't stepping in for Miguel Oliveira at Trackhouse with the expectation of achieving top finishes. His stint on the motorcycle provides a chance for the Noale-based manufacturer to conduct on-track testing. Savadori outperformed fellow test rider Gardner in a quick race, but a mechanical problem led to his withdrawal from the main event.

Alex Marquez – 2

Throughout the Japan weekend, Alex Marquez displayed consistent pace, securing a 10th place in qualifying and a seventh-place finish in the sprint for the Gresini team. However, his impetuous collision with Joan Mir on the first lap of the race has led to him receiving the lowest rating for this weekend.

Joan Mir's choice to extend his contract with Honda for another two years is perplexing, especially following a weekend in Japan that saw him fail to finish twice, marking the second consecutive event with such outcomes. Although the crash on Sunday wasn't his doing, and he deserves recognition for almost securing the best qualifying position among Honda riders, Mir is aware that being sidelined in the gravel does little to aid in the development of the RC213V.

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