Bastianini’s Late Surge Falls Short as Marquez Holds Podium at Thrilling Japan MotoGP

Enea Bastianini arrived "too late" to challenge Marc Marquez for a podium spot in the Japan MotoGP. The Ducati racer fell behind in the initial laps at Motegi, making it difficult to compete with Marquez.

Enea Bastianini remarked that he was "too late" to challenge Marc Marquez for the last spot on the podium at the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix.

On Sunday at the 24-lap grand prix in Motegi, the Ducati factory rider had a rough beginning and fell from his fourth-place starting position to seventh.

On the third lap, Bastianini overtook KTM's Jack Miller. However, it wasn't until the tenth lap that he managed to pass his teammate Brad Binder, despite attempting unsuccessfully on the lap before.

After overtaking Binder, Bastianini found himself 2.5 seconds behind Marquez, who was in third place, but he was unable to surpass the Gresini competitor.

Bastianini expressed his dissatisfaction with his performance at the Japanese Grand Prix.

"I am dissatisfied as I fell behind several positions following Bran's maneuver past me on the initial lap."

"When I got to Turn 11, there was a lot of turbulence. I couldn't brake hard, and Jack passed me."

"Attempting to pass other KTM bikes isn't simple. You require a few laps to do so."

"I eventually understood this goal, but by that time, the distance to Marc was too large to contend for a spot on the podium. Ultimately, I got very near to him, yet not close enough to compete."

Bastianini crossed the finish line 0.536 seconds after Marquez, yet he was actually just 0.036 seconds short of securing a spot on the podium.

On the last lap, Marquez went beyond the allowed boundaries at Turn 4, but the stewards define a tight race as having a difference of 0.5 seconds or less.

As a result, it was determined that Marquez did not benefit from going beyond the track boundaries, allowing him to keep his position on the podium.

Bastianini continues to hold the third spot in the championship standings, but Marquez's two podium finishes at Motegi have brought the eight-time world champion to within two points of the official Ducati racer.

Bastianini mentioned that consistently competing for top positions is significant for him.

"Occasionally, luck plays a role, and on Sunday in Motegi, it wasn't on our side. However, it's something we must acknowledge."

On Sunday, Francesco Bagnaia, who races alongside Bastianini, emerged victorious at the Motegi Grand Prix. This triumph significantly reduced Jorge Martin's lead in the championship standings to a mere 10 points, with only four races left in the 2024 season.

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