Marquez’s Masterclass and Aprilia’s Mixed Fortunes: Unveiling the 2024 MotoGP Australian GP Rider Ratings

2024 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix: Aprilia Riders Impress

Crash.net evaluates the competitors' performances in the 2024 Australian MotoGP event

The Australian MotoGP Grand Prix at Phillip Island was a spectacle of excitement, showcasing Marc Marquez's victory over Jorge Martin in a gripping battle towards the end.

Bouncing back from an unfortunate beginning caused by a thrown away visor tear-off jamming under his rear wheel, Gresini team's Marquez showcased an exceptional performance, battling his way to the front and putting himself in a position to win.

Sign up for our MotoGP Newsletter

Stay updated with the newest MotoGP updates, special content, one-on-one conversations, and exclusive deals straight from the track to your email.

For additional details, please refer to our Privacy Policy

In a fierce duel, Martin showed no mercy, but in the end, the frontrunner in the championship had to accept defeat.

Martin has extended his lead in the championship, due to a poor weekend for his closest competitor, Francesco Bagnaia, widening the difference to 20 points with just three rounds remaining.

As usual, noteworthy efforts were seen lower in the rankings, along with some that fell short of expectations.

We evaluate the performance of every participant during the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.

Marc Marquez – 9.5

Riding for Gresini, Marquez found himself overshadowed by Martin during the qualifying rounds. His early error in the sprint race at Turn 1 cost him a shot at the win. However, his fortunes took a turn for the worse at the start of the grand prix, where a visor tear-off he had discarded resulted in a poor start, dropping him to 13th. Yet, Marquez demonstrated his exceptional talent by quickly climbing back to sixth and eventually overtaking Martin to claim victory. This remarkable comeback, especially considering his disadvantage with the GP23 bike post his engine mishap in Indonesia compared to the GP24, solidifies the Australian 2024 victory as possibly his greatest in MotoGP. It's primarily his extraordinary Sunday performance that has significantly elevated our rating for him.

Jorge Martin – 9

Martin was tantalizingly close to securing a flawless weekend at Phillip Island, starting from pole position with a substantial lead of nearly six tenths and leading the pack in the sprint. However, during the grand prix, he found it challenging to maintain the same level of performance due to traction issues, which were more pronounced than on Saturday. Despite this, Martin's aggressive response to Marquez's first overtaking maneuver indicated his refusal to easily settle for second place. Moreover, his ability to overcome the challenge of potentially not making it to Q2 on Friday following an early accident demonstrates his resilience. This quality is clearly mirrored in his current 20-point lead in the championship standings.

Francesco Bagnaia – 8

Bagnaia faced challenges throughout the Phillip Island weekend, kicking off with a sluggish start on Friday. Despite his efforts, he only managed fifth place in Saturday's qualifying, followed by a fourth-place finish in the sprint race due to an unsuccessful setup adjustment. Although there was slight improvement on Sunday, securing a podium finish beyond third place was never a viable option. After momentarily taking the lead due to a mistake from Martin mid-race, Bagnaia struggled with his bike's maneuverability, finishing 9.1 seconds behind the lead, further widening the gap in the championship standings. While he managed to minimize the losses, it was a weekend that allowed Martin to extend his lead.

Fabio Di Giannantonio – 7.5

The future holds a change for the VR46 team's racer, as Di Giannantonio is scheduled for surgery after the upcoming Thailand GP due to a shoulder injury he sustained in Austria, marking an early end to his 2024 season. His twelfth-place position in the qualifiers might not have been remarkable, yet his initial fifth place in the sprint, which was later revoked due to a tyre pressure issue, alongside a strong showing with a fourth-place finish in the main race, demonstrated his resilience. While Marc Marquez is dominating the field with the GP23, Di Giannantonio's performances throughout the season have consistently caught the eye.

Enea Bastianini – 7

Starting from 10th position, the official Ducati competitor showcased a remarkable performance by advancing to third place in the sprint race, positioning himself as a significant contender in a race anticipated to revolve around tyre management. However, the expected challenge did not come to pass, with Bastianini falling back to fifth place due to inadequate support from his hard front tyre. Although the issue wasn't directly his fault, securing fifth place wasn't disappointing. Nevertheless, throughout the event, he couldn't match Marquez's performance, as the Spanish rider gained the upper hand in their contest for third place.

Franco Morbidelli – 6.5

Morbidelli's performance remains below the expected level for a GP24 competitor, yet the Pramac team member maintains a steady performance. Achieving a seventh-place start, Morbidelli managed to finish within the top five during the sprint, ultimately securing a respectable sixth-place finish in the grand prix.

Brad Binder – 6.5

Binder stood out for KTM during an underwhelming Australian Grand Prix weekend for the brand. He was the sole KTM rider to make it into Q2, although he didn't capitalize on this opportunity due to a crash in the sprint race. He showed some improvement in the main race, finishing seventh and becoming the highest-placed rider not on a Ducati, in a race where the Italian team secured the top six positions for the first time in MotoGP history.

Maverick Vinales – 4

Aprilia's Vinales showed impressive speed during qualifying but struggled to maintain his momentum in the races. An incident in the sprint race, though not his fault, saw him involved in a clash that took him out, and his reaction in the aftermath, particularly towards an injured Marco Bezzecchi, was not reflective of the professionalism expected from a MotoGP competitor. In the grand prix, he finished a disappointing eighth, not attributing his performance to any physical ailment. While the RS-GP bike seems to lack pace during races, Vinales himself has not been able to capitalize on his favorable starting positions.

Fabio Quartararo – Rating: 6.5

The titleholder of the 2021 championship faced a notable defeat in the qualifying round by his Yamaha counterpart, with Alex Rins securing a direct entry into Q2 and clinching the ninth position for the start. Starting from the seventh row, Quartararo had a challenging task ahead of him, yet he surpassed Rins in the sprint and impressively finished ninth in the grand prix, despite the challenges posed by the M1's struggles in warming up the tyres.

Raul Fernandez – Rating: 7

Competing for Trackhouse, Fernandez had a solid performance throughout the weekend at Phillip Island, securing a sixth-place start in the grid and maintaining that position in the sprint race. Although he didn't manage to replicate this performance in the grand prix, finishing within the top 10 was a decent outcome for his endeavors. Notably, Fernandez accomplished this feat on an RS-GP that had its wings removed, a choice he made for his motorcycle.

Jack Miller – 6

Miller's much-anticipated return did not meet the high expectations set by the overwhelming support at Phillip Island this past weekend. However, his challenging weekend can't solely be attributed to his performance. During qualifying, an unexpected collision with a rabbit compromised his motorcycle, preventing any advancement from 16th place. Despite this setback, Miller showcased resilience by competing for sprint points and leading as the foremost KTM rider in eighth place, even after a seagull collision caused significant damage to his bike's fairing. However, a subsequent crash dashed his hopes. His performance on Sunday could have mirrored this determination, but an early incident involving Alex Marquez on the first lap drastically affected their positions. Ultimately, Miller managed to secure eleventh place due to these circumstances.

Johann Zarco – 4

Initially, it appeared that the LCR Honda competitor was set for a promising weekend on Friday until he missed out on qualifying for Q2. This setback marked the beginning of a disappointing weekend, as he secured the 14th position in the qualifiers. Despite a fall in the sprint race, he managed to finish as the highest-placed Honda rider in the grand prix, securing 12th place.

Alex Rins – 5

Starting the weekend in Australia as the top Yamaha competitor, Rins showcased commendable qualifying skills. Despite his efforts, he struggled to overcome the M1's shortcomings during the sprint, finishing behind his teammate Quartararo in 12th place, and lagged by more than three seconds, securing 13th position in the grand prix.

Luca Marini – 5

Riding for factory Honda, Marini momentarily seized a spot in the top 10 during practice, a position that could have significantly altered his weekend's trajectory. Unfortunately, he did not advance past Q1. Securing a tenth-place finish in the sprint race was a highlight, especially since he narrowly missed scoring an additional point by just a fraction of a second. His performance in the main grand prix was less notable, yet Marini managed to finish in 14th place, earning some points.

Alex Marquez – 3

Among the Gresini team members, Alex Marquez had a rather unremarkable showing at Phillip Island. His qualifying position was decent, landing in eighth place, yet he didn't finish the sprint due to a crash. During the main event, an initial clash with Jack Miller caused both riders to lose positions. Additionally, a penalty from a previous incident with Joan Mir in Japan relegated him to a 15th place finish.

Aleix Espargaro – Rating: 3.5

Throughout the entire weekend of the Australian Grand Prix, Espargaro's performance was far from competitive. He had a slow beginning on Friday, which resulted in him having to participate in Q1, and he was only able to secure the 20th position on the starting grid. He managed to finish eighth in a crash-filled sprint race, but he didn't earn any points in the main race due to his motorcycle being damaged after an early collision with Miller. Ultimately, he crossed the finish line in a far-off 16th place.

Augusto Fernandez – 3

In the qualifying round, Fernandez found himself at the back of the pack among KTM competitors, securing the 17th spot. However, the tumultuous nature of the sprint race allowed him to climb up to ninth, marking his first point on a Saturday since the Jerez race. During the grand prix, he struggled with an inconsistency in rear tire grip, which hindered his performance, leaving him to finish outside of the points in 17th place.

Takaaki Nakagami – 2.5

Riding for LCR, Nakagami faced setbacks after disregarding a black and orange flag in practice, resulting in a three-spot grid penalty which relegated him to the back of the pack. He managed only a 14th-place finish in the sprint race and fell further to 18th in the main grand prix. Though his 18th place was a close call, the highest position he could realistically aim for at Phillip Island was 16th, which still would not have earned him any points.

Marco Bezzecchi – 2

Competing under the VR46 banner, Bezzecchi showcased impressive skills during the qualifiers, securing the fourth position at the start. However, his efforts were overshadowed by his actions in the races. A frightening incident involving Vinales during the sprint led to Bezzecchi receiving a long lap penalty in the grand prix, which he served while in second place, only to fall a lap afterward. He managed to get back on track and ended up in 19th place. Although race officials acknowledged that aerodynamic disturbances played a role in his sprint accident, analysis of the data indicated he applied the brakes too late.

Joan Mir's Struggles Persist into 2024

The reigning champion from 2020 faced more challenges at the Australian race. Ranking as the second to last Honda rider in 18th position on the starting grid, he managed to climb to 13th in the sprint race. However, a suspected faulty rear tire caused him to crash during the main race. Throughout the weekend, his teammate Marini consistently outperformed him.

Pedro Acosta – Rating: 3.5

Acosta's debut season hit a significant snag at Phillip Island, with a crash during Friday's practice pushing him into Q1, a session from which he failed to advance. Starting from 15th position, he struggled to climb the ranks before being thrown off his bike in a highside crash during the sprint. While he fortunately didn't suffer any fractures, his shoulder injury was severe enough to sideline him for the grand prix. This mishap came at a time when his increasing pace in previous races hinted at potential wins, yet Acosta's season continues to be marred by frequent errors.

Lorenzo Savadori – 1

Filling in at Trackhouse, Savadori would have started at the back of the pack if not for Nakagami's three-spot grid penalty. He finished as the last of the riders who were classified, but unfortunately found himself involved in an incident with Vinales and Bezzecchi, where he was hit by flying debris. This misfortune led to an injury that caused him to withdraw prematurely from the race.

Discover More

Sign up for our MotoGP Newsletter

Stay updated with the newest MotoGP developments, behind-the-scenes exclusives, in-depth interviews, and special offers delivered straight to your email.

For additional details, please consult our Privacy Policy.

Recent Updates

Further Updates

Site Index

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 by the Crash Media Group

Copying or replicating the content, images, or drawings either fully or partially is strictly prohibited in any manner.