San Marino GP: Quartararo Impresses Amid Marquez’s Triumph, Martin Stumbles in Rain-Soaked Thriller

Misano Rider Analysis: Fabio Quartararo Impresses, While Competitor Receives a Disappointing 1/10

Not all racers deserve the accolades reserved for Yamaha's star performer.

Marc Marquez clinched his second straight victory in 2024 by triumphing in a turbulent MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix.

After enduring a 1043-day wait for a victory, the Gresini rider only had to wait an additional five days for his subsequent win, which, interestingly, occurred at the same location as his last triumph before the recent Aragon Grand Prix.

In a competition disrupted by occasional rain showers, Jorge Martin committed a significant strategic mistake, resulting in a 15th place finish and leaving him with a narrow seven-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia in the rankings.

Following a commanding victory in the sprint, Martin swiftly unraveled what could have been one of his most successful weekends of the year.

Here are our evaluations of the riders for the lineup at the 2024 MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix.

Marc Marquez – 8

The Gresini team rider expertly navigated the challenging conditions at the start of the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday. Starting from ninth position, he skillfully advanced to the front of the pack by the eighth lap of the 27-lap race, executing impressive overtaking maneuvers on Brad Binder and Bagnaia at Turns 14 and 15.

From that point on, he managed the race effectively and secured a win over Bagnaia by 3.1 seconds. This victory is arguably one of Marquez’s most impressive and crucial in the championship, as it reduced his deficit to just 53 points. However, he wouldn't have been in contention for the win on Sunday if not for the specific conditions. A crash in Q2 had "ruined" his weekend, relegating him to ninth place and limiting his progress to fifth in the sprint race. Yet, when the opportunity arose, he capitalized on it, ultimately enhancing his championship standing.

Francesco Bagnaia – 8

Once again, Francesco Bagnaia competed in the San Marino Grand Prix without being fully fit. The weekend began positively as he led Friday's practice sessions, even though he was nursing minor injuries from a crash at the Aragon Grand Prix. Bagnaia then went on to claim pole position with a new lap record, while his championship contender, Martin, secured fourth place.

However, he botched his start in the sprint, squandering a crucial win. In the Grand Prix, he had an improved launch and handled the short rain spell better than Martin. Losing to Marquez under those circumstances was nothing to be embarrassed about, and his smart decision-making to finish Misano with two second-place finishes will benefit his championship bid.

Enea Bastianini – 7

This year, the Ducati rider from the sister factory team kept his flawless podium streak at Misano in the MotoGP. However, higher expectations were set for Bastianini. His eighth-place finish in qualifying was a letdown and caused him to miss the podium in the sprint race. In the main race, he improved by climbing to third and briefly challenging the leaders, despite not feeling his best. Nonetheless, Bastianini finished a distant third, hindered by his choice of a soft rear tire, on a day when he had the chance to narrow his 62-point gap to Martin.

Brad Binder – Position 7

The South African rider overcame the setback of not making it to Q2 on Friday by progressing through Q1 in qualifying, ultimately securing the sixth spot on the starting grid. Although finishing seventh in the sprint race was somewhat disappointing, he achieved an impressive fourth place on Sunday, especially considering the difficulties faced by the rest of the KTM team at Misano.

Marco Bezzecchi – Rating: 5

Despite starting from a promising position in qualifying, Bezzecchi underperformed in both races. In the sprint, a problem with the ride height device led to a bad start, but his race ultimately ended due to his own crash.

During the grand prix, he was part of the leading group that bunched together when it began to rain, and finishing in fifth place was a decent recovery. However, being over 10 seconds away from the podium is disappointing considering the strong performance he had shown before the races.

Alex Marquez – 5

Alex Marquez's performance at Misano was rather unremarkable. The high point of his weekend was qualifying in seventh place, ahead of his brother, after advancing from Q1. Unfortunately, he scored no points by finishing 10th in the sprint race, which was a letdown. Additionally, sliding from fourth to sixth place in the main grand prix was somewhat disappointing, especially considering he wasn't feeling completely well.

Fabio Quartararo – 8

Although Yamaha conducted tests at Misano recently, Quartararo believes that these trials did not significantly influence his performance over the weekend, apart from providing a strong beginning to the practice sessions.

A new chassis provided a slight advantage for Quartararo, allowing the French rider to advance to Q2 for the first time since the Assen race. He secured the 10th spot in qualifying, finished ninth in the sprint, and achieved a solid seventh place in the grand prix. Considering the strong performance of his team-mate Alex Rins throughout the weekend, Quartararo's efforts were impressive.

Jack Miller – 6

The KTM rider had one of his more successful weekends of the year, though it didn't stand out much by his usual performance levels. After securing the 12th spot in qualifying, Miller finished eighth in both races. Although he showed some early determination, he gradually lost momentum as each race progressed.

Fabio Di Giannantonio – 4

Despite dealing with a recent shoulder dislocation, which he acknowledged at Misano could easily happen again if he crashes, Di Giannantonio continues to push through. He qualified in 14th place, experienced a fall during the sprint race, and finished ninth in the grand prix, quite a ways behind the leaders. Considering his injury, it's a commendable effort, though it fell short of his full potential.

Pol Espargaro – 6

Pol Espargaro made his third wildcard entry of the year at Misano, but it didn't generate the same excitement as Dani Pedrosa's performance last season. The Spanish rider aimed for a spot in Q2 but ended up finishing in 15th place.

He gained one position in the sprint race, and during the grand prix, he secured a solitary 10th place. However, these results are not particularly significant for Espargaro's role, as his main task was to accumulate more distance on the experimental bike that the factory riders will test on Monday.

Miguel Oliveira – 3

The Misano race weekend didn't go well for any of the Aprilia riders, as the RS-GP bike faced significant and surprising difficulties on the high-grip track. Among them, Oliveira performed the best, advancing from 18th place to finish 11th in the grand prix for Trackhouse.

Johann Zarco – 4

Although Honda conducted tests at Misano not long ago, it did not significantly improve their performance for the San Marino Grand Prix weekend. Zarco remained Honda's standout rider. He qualified in 16th place, finished 13th in the sprint race, and secured 12th in the grand prix. Notably, he was eight seconds ahead of the next-best RC213V rider.

Takaaki Nakagami – 2

If it weren't for HRC test rider Stefan Bradl, Nakagami would have qualified last. He managed to finish 13th in the race, but this was largely due to other riders misjudging the conditions. Although riding a Honda does have its limitations, Nakagami is expected to perform at a higher level.

Stefan Bradl – 3

Similar to Nakagami, HRC test rider Stefan Bradl also took advantage of the misfortunes faced by other riders. However, his primary task was to accumulate mileage on the RC213V before the testing phase. It's noteworthy that he finished the grand prix just seven seconds behind Nakagami, which is commendable.

Jorge Martin – 4

During Friday's practice sessions, Jorge Martin from the Pramac team demonstrated impressive form, positioning himself as a contender for wins in both races. Despite a minor setback in the qualifying round, Martin quickly moved from fourth place to first at the start of the sprint race. His performance in the sprint, where he triumphed over Bagnaia, was a bold display of skill and increased his championship lead to 26 points.

A strong beginning in the Grand Prix placed him in second position by Turn 4. However, a significant mistake of switching to his wet bike too soon spoiled his Sunday performance. He barely managed to hold off Maverick Vinales to secure 15th place. Although he is currently ahead of Bagnaia by seven points, Martin has missed a substantial chance.

Maverick Vinales – 4

Following a disastrous performance at the Aragon Grand Prix, expectations were high for Aprilia at the Misano race. Vinales managed to secure a spot in Q2, making him the sole Aprilia rider in the pole position contest. However, he was only able to achieve 11th place and did not earn any points in either race. His decision to use wet tires seemed logical at the moment, considering the limited opportunities for Aprilia, but it is evident that the team is struggling.

Pedro Acosta – 4

The newcomer from Tech3 appeared impressive during Friday’s practice sessions and seemed capable of competing with the Ducati riders under usual circumstances. However, problems with his KTM limited his performance, resulting in a sixth-place finish in the sprint race despite starting from fifth on the grid.

In the early stages of the Grand Prix, Acosta was competing for a top position when he collided with Morbidelli, causing aerodynamic damage. This incident caused him to veer off track at Turn 13 and crash during the fourth lap. Despite the setback, he managed to get back on his bike and ended up in 17th place after making two stops in the pits. His pace was impressive, but fortune did not favor him.

Raul Fernandez – 2

All Aprilia riders faced challenges at Misano, but Fernandez was particularly inconspicuous. Starting from the back of the RS-GP group in 19th place during qualifying, he finished last among his teammates in 17th place during the sprint and again brought up the rear in 18th place in the main race. He also made a pit stop for a wet-weather bike when he had nothing left to risk. Overall, it was a weekend Fernandez would likely prefer to put behind him.

Alex Rins – 2

Considering his team-mate's success on the M1, Rins’ showing at Misano was extremely underwhelming. Though he demonstrated good speed, starting from a lowly 20th position in qualifying left him stuck in the pack, unable to make any passes during the sprint. He finished 19th on Saturday and repeated the same result on Sunday after having to pit for wet tires.

Aleix Espargaro – 3

The entire weekend posed challenges for the Aprilia team. Espargaro almost made it to Q2 but ended up starting 13th, affecting his race performance. He finished 13th in the sprint race and later had to retire from the Grand Prix after his choice to switch to wet tires backfired.

Augusto Fernandez – 1

Throughout the year, Fernandez has consistently been the lowest performer among the KTM riders. Starting from 16th position in qualifying, the Spanish rider struggled to compete for points in either race. He ended up 16th in the sprint race and failed to finish the main grand prix.

Franco Morbidelli – 6

The Pramac team member experienced one of his strongest weekends of the year on the Ducati, appearing as a serious contender for the first time in years. Securing his first front row start since Spain in 2021, he turned that into his first podium finish since then, achieving third place after holding off Bastianini.

He was competing for a podium position early in the Grand Prix and was even putting pressure on his teammate Martin before he crashed on the seventh lap. Given the challenging conditions, it was an understandable error, which slightly lowers his score in our evaluation. However, he can still feel positive about his overall performance throughout the weekend.

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