Thrilling Comeback and Aprilia’s Rising Stars: 2024 Australian MotoGP Rider Ratings Revealed

2024 MotoGP Australia: Rider Performance Evaluation – Aprilia's Standout Performers

Crash.net evaluates the riders' performances at the 2024 Australian MotoGP.

The Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island lived up to its reputation for excitement, with Marc Marquez triumphing over Jorge Martin in a thrilling showdown during the final moments.

After experiencing a challenging beginning because a discarded visor tear-off became lodged under his back wheel, Gresini racer Marquez managed to perform exceptionally well, battling his way back to become a contender for the win.

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In a fierce contest with Martin, neither competitor held back, but in the end, the leader of the championship had to accept defeat.

Martin has made progress in the championship standings, as his competitor for the title, Francesco Bagnaia, had a challenging weekend. This has resulted in the difference between them increasing to 20 points, with only three rounds remaining.

As usual, there were impressive performances from those not in the lead, while some others did not meet expectations.

We evaluate the performances of each racer at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.

Marc Marquez – 9.5

During qualifying, Marquez, riding for the Gresini team, was outperformed by Martin. A mistake at Turn 1 in the sprint race cost him the opportunity to compete for the win. Despite a poor start in the grand prix due to his own visor tear-off causing an issue, Marquez quickly recovered from 13th place to sixth. He then engaged in a battle and ultimately defeated Martin to secure victory, showcasing classic Marquez skills. Considering the disadvantage of the GP23 following his engine failure in Indonesia compared to the GP24, his triumph in Australia 2024 is arguably his finest MotoGP victory to date. His exceptional performance on Sunday significantly boosted his ratings score.

Jorge Martin – 9

Jorge Martin was very close to achieving a flawless weekend at Phillip Island. He secured pole position with an impressive margin of almost six-tenths and dominated the sprint race. However, he faced challenges with traction during the grand prix, which prevented him from repeating his earlier success. Despite this, Martin demonstrated his determination when Marquez overtook him for the first time, making it clear he wouldn't settle for second place easily. Additionally, his ability to handle the pressure of nearly missing Q2 on Friday following an early crash highlighted his resilience, which is now evident in his 20-point lead in the championship standings.

Francesco Bagnaia – 8

Phillip Island didn't quite favor Bagnaia this time around. His weekend began sluggishly on Friday, and by Saturday, he could only secure a fifth-place start in qualifying. The sprint race saw him finish fourth, hindered by a setup adjustment that backfired. Although there were improvements for Sunday, they were insufficient to aim for anything beyond a third-place finish. At one point, Bagnaia briefly led the race after Martin made an error halfway through the grand prix, but ongoing issues with his bike's turning left him trailing 9.1 seconds behind the championship frontrunner. Despite managing to minimize the setback, it was crucial for him, but Martin has once again gained an advantage.

Fabio Di Giannantonio – 7.5

It has been confirmed that the VR46 rider will not complete the 2024 season, as he is scheduled for shoulder surgery after the Thailand GP next week, following an injury sustained in Austria. Although he only managed a twelfth place in qualifying, his performance in the sprint was commendable, securing fifth place before it was revoked due to a tyre pressure violation. Despite this setback, he put on a spirited display to finish fourth in the main race. While Marc Marquez continues to dominate on the GP23, Di Giannantonio has consistently impressed throughout this year.

Enea Bastianini – 7

During the sprint race, Bastianini, representing the factory Ducati team, showcased his skills by climbing from 10th to finish third, suggesting he could be influential in a grand prix focused on conserving tires. However, that scenario did not unfold as expected. Bastianini found himself in fifth place, struggling due to insufficient grip from his hard front tire. This issue wasn't due to his own fault, and finishing fifth wasn't a poor outcome. Nevertheless, over the course of the weekend, he couldn't quite match Marquez, who gained the upper hand in their contest for the third position.

Franco Morbidelli – 6.5

Morbidelli is still performing below the expectations for a GP24 rider, yet he remains reliably steady. He secured the seventh position on the starting grid and managed to break into the top five during the sprint, ultimately achieving a respectable sixth place in the grand prix.

Brad Binder – 6.5

Brad Binder was the standout performer for KTM during a challenging weekend at the Australian Grand Prix for the Austrian team. He was the sole KTM rider to make it into Q2, but unfortunately, he was unable to capitalize on this in the sprint race, crashing out early. However, he managed to slightly improve his performance in the main race, finishing in seventh place as the highest non-Ducati rider amidst Ducati's historic top six sweep in MotoGP.

Maverick Vinales – 4

The Aprilia rider demonstrated impressive speed during the qualifying sessions but struggled to maintain that performance during the races. Although he was not at fault for the crash that ended his sprint race, his behavior in the gravel, particularly when Marco Bezzecchi was injured, was not up to the professional standards expected of a MotoGP competitor. In the grand prix, Vinales fell back to finish in a distant eighth place but did not attribute this to any physical issues. While the RS-GP still lacks competitive speed during races, Vinales is also failing to capitalize on his advantageous starting positions.

Fabio Quartararo – 6.5

Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 world champion, was soundly outperformed by his Yamaha teammate during the qualifying rounds. Alex Rins secured a direct entry into Q2 and started from ninth position on the grid. Quartararo faced a challenging task as he began the race from the seventh row, but he impressively overtook Rins in the sprint. Despite facing issues with his M1 bike's ability to heat up the tires, Quartararo achieved an impressive ninth-place finish in the grand prix.

Raul Fernandez – 7

Rider from Trackhouse, Raul Fernandez, had a solid weekend at Phillip Island. He managed to secure the sixth spot on the grid with his RS-GP and maintained that position in the sprint race. Although he couldn't replicate this performance in the grand prix, finishing in the top 10 was a decent outcome. Notably, Fernandez reached this result with his RS-GP bike without wings, as he chose to remove them.

Jack Miller – 6

Miller's return to his home track did not match the overwhelming support he got from the crowd at Phillip Island over the weekend. However, much of his challenging weekend was not entirely his fault. A collision with a rabbit during qualifying caused damage to his bike, preventing him from improving beyond 16th place. Despite a seagull collision creating a "gaping hole" in his bike's fairing, he was the leading KTM in eighth place and was in position to earn sprint points before crashing. On Sunday, he showed similar speed, but an incident with Alex Marquez on the first lap caused both riders to drop down the rankings. Ultimately, Miller managed to finish in eleventh place.

Johann Zarco – 4

On Friday, the LCR Honda rider seemed poised for a strong performance over the weekend but was knocked out of the Q2 spots. This setback affected his weekend, as he ended up qualifying in 14th place. Although he crashed out of the sprint race, he still emerged as the leading Honda rider in the grand prix, finishing in 12th position.

Alex Rins – 5

Kicking off the weekend in Australia, Rins was the top performer among Yamaha riders, with his efforts in qualifying earning significant praise. However, during the sprint race, he struggled to overcome the M1's shortcomings and finished in 12th place, trailing behind his teammate Quartararo. In the main race, Rins crossed the finish line in 13th, more than three seconds adrift.

Luca Marini – 5

The official Honda rider momentarily secured a top 10 position during practice, which could have significantly improved his weekend. However, he did not advance past Q1. Finishing tenth in the sprint was commendable, particularly since he was just a fraction of a second away from earning a point. The main race was less remarkable, but Marini still managed to collect points by finishing 14th.

Alex Marquez – 3

The Gresini team's second rider, Alex Marquez, had a rather low-profile performance at Phillip Island. He managed to secure a respectable eighth place in qualifying, but unfortunately crashed during the sprint. In the main race, an early incident with Jack Miller caused both riders to drop in the rankings. Additionally, a long lap penalty due to a collision with Joan Mir in Japan resulted in Marquez finishing in 15th place.

Aleix Espargaro received a rating of 3.5. Throughout the Australian Grand Prix weekend, Espargaro did not demonstrate any competitive edge. He had a slow start on Friday, which resulted in him being placed in Q1 and ultimately securing only the 20th position on the starting grid. Although a sprint filled with crashes allowed him to finish in eighth place, he was unable to earn any points in the main race because his bike was damaged following a collision with Miller on the first lap. Espargaro ended the race in 16th place, far from the leaders.

Augusto Fernandez – 3

Fernandez qualified as the lowest KTM rider, landing in 17th place. However, the disorder during the sprint race allowed him to secure a point by finishing ninth, marking his first Saturday points since the race in Jerez. During the grand prix, an issue with rear grip affected his performance, resulting in a 17th-place finish and leaving him without points.

Takaaki Nakagami received a rating of 2.5. The LCR team rider faced repercussions after disregarding a black and orange flag during practice, resulting in a penalty that dropped him three places on the starting grid. Consequently, he began the race at the back of the pack. He managed to secure 14th place in the sprint race, but only finished 18th in the main grand prix. Although he was close to securing 18th, his highest potential finish would have still seen him leave Phillip Island without scoring any points, placing 16th.

Marco Bezzecchi – 2

The VR46 team rider showcased strong skills during qualifying, securing the fourth position on the starting grid. However, he managed to negate his efforts during the actual races. In the sprint race, he had a frightening collision with Vinales, resulting in a long lap penalty for the main race. He was in second place when he served this penalty but then crashed on the following lap. After getting back on his bike, he ended the race in 19th place. Although the race officials acknowledged that aerodynamic turbulence played a role in his sprint race crash, the data confirmed that he applied the brakes later than usual.

Title: Joan Mir – 2

The struggles of the 2020 world champion persisted in the 2024 season during the Australian race. Starting from 18th position as the second-to-last Honda on the grid, Mir managed to improve to 13th place in the sprint race. However, his main race was marred by a crash, which was seemingly caused by a faulty rear tire. Throughout the weekend, his teammate, Marini, outperformed him consistently.

Pedro Acosta – 3.5

During his debut season, Pedro Acosta faced a significant setback at Phillip Island. After a crash during Friday's practice, he was relegated to Q1, and unfortunately, the Tech3 rider couldn't advance beyond that session. Starting from 15th on the grid, Acosta struggled to gain positions and eventually suffered a highside during the sprint race. Although he avoided breaking any bones, he hurt his shoulder badly enough to sit out the grand prix. This mishap came at a time when his recent performances suggested he could be a contender for victory, highlighting that Acosta is still prone to errors.

Lorenzo Savadori – 1

Filling in for Trackhouse, Savadori would have started at the back of the grid if it weren't for Nakagami receiving a three-place penalty. He finished at the bottom among those who completed the race. Unfortunately, he got caught in the incident between Vinales and Bezzecchi, where stray debris hit him. This injury eventually led to his premature withdrawal from the grand prix.

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