Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez put in a dominant performance to win the Aragon Grand Prix on Sunday, ending a 1043-day victory drought.
The Gresini Ducati rider led from start to finish once more, having already taken pole position and won the sprint at Motorland Aragon in one of the most one-sided performances seen from any rider during 2024.
The Catalan was unchallenged in his flight to a 60th victory in the premier class and his first since standing on top of the rostrum as a Honda rider at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
It was an emotional win for the Spanish rider who danced in front of the packed grandstands in celebration after such an incredible weekend, marking an astonishing comeback.
Marquez has battled back from double-vision, four arm operations and a number of crashes – including a highside in Indonesia in 2022.
He said: “What was amazing race to win in front of these amazing, amazing fans.
“Today was a super difficult race, especially because when you have the pace, then with the gap, it was difficult to focus on the on the riding, especially the last laps, but I was able to manage the gap.
“I had something more there on the pocket, just in case, as we saw in the middle of the race. But yeah, happy.”
Jorge Martin was a distant second for the second time this weekend. The Spaniard was almost five seconds behind his countryman but was clearly ‘best of the rest’.
Martin now has a 23-point cushion after world champion Francesco Bagnaia collided with the other Gresini of Alex Marquez while trying to seize third place with six laps remaining.
At the start, Bagnaia suffered wheelspin again on the grid and the dirtier side of the MotorLand asphalt. The surface had been cleaned on Saturday evening but more thunderstorms and rain created wet and slick conditions on Sunday morning.
Thankfully, sunshine and high temperatures ensured the race was dry, but the asphalt was still greasy off line. After dropping places at the start to drop to seventh, he moved up to fourth and closed a two second gap to the back of Alex Marquez, who misjudged his braking into Turn 12 and Bagnaia swooped for the gap.
The factory Ducati rider was ahead as they flicked into Turn 13 and made contact, sending both riders into the gravel.
Bagnaia required a check in the medical centre but was later given the all-clear. It was the defending world champion’s second DNF of the season and ended a run of eight consecutive podiums.
Pedro Acosta, starting from second on the grid, took third place and his first trophy since the Americas Grand Prix in April. The Tech3 rookie was narrowly ahead of factory KTM rider Brad Binder in fourth, as Enea Bastianini rode to fifth in front of three other riders on Ducati machinery: Franco Morbidelli (Pramac), Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi (both VR46).
Alex Rins’ ninth position was the Spaniard’s highest classification of 2024 on the Yamaha M1 and he was only half a second ahead of KTM’s Jack Miller, but the latter remains under investigation for a possible breach of tyre pressure rules.
Aleix Espargaro was the first Aprilia rider home in 11th while team-mate Maverick Vinales lacked any feeling or grip whatsoever in a repeat of his malaise from the Saturday sprint. He retired after five laps.
Takaaki Nakagami’s 12th was another season best: the Japanese also the first Honda rider past the flag in Aragon.
Fabio Quartararo had another miserable race and crashed his Yamaha M1 for the second time in three days and by losing control into Turn 5 – the same site as his accident on Friday.
