Enea Bastianini is keeping his hopes alive for a late charge at the 2024 MotoGP riders’ title after securing a controversial victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, placing him right in the thick of the championship battle.

The Italian rider celebrated his seventh full-length MotoGP win as he overcame a heated final lap showdown with Jorge Martin to clinch his first victory on home soil.

This triumph marks his third win of the year for the Ducati team, including a sprint race victory at Silverstone. It solidifies an impressive streak, with Bastianini achieving six podiums in just eight races.

Having now moved ahead of Marc Marquez in the championship standings, Bastianini is eyeing the bigger prize as the championship heats up, even though he faces a daunting 59-point gap to current leader Martin.

“It’s clear I need to attack and win multiple races if I want to contend for the championship,” Bastianini stated ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix. After taking a cautious approach in the first half of the season due to a challenging injury in 2023, Bastianini feels optimistic about his ability to compete with Martin and his teammate Francesco Bagnaia in the upcoming races.

“I focused on consistency and scoring solid points while minimizing risks to build a good rapport with the team and adapt to the new bike,” he explained.

“But now things have shifted; it's time to push hard and gather as many points as I can.”