Enea Bastianini claimed victory after a dramatic last-lap overtake at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Nicknamed "The Beast," Bastianini showcased a fast pace throughout the race and delivered a historic win for Ducati. The Italian factory also celebrated a milestone by securing their 100th premier-class victory and clinching the Constructors' World Championship.

Jorge Martin made a perfect start, leading into Turn 1 before Francesco Bagnaia overtook him on the opening lap. As the race settled, Bastianini maintained third, staying close to the race leaders. On Lap 2, Brad Binder crashed at Turn 4 but managed to rejoin the race in 21st place. Bagnaia, meanwhile, made a slight mistake, allowing Martin to close in. Martin’s first attempt at an overtake came at Turn 8 but wasn’t successful. However, he reclaimed the lead on Lap 4. Bastianini quickly followed with a maneuver of his own, passing his teammate to move into second.

In the early stages, the fastest lap was exchanged between riders, with Pedro Acosta showing impressive speed before Martin dipped into the low 1:31 range. Acosta’s race came to an early end as he crashed at Turn 15 with 19 laps to go, promoting Marc Marquez to fourth and Marco Bezzecchi to fifth. Bagnaia, trying to close the gap to the leaders, set the fastest lap of the race, but disaster struck when he made a mistake on Lap 21 and crashed at Turn 8, handing Martin an even bigger lead in the championship.

The fight for victory intensified in the closing stages, with Bastianini closing in on Martin. On the final lap, Bastianini made a decisive move at Turn 4, forcing Martin wide and taking the lead. He crossed the finish line 5.002 seconds ahead of Martin, who finished second. Marc Marquez completed the podium, capping off a strong weekend.

Bezzecchi finished fourth after a solid race, being the only rider to choose a soft rear tire, while Franco Morbidelli rounded out the top five after battling up from P10. Maverick Viñales ended the race sixth, finishing as the top rider from Aprilia.

Fabio Quartararo continued his strong performance throughout the weekend with a seventh-place finish, staying within the top 10 throughout. Aleix Espargaro took eighth place, followed by Alex Marquez in ninth and Miguel Oliveira closing out the top 10.

Bastianini’s victory came after a tense battle with Jorge Martin, who extended his Championship lead to 24 points, while Francesco Bagnaia failed to finish. Martin, who took second, now holds a stronger advantage in the title fight. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez earned the final spot on the podium and moved up to fourth in the Championship standings.

The action-packed weekend was filled with twists and turns. The championship now heads to the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia. Don’t miss next weekend’s action-packed Grand Prix, as Jorge Martin looks to further extend his Championship lead.

2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix