Martinator reigns supreme; ascends to 2024 MotoGP World Championship throne

Jorge Martin became the first rider from an independent team to win the championship in the modern MotoGP era.

Dream come true: This was Jorge Martin’s maiden MotoGP crown. Defending champion Francesco Bagnaia came second in the standings.  | Photo Credit: Reuters

At the final winners’ ceremony of the 2024 MotoGP season, two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia stood atop the podium — alongside Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin — after winning the Solidarity Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain. The Italian anthem echoed along the main straight as teams and spectators watched the top three riders one last time this year.

But there was a bright, wide smile spread across Martin’s face, despite standing on the third step. Everyone knew what it meant. The Spaniard, who started the race in fourth, had achieved what he had set out to do at the beginning of this season. After 20 thrilling races, Prima Pramac’s Martin was crowned the 2024 MotoGP World Champion, with a 10-point advantage over Bagnaia.

There were joyous celebrations and raw emotions as the 26-year-old crossed the finish line, becoming the first rider from an independent team to win the championship in the modern MotoGP era. [An independent team, like Prima Pramac Racing, partners with a factory, such as Ducati, to use their bikes and technology]. Martin held his nerve when it mattered most, delivering an error-free weekend to secure his maiden crown while denying his rival a third successive one.

Jorge Martin in his Martinator avatar. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

What began as yet another season of ‘The Rematch’ (a term used to describe a high-stakes showdown between two contenders for the championship) kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very end. A battle between Martin and Bagnaia was always on the cards, especially considering how the previous season concluded: Bagnaia clinched his second title with a comfortable 39-point margin over Martin.

However, since the opening round in March, Martin was a man on a mission. He announced his championship challenge with a sprint victory in Qatar, followed by a P3 in the main race. Victory in Portugal in the next round put Martin at the top of the points table, a position he only relinquished to Bagnaia once. This time, Martin ensured he protected his lead by working on the one factor the lack of which he knew had cost him previously — consistency.

His strong suit has always been the shorter sprint races, and he maintained that trend, securing seven wins and 10 podium finishes in 20 races. However, it was his improved GP results that bolstered his campaign. Martin appeared on the Sunday podium 15 times — including three race wins — and maintained a critical nine-race point-scoring streak, consistently finishing in the top three. But Bagnaia never stopped knocking at his door, making use of every opportunity to edge past, or at least attempt to.

Close encounter: The nail-biting contest between Martin (left) and Bagnaia (right) kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very end. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Bagnaia won a stunning 11 of 20 races, including the penultimate round in Malaysia, to keep himself in contention. The 27-year-old had a better start to the weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the stand-in venue for Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo, which was dropped due to catastrophic floods in the region. Martin could only qualify fourth, handing the advantage to pole-sitter Bagnaia, who now had two attempts to cut the 24-point deficit.

During the 12-lap affair, Enea Bastianini, Bagnaia’s teammate, executed a perfectly timed overtake in the final lap to snatch second place from Martin, helping Bagnaia by the barest of margins and keeping his hopes alive. However, the bold move may not have been purely for Bagnaia’s benefit, as Bastianini was also fighting Marquez for third in the championship.

Martin quickly climbed to second and maintained his pace behind the leader but had Bastianini breathing down his neck often. He certainly didn’t anticipate a move of that nature in the final lap, but the Pramac rider chose not to engage and settled for third, aware that a tense showdown was yet to come.

A title that slipped through his fingers in 2023 was finally in his grasp, with Martin giving his team the perfect farewell gift. As he prepares to join Aprilia in 2025, the next conquest awaits — not hunting down his rival but defending his crown. | Photo Credit: AP

When the lights went out on Sunday, Martin once again got a good start and was behind Bagnaia before being passed by Marquez. Ahead of him were Ducati’s new pairing for the 2025 season — a seat Martin had been vying for, which instead went to the 31-year-old Gresini rider. But at that moment, it mattered little. Martin knew he only needed a top-nine finish, and he achieved just that, though six places better.

⁠Turning into the final corner, Martin was overwhelmed with disbelief and ecstasy, finally realising his dream at the culmination of a 10-year journey marred with injuries and setbacks.

A title that slipped through his fingers in 2023 was finally in his grasp, with Martin giving his team the perfect farewell gift. As he prepares to join Aprilia in 2025, the next conquest awaits — not hunting down his rival but defending his crown.