Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) excellent 2024 season continued this Sunday with a dominant performance at the Japanese Grand Prix, where the No. 1 scored his eighth victory of the year. Thanks to this show of strength, the reigning World Champion not only reduces the gap between him and Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing) to 10 points, but he also places his name alongside some of the greatest of our sport .
Pecco Bagnaia’s victory at Motegi allows him to join MotoGP™ icons Casey Stoner, Marc Márquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, the only riders to have won at least eight GPs in a single season.
With four rounds remaining, Pecco Bagnaia can further enrich his record and catch up with some MotoGP™ legends. One more victory would allow him to equal Jorge Lorenzo’s nine in 2010, while two more would put him on par with Casey Stoner’s two exceptional campaigns in 2007 and 2011. If he manages to score three victories in the four rounds remaining, he will then rise to the level of his mentor Valentino Rossi, winner 11 times in MotoGP™ in 2002 and 2005, a performance he had already achieved in 500cc in 2001. Currently, the record in MotoGP™ is held by the future teammate of Pecco Bagnaia, Marc Márquez, who won no less than 13 victories in 2014.
This success for Pecco Bagnaia is also the 900th of an Italian in Grand Prix and his 26th personal in the premier category, which makes the No. 1 the 10th most victorious man in history in the elite. Dani Pedrosa and Eddie Lawson, who both have 31 career victories, are the next drivers on the Turinese list.
The importance of Pecco Bagnaia’s achievement is reinforced by Ducati’s remarkable season. This victory in Japan is the 13th in a row for the Bologna balls, making it a new personal best for the Italian factory. The feat is the longest winning streak by a manufacturer in the modern era and equals Honda’s dominance between the 2001 Pacific Grand Prix and the 2002 German Grand Prix.
Ducati are set to add a new Riders World Championship to their growing collection of trophies as Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martín once again battle it out for the title. The next episode of their exciting duel for glory will take place at Phillip Island in Australia from October 18. Don’t miss this meeting!
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