The Beast is back: Bastianini makes it 10 winners in 10 years at MotoGP’s 75th Anniversary race
08 August 2024Amidst the excitement and anticipation of retro liveries and MotoGP’s 75th-anniversary race at Silverstone, the tide was turning in the 2024 title battle. Enea Bastianini – ‘the Beast’ – made his long-anticipated return to the front of the field and with that, stoked the fires of speculation that there could be a bona fide three-way fight for the championship this season.
A statement of intent from Bastianini
For the 75th anniversary celebrations, each of the 11 MotoGP teams produced a nostalgia-inducing modern interpretation of a historic livery, something both fans and riders revelled in. Ducati’s livery harked back to its first in the premier class, one that is synonymous with Loris Capirossi and the manufacturer’s first premier class win at the Catalan Grand Prix in 2003.
Bastianini channelled those same sentiments, reigniting his own competitive edge that seemed to have gone missing since his giant-killing 2022 campaign on the Gresini. Once a force of nature in MotoGP, his astonishing pace had been dormant, and now finally reawakened to disrupt the status quo and challenge the front runners that have gone largely unchallenged for the past two seasons.
Already this season, the Italian rider had seemed much more competitive than the entirety of a disrupted 2023, and an upturn in form since Mugello – including two podiums – had set him on a collision course with the title protagonists. That came to fruition at the British Grand Prix weekend, which he dominated while Francesco Bagnaia faltered and Jorge Martín finished a distant second on both occasions, allowing him to close to within 50 points of the top of the riders’ standings.
Bagnaia shows his weakness
Bastianini’s Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, on the other hand, endured a troubled weekend and a drop in form which, if left unchecked, could destabilise his assault on a third straight title.
Not only did he fall off in the Sprint Race when he attempted to close in on the top two, but he then deployed the ‘play it safe’ strategy in the Grand Prix itself. A calculated Alain Prost-esque approach of risking little and bringing home the points will mean he remains within touching distance of Martín for now, but over the course of the season could see both Martín and Bastianini take advantage.
Márquez off the boil, for now
A considerably lacklustre weekend for Marc Márquez comprised a DNF in the Sprint Race and a fourth place in the Grand Prix. That meant he fell away in the championship hunt, and that could be a sign of things to come in the second half of the season.
Ducati engineers have faced an uphill struggle in getting the GP24 up to speed, and while that hampered performance in the early season, the likes of Márquez on the already-understood GP23 could take advantage.
Now though, they have seemingly got their head around the bike and have better knowledge of what makes a consistently fast set-up. The factory bikes clearly have the upper hand, so win and podium opportunities for Márquez may become even more scarce in the second half of the season.
Homecoming for Jake Dixon
Home hero and MotoGP hopeful Jake Dixon scored what is undoubtedly one of his greatest victories and a highlight of his career at the 2024 British Grand Prix. It was a welcome comeback, too, after his early season was plagued by injury and a long road to recovery.
A timely second place last time out at Sachsenring hinted at a return to form, but the Moto2 race at Silverstone was how he truly announced to the paddock he was once again ready to fight at the front.
A reserved, patient ride showed spectacular judgement and race craft, as Dixon stalked Aron Canet for the entire distance before launching an attack into Abbey on the final tour.
Although a 2025 MotoGP ride seems unlikely at this stage, his performance at Silverstone went a long way to securing his future and brought his name to the attention of premier-class scouts once more.
Moto3 serves up the usual
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Moto3 was at its brilliant best for the 2024 British Grand Prix. A race-long, titanic tussle for supremacy raged between Iván Ortolá, Joel Kelso, Daniel Holgado, David Alonso and Collin Veijer that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
On the final tour, Ortolá, Alonso and Veijer fought it out for honours with the former coming out on top, and although he gained ground on points leader Alonso, his advantage still remains a healthy 53 points.
