MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

Even though I haven't traveled to all of them, covering 20 rounds of MotoGP is taking its toll. On the last day of the 2024 MotoGP season, I have developed a very nasty head cold. The type that makes writing a thoughtful couple of thousand words reviewing the race on Sunday nigh on impossible. Hopefully an early night will fix this, and I can write tomorrow.

A few thoughts to close. As Dennis Noyes pointed out on Twitter, normally, a circuit has a team of people working for months to put a grand prix weekend together. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, together with Dorna, IRTA and the FIM managed to put on an incredibly successful grand prix to replace the round at Valencia canceled due to the flooding. I don't think anyone outside of grand prix racing, or even very many inside MotoGP, quite understand the scale of the work done. Over 62,000 fans turned up on Sunday for the spectacle, and the money raised will go toward relief funds for Valencia. If you want to make a contribution, you can bid on an incredible range of unique items from the grand prix paddock.

The final race was a reflection of the entire season. Pecco Bagnaia rode a flawless race, exceeding expectations, leaving everyone panting in his wake. Marc Marquez followed, but could not get close enough to launch an attack. The best rider on the day won the race. Bagnaia now has a unique and bitter record, of 11 GP wins in a season without winning a title.

After the race he acknowledged why he wasn't champion: those 8 DNFs. Four, he says, are not his fault. But over the course of 40 races (sprints and GPs), things happen, and it is easy to get caught up. DNFs are the one thing that cost you championships.

By contrast, Jorge Martin's record looks almost mediocre, but that belies his achievements. He may only have 3 GP wins and 7 sprint wins, but he was on the podium in 32 out 40 races, or 80% of the time. The focus, maturity, concentration to achieve that is truly remarkable. Jorge Martin is a deserving MotoGP champion. He outperformed Pecco Bagnaia where it mattered - by racking up points in almost every race. His team, with Daniele Romagnoli at the helm gave Martin the bike he needed to get the job done. Martin was the first rider to identify the issue with the rear Michelin, and the vibration it was causing, and that gave him a head start on finding solutions, or at least making it manageable.

Jorge Martin rarely put a foot wrong. He was always at the front, and nearly always finished. Mistakes were few and far between. On Sunday, the best rider on the day won the race, and the best rider over the season became champion.

Pramac Ducati deserved this title too. For the work they have done this year, and for everything they have done for Ducati over the 21 years they have been working together. Pramac is a key part of Ducati's success. Without the work of Pramac over the years, Ducati wouldn't be in the luxurious situation they find themselves in.

That's enough for now. There is a lot to say about the season which has just finished. And an entire winter to think about and analyze it.