After the Emilia-Romagna GP and the Indonesian GP, the Ducati Lenovo Team arrives in Japan to compete in the third round of the penultimate triple for the 2024 MotoGP season. As always, the famous Motegi track will host the event which in the past it has already hosted the World Cup on 23 occasions.
Ducati has managed to triumph in 7 editions of the Japanese GP, while the Borgo Panigale manufacturer has collected 13 podiums so far in Motegi. The most recent, the first place of Jorge Martín (Pramac Racing) and the second place obtained by Francesco Bagnaia last year in a daring race then suspended due to rain.
The reigning World Champion, fresh from a third place last week in Mandalika, is now 21 points behind brand-mate Martín and will try to further close the gap in the standings this weekend. Enea Bastianini, third in the World Championship, is aiming to redeem himself in Japan after last Sunday’s crash, which saw his chance of achieving his fiftieth podium in the World Championship disappear. The driver from Rimini, who has not raced in Japan since 2022, will try to be among the protagonists of the weekend again.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo credit: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Francesco Bagnaia, who continues to chase Jorge Martin in the Drivers’ World Championship, declared on the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix: “Japan is one of my favorite destinations and therefore I am really happy to be able to race here this weekend. Compared to Indonesia the climate is different and therefore the track conditions will also be very different; plus it could rain, so it will be important to be ready to face any situation. We will also work hard to try to get back to being more competitive in the early stages of the race, which is what we lacked a bit last Sunday. I’m ready and can’t wait to get back on track.”
These instead are the words of Enea Bastianini, who will look for redemption after Mandalika’s crash: “I’m happy to get back on track straight away and be able to definitively leave last Sunday’s race behind me. I haven’t raced in Japan for two years, but I’ve always liked the Motegi track and lately we’ve been fast on more or less all the tracks. The gap in the Championship is starting to get big, but it’s still not mathematically impossible. It will be important to stay focused in these last races, give our best and always try.”
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