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MotoGP has crowned a new world champion. In Barcelona, despite Pecco Bagnaia's dominant performance, it was Jorge Martin celebrating after the season's final weekend. The Spanish rider played it safe, riding defensively to claim his first MotoGP world title. Sunday's race followed a similar script to the Sprint Race.
At the start, Bagnaia quickly broke away, with Martin overtaken by Marc Marquez. Despite efforts from other riders, no one managed to challenge Martin, who maintained his position throughout the race. Bagnaia comfortably resisted Marquez's attempted comeback, effectively leading from start to finish. For Martin, staying above seventh place was enough: the #89 rider controlled the race without any real threats from the chasing pack, including compatriots Aleix Espargaro and Alex Marquez.
Bagnaia’s eleventh victory of the season, compared to Martin's three in full-length races, wasn’t enough. The difference lay in the Saturday Sprint Races and, crucially, the zero-point finishes Bagnaia accumulated during the season. Mistakes and crashes in tight battles allowed the consistently podium-placed Pramac Team rider to celebrate his first top-class World Championship title. Martin finished 10 points ahead of Bagnaia, with Marc Marquez third in the riders’ standings, followed by Enea Bastianini.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, former Honda rider Marc Marquez will join Pecco Bagnaia on the factory Ducati team, while Martin moves to Aprilia. The new world champion bids farewell to Ducati and the Pramac Team, marking a historic chapter in MotoGP.
