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MotoGP kicks off again in Japan this weekend. Motegi will host the fifth-to-last Grand Prix of the 2024 season, with the World Championship standings still wide open. The duel between Jorge Martin and reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia continues, with the two riders now separated by 21 points after the Indonesian Grand Prix.
Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez, following their respective zero-point results in Mandalika, may have said their final goodbye to title hopes with only five races left on the calendar. The title race is expected to come down to the wire, with a potential final showdown between Bagnaia and Martin at the last race weekend.
The top-class race is scheduled for Sunday, October 6th at 7:00 AM Italian time, preceded by Moto3 at 4:00 AM and Moto2 at 5:15 AM. Qualifying will take place on Saturday, October 5th at 3:50 AM, with the Sprint Race set for 8:00 AM.
After the Mandalika weekend, momentum is back on Jorge Martin's side. The Spanish rider redeemed himself in Saturday's Sprint Race, dominating Sunday’s race as well. Bagnaia, meanwhile, had to minimize the damage by securing a podium finish in third place, which dropped him 21 points behind in the standings.
However, the championship fight remains wide open until the final race weekend in Valencia. Bastianini and Marquez are further behind, trailing by 75 and 78 points, respectively, with the rest of the field now out of contention. The anticipation is building for yet another intense battle in the Bagnaia-Martin rivalry, as the Italian champion's comeback starts again in Japan.
