Marc Marquez wins rain-hit San Marino Grand Prix after Jorge Martin's gamble backfires

Marc Marquez wins San Marino Grand Prix in damp conditions, denying Ducati a home win; Martin's gamble backfires.

Marc Marquez won the San Marino Grand Prix ahead of Francesco Bagnaia on Sunday (September 8, 2024) after championship leader Jorge Martin’s gamble to swap bikes when it rained briefly at the Misano circuit backfired when the weather cleared up.

Marquez’s masterclass in damp conditions gave him his second victory in as many races after he won the Aragon Grand Prix last weekend as he denied the Italian factory Ducati team a win on home turf, with Enea Bastianini finishing third.

Martin eventually finished 15th after swapping bikes twice as he saw his championship lead over Bagnaia cut down to seven points while Marquez is now 53 points behind the Pramac Racing rider.

“For me, the most important was the speed after that rain, it gave me the possibility to lead the race. Then when I was leading, I say, ‘Now I will try to find the same pace as the practice’,” Marquez said.

“The emotions were super high when we crossed the line, I was super happy,” he added, dedicating the victory to the Gresini Racing team’s late founder Fausto Gresini.

With the threat of rain looming, Martin had another good start – just as he did to win Saturday’s sprint – but this time Bagnaia was able to stay ahead and retain the lead.

The pair nearly collided on the second lap before Martin braked hard to avoid contact while his teammate Franco Morbidelli damaged Pedro Acosta’s wing when he overtook the GasGas Tech3 bike, with the rookie managing to keep his balance.