MotoGP Aragon: Race preview

The chase is on in MotoGP as the triple-header kicks off at Motorland Aragon, with the title fight hotting up and Marc Marquez back on track.

The next three weekends put 75 points on the table in MotoGP, with the intercontinental triple-header kicking off at the mighty Motorland Aragon. Last season it was a duel between Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia and Repsol Honda’s Marquez, and 12 months on the two still dominate the headlines - just for different reasons. Bagnaia arrives into the Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragon with four wins in a row, the first rider to do that on a Ducati, and Marquez’ long-awaited comeback has now been confirmed. This is it: the number 93 is back.

Bagnaia’s recent run in his bid to catch Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo must make him the favourite for now. After a first half of the season that left plenty points going begging, the number 63 has carved out a serious groove, underlined by the fact that no one else has won a MotoGP race since mid-June. But my-oh-my was it close at Misano, with his 2023 teammate Enea Bastianini getting to within thousandths on his current Gresini GP21. With Bagnaia’s win at Motorland last season and both he and Bastianini arriving from that stunning duel, it’s hard to bet past them this weekend.

There is plenty on the line for Ducati in general, too. Bagnaia is looking to close the 30-point gap at the top of the Riders’ Championship, but the Borgo Panigale factory have another chance at glory even earlier: the marque already has a first match point in the Constructors’ standings at Motorland. Bagnaia and Bastianini are top candidates to add the required points, but the rest of the armada are far from slouches. Prima Pramac’s Johann Zarco and Lenovo’s Jack