Sunday’s British Grand Prix gave Ducati plenty of reasons to rejoice as Enea Bastianini led an incredible 1-2-3-4-5 result for the Italian manufacturer. All its eight bikes finished inside the top 10 for only the second time in history, with the highest-non-Desmosedici rider ending up almost 10 seconds off the pace.
But while there was a mood of celebration inside the Ducati camp, its bosses would have been all too aware that they now have a big problem to deal with in the second half of the season. While the outcome of manufacturers’ and teams’ championships is already a given, the fight for the riders’ fight is wide open – and only one contender will continue with Ducati next year.
Bastianini’s double success at Silverstone propelled him to third in the standings, 49 points behind new championship leader Jorge Martin after the Pramac rider finished second on Sunday. While 26-year-old Bastianini has been playing down his prospects of a title challenge, it will only take a few more performances like last weekend for the outgoing Ducati factory rider to have an impact on the championship’s destiny – and that’s where things could get complicated for the Italian manufacturer.
The 2024 championship is currently finely poised between Bastianini’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia and Martin, with only three points separating them at the top of the table. After Martin’s Sachsenring crash from the lead, many were quick to write him off from the fight, citing his fall as an example of him cracking under pressure.
But the events of Silverstone proved all that talk of Martin playing second fiddle to his Ducati stablemate was premature, and even Bagnaia is not immune to making unforced errors. After all, we have seen him give away big results multiple times in his career, including in the first part of 2024.
The odds are still against Martin with half the season still to go, but he has definitely got what it takes to mount a serious title challenge. Equally, while Bagnaia may have been off-colour at Silverstone, he will be back next time out in Austria, a track where he scored a double win from pole last year.
A fall from Bagnaia in the sprint showed he’s not immune to the errors that have hindered Martin
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Martin and Bagnaia’s close battle, and Bastianini’s onslaught from third, put Ducati in a predicament now that the championship is back after the summer break. There is no denying that…
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