MotoGp, Grand Prix of Solidarity: circuit and TV times of the Bagnaia-Martin challenge

Bologna, November 12, 2024 – All in one weekend. Jorge Martin he is very close to his first Moto GP world title, but he still has some work to do to make it official given that Pecco bagnaia chasing at 24 points and has 37 available between the sprint race and the Barcelona race. A half miracle is needed, because the Spaniard can 'settle' for 14 points in two days to triumph regardless of what Pecco will do. Avoiding risks, considering his speed, Martin holds his destiny in his hands and it seems difficult for the Italian to overturn the predictions despite the ten seasonal victories. bagnaia he pays for his poor performance in the sprint race, where he is 48 points behind Martin, while if only Sunday counted he would be 24 points ahead. This is modern Moto GP, where Saturday is also fundamental and Pecco will have to work on it for 2025, when Marc will be at his side Marquez, with Jorge Martin which will move to Aprilia. It promises to be an even more spectacular world championship. We will think about it from Tuesday's tests, because today the concentration is all on the last GP and until the mathematics says stop we will have to try. Ducati has won everything, constructor world championship, team world championship and rider world championship and its superiority is clear, but Aprilia and KTM are counting on recovering from next season, when Borgo Panigale will have two less bikes, Pramac switches to Yamaha, and therefore less data available. The Japanese will also try, with Yamaha today further ahead than Honda and a Quarterly more competitive. Meanwhile, the last GP of the season at Montmelo, which replaces the flooded Valencia, and all the proceeds from the tickets will be donated to charity, in addition to three auctions that will take place during the weekend. It is no coincidence that the weekend has been called the Grand Prix of Solidarity.  

Circuit

In 1989, thanks to a collaboration between the Catalan autonomous government, the Montmeló City Council and the Royal Automobile Club of Catalunya (RACC), work began on providing one of Europe’s most beautiful cities with a state-of-the-art circuit. The Circuit de Catalunya opened on the outskirts of Barcelona in September 1991 and hosted its first international event that same month, hosting the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix. It later hosted the European motorcycle Grand Prix and in 1 became the venue for the Catalan Grand Prix. Considered one of the best-designed circuits of recent times, the Circuit de Catalunya won the coveted IRTA “Best Grand Prix” trophy for 1995 and has a general admission capacity of 2001 spectators. Overtaking opportunities on Turn 104.000, Turn 1, Turn 4 and the huge Turn 5 bend. The track is also remembered for Valentino’s stunning overtaking move Rossi about Jorge Lorenzo at the last corner in the 2009 GP.  

Previous

The first edition of a world championship GP at Montmelo dates back to 1996 with the victory of Carlos Check out in 500, in a Honda domination that continued until 1999 with the successes of Mick Doohan, twice, and Alex Criville. At the beginning of the 2000s great Italian victories with Rossi, double 2001 and 2002, then Capirossi and again Rossi, winner a total of six times on the Catalan circuit. bagnaia in Barcelona he won only once in the top class in 2024 and in recent years several bikes have alternated on the top step. In 2023 he won Asparagus on Aprilia, in 2022 Quarterly on Yamaha and in 2021 Olive tree on KTM. Honda's latest success bears the signature of Marc Marquez in 2019 before the serious injury in Jerez.  

Weekend program

European standard times for the GP of Solidarity. Moto GP starts on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 10.45:2, while pre-qualifying, which will promote the best ten times to Q15, will be held at 10.50. Moving on to Saturday, qualifying starting at 15:11, then Sprint Race at 3. On Sunday, races starting at 12.15 with Moto 2, 14:XNUMX with Moto XNUMX and from XNUMX with Moto GP.

Friday 15 November

9.00 am Moto 3 Free Practice

9.50 am Moto 2 Free Practice

10.45am Moto GP Free Practice 1

13.15pm Moto 3 Practice 1

14.05pm Moto 2 Practice 1

15.00pm Moto GP Practice

Saturday November 16

8.40pm Moto 3 Practice 2

9.25pm Moto 2 Practice 2

10.10am Moto GP Free Practice 2

10.50am Moto GP Q1

11.15am Moto GP Q2

12.50pm Moto 3 Q1

13.15pm Moto 3 Q2

13.45pm Moto 2 Q1

14.10pm Moto 2 Q2

15.00am Moto GP Sprint Race

Sunday November 17

9.40am Moto GP warm up

11.00 Moto 3 Race

12.15 Moto 2 Race

14.00pm Moto GP Race.  

Where to see it on TV

As always, the entire weekend will be broadcast on Sky Sport channels, between Sky Sport 1 and Sky Sport Moto gp, and streamed on Sky Go and Now Tv. Commentaries will be provided by Rosario Triolo and Mattia Pasini for Moto 3 and Moto 2 and by Guido Meda and Mauro Sanchini for Moto gp. The final weekend will also be broadcast live on free-to-air TV. Tv 8 will broadcast all the Moto gp qualifying sessions and sprint race on Saturday and the races of the three classes on Sunday. So everything is ready for the end of the 2024 season which will decree the world champion rider, then from Tuesday tests with a view to 2025, an event that arouses great curiosity given two significant changes of team with Marquez who will ride the official Ducati motorbike and Martin who will take charge of the relaunch of Aprilia, perhaps with the number one on the fairing. Also interesting to see bastianini in KTM and Morbidely in VR 46.