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- What: Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
- Date: Sunday, October 20, 2024
- Location: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
- Where: Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia
- Time: 10:30 a.m. ET
- How to Watch: TruTV, MAX, Rev TV
The 2024 MotoGP season is winding down. After Sunday’s Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, just three races will be left on the MotoGP schedule. While two-time defending champion Francesco Bagnaia remains in the hunt for a third straight world championship, he trails last year’s runner-up, Jorge Martin, at the top of the 2024 MotoGP standings. Bagnaia picked up some ground in the most recent race, the Japan Grand Prix, where he finished first in front of Martin. This weekend, the riders compete on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, a track where neither Martin nor Bagnaia has a MotoGP victory.
The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a 4.45 km long track with five right corners and seven lefts. Martin set the all-time lap record on the circuit last year with a time of 1:25:246 in qualifying. The best race lap record is held by Marc Marquez. Marquez set that mark, 1:28:108, in 2013 while riding for Honda. Enea Bastianini has the best speed on the track at 356.4 km/hr. He hit that mark in 2022.
Before we look at the betting breakdown and picks for the 2024 Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, check out the best sites for MotoGP betting and our betting picks for the 2024 MotoGP Championship.
Francesco Bagnaia
Francesco Bagnaia was on one of his worst runs over the past three years heading into the Japan GP. In his four starts prior to that race, the defending champ had a runner-up finish, a third place and two races where he failed to finish. The last time Bagnaia went five races without a victory came at the opening of the 2022 season, where he went winless in five races before placing first in Spain, and then going on to win his first MotoGP world championship. Bagnaia halted that winless skid in Japan, winning the race for the first time as a MotoGP rider after placing second in 2023.
With his winless streak over, Bagnaia moved from 21 points behind Martin to 10 heading into this weekend’s competition.
Like the Japan GP before 2024, Bagnaia has never won a MotoGP race in Australia. He has three starts on the circuit and has improved by one place each year. He finished fourth in 2019, third in 2022, and second in 2023. Will 2024 mark his first win on the track? He is the betting favorite.
Despite being in second place in points, Bagnaia has the most wins during the 2024 MotoGP season with eight. He has one runner-up finish and has placed third three times. There have been three races Bagnaia did not finish this year.
Jorge Martin
Jorge Martin returned to the top of the points lead for the 2024 MotoGP season when he placed second in Aragon, and Francesco Bagnaia did not finish. However, Bagnaia picked up some ground on Martin at the San Marino and Rimini Riviera race, where Martin placed 15th, and Bagnaia finished in second. Martin added some additional distance between himself and Bagnaia when he placed second at the Emilia Romagna GP. Martin held onto that wiggle room with his win in Indonesia, however Bagnaia made up some ground in Japan and now is only behind Martin by 10 points. Martin finished second to Bagnaia in the points race last year. While Martin has only three victories this year, the 26-year-old has also placed second in seven races and finished third in two others.
Known for his aggressive approach on every course, has failed to finish twice this year.
Last year’s runner-up in points has started the Australian GP twice, placing seventh in 2022 and fifth in 2023.
Martin’s nine starts without a victory before his win in Indonesia was his longest winless streak since he went without a victory during the 2022 MotoGP season.
Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez proved his win at the Aragon GP was not a fluke by coming back the following weekend and winning the San Marino and Rimini Riviera. The veteran rider could not make it three in a row with a win at the Emilia Romagna GP, but he did finish in a respectable third place in the most recent competition of 2024. However, he failed to finish in Indonesia. Marquez, who is having a spectacular year in 2024, bounced back from the disappointment in Indonesia to place third in Japan.
Marquez has looked excellent this year. His two wins have been the highlight of the season, but the veteran has three runner-up finishes, three third-place finish and four fourths. He has started every race to date and only has two races where he did not finish. Last year, injuries prevented Marquez from making five starts. Any questions about his health and fitness in 2024 are well in the past.
Marquez is in fourth place in the points race with 311 points, two points behind Enea Bastianini.
Marquez has three wins in the Australian GP. The last time he was victorious came in 2019, which was also the last year he won the world championship. He placed second in Australia in 2022 but was 15th last year.
Best bet to win the 2024 Australian Grand Prix
Bagnaia has improved with each start at the Australian Grand Prix, but he has never won the race, that could change this year.
The betting pick is for Francesco Bagnaia to end his winless run at the Australian Grand Prix. For those looking for more betting value, Marc Marquez is worth looking at, despite his 15th place finish on this track in 2023.
See below the top offshore sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
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