Motorsport weekend wrap: Ducati wins constructors’ championship in MotoGP, Blaney takes NASCAR playoffs lead
This weekend (September 21-22), Ducati secured its fifth consecutive Constructors’ World Championship after the Emilia-Romagna GP, courtesy of an-all Ducati top five. McLaren’s Lando Norris displayed unbelievable pace at the Singapore Grand Prix and claimed his third race win with a 20-second lead.
NASCAR: What are the Playoffs – explained, leader and eliminated drivers
The NASCAR Playoffs are underway with 10 races to decide the champion. Three rounds of three races each will be held before the final race. Four drivers with the fewest points will be eliminated after the third, sixth and ninth races, leaving a final four to race for the title.
If a playoff driver wins a race in one of the three rounds, he will automatically advance to the next round. If non-playoff drivers win those races, however, playoff drivers will advance based on points accumulated during each of the three rounds.
Blaney takes playoffs lead, Logano, Buescher qualify automatically
Joey Logano won the opening race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, crossing the finish line in overtime at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and clinching an automatic spot in the second round. The second race went Chris Buescher’s way after an action-filled overtime race at the Watkins Glen International in New York.
This weekend, at Bristol Motor Speedway, it was absolute domination from Kyle Larson, who led 462 of 500 laps to secure his position. However, it was the end for four drivers – Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski and Harrison Burton.
The Playoffs Round of 12 begins in Kansas next weekend and then moves to Alabama and North Carolina. The second round will see 12 cars fight out to get into the final 8.
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MotoGP: Ducati wins title for fifth time, Bastianini wins as Bagnaia crashes out
While the fight for the Constructors’ championship saw a clear winner in Ducati, for the fifth year in a row, the battle for the rider’s title lost a bit of steam after Francesco Bagnaia crashed out at the Emilia-Romagna GP. Bagnaia, who started from pole, lost out the lead to current championship leader Jorge Martin in the first lap.
Enea Bastianini seemed to have a better pace and got past his teammate Bagnaia to take second. The defending champion started closing the gap to the top two by setting lap record after lap record. He pushed the limit too much, costing him the race and crucial points to slim the marginal lead to Martin.
Bastianini was catching Martin with every lap and kept the pressure on till the end. A move he made on the race leader forced the latter to go off the track, giving Bastianini the crucial win while Marc Marquez rounded up the podium. The Italian manufacturer has had an incredible season so far, bagging 500 points in 14 races and earning a 261-point advantage over its closest rival KTM.
Formula 1: McLaren’s Norris eases to Singapore victory, Ricciardo steals lap record
The Singapore Grand Prix witnessed a complete turnaround of what was becoming a usual sight of Max Verstappen pulling ahead of the pack. This time, it was McLaren’s Lando Norris who gave Verstappen a taste of what the rest of the pack would experience as he won the Singapore Grand Prix with a 20-second gap.
Norris, who won a Grand Prix for only the third time, made sure to protect his pole position despite his record of poor starts. Despite narrowly escaping any major damage after near misses with the wall, he constantly built the gap between the drivers behind, a familiar feeling for the driver behind him, Red Bull’s Verstappen.
The pace that the Mclaren unleashed was incredible, helping the leader constructors to a double podium finish with Oscar Piastri coming home in third. Mercedes, too, had a better outing at the Marina Bay Circuit finishing fourth and sixth while Ferrari made a decent comeback after a poor Qualifying to come fifth and seventh.