With one round to go, Francesco Bagnaia is in a privileged position to clinch the MotoGP title. He holds a 21-point lead over Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) in the championship standings, with 37 points still up for grabs.
The Italian rider from Ducati stated in a press conference that he is more prepared to face the situation he will encounter in Valencia, being only concerned about the weather conditions: ‘Honestly the best way to race and not be affected by the pressure is just thinking in doing the maximum, just focusing on doing the best race possible. Honestly last year I suffered a lot in Valencia, even if I was with a 23-point gap. So I think I will arrive in Valencia more or less in the same situation, but already prepared to what will happen. The thing is scaring or worrying me more at the moment is the weather, because at the end of November in Valencia you never know what will happen. But fingers crossed and let’s see’.
Although he acknowledges he can manage more than Martín, Bagnaia emphasized that he won’t be in «management mode» for the last round of the year: ‘For sure we are in the best position possible, we are in the front with 21 points [of advantage]. Jorge will have to push a lot and we can manage a bit, but start thinking to manage isn’t the best way to deal with the pressure, so it will be important to be focused and do the same strategy, the same routine as a normal weekend’.