Francesco Bagnaia arrives at the Valencia GP with a 21-point lead over Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) in the MotoGP title fight. So, the championship situation is better for the Ducati rider.

However, the Italian emphasized that the margin doesn’t allow him to be completely at ease in the final round of the year: ‘After the Qatar GP, we arrive in Valencia with a 21-point lead over Jorge. They definitely give us a bit more breathing space, but they are still not enough to relax completely’.

Confident in his potential, Bagnaia assured that he won’t change his strategy or goals: ‘Valencia is a track where we have been fast in the past and where we have the potential to do well. Our approach to the weekend will not change compared to the other races. The goal will always be the same: to work well from the first session on Friday and try to fight for the win in the race. I am calm and looking forward to getting on track for this season’s last act’.

O conteúdo ‘The 21-point lead give us a bit more breathing space, but…’ – Francesco Bagnaia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Jorge Martín faced significant challenges in the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix, being a shadow of the performance he displayed the previous day in the Losail Sprint race. Conversely, Francesco Bagnaia, his rival in the title fight, experienced the opposite, showing clear improvement from Saturday to Sunday. Tires could be the key factor behind these fluctuations.

Asked at a press conference how he feels about the title potentially being decided by tire details that prevent a direct battle on the track, the #1 replied: ‘Unluckly we have to deal with this kind of situation and it’s something that you can’t manage. You start, preparing perfectly all the weekend, and then you start the race and you start to feel differently. So it’s something we have to improve. We know perfectly that right now this kind of problems is increasing because the pace and the limit is more in the front. So we are going every time faster, faster and faster. Last year we were like ten, 15, 20 seconds slower in some circuits like in Malaysia. A little thing on the tyres can make a big, big step’.

Drawing from his own example, Bagnaia emphasized that when facing tire issues, it’s crucial to extract the maximum from the situation: ‘What I said on Saturday: the rear tyre was not perfect for me as the one in the morning and can make me lose two or three tenths each lap and it’s nothing considering the pace and the level. But it can make a big, big difference. So we have to deal with it and in this kind of situation you have to do the maximum’.

O conteúdo ‘A little thing on the tyres can make a big, big step’ – Francesco Bagnaia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

There was a lot of talk at the end of Sunday and yesterday about how Jorge Martin’s race may have been sabotaged in some way, with a rear tyre being at the root of the spaniard’s problems. Marco Melandri spoke about the issue and how, regardless of what is said, there is an interest on the part of the manufacturers in having their riders prevail.

The former rider, who has nine years’ experience in MotoGP, spoke about the subject to Corriere dello Sport, where he expressed his opinion that there is a clear favouritism towards Pecco Bagnaia on the part of Ducati, something that is natural in a world like the category that is a ‘business’:

– I haven’t criticised them for pushing for the factory team to win, but it bothers me that they deny it at all costs, even if they do it anyway. It can happen, after all, MotoGP is a business, and there are priorities.

Although on several occasions various members of the Ducati team have said that there is no preference as to which rider wins the world championship, the italian believes that this is not the case: ‘It’s normal that the factory team is favoured and has to bring more results, but it doesn’t make sense to deny it’.

O conteúdo Marco Melandri denies Ducati’s ‘indifference’ between Martin and Bagnaia: ‘It’s a business; There’s no point denying that the factory team is favoured’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri shared his insights on the dynamics of MotoGP, particularly in the context of the ongoing championship battle between Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin. Melandri, closely observing the title race, offered his perspective on the preferential treatment often given to official team riders over satellite team riders.

Melandri commented on the situation, saying, “I haven’t criticized them for pushing for the official team to win, but it bothers me that they deny it at all costs, even though they do it anyway.” He acknowledged that MotoGP is a business with hierarchies, and it’s normal for factory teams to be privileged and expected to deliver more results. However, he pointed out the lack of transparency in admitting this preference.

Regarding the race in Qatar, Melandri reflected on Martin’s performance, suggesting that a setback due to tire issues was inevitable. He speculated that Michelin’s assurance about the tire being fine might indicate a pressure problem. Melandri emphasized the crucial role of tires in MotoGP, stating, “The tire makes the bike. It’s much easier to improve with a tire than with a change in the bike.”

Looking ahead to Valencia, Melandri noted the different pressures facing Bagnaia and Martin. For Martin, there’s nothing to lose, which could make his approach more relaxed, but also disappointing, given the technical issues that might have cost him the title. Bagnaia, on the other hand, will be trying to limit risks and manage the situation carefully.

Melandri concluded with advice for both title contenders, suggesting that Bagnaia will wisely control Martin, including in tire choices, while Martin will likely take a more aggressive approach. He reminded everyone that championships are decided at the finish line, indicating that anything could happen, including the influence of weather conditions.

Melandri’s comments provide a seasoned racer’s view of the strategic and psychological aspects of competing for a MotoGP championship, highlighting the complexities and pressures of the sport.

O conteúdo ‘MotoGP is a business, with hierarchies, it is better for them if an official rider wins than a satellite one’ – Marco Melandri aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The 2023 MotoGP championship race is heading towards a thrilling climax at the final round in Valencia, with defending champion Pecco Bagnaia and his rival Jorge Martin in a tight contest for the title. Despite Bagnaia’s early 62-point lead in the season, the gap has now narrowed to just 21 points, following a dramatic points swing in the Qatar Grand Prix.

The Valencia event holds the potential to decide the championship even before the main grand prix, thanks to the points available in the Saturday sprint. Bagnaia, with six grand prix wins to Martin’s four, could secure the championship in the sprint if he establishes a 25-point lead, as sprint results don’t count towards a tiebreak in case of equal points.

Here are the scenarios for Bagnaia to become champion in the Saturday sprint:

• Bagnaia finishes 1st, and Martin is lower than 2nd.
• Bagnaia finishes 2nd, and Martin is lower than 4th.
• Bagnaia finishes 3rd, and Martin is lower than 6th.
• Bagnaia finishes 4th, and Martin is lower than 7th.
• Bagnaia finishes 5th, and Martin is lower than 8th.
• Bagnaia finishes 6th, and Martin is lower than 9th (out of the points).

For Martin to keep his title chances alive into Sunday, he needs to finish the sprint in the top two, or Bagnaia must finish lower than sixth.

If Martin wins both the sprint and the grand prix at Valencia, a track where he has shown strength, Bagnaia needs to score 16 points or more across the two races to win the title. This could be achieved with a podium finish on Sunday or a pair of fifth-place finishes.

O conteúdo The Maths for Pecco Bagnaia conquer the championship in the Sprint Race aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

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’.

O conteúdo Francesco Bagnaia reveals what is worrying him the most for Valencia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Francesco Bagnaia came very close to the MotoGP title with the second place at the Qatar GP. However, not everything left him satisfied in yesterday’s race in Losail, where he lost out to Fabio di Giannantonio (Gresini/Ducati).

The Italian stated in a press conference that he was pleased with his overall performance, leading a significant portion of the race: ‘I’m happy, but I’m not 100% happy. I did what I was expecting from myself on the Sprint race. On Saturday I was expecting this pace but I didn’t have the possibility to do it. In the main race everything went perfect and I tried to push from the start, I tried to do my ideal race, and it was nice to be back and leading, pushing, doing my pace. It was a long time that I wasn’t doing it. So I’m very happy for that, I’m happy for the pace we showed’.

However, Bagnaia was dissatisfied with the mistake he made while trying to regain the lead from Di Giannantonio and went off track: ‘I’m not happy because I already did the same mistake in the past – in 2021 I did the same with Johann Zarco. So I’m not happy for that, because normally I learn from my mistakes. But in any case I wasn’t expecting this sucking from his slipstream. We have to be happy, Di Gia was fantastic all the weekend and in the race his pace was better than mine’.

O conteúdo ‘I’m not happy, I already did the same mistake in the past’ – Francesco Bagnaia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

This GP in Qatar showed a little of what MotoGP is all about and what can happen in the fight for the title, with Francesco Bagnaia getting the better of Jorge Martin. The Italian led for much of the race but finished second, beaten by Fabio Di Giannantonio, while Jorge Martin had an absolutely disastrous race, finishing tenth.

Seven points separate Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin in the standings and with three rounds to go all scenarios are open, especially after #89 halved the gap to the lead by winning the Sprint, while #1 was fifth.

And the suspense is running high for this sunday’s race, especially after Martin forced an overtake on Bagnaia, with the Italian expressing his displeasure at the way it happened. In fact, the Ducati Lenovo rider has already “warned” that he’s ready for a fight with his opponent over what happened: It’s great that he came at me to start, now I know it can be done and I like this situation. I think it’s great that he did it, so it’s opening up a situation that could be interesting for tomorrow.

Before the start of sunday’s race, a note on the statistics: Bagnaia won two more races on Sunday, while Martín in turn has twice as many victories in the Sprint races.

And there was no shortage of ingredients to spice up the battle at Losail, with Bagnaia starting from fourth on the grid and Martín alongside the Italian in fifth.

And lo and behold, everything was in place for the start of the race, with more than 55,000 spectators on site to watch the battle live:

The start of the race could hardly have gone well for Bagnaia who immediately took the lead in the race, unlike Martín who was eighth and at the end of the first lap it was already 1.471s separating Martin from the front of the race.

With two laps completed, Martin was closer to 2s behind the leader, who in turn was leading the race and had even set the fastest lap with 1:53.468s.

Johann Zarco, Martin’s teammate, went wide and this allowed the Spaniard to climb up to seventh, but with three laps completed he was 2.363s off the top of the race. Marc Márquez was sixth and 0.443s behind Martín.

Márquez was Martín’s next “victim” and he moved up to sixth place. Brad Binder promised to be a tougher challenge, at 1.4s. It wasn’t long before Luca Marini was the next challenger, as Binder took the opportunity to move up to fourth place, relegating Marini to being chased by Martín.

Five laps down and Bagnaia was leading the race by 0.644s over Fabio Di Giannatonio and 3.062s over Martin.

Marquez in seventh was giving Martin a fight and 0.315s separated the former world champion from the Pramac rider, who was gradually getting further and further away from the leader: 3.303s separated Martin from Bagnaia, who had a lead of around four tenths of a second over DiGia.

At the start of the ninth lap Bagnaia had DiGia by 0.191s, but the world champion was showing fibre and wasn’t allowing the #49 to get too close, while Martin had a new pursuer: Maverick Viñales, who was aiming for the #89. 0.149s separated the Aprilia rider from sixth place.

Viñales threatened at any moment to overtake Martín, who was now 5.100s off the lead.

On the first sector of the 11th lap DiGia saw the lead down to 0.079s, but Bagnaia remained solid and soon afterwards Martín dropped two positions and fell to eighth. A disastrous race for the apaniard, who now had Fabio Quartararo trailing him by 0.186s,

Martin was at this stage the slowest rider on the track, the only one riding inside the second 55, but Martín still managed to beat Márquez, but was beaten soon after by Quartararo and was still in eighth. Jack Miller was ninth at 0.104s and… soon lost a position, dropping to ninth, with Zarco able to act as a “guard” for his teammate.

Bagnaia, meanwhile, was on a roll and holding off Di Giannantonio, with the Gresini rider trailing by 0.234s.

With nine laps to go, that was it for the two rivals:

Bagnaia remained in front with his gap to DiGia varying between 1 and 2 tenths. Martin had Miller at 1.4s and saw the dream of the World Championship very far away: if the race ended now, 25 points would separate Bagnaia from Martín!

DiGia was trying his best, but Bagnaia was on another level and wasn’t giving his opponent a chance, at a time when Martin’s problems promised to get worse: Enea Bastianini beat Zarco and then wasted no time in beating Martin, who was in tenth place with five laps to go.

On the following lap DiGia confirmed the overtake on Bagnaia and then successfully defended his opponent’s attack on the factory Ducati. In the space of two sectors the #49 closed the gap to 2.5s, with the #1 going wide in the escape area and, were it not for Marini’s large lead, the scenario could have been much worse.

The gap in the standings was now virtually 21 points, as Martin remained in tenth place.

There were no more major changes until the end and Martín ended a disastrous race in 10th, with Fabio Di Giannantonio keeping his title aspirations alive, despite the huge gap that now separates the top two.

O conteúdo Nightmare for Jorge Martin at Losail brings Pecco Bagnaia closer to the title aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Francesco Bagnaia showed a strong pace during the practices and qualifying sessions for the MotoGP Qatar GP, but he hadn’t the performance he expected in the Sprint race in Losail. He finished fifth, unable to fight for the win.

In an interview with DAZN, the Italian expressed his surprise at the unexpected change in sensations on the bike during the Sprint race, although he acknowledged it as something that can occur:

– What bothers me is that we had another weekend where we worked really well, were very fast, going into the race with the pace to be at the front or win. And then, you have a totally different feeling from what usually happens. What I saw and what happened to me this Saturday is a bit strange, but it can happen, sometimes it can happen. And we just have to finish as far forward as possible.

O conteúdo ‘What happened to me on the Sprint race is strange’ – Francesco Bagnaia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The battle for the MotoGP World Championship is intensifying, as evidenced by the recent Sprint race where Jorge Martin and Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia had a close encounter. Martin, who won the race, and Bagnaia, who finished fifth, ensured that the title will be decided in Valencia. However, before that, there’s the upcoming long race in Qatar, where sparks are expected to fly due to the aggressive racing displayed by Pramac team rider Martin.

Bagnaia, reflecting on the Sprint race, mentioned that he and Martin made contact twice, at the first and sixth corners. He found it exciting that Martin initiated the contact, saying to MotoGP.com: ‘It’s very nice that he came to me, to start, now I know it can be done and I like this situation’. This indicates Bagnaia’s readiness to engage in competitive racing.

“I think that is great that was him to do it, so He’s Opening a Situation that could be interesting for tomorrow”

However, Bagnaia also expressed disappointment with his performance. He had expected more from himself, especially after a strong weekend of practice where he felt great. In the race, though, he struggled from the first lap, unable to push as he wanted. He specifically pointed out issues with traction and losing ground on corner exits.

Bagnaia analyzed his performance, noting a lack of grip compared to his competitors. He struggled with the new tires, which differed from those used in practice. This affected his ability to take corners as confidently as before, particularly corner 11, where he felt at risk of falling. He believes this was an unfortunate, isolated incident and is confident of returning to his potential in the next race.

Despite losing a significant part of his lead in the championship, Bagnaia remains optimistic. He joked about not having a match point in the next race and expressed frustration at losing points due to technical issues rather than pace. He emphasized his speed throughout the weekend and his comfort with the hard front tire, though he had mixed feelings about the rear tire due to the sensations he experienced.

In summary, Bagnaia’s reflections on the Sprint race reveal his competitive spirit and readiness to face challenges head-on. His analysis of his performance and the anticipation for the upcoming races in Qatar and Valencia highlight the intense competition and strategic thinking inherent in MotoGP racing.

O conteúdo Pecco Bagnaia threats Jorge Martin: ‘He set an interesting precedent of aggression today for tomorrow’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.