THE TITLE IS GETTING CLOSER
In the MotoGP Sprint Race in Malaysia, Jorge Martin triumphed, coming considerably closer to the world title. Starting from second position, the Spanish driver immediately overtook Francesco Bagnaia, who was unable to maintain the lead of the race. From the first metres, Bagnaia was forced to chase and, in an attempt to make up ground, he made a fatal mistake on the third lap, sliding at turn 9 and ending his race prematurely. This fall allowed Martin, without too many rivals on the track, to collect precious points. With the success in the Sprint, Martin increases the gap on Bagnaia to 29 points, going into Sunday’s GP with the concrete possibility of winning the championship. To secure the world title, the Spaniard would only need to gain another nine points over Bagnaia in the GP: a victory combined with a third place for his rival would allow him to mathematically secure the 2024 championship.
THE SUMMARY OF THE RACE
Martin immediately took control of the race thanks to an explosive start that put Bagnaia’s factory Ducati in difficulty. His Pramac Ducati, stable and fast, burned the Italian at the first corner, pushing him to force the pace from the start. Despite his determination, Bagnaia suffered warnings from his bike, which already showed signs of instability during the first of the ten laps. On the third lap, in an attempt to close the gap, he slipped off the track, ending a decisive opportunity and taking with him his world championship hopes, which are now becoming increasingly faint. Meanwhile, Martin, aware of his advantage, maintained a constant pace, never letting his guard down. Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini, behind him, were unable to get close enough to worry him, settling for the podium. Behind the three leading Ducatis, Alex Marquez achieved a good fourth place, followed by Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli. Binder, Miller and Acosta also scored points in the Sprint, while Marco Bezzecchi remained empty. Andrea Iannone, on his return to MotoGP to replace Fabio Di Giannantonio, finished 19th, just ahead of Lorenzo Savadori.
THE QUALIFICATIONS
Friday’s qualifying session in Sepang was marked by the performance of Bagnaia, who took pole with a record lap of 1:56.337, beating Martin by more than two tenths and sending a clear signal of competitiveness to his rival. The front row was completed by Alex Marquez, while the second, also dominated by the Ducatis, featured Morbidelli, Marc Marquez and Bastianini. Bagnaia had been in excellent form, with a time that allowed him to secure the best starting position for the Sprint and the GP. However, despite the pole position and lap record, expectations plummeted with the crash in the short race, leaving Martin with the possibility of moving one step closer to the title.
THE WORDS OF PECCO BAGNAIA
After the accident, Bagnaia expressed himself with a certain bitterness but also with determination, demonstrating that he did not want to give up his remaining chances of remaining in the championship game. “It’s not over,” he said, referring to Sunday’s race. Explaining the crash, he said: “I hit a pothole and the bike crashed, and we know how critical Turn 9 is. I was going slow, but a different corner made me lose grip. It happens, unfortunately.” Recognizing Martin’s readiness, Bagnaia commented: “He surprised me; at that moment the race was not so fast. He was good at exploiting the Sprints.” Despite the significant gap, he added: “It will be difficult, but as long as the math allows, I will keep trying. Now only he can lose the world championship, but we will give our all until the end. Tomorrow I will give everything, but we will also need other riders to get in between us.”
