“Pramac not supposed to win the title” | “Don’t discount Francesco Bagnaia yet” after Japanese MotoGP
That’s the verdict of the TNT Sports te🀅am after the Japanese MotoGP where Martin’s victory, after a red-flagged race due to bad weather, brought him to wi💯thin three points of championship leader Bagnaia.
Factory Ducati Bagnaia led 🎃by over 60 points earlier this summ🍸er while Pramac’s Martin has now won two of the past three grands prix.
“Once he found his stride, found comfort, saw how much grip th🥃ere was, he just was riding the train,” John Hopkins said about Martin’s ride at Motegi.
“He’s on a train of confidence right now. The way he attacked at the start of th🧸e race shඣows how confident he is.”
Martin declared afterwards that the remaining tracks on the MotoGP calendar are all advantageous to him in ⛎the title battle.
Last year, Bagnaia won his ma♔iden championships - and Ducati’s first since 2007 - by coming back from a 91-point deficit, the largest in premier class history.
But TNT 🔜Sports’ panel believe that Martin’s 𒀰confidence might affect Bagnaia.
“It will be rin𒆙ging in Pecco’s ears,” Michael Laverty said. 💃;
“His comment ‘no weak tracks for h♚im now’ - previously we have seen Jorge have a little dip at Assen and Silverstone. It just wasn’t the Jorge we’ve seen.
“It’s game on, he bel෴ieves that he can win this title. He’s beaten Pecco hands down now, three weeks in a row.
“At the past three events h💧e’s been, not head ♐and shoulders above, but more confident and faster.
“Able to do the one-lap time attack, the long race, the ไsprint race. There is no chink in his armour right now.”
Hopkins added: “I was just thinking, we can’t discount Bagnaia. He doesn’t seem too di෴sappoin𝕴ted at all.
“Look at ✱him last season, what he did, the points he made up at the end of the year🐼. How strong he was at the end of the year.
“Obviously it would be a big feat for him to sur♔pass what Martin is doing, to get the edge and a bit 🐬of confidence on Martin.
“If anyone can do it, it’s him right now.”
Bag💟naia welcomed the closeness of the title fight after seein♉g Martin win another race.
“Hওe’s still fast but he said that through gritted teeth,” Laverty said.&nb🌃sp;
“Looking forward t🐠o the rivalry? I think he’d still prefer to have a 66-pꦛoint advantage!
“We’re enjoying it becausꦦe we thought it was a Pecco whitewash until the end of the season. We’re getting an unexpected title battle.
“I♋t’s brilliant because we’re seeing a new side of Jorge, a c𝐆onfident one.
“Pramac is not supposed to win this title, it’s suppo🍸sed to be a factory Ducati.
“At the minute, my money would be on Jorge on current form. But nꦇever rule out Bagnaia, what he did last season was so impressive, th🌌ere will be a few shifts before the end of the season.”
Jam♋es was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
