Ducati are guaranteed to win the 2023 championship, with factory rider Bagnaia, Pramac’s Jorge Martin and VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi the only contenders matꦯhematically capable of glory with three rounds remaining.

Reigning champion Bag൲naia 🦋leads Martin by 13 points ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian MotoGP.

Bagnaia explained the u⭕nique challenge of battling other Ducatis🅠: “I don’t think we have an advantage, in terms of experience in the championship.

“Right now, if you’re fast, everyone looks at your data. You fig꧃ht against others.

“This is, for me, great but also difficult.

“Maybe sometimes we find something else to🐎 them. But in the next session they are all trying it🎶!

ꦗ“I don’t want to think about the championship. I will attack like always, push my best, try to open the gap.”

Bagnaia is nඣow accustomed to scrapping at the top: “Fighting for a championship for a third year in a row means we are doing a really good job.

“I don’t think it will be a failure, in case ไwe lose it.

“It will 🍨be great to win because I don’t remember♍ many names who have won the title two years in a row. This would be fabulous for me.

“In terms of pressure, last yওear 🌄was higher after 15 years without a title for Ducati.

“It was more intense and I was feeling the weight on m𓂃y shoulders.

“This year is different. I feel a lot of pressure, the sa𒉰me, but in൩ a more motivational way.

“Being the reference is somet๊hing we need to be proud of.”

Bagnaia’s maiden title, last year, was 🅰won after chasing down Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo from 𒁃92 points behind, a record amount.

“Last year was just to push with nothing to lose,🎃” h🤪e said.

“🐲We were so behind and it was important to finish races in front.

“This year is different because we’re fighting against another bike like 𝔉my one!

“♍It’s different. Jorge is doing an outstand𓄧ing job.

“His way to race is to put many things to the li൲mit. The rear tyres, many things.

“You can clearly see, when Jorge pushed in Mandalika, he was under control. He was really pushing hard. More mistakes make him crash༺. “Things can change like this, so you have to be more precise and consider more than the performance.”

Bagnaia hasn’t had everything his own way this ye꧑ar.

A difficult run of form i🗹n the middle of the season had fans questioning if mistakes were creeping back into his performances, and he ex🍨perienced struggles with his Desmosedici.

“My problems start𓂃ed in Misano on braking,” he said.

“It was difficult. India, Japan, I was struggling a lot to find the feeling 🤡to fight.

“Winning again in Mandalika, wi♔th this kind of perforꦚmance, helped us to feel the strongest.”

He detailed anotheꦅr clear weakness: “We﷽ work a lot during the whole weekend to be prepared for the long race.

“Ever💞y time, we prepare strong than the others in terms of consistency with used tyres.

“This i🐎s great but sometimes doesn’t help me for time attacks.

“This is motivation to boun♒ce back, try to win, try to be on top.

“Three times⛦ in Q1 and three times I’ve finished on the podium.”