Valencia MotoGP: Francesco Bagnaia: Mind games? “Martin should focus on his job, he's not the fastest”

Francesco Bagnaia insisted he found MotoGP title rival Jorge Martin’s Friday practice mind games “fun” and is confident of fighting back from 15th and a trip to Qualifying 1.
Francesco Bagnaia, MotoGP, Valencia MotoGP, 24 November
Francesco Bagnaia, MotoGP, Valencia MotoGP, 24 November

Bagnaia, who starts the Valencia finale with a 21-point lead over Martin, stuck to his usual tactic of running used tyres for much 𝓀of Friday practice.

But when the time then came to deliver a flying lap to secure a top ten place for direct Qualifying 2 acc🎉ess, Bagnaia wa⭕s in trouble.

“Yeah. Honestly, we needed more time to improve our situation,” Bagnaia told MotoGP.com. “I was struggling and normally we finish the job in the final part of the session. But today we stru🐻ggled more.

“For tomorrow we already have ideas of where to improve because from the data we are losing five tenths in three corners. So it's better that the situationཧ is that one, so we can solve it and get prepared for the Sprint race.”

But the pace problem aside, Bagnaia 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:was also theꩲ subject of mind games from Martin🤪, who waited and then left the pits behind the reigning champion for 𒈔the crucial final run.

Others had joined in, but when Bagnaia darted off track to shake off his pursuers, Martin went with him and remained on the rear wheel of the factory team machine💃.

While M𓂃artin was towed to second place behind Maverick Vinales, Bagnaia failed to break the top ten on his penultimate lap and was condemned to 🌞15th when Pol Espargaro fell and brought out yellow flags.

Underlining that the Spaniard realistic💞ally needs to win both races this weekend, Bagnaia said of Martin’s tactics꧒:

“I think he has to♕ be more focused on his job right now, because he's not the fastest and doing that is for sure not the moment. But it was fun, honestly."

“Absolutely,” Bag𒊎naia then replied, when asked if he was confident of turning hisജ pace around tomorrow.

Bagnaia has a chance to win his second title in the ꦺSaturday Spr🌌int, if he can beat Martin by at least four points.

With team-mate Enea Baꦏstianini also in Qualifying 1, Bagnaia might well get a tow to assist with his progress into Qualifying 2.

Peter has been in t💝he paddock for 20 years and has seen 𝓡Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.

Read More