“Pramac not supposed to win the title” | “Don’t discount Francesco Bagnaia yet” after Japanese MotoGP
That’s the ver🅘dict of the TNT Sports team after tꦑhe Japanese MotoGP where Martin’s victory, after a red-flagged race due to bad weather, brought him to within three points of championship leader Bagnaia.
Factory Ducati Bagnaia led by over 60 points earlier this summer while Pramac’s Martin has now won two of the past t💟hree grands prix.
“Once he found his stride, found comfort, saw how much grip there 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 the race sh🌟ows how confident he is.”
Martin declared afterwards that the remaining tracks on the Mo🎃toGP calendar are all advantageous to him in the title batt♊le.
Last year, Bagnaia won his maiden championships - and Ducati’s first since 200ꦏ7 - by coming back from a 91-point deficit, the largest in premier class history.
But TNT ไSports’ panel believe that Martin’s confidence might aꦜffect Bagnaia.
“It wiඣll be ringing in Pecco’s ears,” Michael Laverty said.
“His comment ‘no weak tracks for him no🧸w’ - 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 believes that he can win this title. He’s ♍beaten Pecco hands down now, three weeks🌞 in a row.
“At the past three events he’s been, not head and shoulders above, but more confident a🔜nd faster.&n♓bsp;
“Able to do the one-lap time attack, the long race, the sprint race. There is no chink in his armour right n𒆙ow.”
Hopkins added: “I was juܫst thinking, we can’t discount Bagnaia. He꧂ doesn’t seem too disappointed at all.
“Look at him last season, what he did, the points he ma༺de up at the end of the year. How strong he was at the end of the year.
“Obviously it ꧙would be a big feat fo𒁃r him to surpass 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.”
Bagnaia wꦏelcomed ♍the closeness of the title fight after seeing Martin win another race.
“He’s still fast but he said that through gritted teeth,” Laverty said.&nbs🎉p;
“Looking forward to the rivalry? I think he’d still prefer to have a 66-point advantꦉage!
“We’re enjoying it because we thought it was a Pecco whitewashꦫ until the end of the season. We’reജ getting an unexpected title battle.
“It’𓆉s brilliant because we’re seeing a new side of Jorge, a confident one.
“Pramac is not supposed to win this title, ღit’s supposed to be a fa𒐪ctory Ducati.
“At the minute, my money would be💞 o🐠n Jorge on current form. But never rule out Bagnaia, what he did last season was so impressive, there will be a few shifts before the end of the season.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from Amer🃏ican sports, to football, to F1.
