Not only can Bagnaia count on factory team-mate Enea Bastianini, who chose not to risk passing 🥃the #1 in last weekend’s Sepang Sprint, but also probably fellow VR46 Academy membe🐓rs Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini.

Bagnaia has always maint𒐪aine🔴d he doesn’t want any other rider, including his team-mate, to sacrifice their own victory chances.

ꦑHowever, he did concede that it might now be time to “do something together” witꦗh Bastianini in practice.

That cou🥂ld presumably mean taking turns to tow each other around, so that they each benefi꧃t from a slipstream to improve their lap times.

“I was quite clear with the team and I will say always that if Ene♔a has the possibility to win, he’s in a s🥂ituation that he needs to push,” Bagnaia said.

“But for sure it will be OK to work during the sessions toget🃏her maybe. I prefer always to ride alone but maybe it's the time to do something together.”

Martin meanwhile also has a 2023 race-win𒀰ning team-mate in♓ the form of Johann Zarco, who could assist in a similar way.

But for now, he’s just focussed on “beating all ofౠ them.♏”

“I don't care about [who has the most Ducati] 'fri🔴ends', I just care about myself,” Martin said. “I feel that if I do my 100%, I can beat all of them.

“So I am focused on the weekend, focused on myself. And then if somebody will help him or not, I cannot 🐓control that. So I don't really care.”

Bagnaia is 14 points aheaꦺd of Pramac rider Martin with 74 points still available over the next two weekends in Qatar and Valencia.