Valencia MotoGP: Jorge Martin: “Not what I want to do, but we need to put pressure on Pecco” | 500 Euro practice start fine

Day one of the Valencia MotoGP title showdown played into Jorge Martin’s hands with world championship leader Francesco Bagnaia failing to make the top ten and being forced to take part in Qualifying 1.
Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Valencia MotoGP, 24 November
Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Valencia MotoGP, 24 November

The simmeꩵring contest between the Ducati riders began to heat up when Martin followed Bagnaia out of the pits for his final run, much to the obvious displeasure of factory team manager Davide Tardozzi.

Bagnaia looked back and gestured to ღMartin, who then clung to Bagnaia, Marc Marquez style, when the reigning champion di𒆙ved down an escape road to try and shake off the queue of riders behind.

With Martin in his wh🎉eeltracks, Bagnaia failed to break the top ten on his penultimate 𒈔lap then saw his chances of direct Q2 access scuppered by yellow flags for a Pol Espargaro fall.

Bagnaia, who starts tཧhis weekend 21 points clear of Martin and will have a chance to win the title in Saturday’s Sprint, will now need to fight for the top in Qualifying 1 to avoid starting 🌊outside the top 12 on the grid.

“Yeah, for sure I will sign [for this Friday result before the weekend],” Martin, who was second fastest to Maverick Vinales, told MotoGP.com. “It's nothing big, but at least he has so🌺me difficulties.♚”

The Spaniard insisted he had been following Bagnaia to understand his strengths rather than trying to harass hi༒m.

“I think it's important to be close to my rival, try to understand where he's fast, where we can improve,” Martin said. “I saw he was struggling a bit today. But it's just, for sure, we ne🌱ed to put some pressure in some ways and I think this was the way.

“I was just trying to be close [to him at the end]. I didn't know൲ if I was even going into Q2 [myself]. I was ready to go to Q1, for me it wasn't a problem. But finally, we were inside [the top 10].

“But you know, it'sꦗ not what I want to do, but sometimes you need to do difficult thꦉings…”

Martin, whose practice starts went much better thaꦅn in Qatar last weekend, was later given a 500 Euro fine for ‘positioning in front of riders staged to do a practice start’.

In other words, riders reaching the practice start area should not pass a rider already waiting♋ to drop the clutch.

Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is ♎at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.

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