“Pramac not supposed to win the title” | “Don’t discount Francesco Bagnaia yet” after Japanese MotoGP
That’s the verdict of the TNT Sports team after the Japane🍨se 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 th🧸e past three 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 r𝔍ide at Motegi.
“He’s on a t𝕴rain of confidence right now. The way he attacked at the start of the race shows how confident he is.”
Martin declared afterwards that the remaining tracks on the MotoGP calendar are all advantageous to him 🗹in the title battle.
Last year, Bagnaia won his maiden championships - and Ducat🐟i’s first since 2007 - by coming back from a 91-point deficit, the largest in premier class history.
But TNT Spo♛rts’ panel believe that Martin’s confidence might affect Bagnaia.
“It will be ringing in Pecco’s ears,” Miౠch𒆙ael Laverty said.
“His comment ‘no weak tracks for him now’ - 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, ಞhe believes that he ca🐲n 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 conf𒐪ident and faster.
“Able to do the one-lap time attack, the lonꦿg race, the sprint race. There is no chink in his armour right now.”
Hopkins added: “I was ju𒊎st thinking, we can’t discount Bagnaia. He doesn’t seem too disapp𓃲ointed at all.
“Look at him last season, what he did, the poin♕ts he made up at the end of the year. How strong he was at the end of the year.
“Obviously it would be a big feat for him to surpass what Martin is doing, to get the edge and a biಞt of conf🏅idence on Martin.
“If anyone can do it, it’s him right now.”
Bagnaia 🍌welcomed the closeness 🔴of the title fight after seeing Martin win another race.
“He’s still fast but 🉐he said that through gritted t🦄eeth,” Laverty said.
“Looking for🌠ward to the rivalry? I think he’d still p♛refer to have a 66-point advantage!
“We’re enjoying it because we thought it was a Pecco whitewash u💫ntil the end of the season. We’re getting an unexpected title battle.
“It’🎐s brilliant because we’re seeing a new side of Jorge, a confident one.
“Pramac is not suppose🉐d to win this title, it’s supposed to be a facto💧ry Ducati.
“At the minute, my money would be on Jorge on current form. But never rule out Bagnaia, what he did last season was so impressive, there will be a few shifts befo💞re the end of the season.”
James w꧅as a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a de🔥cade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
