The recent flooding in Vale🐟ncia has forced MotoGP to move its 2024 season finale to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a track which su🍸its both contenders.

Francesco Bagnaia won the Catalan Grand Prix earlier this year, and wou⛎ld have secured a Sprint-Grand Prix double had he not crashed in Saturday’s half-distance race while leading🅰 on the final lap.

On the other 🌞hand, Jorge Martin has not won in the premier class in Barcelona, but he h🔜as been on the podium there in each of the last three Grands Prix.

“๊Barcelona i💫s a good track for both of us,” championship leader Martin said in the post-race press conference at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

“Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia] won la🙈st Sunday there; I was second, quite close, for sure I missed a bit but we will unde🐻rstand why.”

Sepang winner Bagnaia added: “Mathematically it’s still possible. We know thatꦗ it’s quite difficult, but in Barcelona everything can happen.

“I crashed in the Sprint race when I was leading by one second꧋ and trying to avoid any mistakes and I crashed the same.

“So, it will be tricky, the condition🌺s will be more tough compared to June because it will be cold.

“Two corners in Barcelona are quite tricky: turn two and t♏urn five; so it will be important to try tꦆo be so competitive, but be calm.”

Both riders also insisted that t❀he change in location for the final round willܫ no impact how they prepare for it.

“We adapt to every📖thing every time,” Bagnaia said, “so for me no [it won’t change how I prepare]. In terms of performance, I perform better in Barcelona normally [compared to Valencia].

“But also it’s a track that’s more tricky, where the mi✤stakes are very close, so you have to be more precise. But I don’t have a preference.”

Martin has a strong record in Barcelona, despite being without a win there i𒊎n the premier class.

“For me, it’s the same,” he said. “I think I perform really simila🔯r in Barcelona and Valencia.

“In Montmelo I’ve been on the podium in 2022 and 2023, 𒆙so I think I’m competitive.

“As Pecco says, there are some tricky corne🐈rs, also now in November — let’s see, we can find a lot of different conditio☂ns: maybe it can rain, can be windy, can snow, I don’t know.

“I hope Michelin will find a nice solution, like Australia, but let’s see what๊♏ happens.”

For Bagnaia, the task of overhauling his 24-point deficit to Martin with only 37 now available seems almost impossible, with third-placed Enea Bastianini finishing 10 seconds adrift in Malജaysia.

“It🌌’s something that we need to improve for the next one in Barc🧜elona,” Bagnaia joked.

“I will try to give the slipstream to everybody during 𓂃the weekend to make that someone will be in the middle.💛 I have to win both races, so let’s see.”

In comparison, for Martin there is t🥃he assurance that the destiny of the championship is firmly in his control.

“For me, the conꦅfidence doesn’t change a 🔴lot coming to this race or coming to the next race,” he said.

“Also, I am confident about m𒁏y work, how I arrive here. I just think that it’s a privilege to be at this point, battlไing with a champion like Pecco is crazy so for sure I’m confident, I’m happy that we take seven more points from this race.

“I feel a 🀅bit closer to the final target, but nothing is over until it’s over, so we need to be super-focused, and for sure believe until the end.”