BURIRAM, OCT 24 – Two-time MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia warned rival Jorge Martin today that he is on a ‘mission’ to overtake his title rival, starting in Thailand this weekend.
Pramac Ducati’s Martin now leads Italian defending champion Bagnaia by 20 points, with just three race weekends left in the season.
The situation forced Bagnaia to perform flawlessly in Saturday’s sprint race and Sunday’s Grand Prix race in Buriram.
“My mission is to do it chasing points and staying competitive,” said the 27-year-old, who missed out on important points after only finishing third at Phillip Island, Australia.
The Spanish rider, Martin took second place in the Grand Prix race last Sunday, behind Marc Marquez.
“We know this track is better for me in terms of performance,” said Bagnaia while in Thailand. “This is a circuit that I like and where our potential is higher and I like the layout of this (circuit),” he added.
He added, “Twenty points at this point is not a big gap.”
Although Bagnaia prefers the circuit in Buriram to Australia, Martin, 26, managed to win both the sprint race and the main race in Thailand last year.
“Of course I’m in good shape,” said Martin, who is aiming for his first MotoGP world title.
“Australia is very good. I want to win, but I am confident in this race,” he added.
The extreme heat and humidity in Buriram could be a factor, as in Malaysia for the penultimate race weekend of the season.
“Of course it’s hot, it’s going to be tough,” Martin said.
Six-time MotoGP champion Marquez is now third and still has a shot at the title, despite being 79 points behind Martin.
By combining the sprint and main races, a maximum of 37 points can be up for grabs this weekend. – AFP