Francesco Bagnaia has the first opportunity to clinch this year’s MotoGP title at the Qatar GP. Currently, the Ducati rider holds a 14-point lead over Jorge Martín (Pramac Racing/Ducati), needing to leave Losail with a 37-point lead.
The Italian ensured that he doesn’t see this as a decisive round despite the possibility of becoming champion already: ‘I’m not considering this weekend as a match point. I think I have to gain 23 points and that’s too much. In a single weekend Jorge is doing a really great job and it’s more important to think session by session, to work like the past weekend in Sepang and try to be competitive. We know perfectly the tarmac is new and it could be a great question mark for the tyres. I think it will be demanding for the tyres because it’s new. It’s a track that I like, we were always competitive here apart from the last year that was in the wrong moment of the season. The lap record is still mine and I think our bike suits very well to this track’.
Asked whether the main objective will be to increase his points gap before the last race, Bagnaia replied: ‘It could be better because right now 14 points, with the championship we are having, it’s nothing; 37 points every weekend it’s a lot and you can gain or you can lose a lot of points. It will be important to be calm, work well and try to do the maximum. Last weekend he [Martín] gained three points on Saturday and then he lost four on Sunday. So it’s very balanced and I think will be another head-to-head’.