Having fallen during the Sepang sprint, Francesco Bagnaia is now 29 points behind Jorge Martin with 62 left to take. The Italian promises to fight to the end against the Spaniard, and that starts by trying to win the long race this Sunday.
The fall: “He took the inside at the start and when I tried to pass him, it didn't work. So I waited. The pace wasn't that fast. (In this corner) I was doing a tighter line and there was a bump there that I hit, and I lost the front. It's a shame because I had pace. I rode well but Jorge was smarter. »
He lacks sprints: “Sprint races bother me. Unfortunately, this year is not the first time that when I think of doing something to have more margin, I fail. And all the mistakes made this year in the races were in the sprint races, where Jorge was better. Because in the end, the difference between us is unfortunately made in the sprint races. It's been a bit of a special season. Saturday is definitely not my day. We have won many sprints, but today Jorge won seventh. The gap is my falls. »
Objective victory on Sunday: “I'm going to give it my all, as always. With a 29-point lead, Jorge is now the only one who can make mistakes and lose the title. Because we have a much higher level than the others, if he goes slowly he will come second (and be champion), so we need something else. Tomorrow I have the opportunity to win the race, I will do my best. I just hope Enea (Bastianini) and Marc (Marquez) improve their pace, because I need someone to step in and, above all, I need to win. »
Everything remains possible despite the delay: “It’s very difficult, but we also know how things can change from one moment to the next. Jorge will certainly not ride at 100% tomorrow, because he has to be careful and he is the only one who can lose with a 29-point lead. This will surely affect him. »
