Bagnaia vs. Martin: Showdown for MotoGP crown

Defending champion Bagnaia comes to Spain with a cushion of 21 points, but the Italian doesn't want to be tactical: "I'll give my maximum." Ultimately, Martin can compete in front of the home crowd in the sprint (12) on Saturday and in the race (25) on Sunday ( 15.00 p.m. each) to collect a total of 37 points.

For Bagnaia it is about his second world title in a row; so far only Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez have successfully defended their title in the MotoGP era. The 26-year-old already has his first match point in the sprint at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Should Bagnaia get four points more than his opponent there, the new World Cup crown would no longer be taken away from him. “The hope is that we can decide the World Cup on Saturday,” said the Ducati works rider, who doesn’t want to risk his last shirt just yet. “The main goal is to start from the front row and fight for victory in the sprint.”

Martin doesn't give up Martin, on the other hand, hopes to be able to reduce the gap with his qualities. The 25-year-old Spaniard has won eight sprint races this year. “I'm happy with the whole season I've had. I have nothing left to lose and will try to enjoy the weekend and win both races. “I think I’m capable of that,” Martin said aggressively.

By finishing tenth in the race in Qatar, the Pramac driver had lost valuable ground on the World Championship leader. Martin then struggled with the standard Michelin tires; the Spaniard probably got a bad set. He has now dealt with his anger about it. “It was easy to put the whole thing aside. I knew it wasn't my fault.” If there is a tie on points, Bagnaia has the lead over Martin (4) given his six race wins. Pramac Racing already has a historic title; in Qatar they were the first customer team to secure the team crown.

Plague year for Yamaha Meanwhile, Yamaha and former world champion Fabio Quartararo are threatened with a winless year, something that last happened to the Japanese 20 years ago. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez is saying goodbye to Honda as he contests his 169th and final MotoGP race in Valencia for the team with which he won six world titles. Next year the Spaniard will compete on a Ducati for Gresini Racing.

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Bagnaia vs. Martin: Showdown for MotoGP crown

There will be a big showdown in the MotoGP World Championship in Valencia this weekend between Ducati riders Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin.

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