Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin has enjoyed just a watching role in the emerging MotoGP title fight at Ducati between Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez owing to his injury troubles.
The 2024 riders’ champion is still yet to make his race debut for Aprilia after Martin suffered a single fracture on his right hand and multiple on his left foot after a highside on day one of the Sepang Test. He even then sustained left hand, wrist and heel injuries in a training crash.
Amid Martin’s absence, the man who got the Ducati bike expected to his has dominated the opening two rounds. Marquez recorded pole position, won the Sprint and the Grands Prix in Thailand and Argentina to top the championship with 74 points while Bagnaia is third on 43.
Jorge Martin feels Francesco Bagnaia needs ‘everything in place’ to match Marc Marquez
Carlo Pernat expects nothing but a Marquez win now this season after his instant success as a factory Ducati rider. The 32-year-old has settled in seamlessly at the Borgo Panigale crew, leaving Bagnaia to chase his shadow as Marquez looks to win a seventh MotoGP riders’ title.
It may be some time before the reigning champion joins the fight as Aprilia have doubts that Martin will return in Qatar, round four of the season. So, as the 27-year-old works on his bid to recover, he is tracking the Ducati pair and told Bagnaia what he needs to match Marquez.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Martin believes both of Bagnaia and Marquez are huge talents but with their own strengths and weaknesses. One area he feels the former requires to match the latter is Bagnaia’s need for ‘everything’ to be in place, while Marquez can instantly excel at any time and any circuit.
“They both have tremendous talent,” Martin told La Repubblica. “Marc, perhaps, is more impetuous – he is fast on all tracks [and] in any conditions. But Pecco, when he has everything in place and in order, is at Marc’s level.”
Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez have a ‘pact’ to help each other to improve
Everything was certainly not in place last time out at the Argentina Grand Prix for Bagnaia as Marquez pulled further clear of his Ducati teammate in the riders’ championship. Pecco had a tough time at Termas with third in the Sprint and fourth in the main race all he would seal.
Bagnaia felt ‘all aspects’ of his Ducati bike were wrong in Argentina after struggling to find a set-up the 28-year-old liked. The Italian now already faces a mountain simply to fight for the riders’ title, even before going to another Marquez circuit at the Grand Prix of the Americas.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
What might help Bagnaia at the Circuit of the Americas, where Marquez has seven MotoGP wins in 10 visits, is the teammate’s agreement. Bagnaia and Marquez have a ‘pact’ to help each other, with the latter telling the former his secrets for his success in left-hand corners.
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