Lately, MotoGP races have seen some riders standing out, such as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) or Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati). The Australian GP is next, at the Phillip Island circuit, which usually provides very close races with minimal differences between riders.
Bagnaia admitted in a press conference that he expects a different race, with a larger group at the front: ‘I think last year it was very clear how difficult it is to escape on this track. Because during the weekend I was competitive, I was thinking it was possible to escape, but Jorge tried in the beginning, then, after three/four laps, came [Álex] Rins, then I tried. But every time I attacked a little, the other riders were following. So it’s pointless to attack too much, also because the tires here are a problem. Turn four can be a problem. So we have to be careful with everything. It’s more like a race before having this rear tire carcass: control, control, control, and then try to do something in the last laps. Obviously it’s better to be already in the front positions of the group. But escaping, or you’re lucky to open two seconds in the first five/six laps, but if you don’t, it’s harder. So we will have KTM, we will have Honda riders, Yamaha riders, so it will be a big group in my opinion‘.
Martín also considers that it will be difficult to create a gap at the front: ‘For me it’s a bit the same: even if you are super, super fast, it’s hard to escape. It’s true that I think for us, when we are fighting for a title, maybe it’s better to have a fast race so the group isn’t 15 – at least five or six – but we never know. We have to wait until Sunday and see‘.
