One round from the end, Francesco Bagnaia is in a privileged position to clinch the MotoGP title. He has a 21-point lead over Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) in the championship standings, with 37 points still up for grabs.
The Italian Ducati rider said in a press conference that he is more prepared to face the situation he will encounter in Valencia, only concerned about the weather: ‘Honestly, the best way to compete and not be affected by pressure is to just think about giving your best, focus on delivering the best possible race. To be honest, last year I struggled a lot in Valencia, even though I had a 23-point advantage. So, I think I will arrive in Valencia in more or less the same situation, but already prepared for what will happen. What scares or worries me the most right now is the weather, because at the end of November in Valencia, you never know what will happen. But I cross my fingers and let’s see‘.
Although he admits that he can manage more than Martín, Bagnaia emphasized that he will not be in “management mode” in the last round of the year: ‘It is true that we are in the best possible position, we are ahead by 21 points [margin]. Jorge will have to attack a lot and we can manage a bit, but starting to think about managing is not the best way to deal with pressure, so it will be important to stay focused and follow the same strategy, the same routine, as a normal weekend‘.
