Let's Talk MotoGP: Did the Sprints Decide the Championship?

It's a refrain that has been heard a lot since the rise of Jorge Martin, which fits perfectly with the introduction of the Sprint format. Did the "Martinator" win his championship? MotoGP Saturday? Today I'm going to give you my reasoned view on the issue in addition to choosing a side.

Clear, clean and precise

 

The question is legitimate, because it is true that Jorge Martin has had more success in Sprint than in Grand Prix since his arrival at the highest level. In 2023, he was already particularly comfortable in this format, and this was no less true in 2024. He triumphed seven times on Saturday, that's not nothing. But in my opinion, they didn't make much difference. Let me explain.

The previous sentence was deliberately striking, because obviously Jorge Martin mathematically took advantage of his advantage over his rival Pecco Bagnaia in the Sprints, but I simply want to say that these did not have such a big impact on the final result. As I said when introducing the format directly copied from Formula 1, a driver who is good at Sprint is good at Grand Prix.. It makes little difference, because they are always at 100% once the lights are out. Of course, some have an advantage because they have good projection capacity, but those who have this ability also use it on Sundays.

 

 

Who won Sprints in 2024? Bastianini, with two wins, as many as his Sunday victories – while he is known to be much stronger when tyre degradation is felt. Martin, therefore, Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia, Vinales and Aleix Espargaro. The ones you find all the time, you know. Martin often wins in Sprints, not because he has a secret talent that only reveals itself on Saturday, but because he is one of those who play up front, all the time. I would like to point out that he only has four races finished outside the top 3 in 40 starts.

 

The Bagnaia case

 

I often read here and there that Bagnaia is struggling in the Sprint, that he has trouble on Saturdays, that he is gaining momentum. In short, that's where he lost the title.. This is completely fallacious.

 

 

To say this is to forget part of the context. He already has seven Sprint victories, like Martin. It's less than his eleven on Sunday, but it's still a lot.. Then, he was often in a position to fight before falling. I think he could have had a very good race at Le Mans, but his equipment let him down. Similarly, he was harpooned by Brad Binder at Jerez, which is not insignificant. Then, in Catalonia, he was first when he fell, on the last lap. We can't say that he was frankly less strong than Martin in this format when you put everything together.

 

Not a specialist

 

It is not discussed enough, but the "Martinator" also gave up ground in the Sprint. In Italy, for example, he also fell; a rare event, but which could have had its importance. In Indonesia, he also fell from the head.

What I mean is that there is not such a big difference between the two in the Sprints, and that in the dynamics, it was surely not these who prevented Bagnaia from being crowned. The official Ducati, in my opinion, left this title to Martin by falling, but whether it is Saturday or Sunday does not matter. Martin, himself, won it by being extremely consistent., again, on Saturday as well as Sunday.

Yes, indeed, Martin scored more points in Sprint than Bagnaia: 171 vs. 128, but with an equal number of victories. If we look at it from a mathematical perspective, then yes, Bagnaia scored more on Sunday, and Martin on Saturday. But in reality, the numerical gap is certainly not representative of a supposed gap in level displayed by the two protagonists of this season on the short format.

I'm still curious to have your opinion on the matter, then, tell me in comments!

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport