The Thailand Grand Prix opens this weekend with a high-octane atmosphere, marked by the confrontation between Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia. As the 2024 MotoGP season draws to a close, this round could well be the turning point. With just three races remaining, Italian Bagnaia must push hard to stay in the race, while Spaniard Martin, in a strong position with a 20-point lead, could strike a major blow with a win in Buriram.
In the Pramac box, where Martin leads the charge, a tense calm reigns. The team, world team champion in 2022, is this time aiming for the individual title, supported by a Martinator who is both implacable and serene. The sports director Fonsi Nieto does not hide the importance of this moment: " Thailand is the most crucial race of the year for Pecco and Martin " he told the Spanish media AS.
Indeed, a simple mistake could cost both men dearly. It is a race "on the tightrope" where every detail, every decision of adjustment or choice of tires, and every fraction of a second can tip the balance of the championship.
Fonsi Nieto: “ Jorge Martin must try to keep a cool head »
To bagnaia, the obligation is clear: he no longer has the right to make mistakes. As for Martin, the management of this lead in points, still fragile, is essential. Grandson summary : " Jorge must try to keep a cool head and analyze each situation well. It's a question of progression, session after session, race after race »
bagnaia et Martin meticulously study telemetry data, not only from past races but also from last year's in Thailand. In 2023, Martin had dominated Buriram with a sprint and race double, a triumph of which Fonsi Nieto however, tempers the importance: " last year was a great victory, but now everything is different. Every race is a new universe, especially with the uncertainty of a rainy SundayOur advantage remains maintaining the calm that we have managed to preserve up until now. »
This week-end, Martin et bagnaia cannot afford any hesitation. The MotoGP championship throne is now being decided by the thinnest of margins, in a duel where the smallest detail could tip the balance.
MotoGP, Thailand D1: chronos
