Bagnaia Predicts French GP Outcome as a Glimpse into the 2024 MotoGP Championship Battle

Francesco Bagnaia anticipates the French Grand Prix results, suggesting they will mirror the dynamics of the upcoming 2024 MotoGP championship. His prediction offers insight into potential contenders and the competitive landscape expected in next year's racing battle.

In Sunday's French GP at Le Mans, Bagnaia fiercely competed against Jorge Martin of Pramac and Marc Marquez from Gresini Ducati for the highest honors. Ultimately, Martin prevailed in the contest, claiming his second Grand Prix victory of the season and increasing his championship lead over Bagnaia to 38 points.

After leading most of the 27 laps, Bagnaia was overtaken by Marquez on the final lap and finished third at Le Mans. Marquez is now third in the standings, 40 points behind leader Martin after five rounds. The reigning double world champion views himself, Martin, and Bagnaia as the most consistent performers on the grid in 2024 and believes the race at Le Mans previews this season's title battle. "At the moment, we three are the most complete riders in the championship," he stated.

"Other riders are certainly fast enough to perform well and win races," he remarked. "However, in terms of speed and consistency—Jorge, in particular—we stand out as the most complete riders. Without Jorge's crash at Jerez, I believe the top three from the Spanish GP would have been the same, with the same contenders battling it out as today."

"So, I think the championship will more or less follow this pattern," he suggested. Bagnaia, starting from second on the grid, initially led Martin for the first 20 laps until Martin overtook him at Turn 3 on the 21st lap. Bagnaia, the factory Ducati rider, admitted to struggling significantly in sector three, particularly at Turn 9, where Marquez passed him on the final lap, diminishing his chances of victory. However, after a bike issue forced him to retire from Saturday's sprint—a problem he deemed "dangerous"—Bagnaia recognized that completing the Grand Prix was his primary goal.

"Sector three was my weak point," he explained. "Yesterday, it was a strength, but today I struggled particularly in corner nine, losing too much time there. So, I was trying to give it my all. I dominated in sectors one and two, but the gap I lost in sector three was just too significant. It's an area we need to improve, but there's time to work on it. Considering we didn't participate in the sprint yesterday, finishing the race today was crucial."

Source: autosport