“Pramac not supposed to win the title” | “Don’t discount Bagnaia yet”
That’s the verdict of the TNT Sports team after the Japanese MotoGP where Martin’s victory, after a red-flagged race due to bad weather, brought him to within three points of championship leader Bagnaia.
Factory Ducati Bagnaia led by over 60 points earlier this summer while Pramac’s Martin has now won two of the past three grands prix.
“Once he found his stride, found comfort, saw how much grip there was, he just was riding the train,” John Hopkins said about Martin’s ride at Motegi.
“He’s on a train of confidence right now. The way he attacked at the start of the race shows how confident he is.”
Martin declared afterwards that the remaining tracks on the MotoGP calendar are all advantageous to him in the title battle.
Last year, Bagnaia won his maiden championships - and Ducati’s first since 2007 - by coming back from a 91-point deficit, the largest in premier class history.
But TNT Sports’ panel believe that Martin’s confidence might affect Bagnaia.
“It will be ringing in Pecco’s ears,” Michael Laverty said.
“His comment ‘no weak tracks for him now’ - previously we have seen Jorge have a little dip at Assen and Silverstone. It just wasn’t the Jorge we’ve seen.
“It’s game on, he believes that he can win this title. He’s beaten Pecco hands down now, three weeks in a row.
“At the past three events he’s been, not head and shoulders above, but more confident and faster.
“Able to do the one-lap time attack, the long race, the sprint race. There is no chink in his armour right now.”
Hopkins added: “I was just thinking, we can’t discount Bagnaia. He doesn’t seem too disappointed at all.
“Look at him last season, what he did, the points he made up at the end of the year. How strong he was at the end of the year.
“Obviously it would be a big feat for him to surpass what Martin is doing, to get the edge and a bit of confidence on Martin.
“If anyone can do it, it’s him right now.”
Bagnaia welcomed the closeness of the title fight after seeing Martin win another race.
“He’s still fast but he said that through gritted teeth,” Laverty said.
“Looking forward to the rivalry? I think he’d still prefer to have a 66-point advantage!
“We’re enjoying it because we thought it was a Pecco whitewash until the end of the season. We’re getting an unexpected title battle.
“It’s brilliant because we’re seeing a new side of Jorge, a confident one.
“Pramac is not supposed to win this title, it’s supposed to be a factory Ducati.
“At the minute, my money would be on Jorge on current form. But never rule out Bagnaia, what he did last season was so impressive, there will be a few shifts before the end of the season.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
