Francesco Bagnaia on MotoGP title showdown: “Pressure can play a role, but I won’t cause anything”

Francesco Bagnaia has again ruled out employing any special tactics to try and snatch the MotoGP title away from Jorge Martin at this weekend’s Barcelona showdown.

The reigning double champion starts the event 24-points behind fellow Ducati rider Martin, with only 37-still available over the Sprint and grand prix.

“My mission will be to win both races, take it on Sunday and then what will happen will happen,” Bagnaia said on the eve of the event.

Even if Bagnaia wins both races, he needs a handful of other riders ahead of Martin.

The problem for Bagnaia is that no one could get close to the title leaders during May’s Catalunya Grand Prix.

“In May we finished first and second and third was 11-seconds behind, so we showed again that we were on another level,” Bagnaia said. “But I really hope that someone else will be in the mix.

“My mission will be to win. I know Jorge can still finish I think [6th] in both races to win the title. So it will be difficult.

“But let's see, pressure can play a role also.”

Pressed directly on his strategy, Bagnaia excluded the use of go-slow tactics.

“I will not do anything to compromise the result of anyone. So I will go full send, I will enjoy and I try to win both traces and then what will happen will happen.

“I know that the level [above the others] we are both in right now is enough to guarantee the title to Jorge. Because even if he slows down a bit, it's difficult that he will finish out of the podium.

“So this is our reality but I will not try to cause anything. What will happen will happen.”

However, Bagnaia admitted that other riders would be more helpful to one or other of them.

“I know perfectly that he will have some help by riders like Aleix Espargaro, like I think I will have by our riders from the Academy,” he said.

“So I think we are both more or less in a similar situation but he's 24 points in advantage. So he can play it a bit more.

“The reality is that if I win the title on Sunday, it’s because I did a very good job, but also because he did a mistake on the weekend.”

Pressure is probably Bagnaia’s best hope of a mistake from Martin.

The Italian admitted he had struggled to ride freely when holding the points lead at previous title showdowns with Fabio Quartararo (2022) and Martin (2023).

“I feel much more free right now because I have to go full send,” he said. “Two years ago honestly, I was really scared during the race and I finished eighth and that was a result that was completely out of my potential. So it was strange.

“Last season, I just tried to keep calm, but when I was racing I was a bit more nervous absolutely.

“But you never know. You can't escape from pressure. And also it's difficult to live with it.

“But we are racers and we want to do the best possible.

“Jorge can enjoy a lot the weekend because he did a fantastic season. This time I think that my maximum isn't enough, so we have to see what will happen.”

Bagnaia also dismissed trying to increase the pressure on Martin’s shoulders by following him in practice, a tactic the Pramac rider tried at Valencia last year.

“The only thing I will do is if he will start behind me, I will not push,” Bagnaia said.

“Because from my side, mind games are not working. So I never did it and I will continue doing my job.

“I think Jorge understood from the experience last year that he just lost time by doing that. So I think it's better to do your job, prepare perfectly and then decide it in the race.”

But the 27-year-old did highlight how easy it will be to make a mistake with so many variables this weekend.

“It's difficult because we are racing at a track where we could have more tricky situations,” he said.

“It's cold, we have four different front tyres, three rear. More riders are fast here because the track is not the easiest one, so have to be careful on the tyres and we know perfectly that Aprilia and KTM are fast here.

“So we could have more rivals and easy mistakes can make you crash like I did in Malaysia. I was doing a normal thing and I lost 12 points like this. So it's very easy to win or lose. I think everything can happen.”

But if Martin stays out of trouble and becomes the first MotoGP world champion from a satellite team, Bagnaia will be quick to congratulate him.

“Absolutely in terms of mistakes, I did a lot. And if you want to be a champion, you have to be more precise, more consistent and Jorge was more consistent than me,” Bagnaia said.

“But in term of race results, it's clear that we did a better job, because I won ten races on Sunday, six races on Saturday. So in terms of pure results, we did a very good job, but I think both of us are deserving the title.

“So I want to say something I think will sound strange, but in case Jorge wins the title, I couldn’t be happy for him. Because we’ve known each other for a long time and I think he's also deserving the title.”