Bagnaia and Martín experience another assault in Indonesia, but with the focus on Márquez

Fight also open in Moto2 and Moto3, with a Spanish accent thanks to Acosta and Masià

MADRID, 12 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The MotoGP World Championship is very tight for the Indonesian Grand Prix, the fifteenth round on the calendar and which takes place this weekend in Lombok, with Jorge Martín (Ducati) three points behind the leader, the Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati). ), although with the attention focused on Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda), while in Moto2 and Moto3 there is a more open fight and also with a Spanish accent thanks to Pedro Acosta and Jaume Masià.

The premier category arrives at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in a fist. In a closed fist. Those three points difference between leader and second, between ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia and Jorge Martín, represent the toughest fight at this point since 1993, when Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Rainey fought for the title. However, the recent signing of Marc Márquez for Gresini Racing has taken away their prominence.

After 14 rounds, practically double if we count the Saturday Sprint races that award half as many points as the Sunday races, that tiny difference between the Italian and the Spanish, both from Ducati, makes each fight have even more weight and importance. And, although the leader is Bagnaia, the one who arrives in Indonesia the fittest is ‘Martinator’.

The Madrid native has three Sprint victories and has won two of the last three Sunday races to reduce a lead that reached 62 points in favor of the Italian. And Martín hopes to complete the comeback on a Mandalika circuit that owes him one, after his abandonment in the inaugural event last year, in which Bagnaia barely added 1 point.

Currently, Francesco Bagnaia leads the World Championship with 319 points, added thanks to five Grand Prix victories, four Sprint victories and nine podiums. For his part, Jorge Martín has 316 points, with three Grand Prix victories, five Sprints and seven other podiums.

An intense and fierce fight that the Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati) is also watching closely, with 265 points and 54 from the lead. Far, but nothing impossible. A two-handed fight that could quickly open up if, for example, in Indonesia the two leading drivers did not score and Bezzecchi finished in the top zone.

Beyond the always dangerous and ambiguous ‘what ifs’, the truth is that the championship is very interesting. In Indonesia the weather could play tricks, it is a route that still presents uncertainties due to being a newcomer to the World Cup calendar and, furthermore, there are still races left and the rest of the drivers will not give in.

Without being in that fight, the media focus will rest on Marc Márquez. The eight-time world champion already announced that he will leave the Repsol Honda Team at the end of the season and, shortly after landing in Lombok, he revealed his signing for Gresini Racing, Ducati’s satellite team and where his brother Álex is. In search of fun, the eldest of the brothers promises just that and fights to the end to say goodbye with honors to the Japanese factory.

MOTO2 AND MOTO3, LESS CLOSE BUT SAME EXCITEMENT

In Moto2, the Spanish Pedro Acosta (KTM) leads the championship with a 50-point margin over the Italian Tony Arbolino, while the British Jake Dixon and the Spaniards Arón Canet and Alonso López need a lot of successes and caroms to get into the two-man battle. which, barring any surprise, will star Acosta and Arbolino.

A year ago, at the premiere of Mandalika and Indonesia, Arbolino finished the race in eighth position, just ahead of Acosta. But in Moto2 everything changes too much from one year to the next to take this data as a clear reference. For now, the truth is that in the last Japanese GP Acosta was third and Arbolino was just eleventh, thus extending Mazarrón’s lead.

In the small category, the Spanish Jaume Masià also leads. In his case, after the turnaround that was the Japanese Grand Prix. In Moto3 everything is very even, and Masià leads the table with 6 points over the Japanese Ayumu Sasaki and 9 over the Spanish Daniel Holgado.

Before the race in Motegi, the three drivers were separated by just 1 point. After the Japanese event, won by Macià with Sasaki and Holgado at his side on the podium, everything is still tight but with Algemesí with more pressure to try to continue leading the fight after this fifteenth stop of the World Cup.

2023-10-12 13:06:38
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