Bagnaia predicts the 2024 MotoGP title contenders will emerge from the French Grand Prix podium, praising their all-around skill.
Bagnaia once again locked horns with Pramac’s Jorge Martin and Gresini Ducati’s Marc Marquez for the top spot at Sunday’s French GP in Le Mans. Martin emerged victorious in this showdown, claiming his second Grand Prix win of the season and extending his championship lead to 38 points over Bagnaia.
Despite leading for a significant portion of the 27 laps, Bagnaia was relegated to third on the final lap by Marquez, who now sits third in the standings, 40 points behind Martin after five rounds. The reigning double-world champion believes that he, Martin, and Bagnaia have been the most consistent performers in 2024. He sees Le Mans as a preview of the title fight this season.
“At the moment, the three of us are the most complete riders in the championship,” he said.
“Other riders are fast and can win races, but in terms of speed and consistency – particularly Jorge – we are the most complete. Without Jorge’s crash at Jerez, the top three at the Spanish GP would have been the same guys fighting as today.
“So, I think the championship will be more or less like this.”
Bagnaia took the lead from second on the grid and held off Martin for the first 20 laps before Martin made a decisive move at Turn 3 on the 21st lap.
The factory Ducati rider admitted to struggling in sector three, especially at Turn 9 where Marquez passed him on the final lap, preventing him from challenging for the win.
However, after a bike issue forced him to retire from Saturday’s sprint, which he described as “dangerous” at the time, Bagnaia emphasized the importance of finishing the grand prix.
“Sector three was my weak point,” he explained,“Yesterday, it was a strong point, but today I wasn’t competitive in corner nine and was losing too much time.
“I tried my best. Sectors one and two were good for me, but the time I lost in sector three was too much.
“It’s something to improve, but we have time. Considering that we didn’t finish the sprint yesterday, finishing the race today was the most important thing.
