Jorge Martin, the current leader of the MotoGP championship, identifies Francesco Bagnaia as “the frontrunner” for the 2024 Riders’ title, despite trailing by 30 points in the standings. The Italian emerged victorious in the season opener in Qatar, but encounters with Marc Marquez in Portugal and technical difficulties at COTA have caused him to slip to fifth place in the rankings. Nevertheless, Martin still views the defending MotoGP champion as the top contender to defend his title this season, although he expects a more competitive race. “I’m uncertain, there are numerous riders who could contend for the championship,” he stated. “I believe Pecco is still the favorite since he was the winner last season, he holds the number one position. So, now we simply need to be… I mean, the competition is strong. We have Marc [Marquez], we even have Pedro [Acosta], who is truly exceptional and consistent. Therefore, we never know. Enea [Bastianini] was remarkably strong throughout the weekend. The crucial aspect is that we are fast everywhere, and we must concentrate on that.”
Despite possessing a 21-point advantage over Factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini, Martin remains unperturbed about his chances of winning the championship, despite his impressive start to the season. “Certainly, I am not currently concerned about that,” he remarked regarding his position in the standings. “I prefer not to dwell on it. However, the points we have accrued are indicative of our performance. I am content with that. I am pleased that we have already accumulated 80 points, which is quite substantial. I believe we should be content and continue along this trajectory because we are working effectively, concentrating on ourselves, and improving upon last season’s results. This is a circuit where I have struggled in the past, and this weekend we obtained a considerable number of points. Undoubtedly, it is better to be in the lead than in tenth place.”