2023-11-24 17:33:01
The Valencia Grand Prix has given us the most tense practice session of the entire season. Jorge Martín has been playing his cards since Friday, aware that only a mistake by Pecco Bagnaia in one of the two races of the weekend could tip the MotoGP title in his favor, which is why today the Madrid native has done everything possible to bother his Italian rival always within the law.
The PRAMAC Racing driver put his strategy into action in the final stages of Practice, when the entire grid mounted the soft rear compound to attack the time. Despite the 20º C temperature and the sun that shone today at the top of Cheste, the track was nothing to write home about, and this is evident with the six falls that have occurred throughout this hour-long session.
With 10 minutes to go, Martín found Pecco Bagnaia on the track, and stuck to him. The man from Turin immediately entered the pits, and the man from Madrid did the same. Both have remained in their respective garages longer than usual, playing cat and mouse.: Pecco trusting that Martín would return to the track and the Spaniard sitting on his Ducati waiting for the Italian to resume his march.
The tension could be cut with a knife, so much so that even the team manager of the Ducati Lenovo Team, Davide Tardozzi, He went to the PRAMAC Racing box to tell Jorge Martín to go out on the track, an order that the Madrid native completely ignored. At that time Pecco was 13th in the time table and Martín was 5th, so the Italian was forced to return to the track if he wanted to set a competitive time and avoid going through Q1.
The waiting game isn’t the only game @88jorgemartin is playing right now! ????
COULD IT GET ANY MORE TENSE?! ????#ValenciaGP ???? pic.twitter.com/aRzyBsN9hp
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) November 24, 2023
Finally, with less than seven minutes until the checkered flag, Pecco got into his Desmosedici and took the pitlane exit lane, of course with Martín glued to his tail. The Italian only had a couple of laps to improve his own time, but between the traffic, a tire that needed more temperature and a yellow flag on the last lap, Finally Bagnaia could only clock a 1:29.801 which condemned him to 15th place.
Martín’s case was radically different; at Bagnaia’s wheel, the Madrid native managed to set a very fast lap in 1:29.289 that placed him in second positiononly surpassed by a competitive Maverick Vinales which has been the great dominator on Friday, registering a 1:29.142 that improves the absolute Valencia record that Jorge Lorenzo had kept since the 2016 season (1’29.401), an improvement in which the new Cheste asphalt has a lot to do with it.
Behind Maverick and Martín, the Ducati of Johann Zarco (3rd +0.154), who was already competitive since FP1, leading the morning session. Behind we find the reborn Fabio Di Giannantonio (4th +0.253) in his effort to take Luca Marini’s bike next year, followed by a Marco Bezzecchi (5th +0.254) who was the victim of a hard fall in turn 8, luckily without physical consequences for the member of the Mooney VR46 Team. They complete the top 10 that gives direct access to Q2 Brad Binder (6º +0.260), Marc Márquez (7º +0.317), Raul Fernandez (8º +0.328), Jack Miller (9th +0.339) and Aleix Espargaró (10º +0.429).
????????????#ValenciaGP ???? pic.twitter.com/ShhjAqGXWk
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) November 24, 2023
In addition to Bezzecchi’s fall, Augusto Fernández (turn 14), Álex Rins (turn 1), Aleix Espargaró (turn 1), Jack Miller (an ugly flip in turn 3) and Pol Espargaró also kissed the asphalt today. In principle, everyone is fine and their continuity in this Valencia GP is not in danger.
The one who cannot say the same is Joan Mir; The Spaniard fell during FP1, in the opening stages, sustaining a severe blow to his neck that finally forced him to visit a nearby hospital. The Repsol Honda Team has confirmed that its rider does not suffer fractures, but the doctors have asked for caution and the #36 has decided not to participate in the Practice session, and tomorrow he will undergo a new check-up prior to FP2 to confirm whether or not he continues to compete in this Valencia GP.
Tomorrow, Saturday, the action will continue in Cheste from 10:10 with the MotoGP FP2, a prelude to a fierce fight for pole that will begin at 10:50. Later, at 3:00 p.m., turn for the Sprint Race, 13 laps that can decide the 2023 MotoGP champion or delay the fight for the title to Sunday.
Read also: Davide Brivio denies that he is going to replace Alberto Puig, at least for the moment
Valencia GP MotoGP Practice Results
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