Jorge Martin, the current leader of the MotoGP championship, identifies Francesco Bagnaia as “the favorite” for the 2024 Riders’ title, despite being behind 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 caused him to drop to fifth place in the standings. However, Martin still sees the current MotoGP champion as the main contender to defend his title this season, although he expects a more competitive race. “I am uncertain, there are several riders who could compete for the championship,” he said. “I believe that Pecco is still the favorite, since he was the winner last season, he holds the top position. So, now we just need to be… I mean, the competition is strong. We have Marc [Marquez], even Pedro [Acosta], who is truly exceptional and consistent. So, you never know. Enea [Bastianini] was incredibly strong throughout the weekend. The crucial aspect is that we are fast everywhere and we must focus on that.”
Despite having a 21-point advantage over Factory Ducati rider Enea Bastianini, Martin remains calm about his chances of winning the championship, despite his impressive start to the season. “Certainly, I’m not worried about it at the moment,” he commented on his position in the standings. “I prefer not to dwell on it. However, the points we have accumulated are indicative of our performance. I am satisfied with that. I am happy that we have already accumulated 80 points, which is quite substantial. I believe we should be pleased and continue on this path, as we are working effectively, focusing on ourselves, and improving on last season’s results. This is a circuit where I have struggled in the past and this weekend we managed to score a considerable number of points. Undoubtedly, it is better to be in the lead than in tenth place.”
