A fine strategist, Bagnaia did not hesitate to help his opponents in qualifying

The two-time reigning world champion enters this Barcelona Solidarity Grand Prix 24 points behind his Spanish rival. For Francesco Bagnaia, the situation is therefore simple: he must not lose two points or more this afternoon to Jorge Martín if he wants to keep his title chances alive on Sunday. And to maximize these, he must try to put as many bikes as possible between him and Martín to reduce the gap as much as possible. The first battle, that of qualifying, turned to his advantage, since Bagnaia will start from pole position, while Martín will be fourth.

Two bikes managed to get in between, with Aleix Espargaró's Aprilia second in his garden of Montmeló, and Marc Márquez in third place on a Ducati from the Gresini team. Márquez will team up with Bagnaia next year in the official team, and the Italian did not hesitate to help his future garage neighbour by giving him a wheel in qualifying. A strategy that counterbalances that of Espargaró, still very much in form in Barcelona, ​​and who makes no secret of it, he wants to help his great friend Jorge Martín to win the title! It is therefore the strategy of the rider on the Ducati n°1 that has worked best for the moment in qualifying…

“This weekend I'm trying to help other riders because I have to put riders between Jorge and me!” said Bagnaia in the Parc Fermé. "That was the plan, and it worked. He starts fourth, he's very close, but I'm happy all the same because we are fast both in race pace and over a lap as we are proving here. It's important to stay very focused, starting with this afternoon."

The sprint race, which will take place this Saturday from 15pm, could prove decisive for the title. More than a duel between two drivers, Bagnaia will have to keep an eye on Aleix Espargaró, who will not hesitate to play a role in the fight for the title if he can do so… All in total fair play, one can hope, with race director Mike Webb probably having given the usual instructions, namely not to take too many risks against the title contenders, to ensure that the battle is as beautiful and fair as possible.

ALSO READ > Barcelona – Qualifying: Bagnaia takes a significant advantage