A crash out of second place within the Malaysian MotoGP Dash dealt a significant late blow to Francesco Bagnaia’s 2024 world title hopes.
The three-times World Champion crashed out at flip 9, folding the entrance mid-corner as his entrance tyre hopped from underneath him.
Flip 9 is a nook that has confirmed tough all weekend. Aleix Espargaro fell there twice on Friday, and Augusto Fernandez crashed there in qualifying.
Marc Marquez, who inherited second place from Bagnaia when he crashed out, stated that the difficult circumstances in that nook and Bagnaia’s depth within the opening laps may need been components within the Italian’s crash.
“I imply, that flip 9 is super-critical,” Marquez stated, having been immediately behind Bagnaia when the Italian crashed out of the Sepang Dash.
“What number of crashes we see, one of these crash in flip 9; I imply he was pushing, he did what he wanted to do and tomorrow once more he must take a danger and attempt to win the race as a result of it’s his solely likelihood to get better factors.
“If you end up in entrance in a championship, every part is less complicated to regulate and to handle. However, [Jorge] Martin is doing an excellent job.”
Regardless of his place immediately behind Bagnaia when he crashed, Marquez was not in a position to provide any evaluation of why the crash occurred.
“He [Bagnaia] wants to clarify,” Marquez stated. “I imply, on that brake level, imagine me, my eyes each lap have been going out from the helmet since you are braking super-hard and you’ve got sufficient [work] to really feel what is going on along with your bike.
“I see solely that he misplaced the entrance on the final half. However, I don’t know what occurred on the bike.”
Martin: Flip 9 “actually vital all of the weekend”
Bagnaia’s most important title rival Jorge Martin echoed the ideas of Marquez on the treacherousness of flip 9 this weekend, and famous the patchy floor on the within of that individual nook.
“It’s been actually vital all of the weekend,” Martin stated, following his Dash victory that moved him 29 factors away from Bagnaia within the riders’ standings.
“I had a number of moments yesterday in my time assault, additionally right this moment in my time assault. It’s on the right line, you have got like three totally different asphalts, and sooner or later there isn’t a asphalt.
“So, it’s like motocross. It’s actually tough. It’s a must to be actually exact [with the] line on that nook.
“I didn’t see the crash but, so I can’t give my opinion about it. However I additionally had some moments in that nook and I’ve to launch [the brakes] typically throughout the race to not crash.”
Enea Bastianini: “I misplaced the entrance in that nook two occasions”
Bagnaia’s manufacturing unit Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini was one place behind Marquez when Bagnaia crashed, and likewise had a view of the crash.
He once more repeated that flip 9 was proving difficult, and gave a clue as to the place Bagnaia’s mistake may need come.
“Immediately flip 9 was very vital,” Bastianini stated, “as a result of when you find yourself with the brake it begins to maneuver a bit, however once you launch typically you lose the entrance.
“I misplaced the entrance in that nook two occasions, however I stayed extra fortunate in contrast Pecco [Bagnaia].
“I don’t know what occurred to Pecco as a result of he was in entrance of me, however [in front of] Marc [Marquez]. In all probability the error has been after the center of the nook.”
