P1racenews AI automatic summary:
This weekend’s Valencia title-decider is, infamously, not the first time the championship was up for grabs between an Italian and a Spaniard on the final day.
Jorge Lorenzo compared the current battle between Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin to his famous rivalry with Valentino Rossi in 2015. Lorenzo emphasized the importance of the race, stating that it was the most crucial of his career and he needed to secure pole position and a win. He acknowledged the challenges posed by Marquez and Pedrosa on the Honda, but ultimately executed the best qualifying lap and led the race as planned. Meanwhile, Rossi started from the back of the grid due to an incident in the previous round, and despite battling his way up to fourth, he couldn’t pass Marquez or Pedrosa to secure the championship. Even today, Rossi believes that Marquez intentionally aided Lorenzo’s victory. The upcoming decider between Bagnaia and Martin, both riding the same bikes, bears similarities to the 2015 battle. Bagnaia’s 12-point advantage suggests he could retain the title in the sprint race, but Lorenzo believes Martin is superior in this regard, making Bagnaia’s only chance to win both races and hope for bad results from Martin.
