At first glance it might seem the touch of a magic wand. But Mago Merlin has nothing to do with Bagnaia’s return to the sprint in Japan. Maybe the ‘secret’ lies in having reassembled fork and swingarm of 2024. Which is the variant tried on the Ducati in the Misano test – trying until now unexplored, the Turinese had explained after the pole position – in Motegi he had the effect of resurrecting the former world champion, bringing him back to the top long fasting. A pleasure that did not savor since the end of March, the Americas GP.
To complete the Ducati brace he went up to the podium Marc Marquez, after 12 laps emotionally not easy for him. The ninth title of the Spaniard is getting closer. Just arrive second in tomorrow’s long race, or in any case to place himself in front of his brother Alex, tenth and now detached by 191 points. Third a substantial Pedro Acosta (KTM). «I am very happy to have returned to do what I like, that is, starting well and playing a good race. I have to thank the team’s guys again for their work – he rejoiced Bagnaia on arrival – I never gave up during this negative period, so I’m very happy. Maybe we have the solution ».
“Finally we found the tenders of the skein, even if with a little delay,” commented Gigi Dall’Igna, general manager of Ducati Corse. Does magic repeat? “Now let’s think about celebrating, what will happen after we see, there were tracks that we thought favorable and then it did not go as we hoped” he added, a little crazy. “Winning tomorrow’s race? I don’t give a damn c … my priority is to close for the world championship ».
Marquez has been very explicit on the strategy that will guide him in the long race. “When you have nothing to start light, you go light, it is true that there are other matches points, but better to close before” he added “he added. Today he felt” his shoulders a little heavier than usual, until 2019 I was more used to winning a title “he admitted. On the race he explained:” I was too conservative in the first turns, I was tense and I found myself fourth. I was fourth. I lost half second.
In Japan, the umpteenth station of the Via Crucis was then consumed, which proved to be the season of Jorge Martin. Starting 17th, at the first detached of the first tour, the reigning world champion lost control of his Aprilia, hitting Team’s partner Marco Bezzecchi. Result: broken fracture of the right clavicle for the Spaniard, with an attached helicopter transport to the Dokkyo Medical University Hospital for further investigations; Contusion to the right leg, fortunately without consequences, for Italian. Two injuries in hand during the pre-stage had prevented Martin from running the first three GPs. On his return to Qatar, in April, he fell violently and suffered a pneumothorax, who kept him away from the paddock for another three months.