‘If he wants to brake like me, he’ll go wide; he did it and went wide” -Jorge Martín claims Francesco Bagnaia led him to mistake

Francesco Bagnaia secured a decisive victory in the Sprint race of the MotoGP Austrian GP at Spielberg on Saturday, demonstrating both strategic acumen and competitive prowess.

The Ducati rider capitalized on a critical moment when his main rival, Jorge Martín from Prima Pramac Ducati, encountered trouble.

Martín faced a significant setback when he cut through the chicane at Turn 2 without adhering to the required rule of giving back at least one second. This infraction

earned him a Long Lap penalty. Bagnaia, who was in a position to take advantage of the situation, described his reaction: “I saw that he went wide.

I exited super well from Turn 1, so I decided to go on the outside and said to myself: ‘Now I will brake like in qualifying; if he wants to brake like me, he will go wide absolutely.’ He did, and he went wide.”

Bagnaia’s strategic foresight proved correct as he further assessed the impact of Martín’s actions. “When the lap finished and I saw that he was 0.3s behind, I just said: ‘Okay, he will get a penalty because he didn’t lose one second.’

For sure, when you cut a chicane, you are already losing time, but rules are rules, and they say that if you cut, you have to give one second back, and he didn’t.”

With Martín out of contention due to the penalty, Bagnaia shifted his focus to preparing for the main race. He used the Sprint race as a valuable opportunity to refine his approach and make necessary adjustments.

“From that moment, I decided to understand everything perfectly about the race—maps, rear tyre settings, and more. I just aimed to go as smoothly as possible to prepare for tomorrow’s race, because it was enough to beat the guys behind.”

Bagnaia’s victory not only showcased his skill and strategic thinking but also set him up well for the main event, demonstrating his readiness to leverage every aspect of the weekend’s racing for optimal performance.