ROUND 17 / OCTOBER 27-29, 2023
CHANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT / BURIRAM PROVINCE, THAILAND
MOTOGP I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
P58
TENSIONS MOUNTING?
As the title fight intensifies, it
would appear that Jorge Martin's
comments about facing less pres-
sure than Francesco Bagnaia due
to the fact he's in a satellite team
have riled members of the fac-
tory squad. Speaking in the Italian
newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport,
Bagnaia's crew chief Cristian
Gabarrini said, "It's easy to be on a
factory team dressed as a satellite
and have all the benefits of the fac-
tory team without the drawbacks,
primarily pressure. MartÃn, what-
ever happens, will have done well.
But Pramac is a factory team."
DI GIANNANTONIO
EDGING TOWARD
REPSOL HONDA DEAL
Fabio Di Giannantonio is edg-
ing toward a one-year deal with
Repsol Honda in 2024 after Miguel
Oliveira ruled himself out of the
running. The Portuguese star had
previously indicated he was inter-
ested in replacing Marc Marquez.
But it's understood Oliveira was
keen on a two-year deal when
Repsol Honda was only offering
one. Asked if he was in talks with
Honda on Thursday, he replied,
"No, we are not." As Iker Lecuona
was confirmed to stay in Honda's
WorldSBK program, the coast is
now clear for Di Giannantonio. "I
think in the next couple of weeks
we will know something better," he
said, while admitting his personal
manager was Thailand bound.
"When you do a good job, your
manager has to present you as a
guy with a podium," he said of his
Australian GP heroics. "I'm trying
to help him to help me find a seat
for next year."
Briefly...
Marco Bezzecchi (72)
gradually fought back
through the pack in the
Sunday GP for fourth.
