"ONE THING
I'M ALWAYS
REALLY
FOCUSED
ON IS TO
IMPROVE MY
FEELING IN
TERMS OF
THE RACE
PACE ON USED
TIRES."
(Left ) Despite Jorge
Martin's superior speed,
Bagnaia was the cooler
customer. (Right) Pecco
Bagnaia celebrates securing
the 2023 title in Valencia.
(Below) How Bagnaia dealt
with Martin's (right)—and
Marc Marquez's—repeated
attempts to get under his
skin was commendable.
And keep the pressure he did.
Chief challenger Martin's epic
comeback from September on
was awesome to watch. But
Bagnaia reacted when needed and
showed himself to be the calmer,
more mature figure, even if he
wasn't necessarily the quicker.
"Starting from Barcelona, Jorge
was for sure faster than him in
many circuits," explained General
Manager Gigi Dall'Igna. "He can
take the pressure quite well, and
this is something very important."
How he dealt with Martin's—and
Marquez's—repeated attempts to get
under his skin was commendable.
The dramatic final round of the
year, where the title was decided,
was a snapshot of the two con
-
tenders' respective challenges.
Despite the Spaniard's superior
speed, Bagnaia was the cooler
customer, his mettle in high-pres-
sure situations telling. The three
days followed what became a
recognizable pattern for this year's
number-one: weak on Friday,
inferior to Martin in the Sprint, but
outperforming his great rival one
day on when it really mattered.
INTERVIEW I 2023 MOTOGP CHAMPION PECCO BAGNAIA
P68
