ROUND 19 / NOVEMBER 1-3, 2024
SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, MALAYSIA
P72
FRIENDLY FEUD
Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia
may have faced off on the track,
yet the pair appear determined to
ensure the rivalry doesn't bubble
over off track. "I'm not the type of
guy that wants to be rude outside
of the track, or needs to be rude
inside of the track or to be aggres-
sive, pushing out, or being the one
that doesn't respect my rivals,"
said Bagnaia. "I've never been like
this. We've never been like this.
If in case Jorge will start to do it,
I will change, but Jorge is more
or less the same as me. Respect
is the main thing, and with Jorge
it's still like this from my point of
view. I don't understand why we
need to be enemies outside of the
track or don't speak to each other
or being rude. I prefer like this."
Martin said, "We know each other
since 2015. We were close friends
in the past. Now we have no more
that relationship, but we are good
to each other. I think, as he said,
it's no sense. We can fight. You
see today. It's an amazing battle I
think for history. Maybe to the last
lap, but it was amazing. Then we
can speak about it. I think we both
enjoy it."
ACOSTA'S FIGHTBACK
CONTINUES
Pedro Acosta was true to his word
in Malaysia. Having crashed out of
the Sprint in Thailand, the rookie
resolved to "understand a top
five isn't bad at all." After a shaky
qualifying of 13th, the 20-year-old
duly delivered, fighting through to
challenge Alex Marquez for fourth
before "losing the front in last
corner. [Then] I said, 'F---, okay,
let's not put the race in the bin for
nothing.'" On an otherwise disas-
Briefly...
ROAD RACE I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
