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Bagnaia made a mistake. One more time, and this one could cost him dearly, as a third MotoGP title looks like slipping away. On the third lap of the Sprint in Malaysia, at turn 9, Pecco crashed. There is nothing more to add, except that Martin now has a 29-point lead and could close the match as early as tomorrow. "What can I say? Nothing, I crashed - was the Piedmont rider's admission of guilt - This is not the first time it has happened. I entered that corner a bit slower, but I touched the bump in the apex of the corner and I lost the front. I don't know how many laps this weekend and over the years I have touched it many time and never crashed. There is always a first time and it was not the right moment. It's something that honestly can happen. We know perfectly that the only negatives that I have is on the sprint races, because all the mistakes I did, all the lost points, are on Saturdays."
Were you controlling the situation at the time?
"I was waiting to fight back with Jorge and I wasn’t over the limit. So, I was quite confident but I crashed the same.”
What is your first thought now?
"That tomorrow I will go like always, full send. I really hope Enea and Marc will find something to be close to us, because I think in the worst situation right now Jorge will finish second, because we don't have any rivals. Jorge knows perfectly well that now he is the only one who can lose this title, so we will have to do everything in the best possible way. But giving my maximum, winning the race will not be enough. So, we will need something more.”
Martin will have the first match-point.
"It's been a peculiar season, on Sunday you can't say anything about me, but Saturday is not my day."
Winning 9 GPs and being behind in the championship is not strange?
"That's what the scoring system is, there's not much to talk about, maybe something will change in the future. I still won so many Sprints, 6, while today's is the seventh for Jorge, but it was the crashes and bad luck in these races that made the difference. They are what influenced the most, if I remember correctly, after the first 6 GPs I scored 14 points and Martin 80."
Why so many mistakes in the Sprint?
"In the long races I feel I can be fast, aggressive, I can always attack in the first laps. In the Sprint, on the other hand, I never had that feeling. It's something I have to figure out. Definitely I have to stop crashing on Saturday."
After the pole position did you think you had taken an advantage psychologically over Martin?
"Today, as has often happened this year, Jorge and I were on another planet. Being on pole was crucial in terms of mentality, but not too much for the position on the grid, because from second you can brake later in the first corner and overtake. That's what Jorge did, he was very smart, he took good advantage of that position."
How difficult is it to win this World Championship?
"A lot right now, but we also know how much things can change at any moment. Tomorrow Jorge will not give 100 percent, he will have to be careful because, with a 29-point lead, he is the only one who can lose this championship. This will definitely affect him."
Would rain be a help?
"There is no need for dry weather and for me to do what I do best, which is to win."
The Valencia GP has been officially cancelled, at which other circuit would you like to end the championship?
"For me it's the same, it doesn't change anything for me. At all the tracks where there is a chance to go I have always been competitive, it's not a problem."
