MotoGP, Thailand J2, Jorge Martin answers Pecco Bagnaia: "I went off the track four times? I think it was even eight times!"

Jorge Martin managed to avoid a penalty in the MotoGP Sprint in Thailand, despite leaving the track three times. Despite these exits, the stewards did not consider it necessary to impose a long-lap penalty, a decision that has raised questions, especially from Pecco Bagnaia, his direct rival.

Pecco Bagnaia, who finished third behind George Martin, did not hide his frustration. Honestly, I counted four violations." , did he declare. " When he got two, I thought, 'Okay, one more and he'll get a penalty.' Then I counted two more.. » However, he admitted that he might have been wrong in his count, not being able to see the whole race.

In response to the accusation of bagnaia, Martin adopted a sarcastic tone: " maybe there were even eight! » The championship leader then explained his point of view: " I went wide in the first corner, but if I hadn't, Pecco and I would have collided. But the clearance zone is marked in blue anyway., so no violation of the track limits will be sanctioned. " He added, " Rules are rules. Green is green and blue is blue.."

In reality, Martin admitted to having committed two authorized violations. First this one: " I braked late to overtake Enea Bastianini, but he maintained his trajectory and I saw that if he didn't slow down, I could hit Pecco. So, I decided to go wide in the blue zone" And then this one: “ I'm a little bit on the limit at turn 7. If I want to enter quickly and accelerate very early, then I'm really on the limit at this exit. I used my cards – you can go green once, so I used that option. Then I tried to keep a bit of margin – not much, because I know Pecco is quite strong at that point of the track, but I had to take some margin.”

Jorge Martin: “ green is green and blue is blue »

George Martin also mentioned his strategy for Sunday's race, already revealing his state of mind: " There are five infractions that carry a penalty, so I will probably have to leave the track four times on Sunday.. » However, he clarified that the regulations differ between the Sprint and the main race: while only two infractions are tolerated during the Sprint, drivers are allowed four violations during the Grand Prix.

The decisions of the stewards may seem random, but they are often based on a precise interpretation of the rules. In the case of Martin, his use of a run-off zone and his actions on the track were not deemed serious enough to warrant a penalty. This raises questions about the clarity and consistency of the track limits regulations, but also how drivers navigate these tricky situations during such an intense race.

To George Martin, the victory at Sprint and increasing its lead in the championship are essential results. With 22 point difference on bagnaia, the pressure is on the latter to find a way to reduce this gap in the next races.

Thailand GP starting grid: 

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