RiderTua.com – Portuguese GP : At Thursday’s press conference in Portimao, the top 3 in the 2024 MotoGP standings, Pecco Bagnaia, Brad Binder and Jorge Martin, both expressed their liking for the Algarve circuit which has a roller coaster-like layout. Now they can still smile at each other, who knows, after Portugal, maybe they will elbow each other, because the points distance between them is still not far… Before there is a storm of battle between them, as long as no one says they are cheating if they lose 😁…
Francesco Bagnaia revealed, “Portimao is also one of my favorite tracks on the calendar. Not only because I have good memories of 2023. It’s like a mix of Mugello and Sachsenring. I think we are in a good position. We have to see what it’s like on the track, I really looking forward to racing there tomorrow.”
Portuguese GP: Bagnaia, Binder and Martin The Calm Before the Storm
Inspired by the performance of his KTM RC16 and its strong performance in the season-opening race in Qatar, Brad Binder said, “I feel the same way as a lot of people. The track itself is crazy, with elevation changes and lots of flowing sections. I mean it’s tough too, but very interesting.”
“If we sit here with a bike where everything fits, then it’s a dream. But I also know what it’s like if the set-up doesn’t fit, then it’s bad. We know that now the base of the bike is very good and its character is definitely more suitable for us than Lusail,” added the rider from South Africa.
Binder doesn’t just see things positively. When asked about his optimism, team-mate Jack Miller replied, “It’s true, I’m a positive person. But believe me, when I’m in the garage and the door closes, the drivers there hear something very different. These things work out very good, but there is still a lot of work to be done and there are always things that can be done better.”
Meanwhile, Jorge Martin is very focused on the action on the track and is relatively unwilling to comment on personnel changes and does not allow himself to be carried away by the speculative race at Portimao. For him, this was an almost extraordinary performance. “It’s not easy to say. Last year in general the speed was good and I felt comfortable. So we’ll see how it goes tomorrow,” said Martinator briefly.
Obviously, although the top 3 of the MotoGP World Championship compete with each other on the track according to all the rules of racing, Bagnaia, Binder and Martin are mature personalities who do not wish anything bad to happen to each other off the track. The approach of the current trio of leaders in the standings can be described as an attitude of mutual respect towards their rivals.
The calm before the storm. It was a good way to express the feelings in the room (in a press conference) less than 24 hours before the first duel on the incredible Algarve circuit Portimao.
