Why it’s time for Martin to get his gloves off in MotoGP title run-in

The events of Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will have far-reaching consequences on the 2024 MotoGP battle. While Francesco Bagnaia’s crash with a podium in the bag was obviously significant as it has handed a 24-point lead in the standings to Jorge Martin, it’s the final-lap clash between his team-mate Enea Bastianini and Martin that could have far more serious repercussions.

Whatever your opinion may be of the controversial race-deciding moment between Bastianini and Martin, the championship leader has received a clear message – it’s time to take his gloves off and go all-in.

To assess whether Bastianini crossed the limits of acceptable racing while battling Martin, it’s important to break down his pass into several parts. 

The factory Ducati rider was coming from a long way back and did go for a full divebomb on Martin when there wasn’t much of a gap on the inside edge of the track. While it may not be ethical for some, riders have been making such block passes for decades – and even Marc Marquez is infamous for leaving his rivals with no option but to concede position when he goes on the aggressive. Bastianini can certainly not be blamed for attempting that move when the reward was a race win in front of his home crowd. 

But it’s the second part of the overtake where things get interesting. There was just the slightest contact between Bastianini and Martin as they met at the apex, which forced the Pramac rider to sit up and go off the track. This is what incensed the Spaniard, who raised his hand in anger after feeling he had been denied a victory by an “unfair pass”.

But it didn’t end there. Bastianini then himself went beyond the white line at the exit of the turn, before rejoining the track in the lead of the race. This is where Gresini’s Marc Marquez felt the stewards should have drawn the line. Of course, Bastianini was distracted by the incident and did look over his shoulders to check where Martin was, but that doesn’t change the fact that he did not make the corner after completing an overtake.

Stewarding in MotoGP – and circuit racing in general – is a complicated and nuanced subject. Both the series and its four-wheel counterpart have been subject to criticism over vague rules and the apparent lack of consistency in decisions. To be fair to stewards, it’s not always easy to judge whether an overtake can be deemed legitimate or not as there are so many factors involved. But if…