The Japanese Ai Ogura: – The Japan News

Francesco Bagnaia won the Thai MotoGP on Sunday ahead of Jorge Martin in wet conditions and closed the gap on the championship leader with two race weekends to go.

Spaniard Martin’s lead over Italian defending champion Bagnaia was cut from 22 to 17 points, ahead of a new chapter in their title fight next week in Sepang in Malaysia.

Pedro Acosta was third in a rainy Buriram, but this was all about Martin and Bagnaia, with the title now a two-horse race and likely to go down to the wire.

After Malaysia, the season finale will be in Valencia from November 15 to 17.

Pramac Ducati’s Martin, who is trying to win the world title for the first time, said he was happy with second place, almost three seconds behind.

“The level we are showing – not many people can understand how fast we are going, even under these conditions,” he said.

Bagnaia thanked his Ducati team for keeping his hopes of a third straight world title alive.

The 27-year-old said he had never won in the rain before.

“It was a day to make a difference and luckily we did,” he said.

“It wasn’t an easy race, it was very long and stressful, but as soon as I started I felt good.

“I knew it was important to make up points in the championship.

“It’s a good day for us and 17 (point difference) is a good number for me.”

Martin feels the pressure

Martin started the race on the front row of the grid in third place and made a lightning start to take the lead from his rival who was on pole.

But the 26-year-old didn’t stay there long, running wide and dropping to third as Bagnaia took the lead with six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez in hot pursuit.

By the halfway point of the 26-lap race, it had become a duel between Bagnaia and Marquez, with Martin struggling to keep up.

But Marquez pushed too hard in his attempt to take the lead and slid away on his Ducati.

This left the title rivals battling for victory, but Bagnaia held his nerve and handled the demanding conditions to take a crucial ninth win of the campaign.

“It was a very challenging race today,” said Martin, who had a few hairy moments but is still in the driver’s seat for the world crown.

“I don’t want anyone to feel what I felt before the race,” he said of the pressure to keep Bagnaia at bay, admitting he “felt the tension six or seven races ago”.

“It’s not good to be me and Pecco (Bagnaia) at this stage of the championship, under these conditions.”

Bagnaia also started Saturday’s sprint race on pole, but finished third, just behind Martin. Bagnaia’s Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini won the sprint.

Earlier, Japan’s Ai Ogura was crowned Moto2 world champion when he finished second in a red flag race won by Spaniard Aron Canet.

The 23-year-old Ogura will move on to MotoGP next season.