Dani Pedrosa says Francesco Bagnaia cannot be allowed “do his race” in a grand prix as his abil🌞ity to control from the front in ඣMotoGP is his key strength.

The MotoGP title battle is finely poised heading into the final four rounds of the𒉰 campaign, with Jorge Martin lead♔ing Bagnaia by 10 points in another all-Ducati contest for the crown.

The reigning double worl♓d champion closed down the deficit to Martin last time out in Japan after winning the sprint and the grand prix, with Bagnaia leading every lap of the latter.

Bagnaia💖’s ability to control the pace🎃 from the front of races has been cited as his key strength by 31-time grand prix winner Pedrosa, who analysed on DAZN during the Japanese GP what his rivals need to do better.

“Watchi🌳ng these races, throughout the year, it is very easy to speak from my position in the saddle,” the KTM test rider and TV pundit said.

“But it is clear that you cannot let Pecco do his race. In this case [ꩵin Japan], Martin could not have done better [t𝓰han second], because starting 11th he could not do better.

“But tꦜhroughout the season we have see💮n a Bagnaia who manages to do this race, who achieves that one-second difference, and who is comfortable like that.

“He keeps the pace consistent, he ha❀s his bike very ജwell prepared to do that, to manage the tyres.

“And th💞en, the race becomes a bit more static, where those differences have already been generated at the beginning, and then it is difficult to counteract any distance that his rivals have.

“As we see, everyone rides th꧒e same. Some laps someone cuts a tenth, and in other laps he loses it. But the race, more or less, is already done.”

Pedrosa added: “You have to find ꦐa way to get him out of this zone where he is so focu🤪sed, to create a few problems for him.

“That's where a Marc Marquez is stro🔜nges🉐t. Because if he's on your wheel, he manages to bother you and make you not have your race.

“In this case, Pecco ꦕis capable of ha♈ving his race and then it is very difficult to beat him.”