The recent flooding in Valencia has forced MotoGP to move its 2024 season finale t﷽o the Circuit de Barcel🃏ona-Catalunya, a track which suits both contenders.

Francesco Bagnaia won the Catalan Grand Prix earlier this year, and would have secured a Sprint-Grand💞 Prix double had he not crashed in Saturday’s half-distance race while leading on the final lap.

On the other hand, Jorge M🍨artin has not won in t♛he premier class in Barcelona, but he has been on the podium there in each of the last three Grands Prix.

“Barcelona is a good track for both of us,” championship leader Martin said in the post-race pre💃ss conference at the Malaysian G💎rand Prix.

“Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia] won last Sunday there; I was second, quite close, for sure I missed a bit bu꧙t we will understand why.”

Sepang winner Bagnaia added: “Mathematically it’s still possible. We know that it’s quite difficult, but in Barcelona e⭕verything can happen.

“I crashed in the Sprint race when I was leading by one second 🅰and trying to avoid any mistakes and I crashed the same.

“So, it will be tricky, the condit⛄ions will be more tough compared to June because it will be cold.

“Two corners in Barcelona are quite tricky: turn two and turn five; so it will be important to try to be so 🍬competitive, but be calm.”

Both riders also insisted that the change in 🐷location for the final round w๊ill no impact how they prepare for it.

“We adapt to everything every time,” Bagnaia said, “so for m🤪e no [it won’t change how I prepare]. In terms of performance, I perform better in Barcelona normally [compared to Valencia].

“But alsoꦚ it’s a track that’s more tricky⭕, where the mistakes are very close, so you have to be more precise. But I don’t have a preference.”

Martin h🐎as a strong record in Barcelona, despite being without a win there in the premier cla🃏ss.

“For me, it’s the sa൲me,” he s💛aid. “I think I perform really similar in Barcelona and Valencia.

“In Montmelo I’ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚve been on the podium in 2022 and 2023, so I think I’m competitive.

“As Pecco says, there are some tricky corners,𝓰 also now in November — let’s see, we can find a lot of different conditions: maybe it can rain, can be windy, can snow, I don’t know.

“I hope Michelin will find a nice 🐼solution, lik🃏e Australia, but let’s see what happens.”

For Bagnaia, the task of overhauling his 24-point dܫeficit to Martin with only 37 now available seems almost impossible, with third-placed Enea Bastianini finishing 10 seconds adrift in Malaysia.

“It’s something that we need to improve for the nඣext one in Barcelona,” Bagnaia joked.

“I will try to give the slipstream to everybody during the weeken⛎d to make that someone will be in the middle. I have to win both races, so let’s see.”

In comparison, for Martin there is the assurance that t༒he destiny of the championship is firmly in his control.

“For me, t𝓰he confidence doesn’t change a lot coming to this race oജr coming to the next race,” he said.

“Also, I am confid🔯ent about my work, how I arrive here. I just think that it’s a privilege to be at this point, battling with a champion like Pecco is crazy so for sure I’m co﷽nfident, I’m happy that we take seven more points from this race.

“I feel a bit closer to the final target,൲ but🎉 nothing is over until it’s over, so we need to be super-focused, and for sure believe until the end.”