The MotoGP race organizers faced one of the most difficult, potentially championship-deciding decisions since the inception of the premier class. Due to the floods that have devastated the Valencia reagin, killing more than 200 people, the MotoGP organizers have decided not to burden the area with hosting the championship finale this year.
Instead of racing in Valencia, MotoGP will be racing for Valencia. According to its latest press release, proceeds from the final race will go toward aid for Valencia.
Of course, there's a glaring problem for the FIM. Just 17 points separated the Championship leader, Jorge Martin, and Francesco Bagnaia going into the penultimate round when the decision not to race in Valencia was made. There were 74 points up for grabs during the last two rounds, meaning it's about as close a championship as you could ever hope for.
So, depending on how things went during this weekend's sprint and full race in Malaysia, the battle for the championship could've gotten even tighter, making the final round the most important of all. And therein lay the problem. If championship organizers chose somewhere that Bagnaia performed well earlier this year, and he won the championship at that track, the tinfoil hats would be out. And, the same could be said for Martin if the situation was reversed.
Let's not forget the theories that were floating around last year when Martin seemed to have some defective Michelin tires. If you compare the conspiracy theories that came from that ordeal to the ones that would've come from this, had MotoGP organizers needed to pick a track to settle a neck-and-neck championship battle, this would've been a far more controversial ordeal.
But since Bagnaia fell and DNF last night's sprint race, and Martin won, it's all but handed Martin the Championship. In fact, if Martin wins tonight's race and Bagnaia finishes any lower than second, Martin will be the 2024 MotoGP Champion. And this has undoubtedly taken the pressure off the shoulders of the organizers of the final round.
But it's MotoGP, and anything could happen as we saw last night. If Martin falls tonight and Bagnaia wins, just four points will separate the pair, and event organizers will once again be under the microscope with regard to the fairest track to pick.
Some commentators mentioned that another track in Europe could take Circuit de Valencia's place, and I have some ideas about what track would be best, but I want to hear from you. What do you think would be the fairest, or rather least controversial, track to see out a tightly contested championship between Martin and Bagnaia?
