Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin think there is no reason to become enemies outside the track as they battle for the 2024 title.

For the second consecutive season, Bagnaia and Martin have been the standout competitors, with their thrilling rivalry set to culminate in next week’s Barcelona finale.

Their competition has been dominated by Martin, who was overlooked for a spot on the factory Ducati team, which chose Marc Marquez for next year instead. This decision by Ducati led Martin to lose faith in the brand, prompting him to choose a new path with manufacturer Aprilia. However, despite these developments, Martin has ensured that his relationship with Bagnaia remains unaffected.

Both riders continue to emphasize their mutual respect. After a thrilling battle in Malaysia, Bagnaia shared his desire to keep things friendly off the track. “For me, it’s very easy [to maintain a good relationship with Martin] because I’m not the kind of person who is rude off the track or overly aggressive on it, pushing people around or showing disrespect,” Bagnaia said.

“I’ve never been like that, and I never will be. If Jorge ever starts behaving differently, I might have to change, but he is quite similar to me in this regard.

“Respect is essential, and I will always value it. I don’t see any reason for us to act as enemies off the track or to avoid talking to each other. I prefer things this way.”

Both riders have a long history, having raced for Aspar Mahindra in Moto3 before continuing together in the grand prix paddock ever since. This shared experience has built a strong relationship that even the pressures of the championship cannot disrupt.

“We’ve known each other since 2015, and we used to be really close friends,” Martin said. “While we’re not as close now, we still treat each other well.

“As he mentioned, there’s no sense in being enemies. We can battle hard, like you saw on Sunday—it was an incredible duel that’s now part of history.

“Even if the final laps were intense, it was overall amazing, and we both enjoyed it. If we can continue like this in the future, that would be perfect, and I hope it always remains this way.”