Francesco Bagnaia said he is willing to sacrifice the season finale if it takes place in Valencia as scheduled. The reigning champion is currently fighting for his third title and is among several riders who are expressing ethical concerns about holding the race in Valencia, given the severe flooding and loss of life in the area.

Despite the worries raised by these riders during this weekend's event in Malaysia, MotoGP still prioritizes holding the race in Valencia, even if it means postponing from the original scheduled date. Bagnaia expressed his moral objections to racing in Valencia during a press conference on Media Day in Malaysia and made a decisive statement on the first day at the track.

“Even if it means sacrificing my ultimate goal of winning the title, I am not willing to race in Valencia,” said Bagnaia, who is trailing Martin by 17 points ahead of the Malaysian GP. “I sincerely hope they consider that, ethically, given the current situation, it’s not the right thing to do.”

While Martin shares the view that relocating the race would be preferable, he confirmed on Friday that he would still participate if the event happens in Valencia. “This is a very sensitive situation for both us riders and Dorna,” Martin said. “It seems extremely challenging for everyone to go to Valencia. I will defer to Dorna and the government’s decision. If they ultimately choose to hold the race there, we will have to comply.”

On Friday, Bagnaia kicked off in style, clocking the fastest time in FP1 and winning the practice session. When Bagnaia was asked if leading both sessions is important or some kind of psychological tactic, he replied, “It’s tough to aim for first place in both sessions on Friday. I’ve only managed it before at Assen. Jorge crashed, but I don’t think it was because of that. There’s always a bit of pressure, which is normal. But our focus is on winning, not on intimidating anyone.”