How Martin exploited MotoGP's track limits rules to defeat Bagnaia

MotoGP championship leader Jorge Martin went right up to the limit of the series' track limits rules to inflict a key defeat on title rival Pecco Bagnaia in the Thailand Grand Prix sprint.

Riders are penalised in MotoGP's half-distance races after three track limits breaches, and Martin was observed during the race to leave the track surface more than three times.

A long-lap penalty would've likely dropped Martin to third behind Bagnaia, either by virtue of being served on track or in being converted into a three-second post-race penalty.

Yet, crucially, he only committed two actual track limits breaches - going wide at Turn 7, where the asphalt off the kerb is painted green.

A conspicuous off at Turn 1 while in pursuit of Bagnaia that came before either of those breaches didn't count - nor did Martin going off at the same corner at the start, in what he said was a case of having to roll off the brakes and take Bagnaia wide so as not to crash into him.

The reason all this didn't add to his track limits breach tally is Turn 1 is one of the corners where new kerbs have been installed for this year's edition of the Buriram round. As a result, as indicated by blue paint on the outside of the corner, track limits there are no longer policed by the stewards, because it is thought the nature of the kerbs makes going off a sufficient deterrent in itself.

So while Martin would've been in breach in 2023, he kept his actual track limits offences under the limit as per this year's layout - and even used one of those offences to complete the crucial overtake on Bagnaia.

"I'm a bit on the limit at Turn 7," Martin acknowledged.

"If I want to do fast the entry, and go really soon on the throttle, then I go really on the limit on that exit [kerb].

"Yeah, I used my cards [in completing the move].

"And yeah, from that point I tried to keep a bit of margin, not a lot, because I know Pecco is quite strong on that point of the track - but I had to take some margin."

Martin was seemingly unaware he'd breached track limits there for a second time two laps later.

He did tell MotoGP.com, however: "Rules are rules. The blue [paint] is the blue, and the green is the green. Tomorrow I think I have [fewer than] five times [before a penalty] - maybe I need to go four times out."

Earlier in the season Martin was on the receiving end of an overtake where the overtaking rider - Enea Bastianini - didn't stay in the confines of the track surface, but blue paint on the outside of the kerb in that section of the track meant there was no issue for Bastianini.

Bagnaia, for his part, felt that he'd seen Martin breach track limits enough times for a penalty, but wasn't lobbying for one.

"Maybe I counted wrong," Bagnaia said. "Maybe I was wrong. But [I'm bringing it up] more to say that the pace today was so intense that it was tough to remain on the correct line."

And he said he had no issue with Martin's approach to Turn 1 at the start, nor with the overtake later in the race.