Is there a disadvantage to being the leader?
Since tire pressure has become a crucial topic in MotoGP, having a clear track has become even more of a factor from this point of view, although having a clear track has not always necessarily meant maximum freedom and absence of problems, as Marc Marquez in 2025 on two occasions had to wait for the rider in second position to agree and raise the pressure to avoid penalties or disqualifications at the end of the race (this happened in Thailand at the GP when he let his brother Alex pass and in the Czech Republic in the Sprint when he followed Acosta).
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In the post-race dialogue in France between Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, however, another topic emerges related to a parameter of the bike that can be influenced by being at the front of the race. Marco Bezzecchi, in fact, said that in the first part of the race he pushed hard and used everything up, probably meaning especially the tires. Jorge Martin, however, replies: “Being at the front, fuel consumption is high“. “Yes yes, it’s true”, concludes Bezzecchi.
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Obviously, being able to take advantage of a slipstream allows you to save on fuel consumption just as if it were a cycling race. Martin then emphasized that he lost a lot of time fighting with Fabio Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi acknowledged that the VR46 rider in battle is definitely tough.
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