Pramac rider Martin blamed poor Michelin tyres for a lacklustre Qatar MotoGP which conceded a 21-point advantage✨ to title rival Francesco Bagnaia heading into the final round.

Michelin respo🧜nded by vowing to investigate the staܫte of the tyre allocated.

Sylvain Guintoli said via TNT Sports: “The rear grip wasn’t right. It looked like he was strug𒈔gling, he couldn’t extract his bike on the turns. 

“Look at his [sprint race] there was a massive contrast. Something went꧙ wrong.”

Neil Hodgson insisted: “I’ve got to say, ꦯI definite🔴ly think it’s a faulty tyre. 

“It’s a graphic example. It spins up - he’s the only o🅠ne. The bike ⛎doesn’t turn - watch him throughout the race, it doesn’t turn at all.

“That’s rear grip. It plays a huge part. Zero acceleration, bizarre, like he got the wrong mapping. That’s the tyr�🗹�e. 

“Occasionally it can happen, you ♔get a tyre that’s not quite the same as the other one. 

“It happens - it’s ju🤡st a shame it happened at this stage of the season.”

Guintoli was asked to reply to any “conspiracy theory” that Martin was al✤located a faulty tyre by explaining the process.

He claimed: “The reality - and I’m not saying yes or no - is that it’s highly unlikely [that a bad tyre ♓wa🦋s given to Martin]. 

“As🙈 soon as something goes ꦬwrong, the riders blame the tyres. 

🐠“The way that the tyres are selected for the race, every tyre is accounted for. They know exactly where th﷽at tyre has been. 

“Every tyre cannot exceed a certain number o🍎f heat cycles. The teams know exactly which tyres, a🍌nd how many heat cycles. 

“This is to keep the best tyr♐es for the races. It🐭’s just so unlikely.”

Hodgson asked Gui♌ntoli: “If it wasn't the tyre, what could it have been?”

Guintoli replied: “It could ꦇbe a sensor problem. The electronics. Something like that.&nbs൩p;

“Something gone wrong with the ECU or the mapping. It’s hard to tell. It’s very unlikely, but not impossible.🎐”

Hodgson said: “You’ve got to trust the rider. He’s sat on the motorcycle and he has so much experience, he knows what a bad t🥀yre feels like. He’s had them before. It does happen. It’s a mess!”