Francesco Bagnaia criticizes rear tire after Spielberg sprint – Michelin disagrees: Data shows no anomalies, further analysis ongoing
Francesco Bagnaia criticized the rear tire after his debacle in the sprint at the Austrian Grand Prix. According to the Ducati rider, the tire felt strange even during the warm-up lap. At the start, he had severe wheelspin, went sideways, and lost many positions.
“I noticed something was wrong as early as the warm-up lap when exiting turn 3. The rear tire started to spin extremely, even on the straight. Something that shouldn’t happen, but sometimes it does.”
“After three laps, the rear tire was completely destroyed.” When asked if he had ever had such a bad feeling about the rear tire before, Bagnaia replied: “Yes, in Barcelona in 2023 and in Qatar in 2023 in the sprint and in the warm-up.”
On Saturday afternoon, the former world champion made it clear that he was waiting for analysis and answers from the engineers. Michelin also issued a brief statement on Saturday evening, announcing a detailed investigation.
“‘Pecco’ complained about a lack of grip on the rear wheel,” confirmed Michelin manager Piero Taramasso. “That’s why we’re now looking into it together with Ducati and checking all the data from the bike and the tires to understand why.”
In general, Michelin said on Saturday evening that after the 14 laps in the sprint, “many riders had complained of severe rear wheel spin,” which was “directly related to a lack of grip.”
According to Michelin, surface temperatures of almost 200 degrees Celsius were measured on the rear tire during the sprint. The result: overheating and a gradual loss of mechanical grip. Michelin confirmed that Bagnaia was the most affected.
On Sunday after the warm-up, Michelin issued another statement on Bagnaia’s tires. It stated: “Bagnaia’s tires were manufactured just two months ago – at the same time as the others, on the same machines and using the same raw materials.”
“No anomalies were found. We analyzed the data together with the Ducati team and, especially in the first four laps, the temperature, grip, and wheelspin were at the same level as the other Ducati bikes.”
“We will continue the analysis as soon as we are back at the factory to identify the cause of the vibrations – both on the bike and on the tire.” Bagnaia gave up the sprint in the pits because he had severe handlebar wobble.
