Francesco Bagnaia gets off to a slow start in the new MotoGP season – The Ducati star talks about his own mistakes, grip problems, and explains where the competition has caught up
After a difficult start to the new MotoGP season, Francesco Bagnaia takes a self-critical look back at the race weekend in Thailand. The Ducati rider, who only managed to qualify in 13th place and finished ninth in both the sprint and the Grand Prix, speaks openly about his problems.
After the sprint, Bagnaia was honest. “To be honest, I made a few mistakes,” he admitted. He said he had difficulty understanding the conditions. During testing in Thailand, he had a clear direction, felt more grip, and was more competitive. “And now, with new tires, I’m having trouble being competitive at the same level,” he explained. In his opinion, the main problem lies with himself. He simply needs more laps to adapt to the bike and continue working on it.
Bagnaia sees progress in the sprint despite P9
The Italian struggled particularly in qualifying. Putting everything together for a fast lap was “very hard.” He made a lot of mistakes and struggled a lot with the front wheel, especially when turning in.
Things went a little better in the sprint itself. Compared to the time trial, he handled the bike better in the race. He was more consistent and more aggressive on some corner entries. At the same time, he pointed out that a race in a pack always feels different and fundamentally changes the situation.
Despite only finishing ninth, Bagnaia sees progress. Compared to last year’s sprint races, they have taken “a step forward.” This level must now be the basis for the season. “We just have to keep working and I have to continue to adapt to the bike,” he said, outlining his clear plan.
Where they currently fall short compared to the competition
A key issue remains the behavior of the front end. Although the front wheel feels more comfortable overall, Ducati currently has disadvantages in braking and cornering when compared directly with KTM and Aprilia.
“At the moment, we’re struggling a bit with braking at the corner entry,” explains Bagnaia. The bike is more difficult to stop than the competition machines.
He also refers to his teammate Marc Marquez, who “did a fantastic job as always.” Marquez drove an outstanding qualifying lap and quickly and well adapted to the situation in the race. He himself needs a little more time to do so. “I have difficulty stopping the bike properly at the front, so we have to keep working,” Bagnaia affirms.
Tire problems and lack of race rhythm
The big breakthrough failed to materialize in Sunday’s Grand Prix as well. Bagnaia finished ninth again, struggling mainly with the rear tire. “I never pushed because I couldn’t push, I had to control the rear tire,” he said, describing his approach to the race.
Eight laps before the end, the situation even worsened. On the straight, the bike spun up to fifth gear. “That was very strange,” mused Bagnaia, who lost further places. It was impossible to maintain a consistent pace, even though he had paid close attention to tire management right from the start.
Despite the mixed result, Bagnaia remains calm. It was important to start this new season fresh and build up speed again. “I’m not particularly concerned about the result,” he emphasizes. Of course, ninth place does not meet his expectations, “but it’s a starting point.”
Bagnaia: “We are no longer the fastest”
However, there was an uneasy feeling throughout the entire weekend. He had increasingly had problems since the second practice session. Ironically, the first free practice session had been his best. After that, it had become increasingly difficult – completely contrary to the impression he had gained during testing, where he had felt “fantastic,” was able to push hard, and had good control over the tires.
He is now working with the team to analyze why the drop in performance was so significant. His sober assessment of the balance of power: “The others have improved and we have taken a step back.”
He sees deficits above all in tire control. The bike steered less well than it did in testing, which made it extremely difficult to manage the rear tire with the throttle. That’s exactly where they need to start now. Because: “Currently, we [Ducati] are no longer the fastest,” Bagnaia notes.
