Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia has hit out at other MotoGP riders for deliberately slowing down in British GP qualifying in order to get a tow from him, describing the situation as “ridiculous”.
Bagnaia was followed by Gresini’s Marc Marquez on their first runs in Saturday’s pole-deciding session at Silverstone, with the added aerodynamic benefit allowing the Spaniard to take a provisional fifth on the grid.
After the double champion returned to the track in the final part of qualifying on fresh rubber, a whole group of riders positioned himself behind him — some even waiting for him to pass them on the Wellington Straight in order to get into his slipstream.
A loose sponsorship sticker on his visor thwarted his flying lap attempt and demoted him to second on the grid, as Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro took a surprise pole position by running alone on track.
Bagnaia, who had looked set to start the race from the front after smashing the lap record on his first run, didn’t hide his frustration over the tactics employed by some of his rivals on Saturday.
Asked if he was frustrated to miss out on pole, the 27-year-old said: “A bit because the potential was there to do pole position.
“We have to say Aleix did an amazing sector 4 and all the weekend has been really fast. We know that the Aprilia on this track is fantastic.
“I also have to say that the situation in qualifying right now is quite ridiculous considering that 10 MotoGP riders can go slow like this to follow other riders. We are at the top of our sport.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team, Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“If we are here because we can do things alone. It’s quite ridiculous, the situation.
“’Till anyone says anything, it will continue like.”
Bagnaia was just starting the first flying lap of his second in qualifying when he was forced to pull over to the side of the track and remove a sticker that had come partially undone just above the visor.
A late yellow flag for a crash involving the second factory Aprilia of Maverick Vinales put paid to any chances of the Italian reclaiming pole position from Espargaro.
Bagnaia was “very angry” that a poorly-glued sticker had potentially denied him pole.
“I lost the sponsor banner on the helmet and it goes in front of the eyes,” he explained.
“I’m very angry for that because it’s something that who had to manage these kind of things has to be more precise.
“Losing the possibility of a better result in qualifying for things like this is not good.”