Метка: Francesco Bagnaia

Bagnaia slashes Martin deficit of Aragon crash with Misano runner-up finish

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Francesco Bagnaia feels a “maximum” second place in the San Marino Grand Prix has provided the ideal result to slash into Jorge Martin’s MotoGP points lead.

For the second year in a row Bagnaia performed a ‘phoenix’ effect at his home grand prix, following 2023 when he kept his pursuit of a second title on course with a podium finish at Misano just one week after a massive smash in Barcelona.

This time Bagnaia steadily pursued Marc Marquez to complete a brace of second positions in San Marino seven days after his painful crash at Aragon that had handed main rival Martin a 23-point advantage.

Pramac’s Martin made the wrong call to enter the pitlane during the flag-to-flag grand prix as rain briefly feel at Misano, while running second to Bagnaia, and could only finish a lapped 15th. As a result, Bagnaia recouped a considerable margin to stand seven points from his title rival at the top of the championship.

“It doesn’t taste like a victory because it isn’t a victory but it is still very good,” he said after the race in Misano. “I’m a believer! I want to win but today second place was a huge result in terms of the championship.

“Yesterday I was angry because I had the chance…but I didn’t take it,” he said of his runner-up result behind Martin in the Saturday sprint; a result that had pushed the gap up to 26 points. “But today was the maximum I could do.”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Bagnaia also felt the recovery from his heavy Aragon crash added shine to his results in Misano.

“After Aragon it was a really tough Monday,” the Italian explained. “I wasn’t able to do much, and the pain was starting, a lot. We worked a lot with my crew and my physio and they did a fantastic job in the end. I’m very proud of what we did.”

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Marc Marquez’s second successive win means that four Ducati riders — Martin, Bagnaia, Marquez and Enea Bastianini – are now separated by just 62 points respectively.

“I never think they are out,” Bagnaia warned of his rivals. “I know their potential and the potential of their bike. As long as you are mathematically there then you need to believe.”



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MotoGP still dealing with ‘aftershock’ of Bagnaia and Marquez Aragon clash

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MotoGP is still dealing with the after-effects of Francesco Bagnaia’s collision with Alex Marquez in the Aragon Grand Prix.

While Marc Marquez’s stunning comeback win in Spain after a 1000-day drought generated plenty of headlines, the aftermath of the weekend was dominated by reactions and public judgement over the crash between his younger brother Alex and world champion Bagnaia six laps from the chequered flag.

Both were lucky to escape injury and the comprehensive TV coverage from multiple angles could not clearly discern blame.
 
Bagnaia’s immediate comments in the wake of his second DNF this season and while nursing a painful neck — “I had 170kg on top of me” — were pointed towards younger Marquez and what he felt was a purposeful move to end his race.

It was an accusation that the Gresini Ducati rider denied to the media and then in a direct social media post.
 
Bagnaia, walking wounded for the second year in a row coming into his home grand prix (he lives only a few kilometres away in Pesaro), apologised in his media duties on Thursday at Misano and reiterated his lament again in the press conference.

The incident lost Bagnaia control of the world championship standings to Jorge Martin, leaving him with a 23-point deficit ahead of the Misano double-header.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing crash

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing crash

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The prang instigated debate online and through MotoGP’s official social media channels. A video clip of the incident on the series’ Instagram account registered over 317,000 likes and was the most popular premier class clip of the grand prix — and was accompanied by a long scrolling list of comments.

Bagnaia’s words compounded the drama. Alex Marquez accepted the apology in Misano but said the “damage to my person, my team and my image has already been done,” in reference to the reactions.

Several other riders in the paddock also chipped in with comments about the situation.
 
“There are a lot of hooligans that take the words of the riders to go against the others and this is very bad,” opined KTM test rider Pol Espargaro on the wider context.
 
“This is the world we live,” attested Aprilia racer Aleix Espargaro, commenting on the tribal nature of MotoGP and fans groups that tend to flare-up at flash points like Aragon.

“Luckily it is not like football but sometimes it’s close. It’s the worst part, especially for the athletes. Today you cannot disappear. You cannot just focus on racing and forget social media. You need to grow up and deal with social media, the pressure, the critics. It is part of our job but not the most beautiful.”
 
The clash created attention and movement among the MotoGP community and only two weeks after the Austrian Grand Prix had provided one of the more static and uninspiring races of the season.

“Depends how you see it,” Marquez said in the press conference on whether the crash fallout had been ‘good’ for the series.

“Like I said the damage [for me] is already done. I think it is not good for the sport in general. I don’t want to speak more about this chapter. I appreciate that he apologised for his words. That’s it. We are here and we need to be focussed on the track, this is where our job is.”

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Bagnaia says sorry for blasting Alex Marquez after Aragon MotoGP clash

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Francesco Bagnaia has said sorry for criticising Alex Marquez after they collided and crashed out of the Aragon Grand Prix last weekend.

The reigning MotoGP world champion was furious with the Gresini rider, claiming the accident was «dangerous» and said Marquez «didn’t stop accelerating until he threw me off».

Once the Italian had simmered down, the two had a private meeting in a Ducati truck to clear the air and now the factory Ducati rider Bagnaia said he was wrong with his harsh words.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix, he said: «First of all, I want to say sorry to Alex for the strong words I said to him. I said in the interviews after the race, I was very angry for what happened, and looking at the telemetry, [the accident] was even worse for my point of view.

«But in any case, I was a bit too strong in my words. I didn’t wanted to say that he made me crash on purpose.

«The thing was that his defence was a bit aggressive, like it’s normal when you’re fighting for podium positions and I’m still thinking the same about the incident but the words I said was a bit too much and I say sorry to to Alex.”

He then added: «Sometimes the angriness makes you say something that you don’t think. From my point of view, he came to our office to say sorry for what happened. Enough said. We are two riders. We have two different points of view and respect.»

Marquez was grateful to Bagnaia for publicly apologising for his comments, but feels the damage to his reputation has already been done after the Italian’s remarks were circulated heavily in the media.

«The fact that he apologised, I like it and it’s something I’m very thankful to him for his words,» he said. «But also it’s true that the damage to my person [reputation], my team and also to my riding image has already been done.

«[Having] said that, I want to close this chapter. I don’t want to speak anymore about that. I’m looking forward. We are coming from a real positive weekend in Aragon, so we look forward [to Misano].»

Marquez had also posted a message on his social media handles earlier this week, saying he would «never deliberately crash with another rider» and that the issue between him and Bagnaia is now «settled».

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing crash

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing crash

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Both riders escaped without breaking any bones in the 80mph crash when their bikes became tangled, sending them both skidding across the surface, with Bagnaia’s arm trapped under his bike.

And the Italian says he is still feeling the impact of the accident ahead of his home race this weekend at Misano.

He said: «Physically not I’m not at my 100 percent. I feel a lot of pain on my shoulder and over the collarbone and neck. But in any case, we will try to get ready.

«This is my home grand prix and it is always fantastic to race in front of all the crowd here.»

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“He didn’t stop accelerating until he threw me off”

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Francesco Bagnaia has lashed out at Alex Marquez for their collision in the Aragon Grand Prix, claiming the Gresini Ducati MotoGP rider «didn’t stop accelerating until he threw me off”.

Marc Marquez’s victory dominated the headlines in Spain on Sunday, but the fallout between his younger brother Alex and Bagnaia was also a major talking point after the race.

Alex Marquez collided with the factory Ducati rider with six laps to go when they were fighting for the last podium place, with contact at Turn 13 sending both of them out of the race.

Bagnaia was trapped under the Gresini GP23 as they slid off the track, before he was finally released when the bike flew over him in the gravel.

The crash left left him with a sore neck from the impact but miraculously neither suffered any serious injuries.

After the incident, Bagnaia and Marquez were summoned separately to the Race Direction office, and after presenting their views, both were cleared of any wrongdoing.

But in his post-race interview, Bagnaia put the blame firmly on Marquez, describing the Spaniard’s actions as «dangerous».

He said: «It’s not that I have to explain a lot of things. The dynamic is what it is. It’s worrying that there are riders who do certain things. When I was on the inside I felt a hit of gas, and he didn’t stop accelerating until he threw me off.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing crash

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing crash

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«The worst of all, what makes me most angry is the data. The telemetry reveals that, after the contact, [Marquez] went from accelerating 40% to 60%. It’s dangerous to race with someone who does these things.

«Normally, one tries to avoid contact, although the data shows that there are people who do not see it that way.»

The collision was particularly costly for Bagnaia in the context of the championship battle as he lost further ground to title rival Jorge Martin, with the Pramac rider going on to finish second to increase his advantage to 23 points.

Marquez, on his part, argued that he could not see Bagnaia from his position after the latter had passed him for third.

He believes that the onus was on his rival to avoid a collision.

«Nothing is going to change what happened. If anyone could avoid contact it was him, who knew I was there. I had no knowledge that [Bagnaia] was on the outside,» said the 28-year-old.

«The only thing I told the Race Direction members is that, if he had left a little more space between us and had not traced to the inside, nothing would have happened,» he added.

Bagnaia was upset that in addition to the accident itself that Marquez made no effort to apologise for what happened in the immediate aftermath of the race.

However, Motorsport.com understands that a couple of hours later, when things had cooled down, the two riders met in private in a Ducati truck to clear the air between them.

The meeting was just between the two riders and involved no other team members and lasted less than five minutes in which they exchanged their versions of events.

The meeting took place after the two had spoken with Ducati’s general manager Gigi Dall’igna.

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing crash

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing crash

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

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Bagnaia, Martin confident fierce MotoGP rivalry won’t change their relationship

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MotoGP stars Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin say they won’t let the 2024 championship battle come in the way of their harmonious relationship.

Locked in a tense fight for the riders’ title since the beginning of the season, Bagnaia and Martin are separated by just five points at the top of the standings following the factory Ducati’s rider double win in the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend.

However, much like 2023 when they also fought for the ultimate crown, the two riders have kept things fair between them on track this year, while also not engaging in a war of words outside of the circuit.

Their championship battle is in stark contrast to some of the rivalries seen in MotoGP previously, including the one between Bagnaia’s mentor Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez that erupted to a point that it drew attention from the wider sporting world.

Speaking on this matter, two-time champion Bagnaia stressed that both he and his Pramac rival Martin respect each other as riders, which is why their rivalry has always been so peaceful in MotoGP.

“When there is respect, there is peace outside and war inside of the track — but also always with respect,” said the Italian. “We know each other from a very long time. 

“I never understand riders that change their relationships during the championship. It’s true that when you are fighting for the same objective you change a bit, but the respect is to be always there — and looks like it is still the same situation as last year [and] from when we from more young.”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Martin was magnanimous in his defeat last weekend, saying he had no reason to be “angry” at Bagnaia for outduelling him at Spielberg.

The Spaniard is in a difficult situation at the moment as he has already announced his move to Aprilia for 2025, complicating his relationship with Ducati.

But he hopes the respect he has for Bagnaia so far will mean they will continue to enjoy a friendly battle within Ducati’s stable, even as they prepare to compete for rival manufacturers in 2025.

“As Pecco said, it’s not last year or this year, we still have a lot of years to fight against each other,” he said.

“I give my best and [if] he is better than me, why do I have to be angry at him? It’s just respect. 

“If everything is respectful out and on the track, I’m even happy for him for his victory and I will hope this relationship keeps like this all our lives.”



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«Strange» Ducati GP24 has moved clear of GP23 despite no upgrades

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Francesco Bagnaia feels it’s strange that Ducati’s new GP24 has pulled so clear of last year’s GP23 in recent MotoGP races despite not receiving any upgrades.

The GP24 runners monopolised the podium spots in three of the last four rounds, aided by Enea Bastianini finding his mojo again on the second of the factory Ducatis.

This has seemingly left Gresini and VR46 riders at a disadvantage in recent races, with Marc Marquez slipping to fourth in the standings after picking up just a single podium finish since the Italian Grand Prix in June.

It is understood that Ducati has gained a better understanding of the new rear tyre introduced by Michelin this year, but only the GP24 is built in a way to take full advantage of it.

However, Bagnaia reiterated his claim that the two bike specifications aren’t as different as it appears to the outside world, a belief also held by his title rival Martin.

The two-time MotoGP world champion in fact expressed his surprise that GP23 hasn’t been a match to the latest-spec Ducati since the French GP three months ago despite receiving a number of new parts during that period.

“About everything I’m going to say, they won’t listen to me, because everyone has their own idea and I don’t care about anything,” he told Spanish broadcaster DAZN.

“I have tested both bikes, and there is nothing like the GP22 [which Ducati raced in 2022]. It was the most balanced bike of all.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“It’s a bit strange that, until Le Mans, the GP23 was always fighting for the victory, and from then until now we have always been far ahead, and without any improvement.

“We haven’t had any evolution since the tests. And yet the GP23 has had two or three evolutions since the beginning of the year.

“But in the end, they are very similar. I know nobody will listen to me, but this is the reality.”

The apparent advantage now enjoyed by riders on the GP24 bike has left Marquez virtually out of the title fight, with Bagnaia and Martin now locked in a duel and Bastianini having an outside shot in third.

At the halfway stage of the season, just three points separate the leading two, while Bastianini has to make up a deficit of 49 points to challenge for the championship.

Bagnaia said he needs to raise his game in half-distance sprint races, where Martin has had an edge so far with four wins to the Italian’s two, in order to seal a third consecutive title in MotoGP.

“I see it as a ‘Pecco against the rest’, as always, not a ‘Pecco against Pecco’,” he said. “In the end, it’s like starting from scratch again, because three points is nothing.

“So it will be important to do well, not to crash again. In the sprints, I’ve been unlucky and made mistakes. It will be important to always finish.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“Martin is always very competitive in the short races and in the end he gets a lot of points over me [on Saturdays].”

Bagnaia will be joined by six-time MotoGP world champion Marquez in the factory Ducati team next year, giving the Italian marque the best line-up on the grid but also potential headaches that come from managing two alpha personalities.

Bagnaia said Marquez’s signing could be a major boost for Ducati, but warned that the two of them locking horns could also spell disaster for the manufacturer.

“It can be good because we are both intelligent, and we can maintain this [internal] climate of serenity, and fight on the track,” he said.

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“It can be a disaster, because when you put two roosters in the same [chicken coop], it can be a disaster.

“But I pull more because we are two smart people. The most important thing is the results. I want to beat him, and he wants to beat me. That’s out of the question.

“But off the track, we will have to work together. We will have one less GP25 next year, and less data, so it will be important to work in the same direction.”



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How Ducati’s present and future has been muddied by Marquez MotoGP signing

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Sunday’s British Grand Prix gave Ducati plenty of reasons to rejoice as Enea Bastianini led an incredible 1-2-3-4-5 result for the Italian manufacturer. All its eight bikes finished inside the top 10 for only the second time in history, with the highest-non-Desmosedici rider ending up almost 10 seconds off the pace.

But while there was a mood of celebration inside the Ducati camp, its bosses would have been all too aware that they now have a big problem to deal with in the second half of the season. While the outcome of manufacturers’ and teams’ championships is already a given, the fight for the riders’ fight is wide open — and only one contender will continue with Ducati next year.

Bastianini’s double success at Silverstone propelled him to third in the standings, 49 points behind new championship leader Jorge Martin after the Pramac rider finished second on Sunday. While 26-year-old Bastianini has been playing down his prospects of a title challenge, it will only take a few more performances like last weekend for the outgoing Ducati factory rider to have an impact on the championship’s destiny — and that’s where things could get complicated for the Italian manufacturer.

The 2024 championship is currently finely poised between Bastianini’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia and Martin, with only three points separating them at the top of the table. After Martin’s Sachsenring crash from the lead, many were quick to write him off from the fight, citing his fall as an example of him cracking under pressure.

But the events of Silverstone proved all that talk of Martin playing second fiddle to his Ducati stablemate was premature, and even Bagnaia is not immune to making unforced errors. After all, we have seen him give away big results multiple times in his career, including in the first part of 2024.

The odds are still against Martin with half the season still to go, but he has definitely got what it takes to mount a serious title challenge. Equally, while Bagnaia may have been off-colour at Silverstone, he will be back next time out in Austria, a track where he scored a double win from pole last year.

A fall from Bagnaia in the sprint showed he's not immune to the errors that have hindered Martin

A fall from Bagnaia in the sprint showed he’s not immune to the errors that have hindered Martin

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Martin and Bagnaia’s close battle, and Bastianini’s onslaught from third, put Ducati in a predicament now that the championship is back after the summer break. There is no denying that the Borgo Panigale marque is beginning to place all its weight behind its protege Bagnaia; the possibility of Martin winning the title and taking the #1 plate to Aprilia would simply be unacceptable to Ducati.

Bastianini actually did Bagnaia a favour at Silverstone by preventing Martin from dealing an even bigger blow to him in the points table. But at any other race, Bastianini may end up taking points off Bagnaia and allowing Martin to extend his advantage.

Consider a situation where Martin is leading the race and Bagnaia is sitting third, with Bastianini separating him. In the first part of the season, Martin and Bagnaia were usually left to squabble among themselves as they remained in a class of their own, but Bastianini’s improved form has now added another dimension to their championship fight.

In the absence of team orders, it seems fanciful that he would voluntarily give up a potential win just to please an employer that didn’t consider him for a third term at the factory team

Ducati will be hoping that there is no third person at play during the title run-in, but what would happen if Bastianini is standing in the way of Bagnaia winning a third straight crown in Valencia? Until now, Ducati has maintained that it won’t impose any team or manufacturer orders in MotoGP. Instead, it has opted for a softer route by simply asking its riders to behave sensibly on track.

It’s definitely the right approach to employ and keeps things fair on track, but it’s also true that Ducati doesn’t exactly have any other option. With Bastianini leaving for Tech3 after four seasons within its fold, Ducati cannot possibly expect him to comply with any order to move aside and cede to Bagnaia.

Even if Bastianini’s title challenge never materialises due to a lack of consistency, he would like to go for individual race wins in the final 10 races and end his Ducati career on a high. After all, he is currently on the fastest bike in MotoGP and the KTM project he is joining next year is in the midst of a major overhaul.

While his relationship with Ducati didn’t break down in the same manner as Martin’s over its U-turn to sign Marc Marquez, Bastianini is well aware that his bosses didn’t give him enough time to show what he is capable of after injuries blighted his 2023 campaign. In the absence of team orders, it seems fanciful that he would voluntarily give up a potential win just to please an employer that didn’t consider him for a third term at the factory team.

Bastianini may not be inclined to heed team orders if Bagnaia is behind him in upcoming races

Bastianini may not be inclined to heed team orders if Bagnaia is behind him in upcoming races

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

So how does Ducati manage this situation? In signing Marquez, it has given up on two top riders in Martin and Bastianini, as well as its long-standing satellite team Pramac. This means it is effectively left with just one horse in this year’s title fight, while still having a responsibility towards Bastianini and Martin, who have spent their entire premier-class careers with the marque.

It’s a tricky situation to be in and Ducati needs to figure out how to manage its riders in the final 10 rounds of the season. While it can’t take a step that would directly impact the fortunes of Martin, or Bastianini for that matter, it must be aware that it now needs to put Bagnaia’s interests at its centre.

Ducati can only hope that Bagnaia will be able to repeat the form that allowed him to overturn a 39-point deficit in a matter of weeks before the summer break, while also cutting down on the kind of errors that made his life tough in each of his title-winning campaigns so far.

After all, there is a lot more at stake than the biggest prize in motorcycle racing. Having produced a bike as dominant as the GP24, it would be a travesty for Ducati to watch Aprilia carry the prestigious number one plate next year.

Martin will depart for Aprilia, but will he do so with the #1 plate?

Martin will depart for Aprilia, but will he do so with the #1 plate?

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images



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Bagnaia ‘risked crashing’ following MotoGP title rival Martin in British GP

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Francesco Bagnaia says he risked suffering a crash if he had tried to stay in touch with MotoGP title rival Jorge Martin during their battle for the lead of the British Grand Prix.

Winner of the previous four rounds, Bagnaia couldn’t put up a fight to the victorious Enea Bastianini or runner-up Pramac’s Martin, finishing more than six seconds off the lead in third at Silverstone on Sunday.

It concluded a tricky weekend for the defending champion, who crashed out of Saturday’s sprint while running in a podium position.

With Martin finishing second in both the sprint and the grand prix, the Italian lost the lead in the title fight to his Pramac rival — although only three points separate them with 10 of the 20 rounds in the 2024 season remaining.

Speaking afterwards, Bagnaia admitted he was left with no option but to drop back from the leading duo in order to bag the points for third place and limit the damage in the championship fight with Martin.

“I tried, but after the crash of yesterday, it was better to finish the race,” he said. “Also today I risked to crash. On corner 6-7, I lost the front and Enea overtook me.

“But in that moment, I was already struggling a bit, I was trying to follow Jorge and to follow Jorge I was taking too much risk.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“So it was better to just manage the gap from the guys behind and finish the race, third position is okay.”

Bagnaia grabbed the lead at the start from polesitter Aleix Espargaro and controlled the pace in the first half of the race, but was passed by Martin into Village corner on lap 10 of 20.

Two laps later he ran wide at Vale, allowing team-mate Bastianini through into second. Bastianini went on to overtake Martin on the penultimate tour to score his maiden grand prix win of 2024 and his second as a factory Ducati rider.

The 27-year-old said he will carefully analyse the data from his bike to understand why he couldn’t keep up with the pace of Bastianini and Martin, who were equipped with the same GP24 bike as him.

“First thing that I want to do this afternoon is to check everything on the data because I want to know what I did wrong,” he said in the post-race press conference.

“I was thinking I was managing everything well in terms of pace and tyre, but when Jorge overtook me I see that he was in a better shape than me and I lost the front [and] Enea overtook me.

“I just decided to slow down a bit and just finish the race. Honestly today that was better than try to fight for a better position. I tried to the maximum and the maximum was a third place.”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The big talking point before Sunday’s race at Silverstone was the tyre choice, with questions over whether the medium tyre would be good enough to last the full distance.

Eventually, the cooler conditions meant all but two riders opted for medium front, with Bagnaia also going with the majority of the field.

However, the two-time champion felt that the front tyre didn’t behave to his liking, putting extra stress on the rear tyre and leaving him heavily worn rubber.

“Every time I’m not happy with the front tyre, I finish the rear because I can’t force the bike to turn with the front,” he explained.

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“It’s not the first time that it is happening. I’m not fully happy with the front tyre, today we chose the medium.

“I finished the rear more because I can’t force the front tyre to let the bike turn and I struggled a bit with the rear tyre consumption.

“I was having a lot of movement, I was locking. And when I was wide it was because as I entered it and when I touched the gas I lost it. So the tyre was having less support than what I was expecting and it was difficult for me to turn the bike.”



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Grippier rear tyre causing MotoGP riders to crash more often in 2024

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Francesco Bagnaia believes the extra grip offered by Michelin’s new rear tyre is contributing to MotoGP riders crashing more often than usual in 2024.

Championship leader Bagnaia suffered another crash out of a leading position in Saturday’s sprint for the British Grand Prix, losing the front of his factory Ducati going into Turn 4 (The Loop) while running fourth on lap five.

It brought an early end to the half-distance race for the Italian rider, slashing his advantage to just one point over Pramac rival Jorge Martin ahead of Sunday’s grand prix at Silverstone.

Unforced accidents have become a common theme in MotoGP this year, with Bagnaia’s title challenger Martin also having three notable falls in the first part of the year — including in the preceding race in Germany when he was leading.

While Bagnaia praised the grippier rear tyre introduced by Michelin this year, which has led to long-held lap records falling at a number of venues, he also feels the increased speed might be causing more crashes.

“First of all the new rear tyre are fantastic, but are making us crash more because the rear is pushing a lot the front [of the bike],” he said,

“Today, the first three guys finished the race with eight seconds to the fourth. So in this moment, the speed that some guys are having is incredible.

“I think we never saw something like that, it’s super impressive, I love it.

“But the risk of crash is always there.”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Bagnaia, however, did hold his hand up and concede that it was his error that forced him out of the race, as he was simply carrying too much speed into the left-hander after setting a new fastest lap on the previous tour.

“I did a mistake, honestly,” he admitted. “All the weekend, in corner four I’ve been very fast.

“In this lap, I just exaggerated a bit the line, I was more close to the apex before. I anticipated entering and I lost the front.”

He added: “I did a very good start, but the rear-height device didn’t engage so I did corner one and two with the bike in lower position, so I was fourth. And then I struggled with rear grip for first lap and a half.

“Then everything went perfect again, I closed the gap, I was super-fast, but as soon as I arrived at corner four, I crashed.

“So [it was] my mistake, I already said sorry to my team because they, like always, are doing a perfect job.”

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Tyre choice is integral for riders around the long and winding Silverstone circuit, which takes heavy toll on the Michelin rubber.

Bagnaia went for the safer medium option, like the majority of the field, but felt that it was going to be a compromise no matter which tyre he picked.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“We don’t have the correct front tyre, because the temperature is not allowing us to race with the hard,” he said.

“But the medium is strange and the soft after two laps is finished [so there are no good options].

“I think the medium was the correct choice, but at this moment I was exiting too fast from corner three, and when I just entered corner four I was 3km/h faster.

“That is like nothing but more close to the apex that I lost.”



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