Bagnaia (11th) resigned and terse after the sprint: “It is what it is”

Francesco Bagnaia started on the medium rear tyre, just like the Marquez brothers, and was initially in ninth place. After briefly moving up to eighth, he began to drop down the order. The Ducati factory rider was now leading only a small group of pursuers. Whilst Marc Marquez was clocking fast 1:46s on the same bike, Bagnaia could barely manage 1:47s. Final result: 11th place, 14.5 seconds behind the winner – ‘Pecco’ was more than a second slower per lap. Honda rider Zarco, who hadn’t ridden a MotoGP bike for three and a half months, crossed the line ahead of the two-time world champion.

Bagnaia had expected a better result after practice

Yet the second practice session had given cause for hope. “Compared to Friday, we took a step forward,” said Bagnaia, looking back on the practice session. “I was quick on the medium tyre. Not as quick as Marc, but my pace was in the high 1:46s and low 1:47s. I was sure I’d be able to maintain the same pace in the sprint.”

Weit hinten kämpfte Bagnaia mit Bastianini (KTM) und Rins (Yamaha)

Foto: Gold and Goose

Things turned out differently: “I struggled with rear-wheel grip again. Behind the other riders, I lost out on acceleration and also on top speed. I wasn’t in a position to attack.” He lost time particularly on the third lap, when both Fermin Aldeguer (Ducati) and Jack Miller (Yamaha) found a way past the Italian.

The downward spiral since Brno continued – is a top-7 finish possible on Sunday?

The two-time MotoGP World Champion’s disappointment was clearly evident. “It is what it is. We’re working towards the race and, thanks to the sprint, we know which direction we need to take.” He’s scaling back his expectations for the 23-lap GP race: “If I can maintain the same pace as in practice, there are a few good points to be had in the top seven.”

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Bagnaia’s downward trend continues: since the Assen GP, he has scored just 16 points; his last podium finish was at Brno. At least there was some positive news from the eighth-placed rider when asked about his operated hand: “It’s better with painkillers.”