Pecco Bagnaia down early: “I tried to follow Diggia”
Ducati rider Pecco Bagnaia’s home race was over in less than ten minutes. A crash by the two-time MotoGP world champion marked the inglorious end to a disastrous event in Italy.
This article is an automatically generated English version. The
After missing out on Q2 and finishing 13th in a sprint race that yielded no points, things went from bad to worse for Francesco Bagnaia: at Turn 2 of his beloved home circuit, not far from his home in Pesaro, the factory rider slid off the track. It was the number 63’s 11th crash of the current season.
What had happened? Unsurprisingly, Bagnaia’s account at the press conference was brief: “I gave it a go! My start was better than in the sprint race and, after Franky disappeared onto the long-lap, I tried to stay on Diggia’s tail. I then tried to carry just a little more speed out of Turn 2. Unfortunately, that resulted in a crash – which, thankfully, was minor. Unfortunate – just like the whole weekend.”
Bagnaia, who showed little outward sign of distress, said: “That’s just the way it is – we’re in this difficult situation now and have to keep looking for a solution. The situation remains the same – I’ve got absolutely no feel for the bike. I spoke to some of the other riders again today and they confirm what we already know: this track has a lot of grip – it’s just that I can’t feel any of it.”
However, the two-time premier class champion has high hopes for next week’s round in Austria. “I’m still looking forward to the Red Bull Ring. I have fond memories of the track and it generally suits me very well – we’re working to ensure that I get back the feeling I need there.”
In the World Championship standings, Bagnaia dropped one place to Alex Márquez, who was in top form at Misano – the Italian is ninth after round 14. Despite Bagnaia’s latest defeat, there were celebrations at Ducati Lenovo. Following the Desmo brothers’ one-two, the riders’ championship went to Marc Marquez and the manufacturers’ championship lead to Ducati. That’s that.
Seen already?
Don't miss out on any highlights: The Speedweek newsletter, sent out twice a week, delivers the latest news, exclusive commentary and all the important dates from the world of motorsports - directly into your inbox



