Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati): How he spent his first few days with his son

Pecco Bagnaia is currently going through a very exciting time. Immediately after the Assen GP, the Ducati factory rider travelled to Italy to be with his family – he skipped the obligatory post-Grand Prix media session for good reason. As a reminder, Pecco became a father to a son on 27 June. Little Oliviero and his wife Domizia were waiting for him at home.

How was the last week for Bagnaia? “Fantastic. I trained hard every morning until 2 pm, then I rushed home to have a shower. After a quick meal, I’d spend time with him until 9 pm. I really enjoyed it,” said Pecco, offering a glimpse into the life of a proud new dad. Did he get enough sleep? “Yes, he’s still very quiet at the moment – I hope it stays that way.”

Bagnaia suffered a setback at the last race weekend in Assen. He retired from the Grand Prix after 15 laps due to a mechanical failure. “I can’t say much about it – just that I had to pull into the pits,” the Ducati rider said briefly. It wasn’t the first time this season that Bagnaia had dropped points due to a technical problem. He currently lies eighth in the overall standings, 63 points behind. “When I look at how many points I’ve lost between Jerez, Le Mans and Assen – it was more than 40,” the 29-year-old lamented. “It could be better, but it is what it is. However, I’ve lost points in many situations throughout my career – what you’ve lost, you can make up again.”

The Sachsenring isn’t one of Bagnaia’s favourite circuits. Does he nevertheless see a chance this year to beat his team-mate Marc Marquez – who isn’t yet 100 per cent fit – in Germany? “He has no weaknesses on left-hand circuits. So I think he’s the man to beat here,” Bagnaia said, waving the suggestion aside. “If we work well, we can get close to him, but I’ll need to find something special to beat him. This track isn’t one of my favourites, but I’ve always done well here anyway. I’ve had some good results. If I can fight for a podium place, that’s good.” Why isn’t Bagnaia a fan of the Sachsenring? “Because it’s very small. I like it when there are several possible lines through the corners. Here, there’s only one approach. It’s not my favourite track, but it’s much better than some others.”

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