Francesco Bagnaia, rider of the Ducati Team, has expressed his perplexity over the notable performance differences between his bike and other GP26 models. This statement comes after a complicated weekend at the San Marino Grand Prix, where he struggled to perform in both qualifying and the race.
After a promising start to the season, Bagnaia has seen his form drastically decline since the resumption of the championship. In the last three races, he has failed to score any points, with crashes leaving him frustrated.
The Italian rider felt ‘humiliated’ in front of his home crowd in Misano, unable to understand why his bike was not working like the other Ducatis. He pointed out that there is a ‘big, big difference’ between his vehicle and the other models from his brand, and he has not been able to find answers from his team either.
Bagnaia commented that he has been braking more aggressively than his teammates, but that his bike was not responding as he expected. ‘I feel like I’m not maximizing its potential,’ he said, while expressing frustration over the difficulties preventing him from achieving better results.
With a successful track record at this circuit, including three previous victories, Bagnaia felt disappointed with his performance. He finished the race on Sunday at a distant position, far from the leading spots.
The rider referred to persistent problems with rear grip, which have prevented him from fully controlling his Ducati. ‘Now there are things I can’t control,’ he stated, citing unexpected behavior from his bike.
Despite his efforts, Bagnaia has accepted that right now, the best he can aim for is a position around ninth or tenth place. ‘We have to start over from here,’ he concluded, showing determination to work on solving his current challenges.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
