Francesco Bagnaia has reacted negatively to a video that seemed to suggest that Ducati was preventing him from adjusting the bike, claiming that his comments had been «completely taken out of context».
After another unfortunate race in Misano last weekend, the Ducati rider was seen talking with Fabio di Giannantonio of VR46 in the television area. The Spanish channel DAZN shared footage of this conversation, which was thought to be private.
Speaking in Italian, Di Giannantonio hinted that Bagnaia had tried a motorcycle setup that he described as «very basic». The two-time MotoGP champion responded «they don’t let me do it», sparking a wave of comments on social media.
Upon arriving at the Red Bull Ring a few days later for the Austrian Grand Prix, Bagnaia rejected suggestions that Ducati had not helped him during his recent struggles, and criticized DAZN for releasing the video.
«There have been many times that I have been asked if the team supports you, and I have always said: ‘yes, the team is doing its utmost to help me’.»
«What happened in the last race in Misano was something totally disrespectful on the part of DAZN, but that’s how it is. The video that was recorded was out of context. We were talking about a topic that is not completely secret, as we were talking there [in a public setting]. But it’s out of context, as the video was not complete. We were also talking about something else.»
Bagnaia clarified his comments, explaining that he had already tried several modifications to the bike to address rear grip issues.
«What I meant to say is that I have tried putting things on and taking them off many times, that Ducati won’t let me do more, but only because I’ve done it many times already, and I don’t want to continue with this kind of thing,» he said. «What came out of my mouth was in the wrong tone. But then what happened was a disaster for me, because it’s totally a lack of respect.»
«The relationship between journalists and riders must have respect. I have tried to maintain a good relationship with everyone, because I know how important it is to have a good relationship with journalists, as you are the ones who speak to the world for us, and what happened with me is not right.»
Bagnaia assured that his relationship with Ducati remains the same after discussing the video content with management following the San Marino Grand Prix. «Yesterday we talked about this,» he revealed. «It’s normal for it to seem terrible as it appears on television. But they also have interviews on Fridays and Sundays, and what I said in both interviews is that Ducati supports me.»
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
