“It is humiliating”: Bagnaia is once again in a deep crisis and is at a loss

– At MotorLand Aragon, Francesco Bagnaia’s black streak continued. Just like before in Silverstone, the Ducati factory rider did not see the checkered flag. In Great Britain, Bagnaia finished 17th in the sprint and crashed in the eighth lap of the Grand Prix.

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The same pattern occurred in Aragon. In Q1, Bagnaia managed to get into Q2 with the best time, but in the sprint he again finished eleventh without championship points. The Grand Prix ended in the sixth lap due to a crash in turn 9.

Bagnaia explained his crash as follows: “The rear wheel slipped, then the front wheel. Quite simply. For me, the lack of grip on the rear wheel is way too extreme. The reality is: I have zero grip. Absolutely zero grip.”

“After five laps, I chose the mapping setting with less power because the rear tire was completely worn out after five laps. Without pushing, without doing anything.”

“So I had big problems and already in lap five the feeling was very vague. First, the rear wheel slipped, and when it got grip again, the front wheel folded.”

From Barcelona to Brno, Bagnaia finished third four times in a row. He also won the sprint in Brno. In Assen, he had to retire due to a technical problem, followed by sixth place at the Sachsenring.

Actually, Bagnaia was hopeful to reconnect with podium performance after the summer break, but Silverstone and Aragon were two weekends to forget.

“Since Silverstone, something has happened because I have zero grip, absolutely zero grip. And I don’t know what will happen when we come to other tracks with lower grip levels,” he wonders about the problems.

For the setup, Bagnaia sees Alex Marquez as a reference at Ducati and tries to copy him. But in Silverstone, he and the technicians could not find a solution to the grip problems.

“No, because we can’t understand where they found this speed, these improvements. But it’s also difficult to compare the data because we notice many differences, especially when we open the throttle.”

“It seems like we are dealing with two different motorcycles, so it’s also difficult to compare the data,” says Bagnaia compared to Alex Marquez, who finished fourth in Aragon.

Neil Hodgson asks the crucial question

Before the Grand Prix, Neil Hodgson asked Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi the crucial question. Hodgson, who was Superbike World Champion in 2003 and raced in MotoGP in 1995 and 2004, currently works as an expert for TNT Sports.

“I’m confused, Davide,” said Hodgson, referring to the sprint: “He was beaten by Zarco, who just returned, which was already bizarre, and also by Jack Miller on the Yamaha.”

“Yet he sits on a factory Ducati, and this track actually suits him. I remember his first win here when he fought against Marc Marquez. That was practically his birth hour. Are we witnessing Pecco’s decline?”

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Tardozzi replied: “Honestly, we came here thinking that Pecco could at least finish in the top 5. Honestly, we still have difficulties finding the right way for him because he still lacks confidence.”

“He can’t push and can’t do what he was capable of here before. It’s not that simple. But I agree with you: His approach could sometimes limit his performance.”

“We have absolutely no doubt that he is a fast rider, absolutely none,” emphasizes Tardozzi. “But at the moment, he has to overcome this narrow line between confidence and blind trust.”

Gigi Dall’Igna also has no answers

This confidence is currently missing for Bagnaia on his Ducati. Why he hasn’t felt grip since Silverstone is a big mystery to him, as in 2021 he defeated Marc Marquez in Aragon and celebrated his first MotoGP win.

“When I look at old data and see what others can do now but I can’t anymore. I’m in a situation where I can’t ride the bike naturally. If I try to do a bit more, I crash.”

“We are all looking for a solution that simply doesn’t come. When you then experience a weekend like this, a weekend like Silverstone, you end up on the ground despite pushing.”

“But pushing means that I am a second slower than the fastest. That wears you down, and above all, it is humiliating at this moment,” says Bagnaia. “It is probably one of the low points of my sporting career.”

“At the moment, I see no way out. The situation is the same as in the first race. In the last two races, it has even become almost worse. That’s why it’s tough.”

After the crash in the Grand Prix, Ducati’s motorsport chief Gigi Dall’Igna was also asked about Bagnaia’s situation by Sky Sport Italy. He too could not provide a concrete technical explanation for the problems.

“Every race is getting a little more complicated. We hope to find a way to make him the champion he is again because Pecco is undoubtedly a great champion,” Dall’Igna finds similar words to those previously said by Tardozzi.

“I think it’s important to stick together. I’ve been saying that for a long time, but honestly, I think that’s currently the only really serious recipe. It’s in everyone’s interest that each of us gives our best.”

In two weeks, Bagnaia’s home race follows at Misano. He has already won there three times, once in Moto2 and twice in MotoGP. His home advantage is that he regularly trains there with a Ducati Panigale.

This gives Bagnaia courage in view of the difficult situation: “With the Panigale, I fly, I am extremely strong there. Every time I ride this motorcycle, I breathe a sigh of relief because that at least means I can still ride a motorcycle.”

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