Misano, a race of heart. Pecco Bagnaia keeps believing and showing character despite a difficult weekend. Ortolá narrowly misses the podium and finishes fourth in Moto2! Go Pecco. Go Iván.
Misano is home. It is passion. It is adrenaline. It is the sound of motorcycles blending with the warmth of a crowd that lives and breathes motorcycling. And it was right in front of the Italian fans that our Suomy Rider Francesco Bagnaia faced one of the most eagerly awaited weekends of the season with focus and determination. A special event, packed with expectations and emotions, which once again put Pecco in front of one of the toughest challenges of this championship.
The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is a track that gives you nothing for free. Heavy braking, acceleration, changes of direction and corners where the feeling with the bike can make the difference down to the very last tenth. A technical and spectacular circuit, capable of producing unforgettable races and, for precisely this reason, particularly demanding for both rider and machine.MFrom the very first practice sessions, however, it became clear that the weekend would not be an easy one for our rider. Bagnaia struggled to find the necessary feeling with his Desmosedici and finished Friday’s Practice in nineteenth position, meaning he would have to go through Q1.
As if that were not enough, Saturday also failed to deliver the result everyone had hoped for. Francesco continued to struggle to find a way to solve the many issues with feeling and set-up and was unable to make it through to Q2. This left him starting from the fourteenth position on the grid. A position far from a champion’s ambitions, but one that did not change our Suomy Rider’s approach: work, fight, never give up. “We are working very hard to understand where we can improve, especially when it comes to the behaviour of the rear. Starting this far back certainly doesn’t help, but I know this track and I know anything can happen in a race. We have to keep believing and try to make the most of every opportunity.” Those were Pecco’s words after qualifying.
SPRINT RACE
Saturday afternoon was Sprint time. A short, intense race where every corner can change the destiny of a race. As mentioned, Pecco started from fourteenth position, but despite his place far down the grid, he immediately tried to make up ground. The pace, however, was still not enough to allow him to join the fight for the positions that matter. At the chequered flag, he crossed the line in thirteenth position. A result that could not satisfy the Italian champion, but which nevertheless represented another important opportunity to gather information and understand the behaviour of the bike in race conditions.
– Sprint Race 13° –
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team)
“The race went more or less as we expected. Unfortunately, I can’t ride the way I would like to, so I have to give everything I have with what is currently available to me. I still don’t have the feeling I need and I have to ride defensively: the bike pushes a lot under braking, which makes it difficult to stop. The difference compared with the other Ducati riders is clear in terms of behaviour and performance, but at the moment we still haven’t been able to understand why this is happening. We can only keep working and try to turn the situation around.”
RACE
Sunday in Misano brought with it the warmth of the crowd, the tension of the race and the desire for redemption. Francesco Bagnaia started from fourteenth position, with the aim of turning all the work accumulated throughout the weekend into performance on track. But once again, the race proved merciless. Pecco fought, pushed towards the limit and tried to make up ground, but his Grand Prix came to an early end following a crash and subsequent retirement. It was obviously a difficult ending to accept, especially on such an important track for our rider and for all Italian motorcycle racing fans. But in sport, just as in life, it is not only victories that define a champion. And once again, Pecco showed that he has the determination to face difficult moments head-on.
– Race DNF –
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team)
“I’m very sorry about the crash, because my team is working incredibly hard to put me in the best possible position to perform well. There are still eight events to go and I hope we can change the momentum of this season. I’m pushing very hard, especially in the races, but unfortunately the lack of feeling means that I make mistakes every time I try to do something different. It’s a difficult situation to digest, but we have to face reality and keep going, despite everything, giving our absolute best. I hope things can go a little better in Austria.”
