Pecco Bagnaia prods Ducati ahead of Austin

Pecco Bagnaia wants to put behind him a disastrous start to the season, with only 10 points in the first two rainbow rounds and the resulting 13th place in the MotoGP riders’ standings. Austin could represent an important opportunity for him and his Ducati, after their victory a year ago. Yet the Piedmontese rider once again chooses a low profile, after the many difficulties he has faced this early in the season riding the Desmosedici GP26. In part shared, moreover, with his boxmate Marc Marquez.

“It is true that I won here last year, but Marc had fallen – recalled Bagnaia -. However, that of Austin is a circuit that I like very much, I have always won there and I have good memories. COTA is the most difficult and challenging circuit of the year, so riding there is always a pleasant and challenging experience. We are aiming to figure out how to improve in the race, because in Brazil we missed there. The speed was there, though, so I’m convinced we can do a very good job. However, we need to frame the aspects on which we can make progress.”

Already in big trouble with the 2025 Ducati, Bagnaia wanted to make it clear that the problems this season are different than then. “Last year it was always very difficult to be consistent during the sessions. Now, however, it is different,” he clarified. “In fact, I manage to improve time by time, also understanding the changes on the bike depending on the configurations. The problem is in the race, I really struggle there. We have to understand in Ducati how to solve this kind of situation.”

Caution also from Marc Marquez: “Austin is a track I love, but in the last 4 seasons I have not won. I have to understand what mistakes I made and how to improve. Bez is showing great speed and is the favorite to lead the World Championship, I will try to stop him but right now he is the fastest rider. Diggia is also very fast, we will not focus on our work.”

“We are lacking a little bit of feeling,” added Marquez, about the problems plaguing Ducati at this start of the season. I need to be more consistent on lap times. We need some continuity, we need lap times in an easier way. But it was already better in Brazil than in Thailand.”