Angry Bagnaia Reflects on Misano MotoGP Sprint Loss to Martin: ‘I Didn’t Have Any Chance to Overtake

Francesco Bagnaia, expressing his frustration, detailed how he was outperformed by Jorge Martin in the Misano MotoGP sprint, admitting, "I had no opportunity to pass him."

A frustrated Francesco Bagnaia attributed his loss to Jorge Martin in the MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix sprint to a bad start caused by issues with his Ducati’s clutch and an overheating front tire.

On Friday at Misano, Bagnaia led the practice sessions and then went on to secure pole position with a new lap record during Saturday morning's qualifying, whereas championship frontrunner Martin faced challenges and ended up in fourth place

At the beginning of the 13-lap sprint, Martin surged ahead of Bagnaia to take the lead and maintained his position until the finish line, increasing his championship lead to 26 points.

Bagnaia stayed near Martin during the initial half of the sprint, but by the time they crossed the finish line, the distance between them had widened to 1.495 seconds.

The Italian rider expressed his frustration with his own performance, admitting he botched his start. He noted that his speed was nearly identical to Martin's, making it difficult to find an opportunity to pass, which ultimately led to his front tire overheating.

Bagnaia expressed his frustration with his performance, stating that he was upset because he had a poor start. He mentioned that he struggled with the clutch at the beginning, which caused him to lose his position at the front.

"We are fully aware of how challenging it is to pass other cars on this track when you're keeping the same speed as those ahead of you."

"I attempted the initial laps, but the front tire overheated, causing me to lose control."

"I had no opportunity to pass Jorge. This afternoon, he performed better… not necessarily faster, but definitely more effectively."

“We need to get better by tomorrow since we can't afford to start off like this again.”

After dismounting his Ducati, Bagnaia remarked, "I was struggling a little on the exits of Turns 6, 8, and 10. The bike was sliding a lot, and I was trailing behind, which altered everything."

"When you ride solo, everything feels flawless, but the bike reacts differently when there's turbulence."

Following a challenging weekend in Aragon, Bagnaia commented on the significance of securing a second-place finish, despite losing further ground to Martin in the rankings.

As he anticipates the grand prix, Bagnaia thinks the event will differ from the sprint due to the use of the medium rear tire.

During Friday's practice session, Bagnaia demonstrated remarkable race pace with this tire, although he believes that some competitors might opt for the soft tire.

“Certainly, following the events in Aragon, it was crucial to complete the race – giving it our all, but making sure to cross the finish line,” he mentioned.

"We accomplished it. However, tomorrow's race will be different as we will be using the medium tires."

"You can't be as aggressive with the medium tires and need to exercise more caution during the initial laps."

"Some racers might opt for the soft tires since they performed well today, except for the last couple of laps. I believe they will be a viable option for tomorrow as well."

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