Bagnaia Battles Pain and Strategy in San Marino GP’s Agonizing Finish, Narrowing Championship Gap

Francesco Bagnaia describes the catastrophic finish of the race as "suffering" took over

The MotoGP title holder shares thoughts on the distressing end to the San Marino MotoGP event

Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati described the concluding laps of the MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix as "a disaster," attributing the struggle to a lapse in concentration and an increase in the pain stemming from his injuries.

The current world champion experienced slight injuries to his shoulder and back during a collision with Alex Marquez at the Aragon GP, leading him to compete at Misano under the influence of pain medication.

Bagnaia secured the top spot in qualifying, came in second during the sprint race, and was at the forefront in the initial phase of the grand prix. Ultimately, he ended up in second place, trailing behind Marc Marquez, amidst challenging weather conditions.

Maintaining a considerable distance from Marquez throughout, Bagnaia ultimately fell further back, finishing 3.1 seconds behind by the time they reached the finish line.

He subsequently clarified that upon deciding to stop striving for victory, his focus shifted excessively to the discomfort caused by his wounds.

Bagnaia expressed his desire to clinch the race victory, believing that, had it not been for the rain, his chances of winning were high due to his excellent speed. He felt confident that Jorge Martin, trailing behind him, would have struggled to pass him, much like his own experience during the sprint.

"However, the moment it began to drizzle, I observed him stepping into the shelter, and instantly, my perception shifted."

"I mentioned, 'Alright, there’s no need for me to crash since he’s going to score no points anyway'. Subsequently, Marc showed up, exhibiting the most courage when it came to navigating the track under rainy conditions."

The moment he passed me, I attempted to reclaim my position ahead of him, but the opportunity never presented itself.

"When I made the choice to settle for second place, with just four or five laps remaining, my focus shifted away from maintaining top speed on the track to the discomfort I was feeling."

"The situation turned chaotic as suddenly, the effect of the pain reliever completely wore off. It was catastrophic."

Entering Sunday's major race trailing Martin by 26 points, the misstep in strategy by the Spaniard has resulted in Bagnaia closing the gap to just seven points in the rankings.

Bagnaia doesn't view the outcome as equivalent to a win, considering his challenges at Aragon, but he admits it feels rewarding.

"When questioned whether he would have been content with this outcome before the weekend, given his limited ability to achieve much on Monday, he confirmed, 'Considering the events of last week, yes, I would have.'"

"I was experiencing severe discomfort and it wasn't simple to deal with. However, as usual, my team and I put in significant effort, and I must acknowledge my physiotherapist for doing an outstanding job once again.

"My coach, Carlo, feels the same way. I take great pride in our achievements. This year wasn't as challenging as the previous one, yet I believe dealing with pain in the arms and shoulders is more difficult compared to the legs.

"By leveraging your arms, you can compensate for the legs to some extent. However, your legs can't be utilized to achieve speed in the same way your arms can. Therefore, cycling became somewhat more challenging."

"I managed to cycle in the manner I desired, though the final segment of the race was painful. It doesn't feel like a win since it isn't one, but it still feels satisfying."

"Yesterday, frustration took over me because I missed out on an opportunity to secure a victory. However, today, I gave it my all but still fell short of winning. Honestly, anything beyond that would have been challenging."

Bastianini Overcomes Illness for Podium Finish

Struggling with health issues, Enea Bastianini, riding for Ducati alongside Bagnaia, made an impressive comeback from eighth position to secure third place, at times challenging the frontrunners with his speed.

Bastianini was among a few racers who fell ill at Misano, beginning the grand prix while not feeling well.

Choosing to use a soft rear tire, in contrast to the leading riders who opted for the medium, Bastianini found he had strong initial speed but conceded that he faced challenges towards the end as the tire wore out.

"I'm pleased with securing a place on the podium, given that I was under the weather this morning," he started.

I began almost on autopilot, not really pondering over it. The competition grew challenging as, after several circuits, light rain began to fall, prompting me to attempt to narrow the distance Pecco had established ahead of me.

"In the final moments, I was nearly there. However, when the group trailing us caught up amid those circumstances, winning became a challenging task, especially since I had opted for soft tires on the back. Initially, I had a strong start, but towards the end, I found it a bit difficult to keep up."

Discover More

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or replicating the text, photos, or illustrations, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited in any manner.