Ducati’s Strategic Shift: Bagnaia Addresses Reduced GP25 Fleet and VR46’s Elevated Status Ahead of British MotoGP

Ducati announces a reduction in GP25 entries; Pecco Bagnaia acknowledges the significant effect of the decision

Pecco Bagnaia responds to the official announcement regarding VR46's updated position

Francesco Bagnaia has responded to Ducati's announcement that they will operate just three GP25s by acknowledging a reduction in data gathering.

In the upcoming season, VR46 will take over from Pramac as Ducati's officially backed satellite team. However, in contrast to Pramac's current arrangement, they will only receive one GP25 bike.

This indicates that only the team duo of Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, along with VR46's Fabio di Giannantonio, will be equipped with the same model of bike.

Friday Practice Outcomes for the 2024 British MotoGP at Silverstone

"Having four bikes is preferable to three, though it's not a major setback," Bagnaia shared with reporters, including those from Crash.net, during a Friday session at Silverstone.

"Having four bicycles provides you with additional information, allowing you to comprehend more aspects."

"For me, it's an improvement. However, it's not my decision to make."

"It's advantageous as it allows each of the four riders to be assigned a task during a test."

Already this year, I was unable to complete the task during the exam.

"Having four motorcycles available ensures that the factory teams receive identical bikes."

Ducati's factory team lineup is now official, with Bagnaia teaming up with Marquez, who is presently riding for Gresini.

VR46 has been officially announced as the new team backed by Ducati, receiving one GP25 motorcycle. Additionally, they will be equipped with a bike from the previous year.

Despite lacking official confirmation, Ducati executives shared at Silverstone that Di Giannantonio is set to pilot VR46's primary motorcycle, while Franco Morbidelli will handle their previous year's model.

Bagnaia signals caution to Martin

Heading into this weekend's British MotoGP, Bagnaia is the rider to watch, being in prime form.

He leads Jorge Martin by 10 points at the summit of the leaderboard, following a stellar conclusion to the season's initial phase.

During the summer hiatus, Bagnaia not only clinched victory in the Ducati Race of Champions, competing against the brand's elite racers, but he also tied the knot.

On Friday at Silverstone, he secured the third-fastest time, while his competitor Martin led the timesheet.

"The motorcycle is quite jittery and experiences significant vibrations. We need to make enhancements," Bagnaia stated.

"I'm pleased because this marks the first Friday at Silverstone where I've shown competitiveness."

"Currently, Martin is slightly ahead. We're already aware of the reasons, the location, and the necessary actions."

He commented on his race speed, stating, "Pretty decent. I couldn't complete many laps since I had to make frequent stops in the pit."

"The speed was satisfactory. Martin achieved an impressive time of 58.8 despite using a worn rear tire, though he opted to switch out the front tire."

"Our solid front outperformed the medium. We opted against the hard option due to the expected cooler temperatures on both Saturday and Sunday."

Bagnaia evaluated the MotoGP Michelin tires against the Pirelli tires he rode on a Panigale V4 during last weekend's Ducati Race of Champions.

"He characterized the Pirelli tyres as offering 'less support' in comparison to Michelin, which provides significantly more. Although Michelin might have slightly less grip, he emphasized that support is crucial due to their heavy reliance on braking."

"With increased backing, you have the freedom to amplify."

"Using Pirellis, the speed around corners was higher, however, I faced challenges with braking. It felt too soft."

"You experience intense emotions, perhaps due to it being a sports bike."

"The aspect that stood out to me the most was the back. It was astonishing."

"It's hard to picture using it during a qualifying round…"

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