Francesco Bagnaia Credits Valentino Rossi’s Sage Advice for Austrian MotoGP Triumph

Francesco Bagnaia shares insight from Valentino Rossi on Austrian MotoGP strategy

"His perspective is incredibly beneficial for me."

Francesco Bagnaia clinched first place in the Austrian MotoGP, marking his third Sprint-Grand Prix win combo of the year.

Since nearly the beginning of the VR46 Rider Academy, Bagnaia has developed his skills under the guidance of Valentino Rossi, a nine-time World Champion. Prior to the race in Austria, his mentor shared some direct advice with him.

"During the pre-race discussion, Rossi mentioned to me that my performance in the Sprint the day before was commendable, so he advised me to aim for a similar outcome," Bagnaia shared with journalists after the race.

Bagnaia went on to elaborate on the sense of brotherhood shared among the members of the VR46 Academy.

Following the race, he was elated, especially since Celestino [Vietti] clinched his first victory of the season. Given that Celestino wasn't in the best of positions earlier, it brought us immense joy for him. I believe Bezzecchi also put in a solid performance; as for Franky, despite not having his best race, he did make a significant recovery. Overall, it was a highly successful weekend for the Academy.

Clearly, Bagnaia holds Rossi's viewpoint in high esteem and consistently looks for his input during race weekends, regardless of whether Rossi is physically at the circuit or not.

"Having Vale around is crucial, but even when he's absent, we maintain constant communication," he noted. "We exchange numerous messages, and his insights are incredibly valuable to me. Indeed, when he's present, his priority shifts more towards his team, but we still managed to have discussions yesterday and Friday evenings. His perspective is essential to me."

Discussing his overall performance in the Austrian Grand Prix, Bagnaia expressed contentment with his speed and his approach to managing the race.

"Yesterday's race was exceptional, and we were somewhat fortunate due to Jorge's penalty," he commented. "However, today, I believe our pace was truly outstanding. The speed we achieved was remarkable."

"I aimed to incrementally increase my speed on each lap to create a distance from Jorge towards the race's end, allowing me to manage the pace more comfortably. The rear tire was causing a lot of instability, especially on the straights, so establishing that lead was crucial for controlling the situation."

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