Francesco Bagnaia Overcomes Catalunya Crash Memories to Triumph in Mugello Sprint Amidst Challenges

Francesco Bagnaia described the final lap of the Mugello sprint as "extremely frightening," still haunted by his recent crash in Catalunya. Despite the previous mishap, Bagnaia managed to secure his initial sprint victory in nearly a year at Mugello, determined not to let history repeat itself.

Francesco Bagnaia experienced a significant interval before securing another sprint victory, with his previous win dating back to Austria in 2023. Despite narrowly missing out on a win at the Catalan Sprint just the week before.

Following the race, the rider from Ducati Lenovo Team expressed immense satisfaction with his performance, the motorcycle's condition, and his tire management strategy.

"I'm elated; we nearly clinched it in Barcelona… our approach was flawless. From the get-go, I began to intensify my efforts – I attempted to slightly adjust when the decrease in the rear tyre's performance was significant. The decline in the front tyre's condition caught me off guard; navigating the final two laps while trying to maintain a steady speed was challenging, but I'm filled with joy.

I observed that everyone was in the same boat, facing the same circumstances. Tomorrow, with twice the number of laps, will be challenging, but I'm pleased with today's outcome.

The Ducati competitor crashed during the final lap in the previous race, which lingered in his thoughts. This time, in Tuscany, amidst the local supporters, he rode with care to avoid a similar incident.

"I felt really frightened, especially when I reached corner ten, that specific one… and then again at corner twelve, but fortunately, I was able to complete it."

In the upcoming sprint race, the racer with the #1 designation was initially set to begin from the front position. Despite his impressive track record at Mugello, including sweeping last season's event with victories in both the sprint and feature races starting from the pole position, he faces a tougher competition this time around due to a three-place penalty on the starting grid imposed on Friday. This penalty was a result of him impeding Alex Marquez by riding slowly, a decision that both he and his Ducati team contested to no avail. Earlier in the day, an evidently frustrated Bagnaia criticized his relegation, dubbing the penalties as "clown penalties".

Accepting his situation, the current champion is prepared to attempt to close the gap on Jorge Martin's lead this year, starting from fifth position on the grid, and remains optimistic about his prospects for more victories:

"The outcome hinges on the beginning and the speed – it will unfold differently, but we are present to compete and we aim to give it our all."

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