Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia Compare the GP23 and GP24: Traction Triumphs and Turning Troubles in MotoGP

"Yes, it's accurate": Marco Bezzecchi elaborates on the traits of GP23/GP24

"It's simply a feature of the motorcycles" – Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia discuss the differences between GP24 and GP23.

Current world titleholder Francesco Bagnaia spent a significant portion of Sunday’s Indonesian MotoGP closely following Marco Bezzecchi's Ducati GP23.

On the 22nd lap, Bagnaia managed to overtake Bezzecchi. Just one lap later, he moved ahead of Franco Morbidelli, another GP24 rider, securing what would ultimately be third place.

Bagnaia remembered that it took him roughly ten laps to get past Bez, as he found it very challenging to deal with the traction of Bez's bike. However, once he managed to overtake Bez, passing Frankie was significantly simpler since they were riding identical bikes, and Bagnaia knew exactly how to handle the situation.

Bagnaia commented, "The GP23 offers better traction compared to our motorcycle, and this type of track impacts acceleration more significantly. The rear grip isn't very strong."

"When it comes to initial acceleration, the GP23 offers a slight edge. It’s not a significant leap, but it’s a small advantage that can be beneficial in certain scenarios."

There has been much discussion this year about how the performance of the new Desmosedici compares to the old model.

Bezzecchi’s performance has been notably inconsistent, dropping from three victories and third place in the world championship on a GP22, to currently holding ninth place with just one podium finish on a GP23 this season.

Following a fifth-place finish at Mandalika, the VR46 rider concurred with Bagnaia's evaluation that the GP23 has the potential to be more powerful exiting a corner. He stated, "Yes, that's correct. However, traction when entering the corner remains a significant issue for us."

Bezzecchi mentioned that the GP24 performs better when it comes to braking and cornering. However, he noted that in terms of traction, it falls a bit short.

"When we have a fresh front tire, we have the opportunity to keep up with them at the entry. And then, on the exit, we might gain an advantage."

"However, once the front grip fails, we are done for. They, on the other hand, perform brilliantly."

"Their turning capabilities are impressive… They can maintain high speed while entering curves, and they handle the throttle smoothly. By the end [of the race], they also have better grip."

"In my opinion, it's simply a feature of our motorcycles. Our bikes have better grip when exiting at an angle, which is beneficial. However, this advantage comes at the cost of poor turning and stopping performance."

All the riders using the GP23 Ducati are reporting the same issue. While I have managed to adapt somewhat on certain tracks, I face more difficulties on others.

"However, in general, the defining feature is this."

The device that adjusts the factory ride-height aids the GP24s in maintaining traction as they accelerate on lengthy straight sections.

At the same time, Bezzecchi opted to use the soft front tire for the Indonesian Grand Prix, influenced by the GP23's issues with handling corner entries. This choice aligned him with just five other riders who made the same selection.

He mentioned that he couldn't get the bike to turn with the hard tire and wasn't able to achieve the same lap times.

The upcoming Aprilia factory rider secured a front-row start and ended up in fourth place in the Sprint race, but encountered an issue at the beginning of Sunday's main event.

He explained that an initial technical issue, which they haven't completely figured out yet, put them at a disadvantage: the front lowering mechanism failed to activate three times consecutively, meaning he essentially began the race with only the rear lowered compared to the others.

"I was positioned at the rear of the group, and with the soft front tire, it was extremely challenging to remain behind another rider for the entire race."

"I was really eager to overtake Franky. I pushed the bike forward without stopping, but then I lost the chance to make another attempt."

"However, I feel joy because the fight is always exciting."

Sporting a unique livery for main sponsor Pertamina, Bezzecchi crossed the finish line just behind Morbidelli, trailing race winner Jorge Martin by 6.772 seconds.

Marc Marquez, who is the sole racer to achieve victory on the GP23 this year, had to withdraw from seventh position on Sunday because of a dramatic technical malfunction.

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