Two Weekends on the Same Track: Francesco Bagnaia’s Concerns for the 2024 MotoGP Season
Francesco Bagnaia, the reigning MotoGP World Champion, has recently voiced concerns regarding the 2024 MotoGP calendar, specifically the decision to host races on the same track for two consecutive weekends. As the sport grows in complexity and technical demands, Bagnaia’s remarks have sparked discussions about how such scheduling could potentially impact riders, teams, and the sport’s overall appeal. With his deep understanding of the sport, Bagnaia’s opinions highlight crucial considerations regarding the physical and mental toll on riders and the challenges for teams and fans alike.
Bagnaia’s primary concern stems from the risk of races becoming predictable due to repetition. While MotoGP races thrive on the unpredictable nature of the competition—strategies, team setups, and track conditions—riders gaining an extra weekend of practice on the same circuit can, in his opinion, remove some of the sport’s natural unpredictability.
The Italian star argues that the excitement of MotoGP often comes from teams needing to adjust rapidly to new conditions. When races occur back-to-back on the same track, teams can refine their strategies and bike setups with near-perfection by the second weekend. This leaves little room for the unpredictability that makes the sport so thrilling.
As Bagnaia explains, “MotoGP is a sport where every detail matters. We spend countless hours preparing for every turn, every straight. But when you give us two weekends on the same track, it becomes less about skill and instinct and more about repeating the same routine over and over. It takes away the essence of racing.”
In addition to the potential predictability of back-to-back races on the same circuit, Bagnaia emphasized the physical and mental toll that this format could impose on the riders. MotoGP riders endure intense physical strain during a race weekend, with practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and the race itself requiring peak physical condition. Having to race on the same track twice may heighten the risk of injuries, as riders might push even harder on a familiar circuit, aiming to shave off milliseconds that they had already calculated during the first weekend.
Mentally, the pressure to outperform one’s own times from the previous weekend can also be exhausting. MotoGP riders are known for their mental toughness, but Bagnaia believes that this format could challenge that toughness in a less constructive way. “We already push ourselves to the limit every weekend,” he states. “Going back to the same track can make you overly confident, or it can increase your pressure to outperform yourself. Neither is good for us as athletes.”
He worries that such pressure could lead to mistakes or even dangerous accidents, as riders may become complacent or overconfident. When the same track presents itself as familiar territory, the instinct to push harder or take unnecessary risks might lead to serious consequences.
Another significant point raised by Bagnaia is how two consecutive races on the same track could negatively affect the fan experience. MotoGP prides itself on showcasing a wide variety of tracks with unique characteristics—each circuit offering different challenges for both the riders and teams. Fans enjoy watching how their favorite riders adapt to these changing conditions, and how the circuits test various aspects of a rider’s skill set.
By reducing the variety in tracks, MotoGP risks losing the element that keeps many fans engaged—unpredictability. For Bagnaia, having races on the same circuit back-to-back removes that dynamic. “The fans come to see us push our limits, but they also come for the diversity of the sport. Every track brings something different, and that’s part of the magic of MotoGP,” he says.
Additionally, ticket sales and live attendance could take a hit as well. Local fans might attend one race weekend but skip the second if they feel they’ve already experienced the event. The thrill of attending a MotoGP race live lies in its uniqueness, something that can be lost if events are repeated at the same venue just a week later.
From a technical standpoint, Bagnaia believes that back-to-back races on the same track could also present difficulties for the teams. While one might think that more time on the same track allows teams to fine-tune their bikes to perfection, Bagnaia argues that this can lead to overcomplication.
“MotoGP bikes are already highly advanced, and the data we collect over one race weekend is immense. Give us two weekends at the same track, and teams can start overanalyzing that data. It becomes less about reacting to what’s happening in real-time and more about over-optimization. That doesn’t always lead to better results,” Bagnaia states.
This hyper-focus on optimization might detract from the teams’ ability to innovate and react to new variables, which is a key part of racing. Bagnaia notes that part of the excitement for teams is the challenge of facing different tracks with different setups. The redundancy of staying at the same track could reduce their ability to adapt in other areas of the season.
While Bagnaia is critical of the decision to host two races on the same track, he isn’t entirely without ideas for improving the situation. He suggests that if double-headers must be scheduled, alternating between two different layouts of the same track could help maintain some variety. Many circuits around the world have alternative configurations that offer different challenges. “If we must race at the same location, why not use a different layout? It would keep things fresh for both the riders and the fans,” he proposes.
Another option could be alternating weather conditions by introducing night races or adjusting the race schedule to present different challenges for each weekend. Bagnaia acknowledges that these ideas wouldn’t completely eliminate the issues he sees but believes they could alleviate some of the monotony that comes with back-to-back races on the same track.
Francesco Bagnaia’s criticisms of the 2024 MotoGP schedule resonate with both fans and riders alike. His concerns highlight the need for variety, unpredictability, and adaptability, which are fundamental to the excitement of MotoGP. As the sport continues to evolve, ensuring that its essence remains intact—while considering the welfare of riders, teams, and fans—will be crucial to maintaining MotoGP’s position as one of the most thrilling motorsports in the world. For Bagnaia, two weekends on the same track aren’t just a scheduling issue—it’s a risk to the sport’s integrity.
