Francesco Bagnaia, reigning MotoGP champion and Ducati rider, endured a difficult Sprint race at the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Despite managing to finish in fourth place, the Italian struggled throughout the race, finishing 6.879 seconds behind race winner Jorge Martín of Prima Pramac Ducati. Bagnaia’s troubles were primarily centered around controlling his Desmosedici GP24 in the windy conditions, which hindered his ability to perform at his best.
Speaking after the race, Bagnaia expressed his frustration with the conditions, saying, “Honestly, I’m not happy, but today, more than this was impossible.” The Italian had a tough time dealing with the wind, which significantly affected his bike’s handling in the fast corners of the circuit. “The modification we had on the bike yesterday, which was working well, wasn’t working well today because of the wind,” Bagnaia explained. The Ducati rider felt the wind pushing him out of the fast corners, causing him to lose the front end of the bike—a situation that made it hard to maintain control.
The increased wind speeds during the race made it difficult for Bagnaia to find his rhythm, as the Desmosedici GP24 seemed to behave unpredictably in these conditions. “Exiting from the fast corners was the biggest problem. I wasn’t having the front well on the ground, and I was always losing the front in the fast corners,” he admitted.
Bagnaia’s team made efforts to adjust the setup of the bike ahead of the race, but the changes didn’t produce the desired results. “Already this morning in qualifying, I tried to change the tyre and put the hard one on for more stability, but it wasn’t working at all,” he explained. Despite these adjustments, the issues persisted, leaving Bagnaia to deal with worsening performance during the Sprint race. “What was good became worse, and what was bad, stayed the same. We didn’t take a step forward; it was worse than this morning,” he said, summing up his frustration with the situation.
Despite the challenging race, Bagnaia remained optimistic about the main event, confident that his team had identified the key issues affecting the bike’s performance. “We tried to do the maximum. I tried to close the gap to Jorge, but I took many risks in those two or three laps, so I needed to slow down a bit and try to do the maximum,” he said. Bagnaia’s commitment to giving his best was evident, and he hinted at better prospects for the upcoming race. “Luckily, looking at the data, we’ve already understood and identified what to do for tomorrow’s race. We will try it tomorrow morning, and I think it’s a good thing.”
As Bagnaia looks to improve his performance, he remains fully aware of the importance of the remaining races in the 2024 season, especially with the championship on the line. “When you arrive in the first corner, entering at 350km/h or 360km/h, and you start to feel that you are losing the front in turn 3, turn 8… it’s not the best feeling,” he said, describing the nerve-wracking experience of racing at such high speeds with an unstable bike. Yet, Bagnaia emphasized that he and his team are committed to improving the bike’s performance to stay in the title fight. “We are here to do the maximum, and we have to improve that. Also because we are fighting for the title,” he remarked.
Bagnaia acknowledged that his rival Jorge Martín had been faster throughout the weekend, but he is determined to close the gap in the remaining races. “We knew that Martín could be much faster here, but we have to try to close that gap,” Bagnaia said, reflecting on the importance of the adjustments his team plans to make ahead of the next race.
As the 2024 MotoGP season heads into its critical stages, Bagnaia’s resilience and determination will be crucial as he continues to fight for the championship. Despite the challenges he faced at Phillip Island, the Italian rider remains hopeful that improvements can be made to keep him in contention for the title.
