Despite the 2021 MotoGP title not being ‘our objective this year’, Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia ‘tried everything’ after pushing Fabio Quartararo for much of this season.
After suffering their first double DNF of the season at Misano, Ducati riders Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller are looking to bounce back at the second Portuguese MotoGP of the year.
Despite Fabio Quartararo starting the Emilia-Romagna MotoGP from P15 - his worst qualifying since joining the premier class in 2019, pole sitter for Sunday’s race Francesco Bagnaia has the same objective as before the weekend began; ‘the only thing I can do to keep the championship open is trying to win’.
While MotoGP title rivals Fabio Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia are looking forward to the prospect of 21 Grand Prix in 2022, eight-time world champion Marc Marquez feels that number is already enough, and any more races added would need to see a reduction of others.
While hopes of a first MotoGP world championship for Francesco Bagnaia are slim due to Fabio Quartararo leading the Italian by 52 points - three races left, the Ducati rider ‘will not give up’.
Francesco Bagnaia puts on a late show to claim third at the American MotoGP, a result the Italian believes was ‘the maximum’ that was possible at COTA.
MotoGP’s newest winner Francesco Bagnaia has a chance to make it three consecutive premier class wins this weekend, a feat that not even championship leader Fabio Quartararo has managed this season; ‘I think we can be very competitive here. We need a chance to stay in front’.
After securing his first ever MotoGP win last weekend in Aragon, Francesco Bagnaia is ‘sure we can fight’ again at Misano, the scene of his first premier class podium in 2020.
Francesco Bagnaia calls his first ever MotoGP win a dream after getting the better of Marc Marquez in Aragon; ‘I have a lot of emotions today. I’m so happy. To finish first is a dream come true’.
Francesco Bagnaia produces a stunning pole position lap in Aragon to go three tenths under the previous MotoGP lap record set by Marc Marquez; ‘I did a lap that was incredible and in the last sector I just entered the final corner as fast as I could and the bike just let me turn.
Francesco Bagnaia suffers a disappointing British MotoGP after being unable to deliver the same race pace as throughout ‘the whole weekend’. Italian finishes P14 after starting second.
Francesco Bagnaia believes he’s ready to challenge for a maiden MotoGP victory at Silverstone after qualifying second; ‘I have to say we are working perfectly. The front row is the best place to start and we are ready to fight tomorrow.”
Factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia credits improvements mentally over the summer break for strong Styrian MotoGP showing so far, feels like first win is possible after qualifying second; ‘I have a great possibility to do my first victory, but it will not be so easy’.
Francesco Bagnaia salvages a front row start for Sunday’s Dutch MotoGP on a Ducati machine that’s, ‘very difficult to manage in the fast corners because it’s shaking a lot.”
Francesco Bagnaia ‘pleased to be back racing at Assen’, where he won in both Moto2 and Moto3. Italian is 32 points behind championship leader Fabio Quartararo following fifth place at the German MotoGP.
Francesco Bagnaia recovers from a poor German MotoGP race start to finish as the top Ducati in fifth place; ‘the great thing was that I was P16 and I overtake nine riders, in a track that is difficult to do overtakes.”
Francesco Bagnaia broke the lap record at Ducati’s home circuit to complete a frantic end to FP3 ahead of qualifying for the Italian MotoGP Grand Prix at Mugello.