Davide Tardozzi tells Pecco Bagnaia: “Manage the problem”

Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi has warned that Pecco Bagnaia must “manage the problem”.

Factory Ducati rider Bagnaia has trailed behind teammate Marc Marquez all season, and spent much of the campaign behind Gresini’s Alex Marquez too.

Bagnaia won the Americas MotoGP owing to a Marc Marquez crash from the lead, but then couldn’t capitalise in Qatar at a circuit which was supposed to suit his riding style.

Bagnaia was promoted to second, after finishing third on-track behind winner Marquez and Maverick Vinales, who was later demoted for tyre pressure.

It was a decent return given he was 11th in qualifying and eighth in the sprint race.

Ducati team manager Tardozzi was asked if Bagnaia’s issues on a Saturday were “a bike problem, or a Pecco problem?”

Tardozzi responded to TNT Sports: “It’s something that belongs to us, to always give him the right bike.

“Pecco is now really demanding on setting. He is not the guy who wants the ride a bike which does not suit his riding style.

“This creates a problem for his team.

“In the end, they finally found a solution, mainly for the Sunday.

“We still have a problem with him, with the balance of the bike, with a small fuel tank. It creates some problems.

“This is since we had Saturday races.

“But Pecco must think that he is a champion, he must manage the problem.

“One thing we have to work on with him: don’t think about the problem, manage the problem.

“The bike has very good points… use it.”

Pecco Bagnaia 'had no confidence' in Qatar

Bagnaia is third in the MotoGP standings, 26 points shy of leader Marc Marquez.

The season now heads to Europe, starting in Jerez on April 24-26, where Bagnaia must hope to gain some ground back on his red-hot teammate.

But his weaknesses on a Friday and a Saturday continue to hamper the two-time champion.

“Honestly, we still don’t know what happened,” Tardozzi said about Bagnaia’s dreadful qualifying and sprint race in Qatar.

“It seemed he had no confidence on the front brakes, and entering the corners.

“[Sunday morning] during the warm-up we tried something on the settings, with the balance of the bike, finally it worked.

“He was not confident on the brakes, this was the main point.”

Bagnaia’s P3, which became P2 when Vinales was hit by a tyre pressure penalty, at least provided some reason for optimism.

“Pecco came here with huge expectation because he was thinking it was a race to win,” Tardozzi said.

“But Marc is Marc, he was very fast.

“We were surprised by Maverick who did a fantastic race.

“But after a bad Saturday we are very happy with the [second] place of Pecco.

“He recovered his speed. The next race is one that will suit his riding style.

“In the end, first and [second]? We are very happy.”