Francesco Bagnaia: “I accepted that I can’t find what I want”

Two-time MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia says he has “accepted that I can’t find what I want” with his Ducati Desmosedici GP25.

Bagnaia, who has complained about a lack of front confidence all season, perhaps more so than at any other round at the most recent race in Jerez, currently sits third in the riders’ standings behind Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez, having won one race from the opening five rounds.

Typically meticulous in his bike setup work, Bagnaia said after Friday practice at Le Mans for this weekend’s French Grand Prix that he has had to accept that he “can’t find” what he’s looking for from this year’s Ducati.

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“Satisfied, but it’s some Grands Prix in a row that I feel good on Friday,” Bagnaia told MotoGP.com after practice in France.

“I accepted that I can’t find what I want, so I need to be fast with the situation we have.

“So, quite happy about it because the feeling was improving during the day, and I think we did a good job in terms of adapting to the situation: I cannot do what I want with the front of the bike, so I have to solve in other areas and I think we did a very good job.

“But I still need something more for tomorrow.”

Expanding further on the statement about the “situation” he has, Bagnaia said: “We understood that what I want is not there anymore, so I need to do it on my own and I’m trying to do it.”

New chassis: “Marc is using it because it’s an improvement”

Bagnaia’s Ducati Lenovo teammate Marc Marquez had a new chassis in Le Mans, one he tested at the post-race test at Jerez.

The Italian, on the other hand, had the standard GP25 chassis from the start of the season, and he explained that he was unable to test it in Jerez, making it too risky to try on a race weekend.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t test [the new chassis] in Jerez, so it’s a bit of a gamble to use it here – maybe it’s an improvement, but maybe not,” Bagnaia said.

“If [Marquez] is using it, it’s because it’s an improvement, absolutely, but we don’t have time to put it.”

Finally, Bagnaia concluded that his pace after Friday puts him behind Marquez, but with Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Vinales in the battle for second place.