Pecco Bagnaia doesn’t back MotoGP grid change safety proposal

Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia doesn’t back a MotoGP proposal to increase the space between riders on the starting grid in order to improve safety.

The Turn 1 pile-up involving Johann Zarco, Pecco Bagnaia and Luca Marini at the Catalan Grand Prix triggered a discussion about the safety of race starts.

A number of riders called for the approach to Turn 1 at Barcelona to be altered by moving the grid further forward.

On Friday at the Italian Grand Prix, MotoGP SE chief Carlos Ezpeleta detailed several safety proposals up for discussion, including the removal of ride height devices and spacing the riders further apart on the grid.

But Ducati’s Bagnaia doesn’t believe any of these are legitimate solutions, noting that the biggest danger in race starts now being the frequency of them.

“I don’t think it’s a solution, making more distance between the riders, or even just put two riders in more lines,” he said on Saturday at Mugello.

“So, I hope they think of another solution, and we can give another solution.

“For me, removing the rear and front ride height devices will not make a big change.

“The things that make more crashes are because we’re starting more and we have more races.

“And also the bikes are all fast, because if you consider 2011, 2012, 2013, six bikes were fast; all the others were slow. So, it’s difficult to compare.”

Bagnaia did note that 12 riders came to the safety commission on Friday at Mugello, but says everyone is still needed to attend so the grid can start to vote on matters more.

“12. We were more. And like this, we can have more ideas, we can share more information, and it’s better,” he said.

“I just hope for the future we will increase the number of riders, so we can also think to change things by vote, because if you are only 12 you can’t vote; you need to have everyone.

“But it’s already a step in front, so I hope it will continue.”

Launch problems dog Bagnaia at Mugello sprint

Bagnaia finished seventh in Saturday’s sprint at Mugello, after a poor launch from sixth on the grid sent him backwards.

Poor launches have been a common theme for Bagnaia this year, who says he cannot get his Ducati to not wheelie when he releases the clutch.

“My start was always very good, two years ago,” he said.

“I was one of the best at releasing the clutch, along with [Jorge] Martin, and in overtaking riders.

“And the bike never wheelied. It just touched the ground and accelerated.

“Now, as soon as I start to release the clutch, releasing the clutch very slowly, it starts to wheely and it never comes back.

“So, it’s difficult to change something because if I release the clutch like I want, the bike wheelies and I always go backwards at the start.

“Today, in the race, I started very slow on the clutch, but as soon as I arrive to 80% of releasing, it starts wheelying. Until I put second gear, it didn’t come back.”