Francesco Bagnaia Blames Faulty Michelin Tyre for Misano Setback

Francesco Bagnaia Blames Faulty Michelin Tyre for Misano Setback

Francesco Bagnaia, the factory Ducati rider, expressed frustration after a sudden drop in pace during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, attributing the issue to a faulty Michelin rear tyre. Starting from pole position, Bagnaia was initially in a strong battle with Jorge Martin of Pramac Racing, but quickly fell off the pace, losing crucial positions to both Martin and teammate Enea Bastianini.

Despite maintaining competitive lap times in the early laps, Bagnaia noticed a dramatic shift in performance, with his lap times slowing significantly without any apparent change in his riding style. He reported consistent laps in the 1m31s range before experiencing a drop of six to eight tenths per lap, leading him to feel like “a cone” on the track.

Performance Fluctuations

The tyre issues persisted for around 15 laps, causing a deficit that grew to three seconds by the race’s midpoint.

At one point, Bagnaia faced the real risk of losing a podium position to Marc Marquez, who was closing in on him.

However, a remarkable turnaround occurred after lap 15 when Bagnaia began to set a series of fastest laps, including an impressive 1m30.877s that remained unbeaten for the duration of the race. Unfortunately, by this time, he had already lost too much ground to challenge for the lead.

Bagnaia’s race ended prematurely on lap 21 when he crashed at Turn 8. Reflecting on his performance, he noted, “It was super good… but the rear was not working.” His confusion stemmed from the fact that the tyre used was the same one he had selected at the start of the weekend, which he believed should have been optimal.

Michelin’s Ongoing Challenges

Michelin has been under scrutiny this season for inconsistent tyre performance, despite providing tyres that have enabled riders to break long-standing lap records. Previous complaints about tyre issues, such as Jorge Martin’s accusations during the last season’s penultimate race in Qatar, highlight ongoing concerns within the paddock. Bagnaia echoed these sentiments, noting, “This is a huge problem that is making the championship not balanced at this moment.”

As the championship races on, Bagnaia’s latest retirement leaves him trailing by 24 points behind leader Martin, raising questions about the impact of tyre reliability on the championship race. He pointed out that external factors, such as tyre issues, can drastically alter championship outcomes, lamenting the missed opportunities to secure more points in recent races.

Bagnaia’s experience at Misano underscores the vital role that tyre performance plays in MotoGP, not just in individual races but in the overall championship landscape. As the series moves to the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, the focus will be on whether Michelin can address these recurring issues, allowing riders to compete without the specter of tyre-related uncertainties overshadowing their performance.