Francesco Bagnaia drops bombshell message to Ducati’s Starting Issues as it sparks controversies

Francesco Bagnaia drops bombshell  message to Ducati’s Starting Issues as it sparks controversies

Francesco Bagnaia, the reigning MotoGP world champion, is urging Ducati to address persistent starting problems that have hindered his recent performances. Following a challenging launch at the Indonesian Grand Prix, where he started fourth on the grid, Bagnaia’s bike struggled with traction, causing it to hop and spin its rear tire. Despite recovering to finish third, the poor start prevented him from contending for the win against Jorge Martin.

Inconsistent race starts have plagued Bagnaia in the last few rounds, and he has made it clear that immediate action is needed. “As soon as possible,” he stated, highlighting that his recent starts have been a stark

contrast to his previous success in the last two seasons. “I was always perfect on the start. Now, since Aragon, I’m starting every time in a different way, and every time bad.”

During the race, Bagnaia noted that the conditions varied from his earlier performance. “This morning was good, but this afternoon I wheelied and spun the rear,” he explained. Although he didn’t lose many positions initially, he felt the need to be cautious in the opening laps, which hampered his ability to regain lost ground.

He expressed frustration with his early laps, stating that while he eventually found his rhythm—achieving a pace nearly matching that of his competitor Enea Bastianini—he struggled to overtake Marco Bezzecchi, which further delayed his challenge for a better position. “I needed ten laps to overtake him because I was struggling with traction,” he admitted. Once he got past Bezzecchi, overtaking Franco Morbidelli was more straightforward, indicating that he was capable of more when conditions allowed.

Bagnaia’s assessment of the GP24’s characteristics sheds light on his struggles. He noted that the bike tends to lack rear grip in the early stages of a race, which can be mitigated when riding in clean air. “When you’re in front, you can compensate with braking,” he explained. However, in traffic, he found it difficult to push hard due to the rear tire not being fully ready.

The implications of Bagnaia’s comments extend beyond just his personal performance; they point to a broader issue within Ducati’s engineering that needs urgent attention. With Bagnaia now 21 points behind Martin in the championship standings, the urgency for Ducati to resolve these starting issues is more pressing than ever if they hope to regain their competitive edge in the championship race.

Despite the challenges, Bagnaia remains optimistic, acknowledging that securing points in difficult conditions was a positive takeaway. “I’m happy because more than this today was difficult. We managed to gain points, and it’s okay,” he concluded. However, for Bagnaia and Ducati to reclaim their position at the front, a solution to the starting woes is imperative.