Francesco Bagnaia: “he was tough, I tried everything, but with a similar pace it’s very difficult to overtake but martin can’t….”

**Bagnaia Finishes Second in MotoGP San Marino GP Sprint Race After Lap Record**

Francesco Bagnaia, who secured pole position with a new lap record at Misano, fell short of victory in the Sprint race of the MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix, finishing in second place.

Despite his impressive performance in qualifying, Bagnaia could not hold off Jorge Martín of Prima Pramac Ducati, who made a strong start and ultimately crossed the finish line 1.495 seconds ahead.

Bagnaia, the two-time world champion, reflected on the challenges he faced during the race. He explained that

once he found himself in the position of chasing Martín, the dynamics of the race shifted significantly.

“I understood that someone was overtaking me, it was Jorge. He did a very good start,” Bagnaia said. “I tried everything, but when you have a similar pace – even if you are faster – it’s very difficult to overtake.”

The Italian rider highlighted the difficulties of overtaking in the current MotoGP environment, where the temperature and pressure of the front tyre can create significant challenges.

“It’s a bit of a shame that when you are behind, you can’t close the gap as you want because the front tyre becomes too hot, or the front pressure is too high and it’s dangerous. I tried everything, but I had to give up in the last laps.”

Bagnaia noted that issues with the front tyre emerged early in the race. “After three laps, the front was already over the limit. It was locking and no grip. Maybe the pressure was good, but it was also maybe the temperature that makes the same feeling.”

Despite the challenges, Bagnaia remained optimistic about his performance. He believed that if he had started better, the outcome might have been different, although overtaking Martín would have remained a difficult task given their closely matched paces.

“For sure, if I was starting well, it would be the same thing, but in the opposite side,” he said. “My pace was very good – a bit faster than Jorge because in some parts of the track, I was closing too much and losing a bit of time.

But when you are behind, it’s very difficult to overtake, and you can only do it if the other rider makes a mistake or is much slower. With a similar pace, it’s very difficult.”

Bagnaia’s insights underscore the intense competition and technical challenges in the current MotoGP season, as riders continue to battle for supremacy on the track.