Francesco Bagnaia says “better late than never” as he explains MotoGP turnaround

Francesco Bagnaia says it is “better late than never” that he has rediscovered his form in MotoGP, as he explained the key reasons behind his turnaround in the Japanese Grand Prix.

The factory Ducati rider dominated Saturday’s sprint race at Motegi from pole position, beating his team-mate Marc Marquez by almost two seconds to score his first victory since the Americas Grand Prix in March.

Bagnaia had been enduring a difficult run, having failed to score a point in a Saturday race since the Czech GP before the summer break.

His poor results even prompted Ducati general manager Gigi Dall’Igna to say he had been “losing patience” with him, while team boss Davide Tardozzi also placed the responsibility for the slump on Bagnaia.

While there were several other instances where Bagnaia seemed to have made a breakthrough this season, the two-time MotoGP champion genuinely appeared to make a step forward in the Misano test earlier this month, before carrying that momentum into Japan this weekend.

For the Italian, a perfect showing on Saturday at Motegi was a major sigh of relief, as he was finally able to gel with the GP25 after months of struggles.

“After winning two titles and finishing always in the top two and fighting [for wins] in the last four seasons, living this last period was one of the hardest moments,” he admitted.

“Being able again to push, to control, to do what I did during this weekend is a big relief. Not just for the result, but also for myself. I always believed, I always said to the journalists, that if I ever feel good again on my bike, I will be able to fight again for the top results. 

“This is the result of feeling good on the bike, and it’s great to me.”

Having not been able to capitalise on previous in-season tests at Jerez and Aragon, Bagnaia struck gold at the third time of asking in Misano, as he finally learned to ride Ducati’s challenger the way he wanted to.

“What we did in Misano has helped me a lot, to feel good again on braking, to feel good again on entry, and [at] controlling [the bike],” he explained.

“Before the test in Misano, I was pushing the same and not knowing if I was one tenth faster or one tenth slower. I was not riding my bike. 

“And today, when I decided to do the pole lap, I did the pole lap. So this is what I was able to do in the past, what I learned to do in the past, and it was something that I was starting to forget. Because this season I never had this kind of chance, apart from Brno, but honestly I don’t know why I did the pole position in Brno. 

“So this is great to me, and it’s also great knowing where to push. It’s always good because you know where to control. 

“Today I did the sprint race in control, I pushed in the first laps, then I opened the gap and I arrived at 3 seconds, 2.9, and then I was controlling. 

“So this is great to me, it’s great for the team, for the [mood] of the team also. The only shame is that we just needed 16 races, but it’s what it is. Better [late] than never.”

Asked if his bike has changed significantly since the San Marino GP, he said: “Honestly, I don’t really know, but a bit yes, because the difference is huge. 

“In the test in Misano, I was riding seven tenths faster, so [it is] quite a huge difference.”

While there is reason to believe that Bagnaia has found his mojo again, particularly as he ended a winless streak in sprints dating back to last year’s finale, the 28-year-old thinks next weekend’s Indonesian GP will offer another opportunity to confirm the step he has made.

“Indonesia is a track where I always struggled a bit. It’s not one of my best, but if I will be able to fight again for the top positions, it’s great because it means that we are back to our position,” he said.

Photos from Japanese GP – Qualifying and Sprint