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They have been different vacations than usual the ones experienced by Francesco Bagnaia, who took advantage of the summer break to enjoy a bit of sea and get married to his partner Domizia Castagnini and who has now arrived at Silverstone ready to pick up exactly where he left off, namely from the success obtained in the German GP. The rider from Piedmont's fourth consecutive win.
"It was nice to have a bit of a break after the GP at Sachsenring. I was on vacation in Sardinia with my wife and it was great to get some rest. I resumed training in the week of my wedding, and it was not easy to focus on training knowing that I was getting married in five days, but it was a great day. Much better than I would have expected. Then we had WDW. It's not easy for a Ducati rider to relax on a weekend like that, because you want to meet all the fans. Anyway, I had a good time and I hope the Ducati fans had a good time with us," Pecco commented during the usual Thursday press conference.
It is difficult to compare the feelings he felt on his wedding day with those he feels before the lights go out, but the Piedmontese rider has no doubts about the occasion when he felt most nervous.
"It's different, but honestly I've never cried so much as when I reached the altar walking with my mother ," he admitted, "It was very emotional when we said 'yes,' and I was much more nervous than on a race weekend."
The one in Britain will be a special weekend for both MotoGP and Bagnaia, who by triumphing in the GP could become the first Ducati rider to win five consecutive races.
"I love the layout of Silverstone. It's definitely one of the most beautiful: it's very long, smooth and doesn't have many bumps. We will find different weather than usual this season because it has never been as hot as it is this year but I think we will have fun," noted the 27-year-old, who greatly appreciated the special liveries sported in the UK to celebrate MotoGP's 75th anniversary.
"I'm very happy that Dorna had this idea because it's great to see the liveries of the past and some new ideas again," he said, "I love all the designs because I find them more classic and clean. In our case it's hard to see the livery clearly because of the sponsors, but the Yamaha and Honda liveries are great. I would like to see more ideas and liveries like these in the future."
Pecco then recalled his earliest MotoGP memories, "The first race that comes to mind is the MotoGP race in Valencia in 2003. I was very young, but I clearly remember the 'hippy' livery of Valentino's Honda, and the second race I remember is Welkom 2004."
Returning to current events, the two-time MotoGP World Champion commented on the appointment of Simon Crafar as head of the Steward Panel from 2025 and the introduction of airbags in motocross racing.
"I think it is one of the toughest jobs in the paddock, but I think we can have a good dialogue with Simon. We talk a lot every weekend with him, and I think he will be able to do a really good job if he keeps a more uniform line, although it's certainly not an easy job," he pointed out. "As for the airbag, many of the crashes we've had in recent years have been without consequences precisely because of the airbag. The development that there has been in recent years is incredible, but it will not be easy in motocross because there are many bumps and contacts there. Riders will have to adapt because they need to have a lot of mobility, so they might feel a little stiffer with the airbag, but it will certainly help to reduce the consequences of crashes."
Speaking instead about his possible future participation in the Suzuka 8 Hours, Pecco said, "I am pushing hard with Ducati to have the chance to race the Suzuka 8 Hours. I know perfectly well how stressful it can be, because it's at the time of our stop, but I love this kind of race and I've always thought it's a career goal for a World Championship rider. I would love to race there, but Ducati has to prrepare before I arrive, because I want to go there and win."
Finally, Bagnaia also gave his opinion on the double event in Misano that awaits the MotoGP riders in September.
"I'm happy because it's 15 minutes from my home and it's great to race in front of the Italian public - he acknowledged - Last year I wasn't in the best condition because of what happened in Barcelona so I didn't have a chance to fight against Jorge in Misano, but this year we'll have a double occasion from which to try to make the most of. For me it won't be boring."
