After securing pole position, Pecco Bagnaia finished the Le Mans Sprint Race in second place behind a flawless Jorge Martín. This marks Bagnaia’s third consecutive podium finish following those at Austin and Jerez, though all were achieved in Sprint races rather than Grand Prix events.
What seems clear, however, listening to Pecco after the race, is his renewed confidence on his Ducati—something that’s obvious just by watching him ride on the track. Perhaps we’re not yet seeing the Bagnaia capable of dominating as he did in 2022 and 2023, as that spark that allowed him to win 11 GPs in 2024 is still missing.
But certainly , this Pecco can look at the rest of the 2026 season with fresh eyes, hoping to confirm tomorrow in the feature race what he showed today, and then build a sort of championship comeback that could be within his reach.
"I’m happy—but no more than that," commented Bagnaia - "As for the start, because unfortunately I haven’t been able to get off to a strong start since the beginning of the year, and I think that’s what we’re missing because, in the end, I lose too much in acceleration due to the front end tending to wheelie. Today, if I’d managed to start up front, I would’ve had the pace to battle with Jorge. But unfortunately, it didn’t go that way, so let’s see if we can find a solution for tomorrow."
Did you learn anything about the Aprilia today?
"Riding behind Bezzecchi, I saw some interesting things, so I hope that by working in the garage we’ll be able to find a solution to improve a bit more."
Didn’t you feel this way back in Japan in 2025?
"Yes. A little bit in Sepang too, but better here. I’m happy because what we’re testing is working—in the sense that the bike clearly tells me whether the changes work or not. For me, it’s essential to get this feedback from the bike, so I’m satisfied."
Does this podium feel different from the one in Jerez?
"In Jerez, there was a bit of luck. In Austin, no—we worked well there. Let’s hope that tomorrow, if it’s dry, the conditions for me will be the same as today, which hasn’t always been the case this year. But in my opinion, given how we’re working, we’re currently managing to be very competitive."
Here you made a big difference compared to the other Ducati riders. Why is that?
"Alex Marquez was very strong in the last race, and the rider who’s been the most consistent on the Ducati this year has always been Diggia. Since the Jerez tests, we’ve managed to figure some things out, and I hope it’s not just here that we’re able to achieve these results, but that we’ll carry this pace forward into the next races as well. For now, I’m managing to perform well because I’m able to maintain speed through the corners without running too wide, and that helps me quite a bit."
If this were the first weekend of the season, would you say you’re aiming for the title?
"If it were the first weekend of the year, I’d say so, but it isn’t. For now, I’d say there’s work to be done. In the meantime, they’ve told me I’m the only one to have finished all the Sprints, and that alone makes me happy. Then there are three podiums in a row in the Sprints, and I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. For now, I’m happy. But the Sprint doesn’t give you the same thrill as the Sunday race, so I’m keeping my feet on the ground."
What’s still missing on the bike?
"The bike still isn’t turning quite enough overall, and when that happens, the rear tyre wears out first. We’re working on this, and I think we’ve made some progress, but we need to keep at it."
Did you see Marc’s crash?
"I didn’t see Marc’s crash; I’ll have to watch it. I think it was intense."
What can you expect for tomorrow?
"It’s hard to imagine what might happen tomorrow. They predicted rain for three days, including today, but in the end it didn’t come. There was wind during the race today, so maybe the rain will come tomorrow. If it does rain, it’s hard to make predictions; Zarco is usually the most consistent when it rains. We’ll see—it looks like it might rain tomorrow morning and then clear up in the afternoon. Right now, there are several conflicting forecasts. I didn’t even ask Tardozzi!”
Photo credit: Pier Luca Brunetti