Pecco Bagnaia arrives in Barcelona with a mix of conflicting emotions . On one hand, there’s still frustration over the outcome of the Le Mans race—a crash that came in the middle of a race where the Turin native seemed to have rediscovered the speed he’d been missing for some time. His gesture at the track’s edge, kicking objects, was telling; the Ducati rider jokes about it: “I didn’t hit anyone, but I need to practice my kicks—I was about to crash again.”
On the other hand, there’s also the glass half full. The feeling of having perhaps found the right balance after the Jerez tests— a direction that seemed to bear its first fruits at Le Mans and will now be put to the test on the very different Barcelona circuit. A sore point, however, is Marc Marquez’s absence: “We need him; I hope he comes back soon, ” Bagnaia commented. At Mont Melò, the next chapter of the championship battle will unfold— a battle that currently sees Aprilia in the lead and Ducati in pursuit, though not yet at full strength.
Have you found any solutions?
"Yes, after the Jerez test we found a direction that worked well at Le Mans," explained Bagnaia. "We worked on the details and improved session by session, and in the race we were competitive—something that has been a weak point for us this season. It was positive; it had been a long time since I’d overtaken. Even in practice, I felt fast—so much so that I crashed because I felt I was at the limit. This is, however, a very different track in terms of grip and layout. We’ll see if we can be competitive right from the start; last year here was one of the worst moments. So I hope we’ll find a good balance right away by working well, just as we did at Le Mans."
How do you deal with the lack of grip?
"In these conditions, you know perfectly well that it’s pointless to try to find grip; you need a bike that corners well and maintains speed through the turns to help on the exit."
Have the issues seen on Sunday at Le Mans been resolved?
"We found the problem and it probably won’t happen again, but it wasn’t a technical issue or human error—we won’t go into details. It was a matter of feeling, but it won’t happen again. At the start this year, I’m having trouble getting off to a strong start like I always have, so we need to try to find a solution. On this track, clutch performance matters, so I hope to make progress there as well."
Out of frustration, you took it out on the marshals’ equipment trackside.
"I didn’t hit anyone," admitted Pecco, "but I definitely need to practice my kicking, because I almost fell again," he joked. "When you finally manage to be fast again after a season and a half, and you’re fighting for a position, you’re able to make some passes, and then you crash. I was really upset, and I still am."
Looking at Aprilia’s performance at Le Mans, where do you think Ducati can respond?
"Let’s see, at Le Mans we were much closer, and up until that point we were close and had their pace. That’s important; we realized we were heading in the right direction, but historically they’ve been very strong on this track. I think we now have a better chance of competing with them."
Can you still think in terms of the championship?
"We’ve only had five races, and honestly, we’re pretty far behind. But if things go as I hope and wish—and I’m sure they will—we’ll get back up front and fight a little harder."
Marc will be out after his injury and two surgeries. Have you been in touch?
"Yes, I sent him a message and he’s doing well. We need him and I hope he’ll be back soon."
Despite his physical condition, he set an incredible fast lap at Le Mans.
"I don’t want to go into the details of his physical condition. Marc put in a stratospheric lap; you can’t help but admire a performance like that—it was great to see."
Having more support as the only rider in the garage can be a help.
"Last year I did the last few races alone, apart from the last two with Bulega. That wasn’t the point, but in my opinion, when you have a rider like Marc who can try out other solutions, things get done faster. We’ll see if the path we took at Le Mans was the right one; in France we worked extremely well."
So what will the strategy be for this weekend?
"I’m going all out on the attack; it’s a strategy I discussed at home, and I have to do it because I want to win. Facing a race right after a weekend like Le Mans is definitely a positive."