Bagnaia’s first race as a father didn’t end on the best note. The Ducati rider was in 4th place when he was forced to retire on the 15th lap. Pecco didn’t speak with reporters because he immediately caught a flight to Italy to meet Oliviero, his newborn son.
His comments were released in an official statement, which suggests he may have had a brake issue, like what happened in Jerez, not to mention that he had fallen at Le Mans due to a similar problem.
“I certainly didn’t expect to end up withdrawing," Bagnaia commented in Assen. “After the Sprint, I had a very positive feeling about the long-distance race. We could've been competitive. I didn’t get off to a bad start. I tried to stay in contact with the leaders right away and make up a few positions in the final stages in the scuffle in the pack.”
But Pecco realized that something wasn’t right.
“I wasn’t riding the way I wanted to. I was struggling to slow the bike down and bring it to a stop," he continued. "Unfortunately, a little past the halfway point of the race, the situation became too difficult to handle to even consider continuing. I’m sorry to have ended the weekend this way, right here in Assen.”