A WEEKEND FULL OF TWISTS AND TURNS
“We will give it our all.” This is the phrase that continues to echo at the end of every interview with Pecco Bagnaia. Despite ongoing difficulties in finding the right feeling with the GP25, the Italian rider never fails to show determination—both in words and on track through relentless effort.
The San Marino weekend, however, ended with mixed results: eighth place in Q2, 13th in the Sprint Race, and a crash during Sunday’s race. Bagnaia leaves Misano still frustrated but focused on finding solutions to his current struggles, with upcoming tests already pointing toward the next challenge in Japan.
SPRINT RACE
Starting from the third row, Bagnaia immediately struggled with braking and was unable to match the pace of the front runners. With seven laps to go, he had dropped back to 12th, and just three laps later, he slipped further to 14th. The Suomy rider ultimately crossed the line in 13th position, aided in part by incidents affecting other riders.
RACE
The Misano Grand Prix turned out to be a difficult test for Francesco Bagnaia, who could not capitalize on the positive signs shown in the early stages of the weekend. After a promising Friday and direct access to Q2, both the Sprint and the main race highlighted greater challenges than expected.
The Sunday crash, which came as he was running in seventh, marked a turning point in a weekend that in previous years had been synonymous with podiums and victories. The result raises questions about the remainder of the season, especially in light of the tight battle for the championship standings. With his current third place under threat from in-form rivals, Bagnaia now faces the task of regrouping ahead of the upcoming flyaway races.
MOTO 2
In Moto2, Suomy rider Ivàn Ortolà started the weekend with strong momentum, showing speed on par with the front runners. He advanced through Q1 to secure an impressive fifth position, just three tenths off the top. The race, however, told a different story: Ortolà was unable to maintain the pace and steadily dropped back, finishing San Marino in a modest 13th position.
“There’s obviously some disappointment and frustration. The pace was good this morning, but things in the Sprint didn’t go as we’d hoped. We have a lot of work to do in analysing the race data to understand the reason behind this step back, because it’s clear that something went wrong. We need to stay focused and work hard to make amends tomorrow, trying to bring home the best possible result. It won’t be easy, but we’ll do our best as always.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – Sprint Race 13°
“I was trying to follow Diggia, then the crash happened. We need to carefully analyse what happened, especially ahead of tomorrow’s test, which will be extremely important to help us find the right direction. Of course, there’s disappointment for the crash, but we’ll keep working to solve these issues, which I’ve been carrying for several races now, and to approach the long Asian stretch in the best way possible.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – Race DNF
World Standings P. 3
Next Round:
JAPANESE GP
Mobility Resort Motegi
September 26-28th
Click the button below to find out all the images of the #SuomyCrew during the weekend in Misano.
