Francesco Bagnaia looked like his old self during the opening laps of the Italian MotoGP at Mugello, engaging in a thrilling six-lap scrap with teammate Marc Marquez for the lead. The fierce back-and-forth, which included light contact when Bagnaia clipped Marquez’s rear wheel exiting Turn 3, had the home crowd roaring and even drew the attention of Race Direction.
“They just asked me what happened with Marc when we touched,” Bagnaia told TNT Sports. “I think it was normal race contact, but they probably just wanted to hear my version.”
Marquez was also reportedly asked to explain his side of the battle. However, the excitement didn’t last long for Bagnaia. After the initial intensity, his ongoing front-end issues returned, undoing his challenge on the GP25 as he began drifting wide in turbulent air and slowly fell behind the Marquez brothers.
His hopes of finishing on the podium at home were dashed late in the race when VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio, also on the GP25, snatched third on the penultimate lap.
“I gave it my all – more than ever this weekend because I really wanted to win,” Bagnaia said. “But after 6–7 laps, I started having problems with the front end again. I had to hold back, and once I got stuck behind the Marquez brothers, I couldn’t do anything.
“It’s always the same. I’m half a second behind, then try to close the gap, but as soon as I get closer, the front starts pushing wide. Then I have to slow down and wait again.”
Bagnaia, whose only win in 2025 came after Marc Marquez crashed at COTA, admitted he feels lost.
“When I have fresh tyres, I can compete. But once the front loses grip, it becomes really difficult. Marc is able to enter corners faster and avoid the issues I’m facing. It’s strange – I never had this problem before, and even though the bike is close to last year’s, I’m really struggling now.”
Adding to his woes at Mugello, Bagnaia had to race without the larger 355mm front brake discs that had helped him feel more confident in Aragon. The fast-flowing nature of Mugello meant he had to revert to the standard 340mm discs.
Assen Concerns Loom
Now trailing Marc Marquez by 110 points and Alex Marquez by 70 in the championship, Bagnaia fears another difficult weekend at the upcoming Dutch TT in Assen – typically one of his stronger tracks.
“But Assen could be a nightmare,” he told MotoGP.com. “It’s another circuit where front-end confidence is everything, and with the issues I have right now, it won’t be easy. Still, I want to stay positive and just enjoy the weekend.”
Be the first to comment