Francesco Bagnaia, the two-time MotoGP World Champion, found himself in a challenging position during Practice at the Buriram International Circuit, posting the 15th-fastest time and consequently set to compete in Q1. Bagnaia attributed his underwhelming performance partly to changing weather conditions and issues with his bike setup that hindered his ability to deliver a strong lap.
Early Session Performance and Setup Problems
In the initial morning session, Bagnaia fared relatively well, closely following Ducati Lenovo teammate Marc Marquez in FP1. However, he was unable to replicate this form later in Practice, failing to complete a competitive time attack. His best effort lagged behind Fabio Quartararo’s time on the Yamaha by a narrow margin of 0.06 seconds, highlighting difficulties despite competing on a less developed bike.
Bagnaia explained that a combination of attempting a new setup and the threat of rain affected his performance negatively. “I just worked bad,” he said, describing the challenges in adapting to altered track conditions. He revealed that the new setup, which he found inferior, coincided with a decision to switch to fresh tires at an inopportune moment as grey clouds gathered overhead.
So, I just took the things with a bit of rush and it wasn’t the best idea. So, I just ruined a bit the day. But tomorrow is another one and just the second day of the season, and we will try to work better.
— Francesco Bagnaia, MotoGP rider
Impact of Setup Changes on Bike Handling and Performance
The main issue Bagnaia faced was related to the bike’s handling on corner entry, which was worsened by the new setup. He recalled struggles with braking and slowing the bike effectively, especially with strong tailwinds on the back straight adding to the difficulty.
On braking and entry the bike was worse,
Bagnaia stated. “In the condition we had – the wind pushing from the back in the back straight – it was more difficult to stop the bike, even. So, I think we just did a wrong choice, but it’s something, it’s a part of the process.
If the condition was normal, surely would’ve had to time to […] improve. But it’s what is is; we need to accept it and work better.
— Francesco Bagnaia, MotoGP rider
Looking Ahead: Recovery and Continuous Improvement
Despite the difficulties experienced, Bagnaia remains focused on improving as the season progresses. His acknowledgment of the mistakes with setup and timing highlights an urgency to refine performance for upcoming sessions. The experience gained in Buriram will likely influence Ducati’s adjustments as they prepare for the next rounds of the MotoGP World Championship.
