Bagnaia at Lusail: no showdown with Ducati and a dig at Aprilia

Francesco Bagnaia spoke to Sky Sport MotoGP on media day for the Qatar GP, at Lusail, after another complicated weekend experienced in Sepang. The Ducati rider arrives at the weekend with better feelings than in recent outings and looks ahead with confidence to a track that, in his words, he has always liked a lot. At this track he took his first MotoGP pole in 2021 and twelve months ago crossed the line in third place, only to then find himself second in the standings after the penalty handed to Maverick Viñales.

The Qatari circuit, Bagnaia explained, reminds him of Brno in terms of riding style, grip and asphalt. For Ducati too, he added, Lusail has long been one of the most favourable circuits. The idea is to work well from Friday in order to try to make a step forward compared with the last Grand Prix. In Malaysia, in fact, Bagnaia had finished the Sprint in sixth place and Sunday's race in thirteenth position, well behind his team-mate Marc Marquez, who at Sepang won with the same Desmosedici GP.

Ducati and Marquez

The most delicate issue, however, remains the relationship with the garage. After the words spoken after the Malaysian race, Bagnaia clarified that he had not had any new contact with Ducati management. "Have I spoken with Ducati? No. Everything is absolutely calm," Bagnaia said, smiling to Sky Sport MotoGP. No further step, at least for now, on the internal front in the Borgo Panigale team.

Then the Marc Marquez chapter, who could become champion already this weekend. Bagnaia acknowledged the Spaniard's strength, capable of recovering ground and managing the various races consistently, but he also shifted the focus to the Aprilia riders. "The Aprilia riders have thrown away a huge amount of points," Bagnaia told Sky Sport MotoGP. For the rider from Piedmont, Marquez has been able to make the most of the situation built over the course of the season.