Francesco Bagnaia says he’ll be taught that it’s higher to simply accept defeat than go over the restrict and crash, as he seeks to retake the MotoGP title in 2025.
Regardless of profitable 11 of the 20 grands prix this yr, plus seven further victories in sprints, manufacturing unit Ducati rider Bagnaia misplaced out on this yr’s championship to the extra constant Jorge Martin from the satellite tv for pc Pramac crew.
The Italian’s marketing campaign was marred with misfortune and unforced errors, with plenty of crashes from main positions – together with within the penultimate dash race at Sepang – leaving him chasing Martin within the factors desk for almost all of the yr.
Bagnaia took victory within the Malaysian Grand Prix earlier this month and adopted that up with a double triumph in Barcelona, however it wasn’t sufficient to usurp the factors benefit Martin had constructed with fewer first-place finishes.
Following the ultimate race, the two-time champion has revealed that he has recognized a number of areas the place he should enhance through the winter break so as to come again stronger subsequent yr.
This contains giving up positions when he isn’t the quickest rider on a given day, as an alternative of combating too arduous for the win and crashing out.
“We may be very glad and really comfortable [with 2024], however for subsequent yr now we have to enhance in some areas,” he stated.
“I’ve to know higher perhaps some conditions as a result of I have been taken out 3 times by different riders, I had a difficulty with the bike, then I crashed 4 instances for very small issues. So I’ve to enhance and I’ll attempt to do it for subsequent yr.
“I am a rider that by no means offers up, [but] typically it is higher to suppose extra and perhaps end in fifth or fourth than crash and that is one thing that I’ll be taught.”
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Workforce
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs
He added: “I simply tried to do the utmost in all of the three races and it wasn’t sufficient as a result of Jorge this season discovered that typically it’s higher to be handed and end second than profitable.
“He did a implausible job, he deserves the title.”
Bagnaia suffered an early blow to his championship hopes when he ended up on the bottom after a collision with Gresini’s Marc Marquez within the Portugal Grand Prix.
One other DNF adopted in Jerez when he was sandwiched by KTM’s Brad Binder and VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi, and he was additionally taken out of the Emilia Romagna GP by the opposite Gresini bike of Alex Marquez.
Whereas it was arduous to apportion blame on Bagnaia in any of the incidents, he stated he might nonetheless change his strategy whereas combating with different riders on observe to not give away vital factors within the championship.
“The very first thing I should be taught is to know the conditions higher,” he stated. “It is true that three out of those eight zeroes come from unusual conditions, the one in Portimao with Marc, the one with Jerez with Brad and the one with Alex Marquez in Aragon.
“In all three, it is true that I have been taken out by different riders, however all three have been conditions that perhaps I might keep away from.
“The one with Marc – he was quicker, so perhaps wait and do not cross the road. I am saying that now however after I’m racing I simply need to arrive extra in entrance than I can, however perhaps from subsequent yr I’ll enhance [on] that.
“The one with Alex Marquez I used to be clearly quicker by 4 tenths, and I did not wait as a result of he was large so I stated, ‘okay, it is my second’ – after which he touched me and made me crash.
“The one with Brad was the identical. I feel I’ve to be taught from my errors.”
