Francesco Bagnaia Reflects on Qatar MotoGP: Claims Potential for Faster Pace and Perfect Start

Francesco Bagnaia shone at the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix 2024 , leading the race from start to finish and taking victory masterfully. The two-time MotoGP champion revealed that despite his impressive performance, he believes he had the potential for an even faster pace during the race.

Bagnaia’s strategy was clear from the start, passing Jorge Martin on the first lap and establishing a solid pace to create an advantage that did not compromise his tyres. This plan was perfectly executed, resulting in a convincing victory in Qatar.

After the race, Bagnaia expressed his satisfaction with the start of the season, calling it “absolutely” the best he could have imagined. He emphasized the importance of adapting his approach to the sprint race and learning valuable lessons to optimize performance on the new bike.

Bagnaia also thanked his team for their hard work through the night to fine-tune the bike’s settings, which further improved its competitiveness. He emphasized that the improvements since the sprint race were crucial for the perfect result in the main race.

During the sprint race, Bagnaia experienced vibration problems, prompting him to take a different approach in the main race. He explained that he found a different way to deal with vibrations, and managed to overcome these obstacles to produce an excellent performance.

Asked about his bike’s potential to achieve a faster pace, Bagnaia revealed: “The potential was to go faster. The bike could do 52.2/1, but that wasn’t helpful because a lap like that could do everything compromise.”

During the race, Bagnaia kept his rivals Brad Binder and Jorge Martin at bay, controlling the expert distance between them. He emphasized that every time Binder gained a few tenths, he increased his pace again and carefully managed the tire wear.

Bagnaia admitted that although the vibrations returned a little in the last two rounds, the chosen strategy worked well. He expressed confidence in the upcoming races and mentioned that the team knows exactly how to deal with possible similar problems.

Bagnaia’s victory in Qatar not only confirmed his status as one of MotoGP’s leading riders, but also highlighted the team’s adaptability in the face of technical challenges. With this win, Bagnaia start the season with confidence, keen to maintain this solid performance throughout the championship.