A sobering reality check for Pecco Bagnaia and Ducati after the Thai MotoGP. The former double champion's hopes for a strong start to the new season were dashed, leaving him with a disappointing ninth-place finish.
Bagnaia's journey began with promising winter testing, including a solid fourth-place finish at the Buriram circuit just a week prior. However, his weekend took a turn for the worse, with a peak performance of only seventh place in FP1. The factory Ducati rider struggled to make it to Q2 and then faced a challenging Sprint race, battling wheelspin throughout.
Despite three riders retiring ahead of him, Bagnaia crossed the finish line in ninth, a full 18 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi and the last of the full-time Ducati riders.
"I was definitely the worst-performing Ducati," Bagnaia admitted. "I had to manage my tires carefully and couldn't push hard, just trying to control the rear tire. But with eight laps to go, I started spinning even in fifth gear on the straight."
The result ended an impressive streak of 88 successive premier-class grands prix with at least one Ducati rider on the podium. Aprilia dominated with four riders in the top five, led by Bezzecchi, while KTM took second with Sprint winner Pedro Acosta.
Bagnaia highlighted his team-mate Marc Marquez's potential, saying, "Marc would have finished on the podium. He was going incredibly fast."
He reflected on his own performance, stating, "During the tests, I felt we had the potential to finish in the top three. But we couldn't unleash that potential during the race weekend. From the beginning, we struggled with stopping the bike, getting it to turn, and managing traction."
Bagnaia's struggles were a stark contrast to his testing form. "FP1 was my best session, but from FP2 onwards, I faced significant challenges. It was completely opposite to the test, where I felt fantastic and could push hard while controlling the tires."
He attributed some of the issues to the Pirelli tires used in Moto2 and Moto3, but quickly dismissed it as an excuse, saying, "We'll work hard to get back to the front. It's hard to believe that Ducati's level could be so high, given our performance during testing."
Buriram, known for its harder rear tire construction due to the heat and stress on the rubber, has traditionally been a strong track for Ducati. "This track and the tire construction have always been good for us. We usually win here and in Austria," Bagnaia explained. "But this time, it was more difficult. Aprilia and KTM did an amazing job, and we need to understand why we took a step back."
Despite the challenges, Bagnaia remains optimistic for the upcoming race in Brazil. "I believe Ducati will be back where it belongs. The next race is on a new circuit, but I'm confident we'll be competitive."
As Bagnaia leaves Buriram with a tenth-place finish in the world championship and eight points, Fabio Di Giannantonio leads the Ducati riders in seventh place, 20 points behind early title leader Acosta.
