Two-time MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia is facing ongoing difficulties at the Austrian MotoGP, where he acknowledged that his 18th-fastest time in practice is a reflection of his current true potential. Coming into Austria, Bagnaia was still recovering from a disappointing weekend in Misano, a track where he has previously won twice but this year struggled to qualify better than the fifth row.
Although Bagnaia has claimed three MotoGP victories at the Red Bull Ring, he only managed to set the 18th quickest time on Friday’s practice session, finishing nearly a second behind the fastest rider, Pedro Acosta. The Italian rider has appeared to accept his situation for some time now and reiterated on Friday in Misano that his main issue continues to be a lack of rear grip—a problem that has persisted throughout his 2026 season—leading to lost time in every part of the lap.
Bagnaia explained, “The rear grip impacts braking, corner entry, and acceleration—essentially everything. This is what we are concentrating on improving the most. I know we are capable of better performance, but for now, this is where we stand.” When asked if his feeling was any better in Austria compared to Misano, he responded, “Not really. The feeling and the issues remain the same. We just need to keep our heads down and try to improve.”
Other Ducati riders have mentioned the challenge of using Michelin’s heat-dissipating rear tyre in Austria, which has a harder construction than the standard tyre and tends to slide more on the low-grip Red Bull Ring surface. Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi also noted the lack of center-tyre traction in Austria, which makes both accelerating and braking more difficult. However, Bagnaia said the tyre type or compound doesn’t change his experience: “I don’t really notice a difference between normal tyres and these ones, whether soft or medium—they feel almost the same to me.”
He added, “I’m not sure what the riders at the front are feeling, but I’m convinced that this 18th place represents my current level, and we just need to keep working to make some progress.”
Fan Take: Bagnaia’s struggles highlight the persistent challenges even top riders face adapting to difficult track conditions and tyre limitations. For MotoGP fans, seeing a top contender like Bagnaia fight to regain pace underscores the unpredictable and competitive nature of the sport, promising intense battles ahead as he seeks to bounce back.
Source: www.crash.net
