Francesco Bagnaia extended his streak of podium-less finishes in MotoGP at the Silverstone event, but the Italian riders did not appear to struggle with the GP25 bike on British tracks. His teammate, Marc Marquez, salvaged the best podium spot during a challenging weekend for Ducati factory riders, while Fabio di Giannantonio fell from third to tenth place in the sprint race.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Aragon round, VR46 rider Di Giannantonio felt that the race at Silverstone unfairly overshadowed his true potential. “Silverstone was a major turning point for us; we learned a lot about this bike,” he said. He expressed confidence that they could start this weekend with the right setup and hoped to have a stable race where they could perform as desired. Di Giannantonio also echoed Bagnaia’s views on the GP25’s front-end feel, describing it as having a "filter" effect. He noted improvements made at Silverstone and acknowledged there’s still a long season ahead with many opportunities to test and refine the bike.
Bagnaia crashed after coming sixth in the Silverstone Sprint, which improved Alex Marquez’s position. He admitted that Aragon would be another event focused on working through existing challenges but insisted that trying to replicate last year’s GP24 front-end feel on the new GP25 is pointless. He wants to avoid comparisons and instead focus on finding new solutions with his engineers.
Regarding Marc Marquez’s troubles at Silverstone, Bagnaia saw it as a source of valuable data for the team, despite the setbacks. He noted that sometimes bad results help point the team in the right direction. Bagnaia confirmed his preference for the bike’s front-end feel over rear grip, emphasizing the need for a sharper and more sensitive front to build confidence.
Bagnaia reminisced about his tough 2024 Aragon race, where he struggled on dirty surfaces and clashed with Alex Marquez for the podium, but also fondly remembered it as the site of his first MotoGP victory in 2021. He expressed his desire to repeat that success and acknowledged the track’s demanding nature in finding the right feel for the bike.
The upcoming eighth round on Sunday will feature a valuable day of official testing, which Bagnaia emphasized is crucial. More laps mean more opportunities to test new items, including the latest Ducati chassis scheduled for use by Marc Marquez on Monday.
Fan Take: This update is significant for racing fans as it highlights the ongoing development struggles and strategic adjustments within the Ducati team, a perennial championship contender. The focus on adapting to the GP25 rather than chasing past setups shows the evolving nature of MotoGP technology and could shape the competitive landscape for the rest of the season.
