Francesco Bagnaia endured another bruising Friday as his struggles continued at Motegi, where the Ducati rider could manage no better than the 16th fastest time and was left facing the dreaded Q1. According to Motorsport.com Italia, the stark contrast to his utter dominance at the venue last year—where he swept pole position, the Sprint, and the grand prix—was summed up with a bitter smile when he was asked what had changed.
"Unfortunately everything," Bagnaia said.
Twelve months prior, the Twin Ring circuit played host to what proved to be the three-time world champion's final truly commanding masterclass in the saddle of the Ducati. Nothing since that weekend has quite replicated the form that defined his championship-winning years. Now, facing a deficit of just under eight seconds to the top, the venue that once served as a lucky charm has offered no refuge.
The core of the disaster is an old demon. Rear grip is completely absent, turning every braking zone into a fight to arrest a machine that simply pushes too hard. The rider from Piedmont noted that he lacks speed and is wrestling with a motorcycle that refuses to stop as he needs it to.
Paradoxically, the return of the standard carcass has only deepened the mystery, compounding his troubles even as it has aided other riders on identical machinery. Comparing the current weekend to Austria, he pointed out that the lower overall grip levels at the Red Bull Ring with the stiffer carcass actually kept him closer to the front, whereas the familiar rubber at Motegi has failed to unlock any extra grip for him.
With multiple set-up changes tried throughout the day yielding identical, uninspiring results, the team must now completely rethink their direction for Saturday. The immediate priority remains clawing his way through qualifying to secure a more manageable grid position.
