Francesco Bagnaia starts the winter tests in Sepang with a crash – The Ducati GP24 is a good step forward according to him and his teammate Bastianini
The first MotoGP test day of the year in Sepang (Malaysia) did not start at all well for the World Champion. Francesco Bagnaia crashed in turn 11 on his very first warm-up lap. “Nothing happened,” said the Ducati factory rider, giving the all-clear.
The explanation for the crash: “There were still damp patches on the asphalt. I didn’t see them. As soon as I touched them, the front wheel slipped off. I was luckier than Raul, whose crash was heavier. We should have waited a bit longer in the pits.”
Raul Fernandez had also crashed in turn 11. The Trackhouse rider was still able to complete a few laps afterwards, but had to be thoroughly examined in hospital that evening. The doctors advised the Aprilia rider not to ride the remaining two days of testing.
Bagnaia remained uninjured after his slip. His Ducati was brought back to the pits on a trailer by the stewards. Did the crash have an impact on his test program?
“A little, because the tires cooled down from the crash. They had to be warmed up again first. Then they didn’t work as expected. That’s why the first 20 laps were useless. But that can happen.”
“Apart from that, we worked a lot. I am satisfied overall. The new bike has positive aspects, but also weaknesses. We were able to improve the situation and in the end I lowered the lap time significantly. That was good.”
In principle, Bagnaia carried out comparisons between the GP23 and GP24 on Tuesday. “I think the new bike has more potential, especially in the braking phase.” Above all, the feeling for the front wheel is said to have improved significantly for the Italian
“We are also working on the power delivery, because it is still a bit aggressive. In terms of top speed, the new engine feels similar, but it got windier during the day. That’s why it’s difficult to judge whether the acceleration has improved.”
Bagnaia set his personal best time on used tires and finished the day in 16th place – just nine tenths of a second behind Jorge Martin. On Wednesday, Bagnaia will focus on aerodynamics, as Ducati has developed a new side fairing.
Team-mate Enea Bastianini was a few tenths of a second faster in fifth on Tuesday. “I like the engine braking and the speed of the new bike,” was his impression. “We still have to improve the first moment when you step on the gas.”
“It’s very different to the old bike. It feels strange, the bike is more nervous. But I think the team can fix this problem quickly. But despite this problem, we are already much faster with the 24cc engine.”
That is why this specification will most likely also be homologated for the season: “It is always difficult at the beginning to ensure that everything is already well tuned. At the Qatar test, we will ride with this engine 99 percent of the time.”
The biggest relief for Bastianini is that he feels physically well after the first 48 laps: “That was a question mark for me, but I’m at 100 percent. It’s great for me that I’m fit again. “
