Francesco Bagnaia's Ducati let him down at Jerez: "I couldn't stop the bike"

The Spanish Grand Prix of MotoGP It turned into a technical nightmare for Francesco Bagnaia. Yet, after losing the Sprint victory to Marc Márquez the previous day, the Italian approached Sunday's race with potential. His factory Ducati, optimized by a minor setup change, seemed to have regained its competitiveness, but as soon as the lights went out, everything went wrong.

Starting ninth on the grid at Jerez, Francesco Bagnaia plummeted from the first lap to thirteenth place, before his ordeal became unmanageable. From the moment I started the race, I wasn't comfortable. the two-time world champion told the media, including AUTOhebdo in Jerez. Lap after lap, it got worse. I had a problem with the front of the motorcycle. »

A fatal brake failure

Number 63 did indeed suffer a major problem with the braking system. This was all the more frustrating as Francesco Bagnaia felt his machine had the potential to be at the front. I couldn't stop the motorcycle and I couldn't reduce my speed. he regrets. It's a shame because the modification made to the bike was working. I may not have been as fast as Álex Márquez, but I could finally overtake and be more competitive than usual. »

This malfunction appears to be linked to a part that was also implicated on Jorge Martín's Aprilia during the Sprint, where the brake disc overheated. It was the same part, but with different problems "However, he adds a caveat.

For the ninth consecutive race, no official Ducati has reached the podium, an unprecedented drought since the Italians' dismal run from the 2012 Aragon Grand Prix to the 2014 Qatar Grand Prix. While Álex Márquez's victory at the wheel of the same GP26 nevertheless proves that the Desmosedici remains a formidable weapon, Aprilia's hegemony at the start of the 2026 season is not truly challenged by Borgo Panigale, which must first validate its progress.

In addition to the tests held after Jerez, the French Grand Prix scheduled at the Bugatti circuit from May 8 to 10 will therefore serve as a test of truth for the Ducati camp, as the European tour is often the arbiter for the world hierarchy.

Interview by Luca Bartolomeo.

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