Francesco Bagnaia could not hide his frustration after finishing only 18th in Friday's MotoGP practice at the Red Bull Ring. The two-time world champion admitted that the disappointing performance reflects his true potential at the moment.
Bagnaia arrived in Austria after enduring one of his worst weekends of the season in Misano, where he failed to qualify higher than the fifth row. Despite having three wins at the Red Bull Ring, the Ducati rider struggled to find rhythm from the start. He was nearly a second slower than Pedro Acosta, who topped the timesheets.
The main issue for Bagnaia is a lack of rear grip, a complaint that has plagued him throughout the 2026 season. "Rear grip affects braking entry and acceleration, so more or less everything," he said. "But that's what we are focusing on the most and trying to improve."
When asked if he felt better in Austria than in Misano, Bagnaia replied bluntly, "Not really. My feeling is the same, the issues are the same. So like I said, the potential is this one, and head down and try to improve a bit."
Several other Ducati riders highlighted the difficulty of using Michelin's heat-dissipating rear tyre, which has a harder construction than the standard tyre, causing more sliding, especially on the low-grip surface of the Red Bull Ring. Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia also mentioned the lack of centre-tyre traction that makes acceleration and braking harder.
However, Bagnaia feels no significant difference between the normal and special tyres. "I don't really feel a difference between a normal tyre and these tyres, soft or medium – for me it's more or less the same," he explained. "So I don't know what the riders in front are feeling. But I'm sure, what I feel is that my real potential right now is this one and we just need to keep working and try to improve a little bit."
With this result, Bagnaia is in a difficult position for qualifying and the race. He must find a solution quickly to keep his championship hopes alive. A tough challenge lies ahead, but Bagnaia remains professional and determined to bounce back.
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Francesco Bagnaia hanya finis ke-18 di Practice MotoGP Austria. Juara dunia dua kali itu mengakui masalah grip belakang dan menyebut performa ini adalah potensi aslinya saat ini.
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