Francesco Bagnaia is refusing to get carried away by his stunning victory at the Japanese Grand Prix last year. The factory Ducati rider has set a realistic target of a top-seven finish at Motegi this weekend, rather than repeating his dominant performance.
Twelve months ago, Bagnaia was unstoppable at the Twin Ring Motegi. He took pole position and won both races in commanding fashion. However, his path to victory was eased by teammate Marc Marquez focusing on wrapping up the title. In an otherwise difficult season, the Japanese GP stood out as a rare highlight for the Italian.
Now, returning to the scene of that triumph, Bagnaia is tempering expectations. “Every season is different, so I don't have any expectations from this year. I love the track, I love the people, I love the culture. It's something that is always giving me a good vibe,” he said on Thursday.
“The reality is that we need to focus, and the objective is to fight for the top seven, to be realistic. We need to understand the new asphalt, the differences of the tyres, and see if we can maybe solve the grip issue with the new asphalt. But in any case, it's another good track for braking, so I think that the gap can be shorter compared to other circuits. I hope to start well tomorrow and have some good feelings,” he added.
Bagnaia also admitted that data from last year cannot be used as a reference due to significant changes. “No, unluckily not,” he replied when asked if he could compare data with last season. Michelin has introduced harder compound tyres, and the track has been resurfaced, making comparisons largely redundant.
Last summer offered a glimmer of hope. Bagnaia scored four consecutive podiums from Barcelona to Brno. However, his form nosedived after the season resumed at Silverstone, with three consecutive DNFs. He only returned to the points in Austria, the round before Japan. Motegi has historically been a strong venue for Ducati, with its stop-and-go nature suiting the Desmosedici.
Nevertheless, Bagnaia remains humble. “It all depends on how we can adapt to the new asphalt grid and if we can take advantage of it. It will be important to start well and to work well. The top seven is the most realistic goal. In these situations, it's better to be realistic and optimistic, because being optimistic is something that we do a lot with the team. We work a lot to do our best, but we have to be optimistic and accept the fact that we can struggle a little,” he concluded.
With a grounded approach, Bagnaia is ready to face the challenge at Motegi. Can he exceed his own expectations? We'll find out on track.
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