Pecco Bagnaia had a one-word answer when asked what was different about his Ducati at this year's Japanese Grand Prix compared to his shock victory 12 months ago: "Everything."
The double world champion endured another tough Friday at Motegi, finishing 16th in Practice, 0.775s behind fellow Ducati rider Alex Marquez, while his teammate Marc Marquez was third. This marks the sixth consecutive race where Bagnaia has failed to make it directly into Q2.
"A standard Friday for this season. Struggling with grip, no grip, completely zero grip. We need to work on it," Bagnaia said in a brief 90-second media debrief.
The rear grip issues that have plagued Bagnaia all season returned at Motegi. He admitted it was more difficult than in Austria, where the grip level with the AZ tyre was lower for everyone. "I'm closer there. But this time, the casing is the same as always. I struggle more because I don't feel the extra grip," he explained.
Bagnaia is the only GP26 Ducati rider not directly into Q2, joined outside the top 10 by GP25 riders Fermin Aldeguer and Franco Morbidelli. Morbidelli echoed the sentiment, saying his speed on medium tyres was good but he couldn't extract the same from the soft in time attack. "Not one of those Fridays where I'm able to go through direct to Q2. It's not a lot; it's two tenths, but it's enough," he said.
With this performance, Bagnaia is far from repeating last year's pole and double victory. Pressure is mounting as he still hasn't found the right feeling with the latest Ducati. While rivals like Alex and Marc Marquez show solid pace, Bagnaia must work hard to stay in the championship hunt.
Motegi has become a stark reminder of Bagnaia's struggles. However, with remaining practice and qualifying, he still has a chance to turn things around. But if the grip issues persist, the Japanese GP could be a grueling weekend for the world champion.
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