Francesco Bagnaia Admits 'Not an Easy Summer' After Arm Surgery

Francesco Bagnaia has admitted that his summer break was 'not an easy one' after undergoing arm pump surgery shortly after the German MotoGP. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider had to work hard during the break to recover his arm condition ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

“I think it wasn't an easy summer break: I had to work a lot on the arm,” Bagnaia said. “I think it was impacting me less, but it was quite tough as an operation. I had just four days of rest and every day in the gym was intense. But I think we worked well and we are almost ready to fight for it. Let's see.”

Bagnaia had not mentioned arm pump as a problem during the first half of the season, but he explained that it is part of his character. “If you know me, I'm not a guy that likes to give bad information like this to the camera,” he said. “I never had that problem with my arms during all my career – never. This year, that we are having some issues on our bike, I needed to.”

Baca JugaPembalap Ducati MotoGP Akui Cedera Sikunya Lebih Serius dari Perkiraan

The arm pump issues started at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, although he clarified it was not the reason for his retirement there. “I started having the problem in Jerez, when I needed to stop – it wasn't for the arm, but for a problem,” he explained. “Every time we didn't solve this issue, and my arm was getting inflamed more and more, so I needed to do it.”

Among the VR46 Riders Academy members, Bagnaia is one of only two riders to have undergone arm pump surgery, the other being Celestino Vietti, but he says he is one of the riders with 'less problems' during training. “Honestly I was the one with less problems at home,” he said. “But riding this year is really intense so I needed to.”

Bagnaia managed two riding sessions after the operation before heading to Silverstone. “The first one I wasn't able to ride, I just did two laps and then I stopped. Then the second one I did 30 laps and was a bit better and it was 10 days ago. So, I hope it has improved,” he revealed. “Riding a MotoGP is completely different compared to riding a Panigale, but I have to say that on braking the Panigale is more difficult because you have to use more force. So, let's see. Maybe for the first time I will use some painkillers.”

Looking ahead to the Silverstone weekend, Bagnaia added some apprehension about his potential from a technical standpoint. “It's a difficult track, but it's also one of my favourites, so let's see,” he said. “I just really know how important is the setup here, how important it is to have rear grip, and it's my main issue this season. So, we just need to work on that and hope that Ducati during the summer break improved my situation.”

Reported by Crash.net, Bagnaia currently trails in the MotoGP standings after a disappointing first half, and this surgery adds another challenge. With his arm not fully recovered, his performance at Silverstone will be a key test for his title hopes.