Bagnaia: MotoGP 2021 “wasn’t the year to try to win the championship”
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia will go “all in” to keep his MotoGP title hopes alive at Misano this weekend but admits 2021 “wasn’t the year to try to win the championship”.
Bagnaia trails Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo by 52 points coming into this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Misano.
The permutations that will secure Quartararo the title this weekend are numerous, but the simplest way would be for him to win the race regardless of where Bagnaia finishes, while the Ducati rider has to be either first or second ahead of Quartararo.
Misano was the scene of Bagnaia’s second victory in MotoGP last month at the San Marino GP and says repeating this is all he can do to keep his slim hopes alive.
“For me the only thing that I can do is win to try to stay in the fight for the championship,” Bagnaia said on Thursday at Misano.
“We know 52 points are a lot, but we will try [to close that down].
“Still, we have the possibility, so we will try. Will be different this weekend because the conditions are more different and looks like it can rain on Friday/Saturday.
“So, the work for the race will be more difficult, so let’s see.
“But this weekend I have to go all in and try to make something.”
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Dorna
Whatever happens this weekend, Bagnaia admits his form in his first two seasons in MotoGP in 2019 and 2020 meant 2021 was never meant to be the year he fought for the championship.
“For sure our ambition is to always improve every time,” Bagnaia added.
“And looking at my last two seasons in MotoGP, this was not the year to try to win the championship because I was struggling a lot in the past years.
“I crashed a lot and I broke my tibia last year. So, I had problems.
“So, this year the objective was to continue my growing and I think after the summer break we did a step forward, and another one after the last races.
“So, I’m happy with the work we are doing this year, but for sure the work we are doing this year can be better for next year.”
Earlier on Thursday Bagnaia’s team-mate Jack Miller said there had been no discussions within Ducati regarding the use of team orders this weekend.
Related video
Quartararo must approach Misano MotoGP match point 'like season start'
Marquez: Arm recovery still "too slow" in MotoGP 2021
Why a difficult 2021 hasn't broken one Honda MotoGP ace's resolve
Pol Espargaro’s switch to Honda for 2021 was one of MotoGP’s biggest rider market shocks. But a difficult bike coupled with various external factors led to a difficult first campaign. As a critical 2022 campaign for both Espargaro and Honda looms, his 2021 experience hasn’t dented his long-held resolve
The Drive to Survive mistakes MotoGP must avoid in 2022
OPINION: MotoGP will get its own Drive to Survive-style series in 2022, airing on Amazon Prime Video. It’s a much-needed grab at the mainstream for MotoGP, but a paradigm shift in the series highlighted by one of its leading stars must be embraced and not overshadowed by a desire to replicate DTS’s popcorn drama
Why KTM's latest young outcast is a cautionary tale for MotoGP
Iker Lecuona’s absence from the 2022 MotoGP grid after losing his KTM ride will likely pass most onlookers by. But after just 30 race starts in a MotoGP move he was sucked into by circumstance, the World Superbike-bound 21-year-old's story should act as a warning to KTM - and MotoGP as a whole - in regards to its future stars
How Ducati's expanded roster will threaten MotoGP's balance in 2022
That Ducati will compete with eight prototypes in MotoGP this year is nothing new, having already done so between 2016 and 2018. But the involvement and coverage of the Borgo Panigale company in its alliances is now much greater than in past years, which could have the effect of unbalancing the premier class
Ranking the top 10 MotoGP riders of 2021
Eight different riders won races across an ultra-competitive 2021 MotoGP season. Although Fabio Quartararo wrapped up the title with two rounds to go, the Yamaha rider had strong competition from the revitalised Ducati factory team and the world championship's returning king. Autosport picks out the year's 10 best riders
How Quartararo cast aside prior doubts to become MotoGP's new king
Doubts were cast over Yamaha’s French recruit after his disastrous end to the 2020 MotoGP season with Petronas SRT, but Fabio Quartararo answered them convincingly in 2021 to claim a MotoGP title that exhibited both his devastating speed and mental strength
The Rossi-less future MotoGP must now navigate
Motorcycle racing's greatest showman has left the stage, as Valentino Rossi calls time on his remarkable career on two wheels. But in his successors, all of whom were inspired by 'the Doctor', grand prix racing has vibrant new acts to keep us hooked
Valentino Rossi’s 10 greatest MotoGP races
As the Italian legend finally bows out and retires from MotoGP, it marks the end of one of the most incredible careers in motorsport history. Here is Autosport’s pick of his best rides and the stories behind them