P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Pecco Bagnaia says there is a “scientific reason” for why he’s underperformed – in relative terms – in MotoGP sprints since their introduction in 2023
Pecco Bagnaia attributes his underperformance in MotoGP sprints to a “scientific reason,” pointing out a decrease in win rate from 45% in full-distance grands prix to 27.5% in sprints introduced in 2023. Despite winning 11 sprints since then, he was outscored by Jorge Martin, impacting his title chances in 2024. Starting the 2025 season with a third-place finish at Buriram, Bagnaia admitted struggling with bike feel and corner entry, exacerbated by the smaller fuel tank mandated for sprints. While Bagnaia can manage the issue when leading due to lack of slipstream, he aims to improve performance in the pack by testing different setups and approaches. Fellow Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli agrees with Bagnaia’s assessment of the sprint fuel tank’s impact on performance dynamics, emphasizing the importance of finding optimal settings for peak performance.
