At a track where he had a clear edge of performance over everyone else the year before, Pecco Bagnaia was left staring at the Ghost of Season Past last weekend.
In the 2024 Grand Prix of the Americas weekend, Pecco Bagnaia faced challenges even though he had excelled at that track the previous year. Bagnaia acknowledged the difficulties and emphasized the need to analyze and address the problems at hand to improve performance. The situation was reminiscent of his struggles in the 2022 season, where he initially had to defend his position in races due to a tumultuous pre-season with Ducati. Despite a rocky start, Bagnaia managed to bounce back and contend for the championship thanks in part to Yamaha’s decline and Quartararo’s issues. 2024 was meant to be different with improvements expected, especially given the upgraded Desmosedici. However, Bagnaia’s performance remained inconsistent, with highs like a victory in Qatar and lows where he struggled in some sessions, including the Grand Prix of the Americas. Following various ups and downs throughout the weekend, Bagnaia found himself dealing with tire issues affecting his pace during the races, reflecting on lap times and track conditions in comparison to his competitors, especially Maverick Vinales.
