Francesco Bagnaia thinks Fabio Quartararo remains a closer rival than any Ducati rider
The 2021 champion Quartararo only missed out on retaining his title at the final round of 2022, when Ba♔gnaia pipped him to end Ducati’s 15-year winless spell.
The machinery - and numerical superiority - of Ducati has already resulted in success this season, while Yamaha’s Quartararo has endꦐured a horrible start, finishing eighth and seventh in the first two grands prix.
But Bagnaia sℱaid to : “I feel great. Also with the bike.
“I think the main rivals will be Quartararo, Marc Marquez, two or three ꦕother Ducatis, like Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi or Luca Marini.
“The Aprilias are also fast. If I have to say three names I say: Quartararo, Marc ♒Marquez and me. And a fourth: Bastianini.”
Quartararo has been left languishing behind the sheer quantity of Ducati bikes, plus unexpectedly🥃 behind his own teammate Franco Morbidelli.
Ducati have seen VR46’s Bezౠzec🌼chi win his first grand prix in Argentina, after Bagnaia’s double-victory on the opening weekend.
The number of bikes from the Italian manufacturer could be 𒊎problematic for Bagnaia, he explains: “It's something that can help you and it can🧜 be bad.
“It happened many ti💮me𒅌s that I pushed to be in front and, the next day, more bikes were in front because of the data.
“I also, at times, was in a difficult situation and looked at where other Ducati riders were fast.&nb♛spꦰ;
“So thღere are eight of us and all eight of us work the same way because we share the data and everyone can s🌊ee it.
“I think this is the main thing so that the Ducati are always at th⭕e front.
“Also ꧂for the fact that the Ducati is now the most competitive bike. All the drivers are pushing to improve.
“My goal, my ambition, is always to be in front, to be the first, but, sometimes, it is very difficult because on Saturday I am uꩵp, but on Sunday there is more there. It's also something that gives me a lot of motivatio🍸n.”
Bagnaia and Quartararo will lock horns again at this weekend's 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas.
James was a sports journalist 𝔉at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
