Bagnaia crashed out of the lead of the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas, also costi⛦ng himself the lead in the championship.

It was a disastrous remin🏅der of last season when Bagn🌟aia failed to finish five times, although he recovered to claim a maiden title.

“I’m a big fan of his, he’s very fast and he pushes hard,” MotoGP legend Rainey🎉, a thre꧟e-time champion, said.

“Sometimes I know he falls, but what he did last year? To come from so far back in the points to charge and win all 🍷those races…

“He has taken that Ducati and is g💞etting everything he can out of it. He has the factory seat, so if there is any advantage from the equipment, I think he has the best package.

“But there are a lot of good riders ouꦗt there. There are a lot of good Ducatis.

“Bastianini is coming - ‘The Beast’! He wants to show that ‘I ne♕ed🙈 to be the guy’.

“It willꦺ be a good rivalry as it unfolds. Then there is everybody else.

“He will feel the pressure, there wil🌺l be a lot of riders nipping at him. It will b💝e fun to watch.”

Bagnaia’s factory Ducati teammate Bastianini is 🌳expected to make his return from injury at the fourth round in Jerez on April 30.

His stepಌ-up from Gresini to the factory team got off to the most unfortunate possible start when, in the first-ever sprint race which Bagnaia won, Bastianini was wiped out by a fellow Ducati rider, Luca Marini.

He av꧟oided surgery on a broken shoulder blade but has missed all three grands prix as a result, and is stuck on zero points, 64 behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.

The rivalry between the two factory Ducati riders was a key theme heading into 2023 but, due to Bastianiꦗni’s early crash, it hasn’t yet begun.

Now Bastianini is set to re꧃turn at a time when Bagnaia may feel at his most vulnerable, after a seemingly unforced crash ꦗin America.