Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia says he was forced to be in a “race defence” mode as chattering issues compromised his pace during MotoGP’s Americas Grand Prix.
Bagnaia was right in the mix to fight for the win after battling Jorge Martin, Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez in the opening stages but slipped down to fifth at the end.
That problem caused him to lose sight of the leading pack and the second half of the race saw him lose ground to team-mate Enea Bastianini and points leader Martin.
Just like what had happened in the Qatar Sprint and in Portimao, Bagnaia once again had to settle for bringing the bike home and ensure he didn’t lose further positions.
“My race started well, I was feeling good. I was thinking after lap six that I was able to fight for a win or a podium,” he said.
“But I started to have a lot of chattering, a lot of vibrations on the left side and it was very difficult to manage everything.
“I completely destroyed the tyre on the right side. So, it was also difficult to do corners on the right side.
“So, I raced in defence after seven laps, six laps, and it was very difficult. I tried to manage everything but like this, for sure we have to understand the situation and solve the problems because right now it’s very difficult.
“The situation is very similar to 2022, that in the start of the season I had to race in defence. All my trust is in my team that we will solve the problem. We will be battling for the top again.”
While Bagnaia was unable to cling onto a podium spot, Bastianini ensured Ducati were represented on the rostrum at the Circuit of the Americas as he clinched third.
Bagnaia added: “It’s strange because Enea didn’t have any chattering this weekend, but he was really in trouble all weekend.
“I was feeling good, Martin was fast, but today we struggled.
“So, it’s difficult to understand with three bikes, because Franky [Morbidelli] is still learning so it’s difficult to put him on the same package.
“Enea was struggling with the brakes, struggling to let the bike turn.
“But today was super fast and without problems [I] was able to fight for the win. I was able to fight for the win for just six laps, and after that I started to struggle.”
Bagnaia’s difficult start to the season sees him reside fifth in the Riders’ standings with a 30-point deficit established between him and championship leader Martin.
