Ducati MotoGP rider Francesco Bagnaia believes his second-place finish in the Misano Grand Prix “was the maximum” he could have accomplished in the race.
The double-reigning champion led throughout the race’s nascent stages, but he was unable to stop Marc Marquez from passing in interchangeable conditions.
Bagnaia chose to stay out on the slick tyres rather than swap bikes, which his championship rival Jorge Martin elected to do, costing the Spaniard several spots.
The factory Ducati rider understood the importance of bringing the bike home when he was aware of Martin entering the pit lane.
With the track easing up in the laps following, he settled for second behind future 2025 team-mate Marquez.
In the context of the championship, Bagnaia’s second place means Martin’s championship lead is cut to only seven points heading into the next round.
“It doesn’t taste like a victory because it isn’t a victory but it is still very good,” he said after the race in Misano.
“I’m a believer! I want to win but today second place was a huge result in terms of the championship.
“Yesterday I was angry because I had the chance…but I didn’t take it,” he said of his runner-up result behind Martin in the Saturday Sprint. “But today was the maximum I could do.
“In hindsight, a second place under these conditions was the best result we could have aimed at.
“Once the rain started falling, I saw Franco (Morbidelli) crashing out and I chose to ride in a bit of a safer way, while Marc (Márquez) ended up being the stronger and braver of us all.
“I did all I could to stay with him and had a shot at the lead on a couple of occasions at the ‘Curvone’ corner, but I was never incisive enough to make it happen.”
Bagnaia disclosed that his injuries sustained from the previous round in Aragon took their toll throughout the weekend.
“After Aragon it was a really tough Monday,” the Italian explained. “I wasn’t able to do much, and the pain was starting, a lot.
“We worked a lot with my crew and my physio and they did a fantastic job in the end. I’m very proud of what we did.
“In the final laps, I saw that Enea’s gap went up to more than three seconds and in that moment, I lost some of the concentration, also due to the fact that my fitness condition wasn’t ideal. We did our best, unlike yesterday, so I’m happy.”
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