Francesco Bagnaia has called on MotoGP to hold a test before racing at a new track on the calendar.
The Torinese rider finished eighth in the Sprint before crashing out of the Grand Prix as MotoGP returned to Brazil after a 22-year absence.
But Brazil’s return did not go as planned from an operational standpoint, with a sinkhole affecting the start-finish straight and prompting a delay to the Sprint.
The Grand Prix distance was reduced from 31 to 23 laps at the last minute, too, with riders also reporting issues with parts of the track surface after the race.
Therefore, Bagnaia said that before any new circuit is introduced, MotoGP should hold a test for manufacturer test riders to help prevent similar issues.
“Speaking as a rider, the track is nice, it’s true there were some issues, but I also saw efforts to resolve them and allow us to race,” shared Bagnaia to GPone.
“The circuit wasn’t ready for us, but we managed to have a normal weekend. They’re working on it for next year, but there were some problems.
“I think that in the future we should definitely have the opportunity to do a test before the Grand Prix so we can identify any potential issues.
“If you ride a track on a stock bike, you can’t see its limits. I think this is a change that needs to be made.”
“Test riders are enough for me.”
The factory Ducati rider cited MotoGP’s decision to hold a test before Indonesia joined the calendar as an example.
“In 2022, when we were able to test in Indonesia, it was great because we could try out the tyres; we realised they weren’t perfect, and in fact, they were changed for the Grand Prix,” he added.
“It’s true that not all test riders push the bike to its limits, but it would still be better than nothing.”
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