Pecco Bagnaia finished 13th in the Misano MotoGP Sprint, gaining one place from a qualifying result described as the worst of his career at the circuit. He ended the race 17.8 seconds behind Ducati team-mate Marc Marquez, who won the Sprint. Bagnaia has not scored a point since the Sachsenring on 12 July.

The two-time MotoGP champion described himself as frustrated and humiliated after the result. He also said his Ducati behaved significantly differently from the other Ducatis, with neither he nor the team currently understanding why.

A bike with little usable rear grip

Bagnaia said a new soft rear tyre delivered grip comparable to a used soft during qualifying. He also reported no clear difference between the soft and medium front tyres, or between new and used soft tyres. When rear load was increased in low-grip conditions, he said the bike lost more grip instead of gaining rear support.

The effect was especially clear on corner entry. Bagnaia described braking with both tyres as worse than braking with the front tyre alone, and compared the feeling when turning into a corner to riding with the clutch pulled in. In his description, the engine-braking sensation was effectively absent.

He said the bike had behaved abnormally through most of the current season and during the final three Grands Prix of the previous season, with Japan an exception to that earlier pattern. The supplied evidence does not establish a specific mechanical, electronic or setup cause. Bagnaia said the team’s immediate plan was still to understand the problem.

A significant final Ducati appearance

The Misano event was described as Bagnaia’s final home appearance for Ducati. The 31-time MotoGP race winner is scheduled to join the factory Aprilia team next season under a four-year contract, adding context to an event in which the performance gap to his team-mate was plainly visible without providing a confirmed explanation for it.