Pecco Bagnaia crashed out of the San Marino Grand Prix at Turn 2 on lap six, bringing a difficult Misano weekend to an early end. The Ducati rider failed to progress from Q1 and managed only 13th in the sprint, while struggling throughout the event to feel and use the grip available at the rear of his motorcycle.

Bagnaia said he was trying to follow Fabio Di Giannantonio after Franco Morbidelli had a long-lap penalty to serve. As the bike began spinning more, Bagnaia lost the front at Turn 2. In his account, the problem was not simply a lack of grip at the circuit: other Ducati riders were describing the grip as high, but he said he was feeling “zero” grip himself.

Why the Brno comparison matters

The cause remains unclear even to Bagnaia. He compared Misano with Brno, where the grip level was also high, but said his feeling there had been better and the rear-grip problem less severe. Ducati therefore has to continue working with the information already available, while the rider still cannot identify why his bike feels so different from the machines of the other Ducati riders.

The next round is the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Bagnaia considers it one of the strongest circuits for Ducati and for himself, recalling that he has won there by several seconds when his feeling on the bike was right. Michelin, however, will bring a rear tyre with a stiffer carcass, a change that could make the unresolved grip issue more consequential.

Bagnaia is not assuming that the Red Bull Ring’s favourable history will automatically cure the problem. He said the team must first understand what the bike feels like when they arrive in Austria, and then work towards a solution. The immediate task is to rebuild his confidence in the rear of the Ducati.