MotoGP's Francesco Bagnaia stated that he was not surprised by the accident at the Indonesian Grand Prix. The Italian rider claimed that Ducati has regressed over the last two years, stating that his motorcycle had completely lost traction at Mandalika.
Accident Details
Francesco Bagnaia explained the cause of the accident in detail to the press after the race.
I fell. There was no traction, I couldn't feel the bike, and I fell. That's as simple as it is.
The rider, a two-time world champion in MotoGP, said the accident was not a surprise for him.
I wasn't surprised. I was slow and trying to catch up to Luca Marini to increase the front tire pressure. However, he stated that his motorcycle could not maintain the pace he wanted. At that moment, I wanted much more from the motorcycle, but the motorcycle was not giving me the necessary support. In the end, I fell.
Ducati's Performance Issues
Bagnaia expressed his dissatisfaction with Ducati's development over the last two seasons. According to the Italian rider, Mandalika clearly revealed the shortcomings of the motorcycle, especially in rear tire grip.
The step back we have taken in the last two years has become particularly apparent on this track, which requires speed and traction.
Bagnaia believed that the connection between the throttle response and the rear tire was not as strong as before.
We no longer have a throttle connection as strong as before. You feel the effect of this much more on a track like this.
He stated that this situation negatively affected the motorcycle's acceleration in corners and the rider's confidence.
Other Ducati Riders
Bagnaia emphasized that the main problem at Mandalika was the rear tire traction. He mentioned that he examined the data of other Ducati riders.
When I looked at the data, I saw that other Ducati riders had slightly more traction. But their situation was not ideal either.
The Italian rider said that the lack of sufficient support from the rear end further reduced performance.
You need a lot of support from the rear here. It's a shame that without this support, you struggle even more.
Bagnaia pointed out that the grip on the track was generally poor, especially with this tire.
A Difficult Weekend for Ducati
The Indonesian Grand Prix was one of the toughest races for Ducati this season. Although Marc Marquez won the Sprint race, he only finished in sixth place in the main race on Sunday, and Ducati achieved its best result with him. Fabio Di Giannantonio securing third place in qualifying showed that the motorcycle can still be competitive in a single-lap performance. However, Bagnaia's statements indicate that there are problems Ducati needs to solve regarding traction and riding feel, especially in race distance. For Bagnaia, the main concern is not the accident at Mandalika, but the inability to regain confidence in his motorcycle.
Statements
Francesco Bagnaia:
Other Ducati riders were also not in ideal condition.
Francesco Bagnaia:
In my case, the problem is a lack of traction. I don't know what others experienced, but generally, this is a track where the grip is very poor, especially with this tire.
Figures
- Francesco Bagnaia is competing in 9th place with 166 points in the 2026 MotoGP season (Ducati Team).
- Archive: [Francesco Bagnaia (Crash) race: "No feeling, no traction"] (news/agenda/francesco-bagnaia-crash-yarisinda-duygu-yok-tutus-yok) (October 11, 2026)
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Go to sourceCompiled by Şükrü Utku Poyraz
