Gigi Dall’Igna: Pecco Bagnaia “has room for improvement”

Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna has given some insight on Francesco Bagnaia’s struggles at the Thai MotoGP.

Bagnaia finished third, behind both Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez, in the two races in Buriram – both the Sprint and the Grand Prix – having struggled with front tyre wear in the half-distance race on Saturday and then with front tyre temperature while following in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Dall’Igna explained that the Thai MotoGP was indicative for Ducati as the opening race of the season, and that, while Ducati Lenovo’s new signing Marc Marquez is already fully up-to-speed with this year’s Desmosedici package, Bagnaia is still catching up after a complicated preseason.

“The first race is always the most complicated because you never know your level compared to the others,” Dall’Igna told Sky Sport Italy.

“I think Marc [Marquez] has the bike in his hands and already knows what to do.

“Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia], for various reasons, has room for improvement and I expect him to bring it out.”

He added: “Marc had easier tests, Pecco's were more tormented and this justifies that he has a bit of a delay in preparing for the races.”

Dall’Igna also indicated that Ducati has already begun improving on the GP24 base it decided in favour of in winter testing, creating a larger difference in specification between the factory-spec bikes and the standard GP24s of Gresini’s Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer, and VR46’s Franco Morbidelli.

“There is already a difference between the factory bikes and the other Ducatis, in the Jerez tests we will try other developments.”