Francesco Bagnaia, the defending MotoGP world champion, is currently facing a crisis in his title defense. After four races, his lead over second-placed Jorge Martin has decreased from 62 points to just 13 points.
Bagnaia has encountered several setbacks in recent races. In Barcelona, he crashed from the lead position after being hit by Brad Binder’s KTM. Despite the injury, Bagnaia managed to score valuable points at his home race in Misano. However, his former Ducati teammate, who now races for Pramac, has been steadily closing the gap.
Bagnaia believes that the issue lies with the brakes on his Desmosedici GP23. While he used to gain an advantage through late braking, he now struggles to stop the bike effectively. This was evident in his crash during the first-ever MotoGP Grand Prix of India.
In an attempt to find a solution, Ducati engineers have been analyzing data and searching for improvements. Meanwhile, Bagnaia has been studying video footage of his recent races, specifically focusing on braking points. He has identified that something is not right with the rear part of the bike.
With the championship still far from over, Bagnaia feels the need to make changes immediately to avoid further setbacks. He plans to experiment with different bike settings in the upcoming race in Motegi, Japan.
Despite the pressure of defending his title, Bagnaia remains confident and believes there are still 14 races left to score points. He compares this season’s battle to last year’s more intense fight for the championship.
It remains to be seen whether Bagnaia can overcome his current crisis and successfully defend his MotoGP world title. With seven race weekends remaining in the season, there is still plenty of opportunity for him to turn things around.
