Francesco Bagnaia is preparing for another intense MotoGP battle in Qatar, with both Marc and Alex Marquez firmly on his radar as key threats. Despite Marc playing down his chances at Lusail, Bagnaia isn’t buying it.
Coming off a momentum-building win at COTA—where Marc crashed out from the lead—Bagnaia acknowledged the fortune behind the victory:
“We know we won because of Marc’s crash. He was pulling away. My real potential was P2,” Bagnaia admitted.
Even so, the reigning champion views Austin as a step forward in his 2025 campaign:
“In Austin, we made a good step, but our work isn’t done. We need more in braking and corner entry.”
Now at a circuit he prefers, Bagnaia sees Lusail as a better fit:
“This is a track more suited to my riding style. I like the layout and feel confident going in.”
Still, he remains wary of the Marquez brothers:
“Marc and Alex are the two contenders. Even last year, Marc was strong here with Gresini. I expect both to be fast again.”
Marc himself acknowledged Lusail favors Pecco and Alex historically, but Bagnaia expects his rival to be quick from the very first laps, especially as track grip improves.
Bagnaia also commented on Michelin’s revised tyre options for Qatar, welcoming the chance to run softer compounds this season compared to last year’s medium-locked strategy.
Meanwhile, he voiced support for Jorge Martin, who returns from injury for his first real MotoGP action of the season with Aprilia:
“Jorge shouldn’t pressure himself. He’s only done 13 laps this year and had several crashes. He just needs to focus on adapting and enjoying the weekend.”
Heading into the Qatar Grand Prix, Bagnaia trails Alex Marquez by 12 points in the championship standings, with Marc just one point ahead of him.
