Francesco Bagnaia has stopped short of confirming rumours that testing a VR46 GP24 Ducati prompted last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix victory – but admitted that ‘items used in the past’ led to the dramatic turn in form.
While it is clear that Bagnaia’s breakthrough came at the Misano test on the Monday following last month’s San Marino Grand Prix, speculation as to its nature remains rife in the MotoGP paddock. After the Italian’s failure to adapt to the current GP25 bike, some have suggested that his factory team actually allowed him to ride a GP24 chassis during the Monday test.
In the press conference ahead of this weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix, Bagnaia was asked if he had in fact tested the GP24 normally ridden by VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli.
“The thing is that in the Misano test we decided to try different things that also in the past [have given] me more confidence and more performance,” said Bagnaia, who was seated next to Morbidelli at the time.
“I don’t confirm what you’re saying but I confirm that the feedback in the Misano test was arriving from some items that we used also in the past.”
Bagnaia’s response did not come across as any kind of denial of the VR46 GP24 rumours, and followed remarks he had made at Motegi, when he first admitted that the test had drawn on things that worked in the past.
Bagnaia in action at the Misano test
Photo by: Mirco Lazzari GP – Getty Images
“We tested different things in Misano, different things that we already had, but we never had the chance to really try this season, so I was just feeling a bit better,” he said in Japan.
Asked at Motegi whether he was now using the same parts as team-mate Marc Marquez, Bagnaia only said: “Not everything.”
As for this weekend’s race at Mandalika, Bagnaia’s task is to prove that his return to frontrunning form is sustainable. But the 28-year-old appeared confident that he now had a good base bike – to the point that he will not change it throughout Friday.
His plan is to get to grips with a circuit he doesn’t feel he has mastered, despite having won there two years ago.
“I’m quite confident but I have to say this track was never too easy for me, so I will try to adapt,” he added. “I already spoke with the team and we decided to not touch anything on the bike till Saturday [and rather] just to adapt to the situation.
“I know that my package now can give me more potential, more performance. So we just decided to start with the same bike as Motegi and see what to do during this weekend. But we will see after Friday and not already [be] trying to figure out different problems on the days before. So this is much better.”
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Qian Jun / MB Media via Getty Images
Bagnaia underlined that his confidence was as high as ever, even with his dispiriting mid-season so fresh in the memory.
“Like I said all season, I know my potential and the moment I get what I’m asking for, I will be fighting for top positions again. I just needed to wait till the Misano test to test different things – and from this moment I was able to ride in my way again. It was fantastic to do a weekend like this in Motegi.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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