Bagnaia has a “scientific” explanation for persistent MotoGP sprint troubles

Francesco Bagnaia has revealed the “scientific” reason for his long-held struggles in sprint races compared to his vast success in full-distance MotoGP grands prix.

The two-time world champion commented after finishing third in the 2025 season-opening Thailand sprint contest, where he had to fend off Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura for 13 laps.

Bagnaia explained that the smaller fuel tank mandated for sprint events changes the “dynamics” of his Ducati, causing him to struggle more in braking and corner entry.

So the Italian has always found sprint races tough as, although last year he and eventual champion Jorge Martin both won seven times on a Saturday, errors by Bagnaia in the half-distance events cost him the 2024 title. 

“There’s a scientific reason why I’m struggling in the sprint,” Bagnaia said. “We were trying to understand it and honestly the only thing that they changed from the long races is the fuel tank – it is smaller by regulation. 

“It changes the dynamics of the bike a bit and I’m struggling more in braking and entrance. But we are working on it, we are trying to solve it. 

“Today we are just doing it in the standard way but next time we will try something different.”

Bagnaia revealed that he received positive results when he completed a sprint simulation with a larger fuel tank.

“I did it and I was faster and it’s something you cannot do for the regulation,” he added. “We are trying something different, like set-up and different things on the bike.

“It’s a long journey to improve this because already two seasons [and] the problem is more or less the same.”

He also added that the problem with the sprint-spec fuel tank is exacerbated when he is running directly behind other riders, as opposed to in clean air.

“When I’m starting in the front this problem is less because without the slipstream, without anyone in the front, I can force in the braking, but if someone is in front of me, I will be [stuck] for 10 laps or 15 laps with one second of gap and I can’t close back,” Bagnaia explained. 

“It’s quite a problem, we are trying to solve it.”