Francesco Bagnaia: Eight Ducatis? ‘You see clearly when someone is doing a better job’

2024 will be the last MotoGP season, at least for the foreseeable future, with eight Ducati riders on the grid.

But despite Pramac’s switch to Yamaha, Ducati will still have a numerical advantage over its rivals with 6 bikes vs 4.

A question mark remains about how many of those six Desmosedicis will be of the latest factory spec.

Ducati has indicated they might only run three GP25 machines next year, with VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio the hot favourite to join Francesco Bagnaia and new Lenovo team-mate Marc Marquez.

But the prospect of only three GP25s has raised some eyebrows since Ducati’s rivals all look set to run four factory bikes in 2025.

Although data from the year-old Desmosedicis is often also relevant, differences in the machinery mean that’s not always the case.

Either way, after extending his Sunday win streak to four-in-row in Germany and taking the title lead, Bagnaia explained how the three leading Ducati riders had each been strong in certain areas of the track.

“We are eight [riders], so you can see clearly where someone is doing a better job,” Bagnaia said.

“Like here, Martin was very strong in corner 8. Marc was very strong in corner 7. I was very strong in corners 9, 10, 11.

“The more [riders] you are, the more data you have and it’s easier to make a step.”

Bagnaia’s winning race time was 12 seconds quicker than Martin’s Sachsenring victory a year ago, continuing a trend of fastest-ever race and lap records this season.

“I went slower than in Assen, so we can do a better job!” Bagnaia joked, referring to the 30 seconds he had improved year-on-year at the Dutch TT.

“I think it’s always the tyres, and also last year was very much hotter,

“The feeling with the bike is helping to improve the lap times, but the biggest difference is coming from the tyres.”