Medium tyre ‘a mistake, impossible to accelerate’ for Bagnaia in closing laps

Francesco Bagnaia has slid to fourth in the MotoGP world championship standings following a seventh place finish in Catalunya. 

Bagnaia started the race from ninth and between himself, Jack Miller and Johann Zarco - Ducati’s three title hopes - he was the only one to choose the medium rear tyre. 

With Miller and Zarco claiming podiums, while Bagnaia earned a hard-fought seventh after battling Brad Binder for much of the race, it was a decision he felt was ‘the wrong choice ultimately’. 

"I was really convinced that the medium can work well. Last year with a soft we were very fast on the last part of the race. This year not," added Bagnaia. 

"I was struggling a lot in the last six/seven laps. I was constant, but after 18 laps the rear tyre had a big, big drop and it was impossible to accelerate. 

"Normally you lose on acceleration but you can brake harder to recover all the missing from the tyre, but in the exit today no, because on the edge (of the tyre) I was sliding a lot, I was losing the rear. 

"So we tried to use the medium. Yesterday I was fast, this morning I was constant, but it was the wrong choice. 

"We made a mistake with the team. We all together choose the medium. Looking at the results, it’s clear that the hard can be better, but it’s my fault." 

There was quite the split with some riders choosing the hard, while just as many went with the medium rear. However, It’s no coincidence that the top three and Fabio Quartararo who finished third but was relegated to sixth due to penalties, all used the hard.