Third in the last Grand Prix MotoGP, in Aragon, Francis Bagnaia attributed this performance boost to the use of 355mm carbon discs instead of the usual 340mm, but he is still hoping to aim for victory at Mugello without using them...
During the press conference before the Italian Grand Prix, the Ducati rider explained this apparent paradox by announcing his choice
"330 (laughs). No, I think this track is more difficult to use the 355mm because the brake temperatures here don't reach the optimal levels for this type of disc. So we'll start with the standard discs, the low-mass 340mm, and we'll see, hoping we don't run into problems like in the past. That said, I think on this track, even though the brakes are still important, they're a little less stressed than on other tracks, so that could work in our favor."
Although likely to be an advantage under braking at San Donato, following the longest straight on the calendar, the 355mm discs would quickly become a double disadvantage immediately after, with Mugello offering only 8 braking zones to keep the carbon at temperature, and presenting sequences where additional mass would be a handicap. So back to the 340 Low Mass discs, but still, the 2022-2023 world champion intends to fight for victory, building his confidence more on the three successes won in the Tuscan hills in 2022, 2023 and 2024 than on his performance in Aragon.
"It's more thanks to a feeling I've always had here, which is very positive. But we have to be realistic, the last few Grands Prix have been quite complicated for me, at least until Sunday's race. It's true that I regained a bit of confidence in the race, but I also finished in the same place as at the start of the season, so in 3rd position. I was close to them, but Marc was having fun, and I was battling with Alex, who finished ahead of me. So I think it's a good starting point to get the momentum going again, but we need to take another step forward this weekend, and this is the right circuit to try to do that."
He summarizes his approach…
“I think it’s a great time to be here at this stage of the season. It’s true that at Aragon I was competitive in the race on Sunday, but I think my feeling doesn’t just depend on what we achieved there. We’ll see if I can find a good feeling, a good set-up from the start of the weekend. I know how important it is to get a good result here, so we’ll give it our all. I’m really looking forward to the race weekend. I love racing here, looking up and seeing all the fans, all the crowds. There’s always a special magic around the Mugello Grand Prix. I’ll do my best to try and keep up with Marc, who will probably be the strongest. So I hope at least I can fight for the win.”
MotoGP Mugello Bagnaia
