MotoGP Argentina J2 Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati/13): “I have to apologize, when you're nervous, you make mistakes”

It's official since it's Pecco Bagnaia himself who recognizes it: the official Ducati rider who signed with the brand until 2024 and who was cited as the big favorite for this season this winter is cracking. The weight of this Italian charge among his compatriots in red with the objective of seeking the title is too heavy for the 2021 world vice-champion who did not show his best face at Termas de Rio Hondo this Saturday , both on the track and in the box. After the pressure of the competition subsided, he regained his nerve and apologized profusely. But it will take time to emerge from this crisis.

Pecco Bagnaia put on a show this Saturday in Argentina but certainly not in the way he would have liked. He got annoyed at his Ducati, he got angry with his peers to the point of slamming on the brakes in the middle of the straight but fortunately off the line. In the box, he looked like a bad day, his teammate Jack Miller even going so far as to try to console him when he was about to embark on the Q1… From which he could not escape.

A real waking nightmare for the one who had to relaunch his campaign already off to a bad start this weekend at Termas de Rio Hondo. But he said, after this debacle: “ maybe for the turning point it is better to wait for the next Grand Prix. I don't have much to say except that I was slow. I couldn't be quick with the new tire and it's not the first time this has happened to me, so we know how to react. Last season's Sachsenring GP was an important lesson in this regard. I also have trouble with bumps, like I had in Austin a year ago so we know how to do that for that too ».

Pecco Bagnaia: “ the marshals told me that in certain situations I had to be smarter and pay more attention« 

He adds : " with the worn tires I was confident, I was able to keep a good pace, then I put on the new ones and I was slow, I improved my time by only 3 tenths. This and the bumps were my main problems ". But there is also himself, and he does not shy away from this responsibility that this brake has highlighted… “ I have to apologize, when you're nervous you make mistakes and that's what happened to me. I went to talk to the commissioners and as soon as I walked into their office I apologized, they understood my situation and told me that in certain situations I need to be smarter and pay more attention. I became nervous because I saw drivers complaining about those waiting on the track doing the exact same thing. That said, it was my mistake ».

« I had other bad days, the difference was I didn't have cameras in the garage. When I get nervous I behave like this, I'm sorry for making that impression, but we are all Human. More than angry, I was disappointed that I had gone slow » he finishes.

MotoGP Argentina J2: Qualifying

Credit classification motogp.com