MotoGP Italy Mugello J3, Debriefing Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati/1): “I received a video message from a legend who said to me “today you are going to win””, etc. (Entirety)

By winning the Grand Prix MotoGP of Italy on the Mugello circuit after having also triumphed there the day before during the Sprint, Francis Bagnaia achieved an exceptional success despite the penalty received by the FIM MotoGP stewards, moreover for his national Grand Prix.

The spearhead of Ducati himself admitted it, in those moments “you feel like you’re invincible”.

As usual, we report his words here without the slightest formatting, even if it is translated from English.

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Welcome to the post-race press conference at the end of the Brembo Italian Grand Prix, here at Mugello. Incredible post-race scenes at the start and finish line, as Italian fans celebrate in a special atmosphere after a special victory for Ducati Lenovo Team rider, and reigning world champion, Pecco Bagnaia. Two consecutive victories here at Mugello for Pecco, congratulations Pecco! His teammate Enea Bastianini completes the Ducati Lenovo team's 1-2 in the special Blue Azuri livery. Enea, first podium here at Mugello! And the leader of the world championship, Prima Pramac Racing driver Jorge Martin, completes the podium in 3rd position.

Pecco, you have already won here at Mugello, but this year there is something different, something special. You have the Kiss headphones, you have the guitar, it was a Rockstar performance. Tell us about this Grand Prix because you had an incredible start and you managed the race in the lead. And what about the podium celebrations, because they were amazing?
Francis Bagnaia : “Honestly, the day started well because I received a message, a video message, from a legend (laughs) who told me “probably today you will win”. And it was incredible, so I'm very happy, satisfied, proud. This weekend was fantastic, I started the race well, yesterday was fantastic. Today it was very important to be in the lead from the first lap, to get my rhythm, and the strategy of the first lap, in the first two corners, went perfectly. It was therefore impossible to do better. »

And for the podium, I think the message came from Gene Simmons, the leader of Kiss, right? I'm sure it gave you a huge boost and made you very proud. You took the victory, but quickly Pecco, on this podium, I mean, it was like Mugello of old?
“Honestly, when you're there, as an Italian, you look in front of the podium, you see this sea of ​​people with our caps, our numbers, our flags, as an Italian, it's incredible! it makes things more special, more magical, and I love Mugello for that. I've loved him since I was very young, and I still love him. Of course in 2022 we started seeing a few more people again, 23 was nice, but this year was a return to the old days. It's incredible ! »

The first overtake was obviously planned, but what risk did you take to do it? Because starting from 5th place on the grid, maybe the tires were even a little cold: how risky was that?
“For me, it's not about risk, it's more about being in the best position possible in the present moment. Because honestly, I decided to go to the outside because I remembered last year when Miller passed me at the start, and I just stayed on the outside to be on the outside. inside into turn 2. So I tried to do the same thing again, but Maverick braked really hard and my strategy was almost ruined. But as soon as I saw that it was going to widen, I tried to cross its trajectory and it was the best decision. Then I saw that Jorge was not approaching the exit of turn 1 with force, and so I tried to take this advantage to overtake him from turn 2.

Pecco, in the last three laps Jorge got closer, then you widened the gap again. So, had you just calmed things down and thought that was enough, or did you make a mistake and have to wake up to push again?
“No, today it was very difficult to always be in the same rhythm. I was trying to be as consistent as possible, but after 7-8 laps I started to see that it was very difficult with the front tire. The degradation of the rear was pretty constant, but with the front tire, every time I tried to do two laps in the same pace, I started to have a lot of movement, I lost control. So I decided to try a different strategy, which was to cool it down between two fast laps, and it worked perfectly. »

For the past three years, owning a Ducati old or new was a guarantee of victory. But today, this is no longer the case. The GP 23 is not a winning bike. Is this the result of the rule change or is it just a problem with the GP23 which was a difficult bike also last year?
“Because the 24 is a second and a half faster per lap, so it’s easier (laughs).
Last year the bike needed more time to adapt, but it was a very good, very good bike. On some circuits she was very competitive, on others she was less so. Here the 23 was fantastic, as well as in Barcelona. So it's difficult to know why, but it is certain that during the tests in Jerez, with the 23, they had a different exhaust valve which helped a lot to solve the problems they encountered last year, and today hui (motorcycles) are more or less the same. So I think a victory with the 23 will be possible soon, but for now the level is very high, with the new tires, and we are doing a very special job: we are not here just to be 3 slow drivers , we just do a really, really great job. »

Pecco, did you feel a bit like Valentino Rossi at Mugello today? Mugello was his private garden for many years, with many victories, and now you have 3 victories in a row at this circuit. Is Mugello also your private garden?
“I don't know how Vale felt at Mugello, but I think he was happy to race at Mugello. He won 9 times if I remember correctly. Mugello is fantastic because people use Mugello as a place to stay. Yesterday we went to the fan zone and we saw a lot of campers with tents, so I love Mugello because it's amazing. You feel they are close to you, they live in the paddock and I like that. And when you see these kinds of people in front of you from the top of the podium, you feel like you're invincible, invincible. It's amazing and I'm very happy! Three victories in a row at Mugello mean a lot to me. I'm always very, very happy when I start the weekend here, and I always try to be perfect in every detail, because I know how important it is to win here, and then I try to do my best trying to do it the best way possible every time. »

You arrived here at Mugello as the star of the show, since you are world champion and everyone is expecting a performance from you. How much pressure is there during preparation and what is the relief when you win?
“The pressure is always there. Everyone always expects more from us. Plus, if you win, it's like winning is normal, and if you fall, it's like you're making a disaster. So the pressure is there. We choose our sport because we like pressure, that's for sure. It's something that motivates us, that pushes us to the limit, and honestly, I like being under pressure: I prefer to be under pressure than to be 6th, 7th or 15th without pressure. So it's something that we deal with every week and every season, and it's part of the job. Honestly, I feel the same pressure as at the start of the weekend, but because I know that the race is the race, but the championship is still long, and so the pressure will be present throughout the season. So it’s a privilege to be under pressure. »

Pecco, the start of last season was a bit up and down until you got to Mugello and then the next few races were all fantastic results that saw you rack up points. It's been a bit of an up and down start to this season, but you've won two Sundays in a row now, and this is, I think, the first time you've won two Sundays in a row in two years?
" Yes. "

What do you need to do to ensure this momentum continues?
“Not to fall again (laughs), that’s for sure. Barcelona, ​​last year, was very good for me and it is important to be constant and have the same consistency in terms of work, in terms of results. Assen is always super good for me, but I remember well that Jorge, last year, was 3-4 tenths faster every lap in the last six laps of the race. So it will be tricky, but I think our bike this year can help us a little. In Assen it is a little more useful in braking, a little less stable in fast corners, but I think we will be good and I will try to keep this momentum in the best way possible because it is very important for the championship, but also for me and for the team, because I know our potential, I know how good we are, and honestly, the fall in the Sprint in Barcelona was a real disaster for me, for my mentality. So I will keep in mind not to make the same mistake and try to continue like this. »

Pecco, we've seen in the past Marc create some sort of legacy in Germany and at COTA, and Valentino in the past here: do you think you can create something similar here at Mugello in the years to come?
“I really hope these kinds of results happen every year!” I think Mugello is perfect for my riding style. I feel perfect every time, and I like those turns where you don't have to turn too much, the 180° turns. I don't know what to say, but I really like this flow, and we trained here at the start of the season, so it's a good circuit for me. I love riding here and our bike is perfect for this circuit, so it's a mix of things that helps me a lot. And the people, the crowd, help us a lot, because you feel like you have to give them something. »

The slogan you wrote on your helmet says "Rock'n roll all nite". How many days will you celebrate after this victory, before the next race in three weeks?
“Honestly, I stopped drinking in January and I haven’t drunk since January. But it's something that I started doing and I have to stick to it because I'm getting married soon, so I have to enjoy my day, our days (laughs). »

You came here with the Panigale and with Valentino with the R1. Do you remember your best lap with a normal motorcycle?
“I did 51.2 here. I was very close to going under 51, but I made a small mistake in the last corner and Dave Gross couldn't make the lap, since we had decided to go there with artist names ( laughter) the last time we were here. »

What did Valentino suggest to you today at the last minute when he came to see you?
“Before we left, Vale told me to do exactly the same thing as yesterday. And I tried. »

Results of the 2024 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix at Mugello:

 Credit rankings: MotoGP.com