This press conference of the Grand Prix MotoGP of Spain 2025 in Jerez, who brought together Alex Marquez, fabio quartararo et Francis Bagnaia for their debriefing, is the first where number 73 spoke as the winner of the premier category.
But for Pecco Bagnaia, it is far from bringing great satisfaction, because the Italian pilot is still prey to phenomena as incomprehensible as they are disabling...
As usual, we report here in full the words of the latter, without the slightest formatting, even if it is translated from English.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Sunday press conference for the Spanish Grand Prix Galicia 0.0, which took place at the Jerez – Angel Nieto circuit. 101 spectators attended the race. Congratulations to Alex Marquez, the BK000 Gresini Racing rider, on his first victory in the MotoGP World Championship. Second, his first podium finish since Mandalika in 8, Monster Energy Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo, second in the Grand Prix from pole position, and Ducati Lenovo Team rider Pecco Bagnaia, who finished third in yesterday's Tissot Sprint, complete our top three here in Spain. Gentlemen, congratulations to all three!
The last rider to climb onto the podium today is Pecco Bagnaia, for the Ducati Lenovo team.
Pecco, a good weekend: 3rd on the grid, 3rd in the Sprint, 3rd in the Grand Prix. But you always want more. Are you satisfied with the outcome of this Spanish Grand Prix?
Francis Bagnaia : “No, I’m not happy with this kind of race! I couldn’t do anything more. I was quite happy with the first 3-4 laps, my pace and feeling were very good, but as soon as I got behind Fabio, I had no chance to overtake.
Every time, in turns 7, 8, 11 and 12, I was losing a lot. The front was locking up and I was losing ground everywhere. It's a shame that it's happening like this, but that's the situation right now. Luckily, we have an important test tomorrow. We're going to work a lot to find a better balance, because right now we're struggling. It's strange, because in the corners where I was very strong last year (like turns 11 and 12), this season I'm suffering a lot, especially being behind another rider. And when I see Alex, he was as strong as me last year. So, we might have to change something on the bike to change the balance. So tomorrow will be a very important day.
Tomorrow is an important day, yes. There was also a big duel at the start of the race with your teammate Marc. Can you tell us about it?
“As I said, in the first four laps I had a really good feeling. I knew Marc was going to try to pass me at Turn 8, but unfortunately he was more competitive in those corners, so I was pretty sure he wouldn't expect me to try anything in Turn 9. So I tried there.
He crossed the line again, then he was a little wide at turn 10, he crossed again, and there we touched because he was doing a wheelie, so it was more difficult to control the front.
But it was very light contact, and luckily it wasn't in the last two laps for the win."
We spoke to Marc after yesterday's race and he said he had chatter in one or two corners. So I was wondering if you, Pecco, had any chatter this weekend, at any point or in today's race, or in any corner?
“Luckily, I didn’t suffer from any rear vibrations. I had a little bit in Qatar, but I think Qatar is special. And today I just had a little bit in Turns 7-8 and 4, but it was also strange because the pace was quite slow. I don’t know if it’s because of the conditions, the temperature, because I think it was similar to last year, but today the pace was quite slow and the rear had this kind of vibration, which normally happens when the pace is very strong. So strange, but it was the same situation for everyone.”
Yesterday you told us "Normally, I'm better on Sundays than on Saturdays." , but what you're telling us now is that you have the same problems. Are you very worried or do you think it's just the fact that it's Jerez, and it can be a difficult track if you're behind someone?
“Yes, but today I was better than yesterday. At least I overtook someone (laughs). The problem this season is always the same: when you are behind someone, you start to feel that the front is locking up everywhere, and that is a problem. And for the first time, when Marc was not leading from the start and he was behind someone with a similar pace, he lost the front. Because every time you get to that position, when you start to release the brakes, you lose the front. And that is something I am getting used to, because it is since the first race that I have been in this situation. And today, as always, I lost the front many times, Turn 8, Turns 11-12, Turns 4-5. We don't know why, we are trying to understand the situation, because Marc is very good at riding everything. I can't do it.” I want to feel better, have a good feeling with the front, and in this situation it's quite difficult because it's something new for me, because last year I never had this kind of feeling, and I was doing things in the fast corners that this season I can't, I can't do. So maybe we'll have to understand and change the balance of the new bike, and try different solutions, because it's difficult like this."
Is this problem specific to the GP25? And if so, is it time to try something radical like going back to the 2024 completely?
"I think the 25 has more potential than the 24, because I have more acceleration, more top speed, in the braking zone it's very good, in a straight line it's very good. But I don't know why, because the only thing that's the same is the chassis, so theoretically the balance is very similar or identical to the previous one. But last year I never had this kind of problem, except in the sprints, but in the long races I was always able to follow the other drivers. For example, on this circuit I followed Jorge Martin for more than 10 laps and I had no problems. This season I can't do it. And looking at the data, it's pretty clear that if you put Alex's lap times with my lap times from last year, his potential is very similar in the fast corners. And if you put my lap times with last year's, I can't do it. The front seems much softer, so maybe we need to understand the situation and try new solutions. But it wouldn't be entirely right to go back to the 2024, if only because Marc wins everything, so it's also difficult when your teammate wins like that."
In the parc fermé, you paid tribute to Fabio for his second place. What do you think was particularly impressive about his performance?
“He did an extraordinary job with a bike slower than mine, which allowed me to win or easily overtake all the riders. I couldn't get close to him! He was very strong in the fast corners, he was very strong under braking. I don't know how to say it in English, but he exploited every little detail of his bike and he was super fast and I couldn't get close to him. If I had arrived at him with 0.0s, I was quite sure that coming out of the last corner or in other places, I would have easily overtaken him on the straight. But that wasn't the case, because everywhere he came out so fluid, so fast, and he was really strong.”
Can you tell us if you noticed your front tire pressure increasing when you were following Fabio, and if that was the problem that wasn't allowing you to close the gap?
"It's something I'll know later when I'm in the pits, when I have the meeting. I'll ask the team as always to understand, because normally I have a lot of movements, but sometimes it's not just the pressure, it's also the temperature of the tire. It's true that today it was very hot and the moment I experienced it is always like this: when I'm behind. Even on the warm-up lap, when you're going slowly and you're behind someone, you start to feel that. So it's something that means we maybe need to add more weight to the front of the bike."
Results of the 2025 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
MotoGP Jerez Debriefing Francesco Bagnaia MotoGP Jerez Debriefing Francesco Bagnaia MotoGP Jerez Debriefing Francesco Bagnaia
