After two Grands Prix without a debrief, we are coming back in force. And to make up for lost time, it’s not one, not two, but three parts – to be published these following days at 20:30 p.m. – which will take stock of the dynamics and issues at mid-season.
This time, we will deal with two points per part in order to be able to return in depth to these axes. Let's go !
I) Bagnaia remains one of the best “performers” on the board.
With everything that happened during this Dutch Grand Prix, start with bagnaia seems strange, as if it is not the topic of the moment. However, he is the winner. This victory, stifled by racing events as crazy as each other, completes a good start to the season for the Italian.
Certainly, it's not the dream start for him, who was the main candidate for the title before the opening round in Qatar. But it nonetheless remains one of the main dangers, for victories in the absence of the title.
Compared to 2021 and its post-Mugello air hole (due to a mistake made under pressure), Bagnaia 2022 never gives up and always manages to bounce back after a failure, whether it is its fault (Le Mans), that of lack of performance (Losail, Mandalika), that of another (Barcelona) or even an inexplicable fact (Sachsenring). This resilience is new and now appears in the arsenal of an already well-armed Bagnaia, which we will recall in July, in a series which will list the strong and weak points of the various agitators of the championship.
At Assen, he achieved a solid pole position by exploiting a unique strategy in qualifying. Bagnaia is always one of the first to leave in Q2, and never stays long in the box to benefit from clear laps, sometimes over three exits. Fourth pole of the season, on varied circuit profiles.
Bagnaia remains an incredible driver, whatever anyone says. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
His race was controlled from start to finish, without taking too many risks, but there is no doubt that Pecco had pace under his feet, especially since the Ducati seemed to be working perfectly, especially on the first 10 laps. And There you go ; just like that, discreetly, Bagnaia realizes one of his best weekends of his career taking pole and victory by leading every lap. We have to tip our hat to this somewhat under-the-radar performance.
II) Quartararo, a fall with serious consequences?
Don't panic, we'll talk aboutAleix Espargaró
tomorrow, in the continuation of this saga. For now, let's focus on Fabio and his poor performance. This
“Black Sunday” is interesting to analyze because many lessons can be learned from it.
First, the fall. Although the main person concerned describes his act “ beginner's mistake ", overtaking in turn no. 5 (Strubben) is relevant: You have to do it quickly enough in the race to avoid falling behind, and continue to control a hot Aleix for as long as possible.
The turn, an extremely tight left, caused the fall of many drivers during the weekend. But Quartararo's ease in curves is verified ; he has this ability to maintain a lot of speed at the apex. Besides, Augusto Fernandez, winner in Moto2 (which we will talk about in the third part) largely stood out in this way and scraped many positions here.
Finally, Espargaró lifts slightly and does not hinder the maneuver. Certainly, excess engagement, delayed braking and positioning at the entry too inside cause an error, in fact. But Fabio is a little hard on himself by adding the words “ beginner ", because if he passes, it's a very intelligent overtake. Indeed, this could bother his opponent enough to break his traction just before the stretch, where the Frenchman does not have the advantage.
But this is not the case. Fall, passage through the pits, then another fall. Is that bad ? No, seasons without white results are extremely rare. At the end of the race, Fabio comes to apologize and does not seem so affected, like the good champion that he is. Since 2021, he has had foolproof confidence and mentality, what he proved at the start of the season and what he will prove again at the start of the school year. His body language is that of adults. It's impossible to imagine a total breakdown in the second half of the season given his attitude.
For this action, Fabio will have to perform a Long Lap at Silverstone, a decision that he and his entourage did not appreciate.
That's all for today ! See you tomorrow at the same time for the rest of this analysis! Do not hesitate to tell us what you think in the comments, all will be read and debated.
El Diablo does not lower his horns. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
