MotoGP | Bagnaia: “I want to apologize to Alex Marquez, I used harsh words”

Four days have passed since the much-discussed incident at Motorland Aragon with Alex Marquez and, with a cool head, Pecco Bagnaia has decided to look ahead. As soon as he arrived in Misano, which this weekend hosts his second home race on a track he particularly loves, the Ducati rider spoke to DAZN and apologized to the Gresini Racing rider.

Last Sunday’s race ended in the worst possible way for the reigning world champion, who ended up on the ground after an incident with the Spaniard while they were battling for the third step of the podium. With six laps to go, Marquez went long at turn 12 and Bagnaia took advantage of this to try to pass him on the outside at turn 13. At the intersection of trajectories, there was a contact that inevitably ended up sending both of them to the ground, with the Piedmontese also risking injury, remaining under the rival’s blue GP23.

In the heat of the moment, Pecco was very harsh, because he had essentially accused Alex of having done it on purpose: “Before making the change I was already a bit ahead, so he certainly saw me. I didn’t go to close much because my speed was enough to close on the way. But once we got inside, I already felt a twist of the throttle, he looked for contact. Looking at the data, he didn’t close the throttle again until we fell. He was there to push me out, 40 to 60% throttle is something unacceptable, it’s dangerous for certain riders to do certain things”.

Alex’s version is different, according to which the only one who could have avoided the accident was Bagnaia: “He can get angry with me, I can get angry with him, but this will not change the result. But if there was someone who could have avoided the contact, it was Pecco. He knew I was there, I didn’t know he was on the outside. If he had that much pace and was that much fast, he could have passed me at any other time. The only thing I said in Race Direction was that if he had left me a meter and not entered the inside, it would have been enough. He knows that I am there and I enter or at least try to make the turn. He can have his opinion and I can have mine”.

After these initial heated reactions, as reported by Motorsport.com, there was a clarification between the two at the Ducati truck, prompted by the general manager of the racing department, Gigi Dall’Igna, who wanted to turn the page immediately. A message that seems to have been received loud and clear by Bagnaia, given the first statements he made upon his arrival on the track today.

“I want to apologize to Alex Marquez, because when I made those statements I was very angry and sad about what happened. I used harsh words; I didn’t mean to say that he kicked me out on purpose. I just wanted to say that his defense was very tough, as is normal when you’re fighting for third place. I don’t change my mind about what happened, and that it could have been avoided by cutting the gas. But I wanted to apologize for the words. Let’s turn the page: we’re on my home track,” Bagnaia told DAZN.

The Ducati rider took the opportunity to also give an update on his physical condition in view of a weekend that promises to be crucial, given that he arrives here with 23 points to recover on the new leader Jorge Martin: “I don’t feel well at all, I have some pain on the left side of my body, but I still have two days to recover until the race”.