For Pecco Bagnaia it would have been impossible to ask for more at the weekend of the Italian Grand Prix. The Ducati rider was the ace winner of a Mugello that returned to welcome the general public, without leaving even the crumbs to his opponents. His roadmap speaks of pole position, victory on Saturday and Sunday, seasoned by the track record and the fastest lap.
The best way to react to the zero in Le Mans and the injury to the ankle bone sustained in France, but also to give a leap in the standings, given that now the margin points against Marco Bezzecchi’s other Ducati have become 21. Pecco’s first thought, however, was directed above all to the fans who had arrived in the Tuscan hills, who gave him an unforgettable weekend in terms of affection and warmth.
“I’m happy, it’s been the best weekend so far. I took pole, I won the Sprint and I won the Grand Prix: the best way to have a weekend in Italy. I want to say thanks to the fans, because today was amazing to watch on the grandstands and on the lawns, it looked like the Mugello it used to be. I really enjoyed the weekend and the work we did to get to this performance. Today’s race was really tough, but I’m really happy to have finished it like this.” said Bagnaia.
There were so many expressions of affection, and in particular his fan club organized a surprise for him today, letting him find a barbecue and a hot dog to eat on the side of the track, since he always loves to eat one after a victory.
“My fan club was fantastic, I love them from the Madonna. They gave me a nice surprise, because honestly I was also hungry, so when I saw the hot dog I was happy. Sometimes it can happen that you get criticized on social media , but then when you see something like today it’s the most important thing, because we’re riders but also people, and it was very exciting.”
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The key moment of the race, according to the reigning world champion, was the first lap, when he managed to resist Jack Miller’s attack to get in front and start dictating the pace.
“When I saw Jack overtaking me at the start, I told myself that I should have got in front to push, because I knew that several riders had started with the soft tire at the rear and therefore the final part of the race would have been complicated for them if I had pushed right away. I’m happy with this choice, but I think it was the best option for me.”
Not surprisingly, he ranked this first lap among the best of his career: “I would say yes, but also the one in the 2021 Misano race, when on the first lap I gave eight tenths of a second to the second. They are two of the best first laps I’ve ever Done”.
When asked if he needed to restart like this after the disappointment in France, he replied: “I really didn’t think about it, I didn’t need a restart after Le Mans. If the potential is what we know, there isn’t any.” a restart is needed. Slipping happens, being thrown on the ground too. We have to move forward and we mustn’t feel sorry for ourselves”.
Also because he never gave up on the idea of winning at Mugello, not even when he found out he was injured: “I knew I had three weeks to recover, so I was also a little lucky from that point of view. I knew the strength that we would have worked with my trainer to get back in the best possible condition and we did it. I was certainly very motivated to be able to be competitive”.
Today was also a sort of milestone in his Ducati adventure, because he caught up with Andrea Dovizioso at 14 wins with the Ducati, pairing him in second place, behind only Casey Stoner: “Let’s just say that he had to sweat more, because he had to create what is now Ducati. He had a lot to do, but if I’ve come to this today it’s also thanks to him, who did a great job.”
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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