Francesco Bagnaia’s probabilities of extending his Crimson Bull Ring MotoGP win streak relaxation on fixing season-long struggles aboard Ducati’s newest GP25, at one of the crucial demanding braking circuits on the calendar.
The previous double world champion exploited his earlier hard-braking prowess to win the final 5 races on the Austrian monitor since 2022 – three Grands Prix and two Sprints.
However Bagnaia’s braking power has been flipped right into a weak point this season, leaving him third within the standings, whereas new manufacturing unit Ducati team-mate Marc Marquez dominates the title chase.
“I at all times put all my effort into braking – all my efficiency was arriving from there – and proper now it’s one of many slowest issues I’ve,” Bagnaia stated at Brno, the place Marquez received once more.
Bagnaia and Ducati braking might be examined at Crimson Bull Ring
Austria’s excessive stop-go format ought to supply a transparent indication of whether or not Bagnaia and Ducati have discovered any tangible braking options in the course of the summer time break.
Crimson Bull Ring is one in every of three tracks (alongside Buriram and Motegi) the place it’s obligatory to make use of the biggest 355mm brake discs for security causes – the dimensions Bagnaia stated helped counter a few of his nook entry points at Aragon.
Whereas he reverted to the usual 340mm discs at subsequent, less-braking-intensive tracks, the Italian steered adjustments to the grasp cylinder had mimicked the 355mm impact.
The end result was “higher” however removed from a repair.
“We simply modified the pump on the lever, and it’s doing what the 355s have been doing,” he stated.
“I may handle [the front locking] higher, but it surely’s very powerful.
“I’ve a number of motion, a number of locking and it’s tough to brake as I would like.
“Final 12 months I used to be at all times braking super-hard and making a number of slides and the bike was stopping quite a bit.
“This season I should be very exact – I can not have any slide as a result of the rear is just not serving to to cease.”
How will Marc Marquez brake in Austria?
Marc Marquez
Maybe for that purpose, Marquez appears to have switched his focus away from all-out braking – at the least at some circuits – saying after Mugello that Bagnaia “was braking very onerous and really late, whereas I used to be focusing extra on nook velocity.”
It’ll subsequently be fascinating to see how Marquez approaches this weekend, the place the monitor bias has historically favoured braking and acceleration above all else.
Up to now, Marquez has learn the efficiency steadiness wanted from circuit to circuit higher than anybody, successful 9 out of the twelve GPs – and the final ten races in a row, together with Sprints.
The eight-time world champion accomplished his newest double simply earlier than the summer time break at Brno, when Bagnaia completed fourth and Fabio di Giannantonio, on the opposite GP25, slumped to sixteenth.
“Our bike on this monitor was a bit too tough to journey. I labored quite a bit to reach near him, however [Marc] was making the distinction,” Bagnaia stated within the Czech Republic.
“It’s true that, for the primary time, our bike was not the strongest – however he was. And we have to perceive that.”
With Marc Marquez now 168 factors away from double MotoGP champion Bagnaia, the Italian’s first goal is to attempt to claw again the 48-point deficit to second within the standings Alex Marquez, using final 12 months’s GP24 machine at Gresini.
di Giannantonio is fifth on this planet championship for VR46, having slipped behind the main Aprilia of Marco Bezzecchi.
