MotoGP, Pirro: "We try to help Bagnaia in every way possible, but

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While the MotoGP riders are enjoying their well-deserved vacation, Michele Pirro is back in action to tackle a test riding the DesmosediciGP, just after putting a nightmarish Racing Night in the CIV Italian Superbike Championship in the archives. Before the Ducati test rider left for Montmeló, however, we caught up with him to take stock of the situation in the official Ducati team box. Where on the one hand Marc Marquez has proven he can win in any condition and situation, and on the other Francesco Bagnaia is becoming an increasingly difficult puzzle to decipher.

"In the end, motorsport is like that: there are some years that are a bit more complicated. Marquez we have seen that he has always been an incredibly talented rider, with a way of adapting to all conditions and all bikes. I think that has destabilized the whole system a little bit, and Bagnaia, who has shown over the years that he maybe needs a few races to get the feeling, has struggled more. Clearly, when you have Marquez as your teammate, who doesn't point out certain issues, it's hard to know what's to blame. We have tried and are trying to figure it out, but there is no one element that justifies Pecco not being able to perform as he did in the past," Pirro admitted. "It's a matter of feeling and the sensations depend on so many factors. But I have confidence that in the second half of the season he can build for the future. We will give him a hand to be able to put him in the conditions to be able to finish well this season and especially to prepare for next year, since next year the package will remain this one, albeit with evolutions. We also have to work on the bike for 2027, so if we can put him in the condition to find the feeling by the end of the year, next year he would definitely start off on the right foot."

In what ways are you trying to help Pecco?

"In all kinds of ways, such as by trying some solutions again. But we don't have a magic wand: there are no materials, or parts that we create that work right away. Also because we don't have the time to try them out: you have to do it in the race, and we know how difficult that is. It's a team effort, group tuning, and as we got out of this kind of situation a few years ago, we will try to do it again this year. Fortunately, the other side of the box is working. If we had a satellite team in front of us for the second year in a row it would have been good for the fact that it would have confirmed that the bike goes, but on the other hand it would not have been exactly the best for someone who wears red like me. However, I am convinced that we have the strongest team, a 'dream team,' and we should be happy about that. I am happy that Marquez is back to prove his worth, although on the other hand I feel sorry for Pecco, because he is the rider who brought the World Championship back to Ducati, we have been working together for so many years, I have seen him grow, and to see him so struggling gives me a bit of a problem. We are trying in every way to help him, but sometimes it's not enough."

Although the GP25 is very similar to its predecessor, Di Giannantonio is also struggling to find continuity with this bike. How do you explain this?

"There are many factors. Di Giannantonio fought for the podium in the previous races and in the last one he was struggling to be in the top 10, but the bike is still the same - it hasn't changed in two weeks. Racing has become complicated, especially at a high level, and it only takes 3 or 4 tenths to go from being a protagonist to not being one. But that doesn't mean it's the fault of the quality of the bike or the work. You simply sometimes can't fit everything into the time available. In my opinion, with the new format introduced in recent years, knowing how to adapt to track conditions makes all the difference, and Marquez is a master at that."

In light of the pile-up in Race 1 in World Superbike there is some concern ahead of the MotoGP debut at Balaton Park in late August. Could it be a dangerous track with the wings and aerodynamics there in the premier class?

"It's definitely a twisty and complicated track, so a little more care will have to be taken. In Race 2 and Superpole Race the riders took a little less risk and everything went well, so I expect there will be some rationality. Especially in the first corners, because the track is very narrow and it's very tricky when you get a lot of people on it. However, you have to use your head and know that you can't finish the race on the first lap, or in the first two corners."