Ducati team supervisor Davide Tardozzi instructed Francesco Bagnaia to ‘cease being a gentleman’ in the course of the 2024 MotoGP season, a brand new documentary launched by the Italian producer has revealed.
Regardless of being on the again foot for nearly your entire yr, Bagnaia continued to indicate respect to Pramac rival Jorge Martin within the title run-in, with the 2 by no means buying and selling blows on monitor or participating in a disagreement within the media.
However this conservative strategy angered Ducati chief Tardozzi in the course of the dash race at Buriram, the place Martin ran each riders huge on the exit of Flip 1 after making a speedy launch from third on the grid.
Bagnaia, who had began from pole, in the end completed in third after Martin demoted him within the ultimate laps with a daring however truthful move.
It prompted Tardozzi to subject a strongly-worded message to the two-time premier class champion, encouraging him to be extra aggressive on monitor towards his rivals or threat dropping out the title.
“Pecco, Martin had the center – the center to knock you out,” he stated. “As a result of he was already positioned like this [pointing towards him] on the grid. He had already determined that he was going to trouble you. He did what he needed to do.
“That’s what you’ve acquired to do tomorrow [in the main race]. You possibly can’t at all times be the gentleman. You simply can’t as a result of these guys are kicking your ass.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Crew, Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
“He focused you on the first nook. He had already determined that he was going to run into you. There’s little question about that.
“So that you must cease being such a gentleman as a result of all these guys will tear you aside.”
Following the frustration within the dash, Bagnaia defeated Martin the next day to win the Thai Grand Prix.
This introduced the Pramac rider’s championship lead right down to 17 factors, however a mistake subsequent outing within the half-distance race in Malaysia undid his good work and in the end value him the 2024 title.
The ultimate margin between Bagnaia and Martin was 10 factors.
On this article
Rachit Thukral
MotoGP
Francesco Bagnaia
Ducati Crew
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