Francesco Bagnaia thinks Fabio Quartararo remains a closer rival than any Ducati rider
The 2021 champion Quartararo only missed out on retaining his title at the final round of 2022, wඣhen Bagnaia pipped him to end Ducati’s 15-year winless spell.
The machinery - and numerical superiority - of Ducati has already resulted in success this season, while Yamaha’s Quartararo has endꦉured a horrible start, finishing eig💃hth and seventh in the first two grands prix.
But Bagna𒊎ia said to : “I feel great. Also with the bike.
“I think the main rivals will be Quartararo, Marc ♏Marquez, two or three other Ducatis, like Enea 🌞Bastianini, Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi or Luca Marini.
“The Aprilias are also fast. If I have to say three names I say: Qღuartararo, Marc Marquez and me. And a fourth: Bastianini.”
Quartararo 🍃has been left languishing behin⭕d the sheer quantity of Ducati bikes, plus unexpectedly behind his own teammate Franco Morbidelli.
Ducati have seen🍬 VR46’s Bezzecchi win his first grand prix in Argentina, aft🅷er Bagnaia’s double-victory on the opening weekend.
The number of bikes from the Italian manufacturer could be problemat▨ic for Bagnaia, he explains: “It's something that can help you and it can be bad.
“It happened many times that I pushed to be in front and, the next day, more bikes were in front because of the data.&nb♍sp;
“I also, at times, was in a difficult situation and looked at where other Ducati riders were 🎀fast.
🃏“So there are eight of us and all eight of us work the same way because we share the data🍸 and everyone can see it.
“I think this is the main thing so th🌞at th♊e Ducati are always at the front.
“Also for the fact t🦂hat the Ducati is now the most competitive bike. All the drivers are pushing to improve.
“My goal, my ambition, is always to be in front, to be the first, but, sometimes, it is ver𒀰y difficult because on Saturday I am up, but on Sunday there is more there. It's also something that gives me a lot of motivation.”
Bagnaia and Quartararo will lock horns again at this weekend's 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:MotoGPꦺ Grand Prix of the Americas.
James was a sports jour🅘nalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1﷽.
