Francesco Bagnaia Calls Losing Italian MotoGP Podium a ‘Disaster’ After Dramatic Mugello Battle

Francesco Bagnaia, Ai Ogura, Fabio Diggia 

Ducati star Francesco Bagnaia narrowly secured third place at Mugello after a last-lap fight with Ai Ogura, preserving a crucial home podium

Francesco Bagnaia admitted that missing out on a podium finish at the 2026 Italian MotoGP would have been an emotional disaster for him. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider successfully held on to third place at Mugello after an intense battle with Ai Ogura that lasted until the final corner of the race.

Bagnaia started the race from sixth position but immediately showed aggressive pace and even led the Grand Prix during the early stages. However, declining tyre performance and changing race conditions allowed the Aprilia riders, Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, to move ahead during the second half of the event.

Heading into the closing laps, Bagnaia appeared to have a comfortable gap over the riders behind him. That advantage gradually disappeared as Ogura produced a remarkable late-race charge, consistently reducing the time difference and putting the Italian rider under enormous pressure in front of his home crowd.

Bagnaia revealed that he had anticipated Ogura’s threat before the final lap began. He explained that the Trackhouse Racing rider is known for his strong pace in the closing stages of races, prompting him to prepare a specific strategy for a possible last-corner attack at Mugello.

During the decisive battle for the podium, Ogura briefly managed to move ahead through the long final corner before the finish line. However, Bagnaia chose a different racing line and executed extremely hard braking to regain the advantage on corner exit. The strategy proved successful, allowing him to secure third place by just 0.034 seconds.

The two-time MotoGP World Champion emphasized that losing a home podium after fighting so hard throughout the race would have been a “disaster” from an emotional perspective. For Bagnaia, finishing on the podium at Mugello carried special significance, particularly with Ducati celebrating an important occasion in front of Italian fans.

Bagnaia also explained that his Ducati GP26 had been exceptionally strong on the straights throughout the weekend. That top-speed advantage played a key role in helping him defend against Ogura during the sprint to the finish line. Nevertheless, he admitted that rear tyre grip began to fade significantly, making the final corners increasingly difficult to manage.

In addition to the pressure from Ogura, Bagnaia experienced confusion caused by incorrect information displayed on his bike’s dashboard. He said the instrument panel indicated that two laps remained, even though the chequered flag had already been shown. The situation briefly affected his understanding of the race’s final phase.

The 29-year-old rider stated that he pushed to the maximum from the opening lap while trying to preserve the rear tyre. Despite those efforts, grip issues emerged after the midpoint of the race and began to affect his pace.

When Marco Bezzecchi started closing the gap, Bagnaia realized he needed to adjust his approach. Instead of continuing to attack aggressively, he focused on managing the race carefully to protect his podium position until the finish. That decision ultimately paid off, despite the intense pressure he faced on the final lap.

The third-place finish at Mugello marked Bagnaia’s second consecutive Grand Prix podium after also finishing third in Barcelona. Although he was unable to claim victory on home soil, the result remains important in maintaining momentum as the battle for the 2026 MotoGP World Championship continues to intensify.

Share :