Francesco Bagnaia defies MotoGP pain in Misano: Every corner feels like a knife stab!

It has been almost two years since Francesco Bagnaia was last able to travel to his home Grand Prix in Misano without injury. Last year, after his violent highsider in Barcelona, ​​he started with severe leg bruises, and this season the reigning MotoGP world champion has had to deal with bruises in his shoulder and neck area. The reason for this is the controversial Aragon collision with Alex Marquez, in which Bagnaia was briefly trapped under his opponent's motorcycle. Once again, he was very lucky to escape without serious injuries – and now started the San Marino Grand Prix just five days later in severe pain.

“The painkillers are fantastic, I feel much better thanks to them,” joked the Italian on Friday evening at the start of his media round when the press asked him about his physical well-being. Bagnaia was visibly in a good mood, but then quickly became serious again. “This morning I was a bit worried because I didn't feel well, I had a lot of pain in my shoulders and ribs,” he said, adding: “I tried to do a good job, but every change of direction in the corners felt like a knife stab.

Francesco Bagnia impressed in Misano: Best time despite injuries

As is well known, there are five of these changes of direction on the short and narrow Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. So it was no surprise that Bagnaia was only in eighth place after the first free practice session on Friday morning, a full 0.462 seconds behind World Championship rival Jorge Martin, who had led the session.

It initially looked like a nail-biter for the MotoGP defending champion, but it quickly turned into a challenge in the afternoon training session. Bagnaia was suddenly right up there with the front runners and even set the fastest lap time of the day in 1:30.685 minutes. Marc Marquez, the closest pursuer, had already lost 0.185 seconds and Martin, in third place, had lost almost three tenths. “We decided not to take painkillers until the afternoon,” Bagnaia explained the sudden improvement in form. “I immediately felt better. I was able to attack on the brakes and push the bike into the corners.”

The Turin native was also helped by the fact that he has already completed thousands of laps in Misano as part of the VR46 Riders Academy and can probably ride the 4.226-kilometer course almost blind. There was no need to get to know the track conditions or do any great setup work, and Bagnaia was able to concentrate solely on riding the motorcycle with limited physical abilities. He had already shown that he can ride with flying colors with his two third places last year. Confirmation came in 2024: “My goal today was the top ten and we came first. The 'time attack' went really well and my race pace was fantastic. So I'm very happy.”

Will the injuries slow Bagnaia down in the sprint and San Marino GP?

In fact, Bagnaia was not only one of the fastest MotoGP riders in Misano on one lap, but also impressed in the long run with consistent lap times in the mid 1:31 range – lap times that only Martin and Marquez could match. Despite his injuries, the Ducati star is undoubtedly one of the top favorites in the sprint and Grand Prix, as his injuries should not be a problem even over longer distances.

“I think that today was the worst day,” said Bagnaia on Friday evening, explaining his confidence: “I now know what I need and can work on it specifically with my physio. We know what to do, so today was the worst day. Tomorrow it will be better and then a little better again on Sunday. Nothing is broken, I just took a hit.

What do you think: Will Pecco Bagnaia manage to find the perfect response to the Aragon disaster despite his pain? Give us your tips for the Sprint and Grand Prix in the comments!