The reigning world champion loved an eventful early a part of the 12-lap dash as he battled again from being shuffled right down to fourth.
When KTM’s Brad Binder crashed out of the lead on lap seven, Bagnaia was launched into first place and regarded on the right track to attain a primary dash win because the 2023 Austrian GP weekend.
However at Flip 5 on the ultimate lap, he crashed and registered a 3rd dash DNF of the season.
Bagnaia referred to as the crash “curious” as he entered into Flip 5 slower than he had beforehand, suggesting that he was not overriding at that time.
“It seems like getting into slower [into a corner], with the identical braking [as before] could make you crash,” he stated.
“Usually, in regular circumstances it might’t occur. However right here, the place the grip degree is a catastrophe, it might occur.
“So, we have to analyse it, perceive it, be extra cautious in this type of scenario for tomorrow as a result of the race is longer, hotter, and will probably be vital to complete as a result of it’s already three weeks in a row that we’re actually robust for the dash race however we aren’t ending for issues or crashing.
“So, we misplaced one other nice alternative. I used to be quickest, I used to be main, I used to be cruising until the chequered flag, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient.”
He added: “I used to be 100% centered. I understand how to win, and it was my type of win as a result of I used to be controlling every little thing completely.
“I had extra tyre, I had extra tempo, so I used to be doing every little thing excellent and it’s very curious while you take a look at my information while you see the second of the crash it’s actually unusual to see a crash in that type of scenario.
“Nevertheless it was actually unusual as we speak that each rider that was main crashed, so that is unusual and we have now to know for tomorrow.”
The harm being finished to Bagnaia’s 2024 title defence by Saturday malaise
In a dash race by which championship chief Jorge Martin struggled for tempo – with the Pramac Ducati rider explaining that he overheated his rear tyre – Bagnaia was on the right track to chop down his 38-point deficit within the standings.
As an alternative, Bagnaia has dropped 44 factors adrift within the championship whereas Martin has misplaced only one level to new second-placed standings occupant Marc Marquez.
One thing of a dash specialist within the first half of 2023, profitable 4 occasions and scoring 5 different Saturday podiums, Bagnaia hasn’t fared effectively in 2024. Actually, not since final yr’s Malaysian GP has Bagnaia had a dash podium.
In Qatar he may do not more than fourth and the identical once more in Portugal, after a mistake whereas comfortably main noticed him throw away one other podium.
A troublesome Americas GP spherical noticed him come away with simply two factors from the dash there, whereas a collision within the Spanish GP dash meant he scored nothing.
At Le Mans, a problem together with his second bike (which he was pressured to race with after crashing his primary GP24 in qualifying) pressured him to retire.
Against this, Martin has received three sprints, completed third in two extra and salvaged fourth from a tricky day in Barcelona. Marquez has had 4 dash second-place finishes from six rounds on the 2023-spec Ducati run by Gresini Racing.
