Kosport Magazine: It was a wild ride for Francesco Bagnaia in the MotoGP sprint race, as he fought his way back from fourth place to take the lead at the Catalunya circuit. But just when victory seemed within his grasp, disaster struck as he crashed out on the final lap.
Body: Bagnaia had a strong start to the race, battling his way back to the front after initially being shuffled down to fourth place. When Brad Binder, who had been leading the race, crashed out on lap seven, Bagnaia was released into first place and looked to be in control of the race.
Kosport Magazine: But as the Italian rider entered Turn 5 on the final lap, disaster struck. Bagnaia crashed, registering his third sprint DNF of the season. In a post-race interview, he called the crash “curious” and suggested that it may have been a result of entering the corner slower than he had previously.
“The grip level at this track is a disaster,” Bagnaia said. “We need to analyze it and understand it in order to be more careful in similar situations tomorrow. We’ve lost another great opportunity to score important points for the championship.”
Kosport Magazine’s Take: Bagnaia’s championship hopes have taken a hit due to his struggles in the sprint races this season. While he had been a dominant force in sprints in 2023, he has yet to stand on the podium in a sprint race in 2024. In contrast, his championship rival Jorge Martin has had several strong results in sprint races this season, solidifying his lead in the standings. Bagnaia will need to find a solution to his struggles in sprint races if he hopes to defend his title this year.
