Let’s talk about MotoGP: This Pecco Bagnaia quality that we don’t talk about enough

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For the third time this season, Pecco Bagnaia ended up on the ground during the Grand Prix. It’s starting to weigh heavily on the scales, that’s for sure, but the Italian still leads the world championship standings. The Sprints played an important role in his position in the overall standings, but this year saw his quality that he had not shown last year. Analysis.

I) Serene

In fact, we mentioned him briefly after his exploits in Jerez but it was still seen at Le Mans. During the winter season, Pecco Bagnaia continued, when we thought it would be at its peak capacity at the end of 2022. This season, he shows Olympic calmness, crazy calmness. In Jerez, he was not carried at all after receiving a penalty which can be described as illegitimate considering what happened at Le Mans, i.e. there is no penalty for such actions.

But at the Bugatti circuit, a new display of stability. Already in qualifying. Pecco Bagnaia it is already one of the best in the exercise, in the entire history of motorcycle Grands Prix, in fact. Because of his record (13, tied with Loris Capirossi And Sete-Gibernau), but also, by the way. No matter how many hours are left on the clock, he represents danger. At Le Mans, we saw him achieve one of the most recent poles in modern history but every lap of it was timed with terrible precision.

During Sprints, he is also the best because he doesn’t risk his life every start. This allows him, after five contested races, to benefit from the best record of this exercise (44 points, against 38 to Binder and 36 for Jorge Martin). In Argentina or Le Mans, he was able to release the ball in a more intelligent way.

Furthermore, after being overturned by Marc Márquez during the Sprint, we saw him plead the cause of the Spaniard in the post-race interview, insisting that this kind of maneuver should not be punished. This statement is not rare because he had experienced it racing direction pain two weeks early for the same run. This shows a great maturity which is important to emphasize.

Yes, it often falls on a Sunday. But remember that before each of his falls, it is impossible to predict that he will end up on the ground. In Austin as in Argentina, he bites the dust in the attacking phases but does not become a disaster. It is for this reason that we believe that as the season progresses, Pecco will slow down a bit. His style is, surprisingly, less attack-oriented than in 2022 but he is still faster, more fluid, in osmosis with his machine..

And then, let’s add that his racing science has however been rewarded twice in Portugal and Jerez. This allowed him to pocket 50 points during the Grands Prix, which, despite three empty results (!) remains more than Brad Binder (43), Jorge Martin (44), Or Luca Marini (38) On the entire grid, by itself Marco Bezzecchi (76) and Johann Zarco (58) to do better. It should be forgotten that MotoGP modern is more unpredictable, and that the average points needed to become a world champion is much lower than before.

II) Not in the sense of history

This article may be called: “Why is Pecco Bagnaia stronger than you think? ». Because for unknown reasons, it still seems to be underappreciated by most of the observers. Of course, this is because of the quality that we wanted to highlight in this article.

Pecco Bagnaia is smart by nature, which works in its favor on the handles as we explained above. Very sporty and fun, it contrasts with the current spirit of MotoGP which wants to be more bloody than ever despite the lack of competition – which we regret.

Brad Binder, Marc Marquez, Jack Miller Or Marco Bezzecchi it is very popular because according to many people, it “makes the show”. In reality, we struggle to understand this argument which serves pure Bagnaia in excess and never in an excess of meaningless sacrifice. The show should not be limited to falling and touching, not more than the rise of the peloton. However it is the truth; the games of the modern era focus their communication in a short and intense time, to connect to the main channels of distribution which are social networks. The introduction of Sprints goes in this direction.

Pecco Bagnaia is not as explosive as the times require. The main characters make the game. It’s clear that the Italian is not like his mentor, that’s the way it is, we’ll have to get used to it. Our theory is what tries to explain the difference between its level and its appreciation by the public.

And what do you think? Is this rare stability a strength, or will it play against him in a battle environment with Enea Bastianini for example? Tell us in the comments!

Photo: Michelin Motorsport

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport