Francesco Bagnaia responds at French Grand Prix after Luigi Dall’Igna said he ‘fell short of expectations’

Francesco Bagnaia is gunning for his first French Grand Prix win this weekend. He’s currently hanging on in the MotoGP title race.

Bagnaia enters the weekend at Le Mans 20 points behind leader Alex Marquez and 19 adrift of Marc. He’s yet to beat the older brother on pure pace this year.

He took his sole victory to date at the Americas GP after the Ant of Cervera went down from the lead. But he could only manage third in Jerez after another fall for his teammate.

The Grand Prix of France does carry some fond memories for Bagnaia, who scored his first Moto3 podium here in 2015. He also stood on the top step in his title-winning intermediate class season.

However, he retired on three of his first four visits as a MotoGP rider. And last year, he slipped to third on the last lap after an epic battle for victory with Jorge Martin.

Francesco Bagnaia admits Ducati boss Luigi Dall’Igna is right to criticise him

After the race in Jerez, Ducati boss Luigi Dall’Igna said in his customary LinkedIn recap that Bagnaia ‘fell short of expectations’. The team had become ‘accustomed’ to him improving on Sundays after underwhelming Sprint performances.

However, he found himself stuck behind surprise package Fabio Quartararo in Jerez. Dall’Igna told him he ‘lacked the sharpness we were all expecting’.

Those comments were inevitably put to Bagnaia as he spoke to Sky Italy before the French GP. He acknowledged that they were justified.

The two-time MotoGP champion again stressed that he was lacking ‘feeling’ with the bike, but sounds no closer to a solution even after the Jerez test.

“Gigi is right, I am the first to expect and demand more,” he said. “I am doing everything I can, and so are the team, to give me what I am looking for.

“It is something that is done together. At the moment, I am lacking a bit of feeling, but sooner or later we will find it. I hope sooner rather than later.”

Alex Marquez’s classy message about Francesco Bagnaia after winning first MotoGP race

Dall’Igna did praise Bagnaia for his ‘spectacular’ first-lap duel with Marquez. He displayed the ‘grit and determination’ the team have been waiting for.

Indeed, it’s even been suggested by some fans that Bagnaia was indirectly responsible for Marquez’s crash because he unsettled the erstwhile championship leader. That’s a sign that he still has plenty of fight.

Race-winner Alex Marquez has urged MotoGP fans not to ‘give up’ on Bagnaia. He believes it could click for the 28-year-old at any moment.

Indeed, the big consolation for the VR46 academy graduate right now is that he’s still in touch in the title race, even though he hasn’t felt entirely comfortable. The foundation is there to mount a challenge if he can make a breakthrough.