[cycleworld.com] - A Portrait of Francesco Bagnaia

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Francesco Bagnaia has accomplished what only Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez have: Winning the MotoGP championship back to back. We find out what makes him tick.

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Francesco Bagnaia is one of only three MotoGP riders to win back-to-back championships. (Ducati/)Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia is the two-time MotoGP champion who lives next door. The Ducati factory rider is the classically good guy you don’t expect. Introverted, he loves the stability of his family, the company of his fiancée Domizia Castagnini, and a close circle of friends. He’s the guy every mom would love as their daughter’s husband. But—and there is always a but—with his helmet on and visor down, the 26-year-old Italian rides over 200 mph. Pecco is a paradox for the best in the class. This is a portrait of the 2023 MotoGP world champion who won with authority and back to back the title in Valencia.

A Victory in Style

“I won the title as I have always dreamt: winning the race,” Bagnaia confessed. Both challengers had the same bike: Ducati’s GP23 that proved to be the best bike on the grid. There was no room for excuses, and the best racer won. With Jorge Martín out on lap 6, betrayed by his own fire to win, Bagnaia pushed till the very last corner to win and shout to the world that he made it. Winning is tough, repeating is even harder. In the history of the modern MotoGP only Valentino Rossi and Marc Márquez won back to back, and Pecco has entered by right into this exclusive elite.

A Tribute to the NBA

As Rossi used to do, Pecco celebrated by paying homage to his beloved sport: He dribbled a basketball and then dunked it in the basket, wearing three big golden NBA-style rings that correspond to his three titles (including his 2018 Moto2 success).


Although he didn’t need to, Bagnaia closed out his championship season with a win. (Ducati/)Number One

“As a rider, we don’t look too much at statistics, but it feels good to write history. This Is the happiest moment of my life,” he stated sitting comfortably on a chair and looking at the race results. Following the tradition of the old-school riders, this winter Bagnaia was brave enough to choose to put the No. 1 on the fairing of his Ducati, contrary to the Doctor who has always kept his iconic 46.

Heir

Bagnaia grew up at Rossi’s Ranch, leaving his hometown Chivasso, near Turin, to learn from the best. As coincidences do not exist, Pecco started to make the difference as a racer the second half of the 2021 season, the last for Rossi. “Winning the Valencia GP in 2021 on the same Sunday when Valentino competed for the last time in the premier class, was an incredible emotion,” Pecco recalled. The nostalgia for the closing of an era together with the feeling that there was a passing of the baton was in the air. On Sunday the traditional fracas, the Spanish fireworks, were red, with the flags at the racetrack turning slowly, slowly from neon yellow to Ducati color.

The Man Versus the Rider

Like the sun and the moon, the Doctor and Bagnaia have two different personalities. “Sportingly, I owe so much to Valentino. I learned a lot, but I never made the mistake of trying to copy him,” Pecco confessed. “What Rossi told me at the start? simply to remain calm.”

Perhaps the secret of his success lies in the skill to remain himself, despite Ducati’s astronomical pressure to get the title back to Borgo Panigale in 2022 and to repeat this year. Shy and introverted, Bagnaia is conquering with his simplicity the hearts of MotoGP fans—the orphans of Rossi looking for a new hero to connect with.


Bagnaia has gained many fans in his time in MotoGP—not because of a flashy style or boisterous attitude, but because he is himself always. (Ducati/)At the garage, Pecco is described as a precise, meticulous, and generous guy. As a rider they say he is very fast, strategic, and technical. As Rossi did, Bagnaia spends a lot of time with his chief mechanic studying the telemetry and the strategies—because in order to push at the limit he needs to have everything under control.

Determination

Under contract with Ducati on the eve of the 2018 season, before even conquering the Moto2 title, Pecco earned Borgo Panigale’s trust. “Because of his determination and ability to give his best with the means at his disposal without complaining or making excuses,” Ducati Corse team manager Paolo Ciabatti said. Being a hard worker and a keen observer has led him to be simply Pecco Bagnaia: the good guy on top of the world.

The Fear to Overcome

The most difficult moment this season was his massive and scary crash in Barcelona.

“Barcelona’s crash marked me a lot,” Bagnaia explained. “It was so scary, especially when Binder’s bike passed over my leg. Pain and fear are in front of my eyes recalling this moment. I was determined enough to jump on the bike in Misano one week later. I gritted my teeth as I couldn’t move my knee, and I succeeded to lose only 14 points instead of 37 versus Martín. In the following races I suffered even more—even though I didn’t show it; in this second part of the season I lost the speed, struggling on Friday and being not so competitive in the sprint. We still don’t know why, but we need to find a solution, and improve for next season. Fortunately, I’m Sunday Racer.”


Bagnaia recognizes that he must become better on Friday and Saturday if he wants to remain a champion. (Ducati/)2024

“Compared to last year, now I am aware that I am more competitive, and I am able to manage the situation, even if I made some mistakes during the season,” Pecco said. “In 2022 I fought versus Quartararo, this year I knew that my main rival would have been on a Ducati. Sharing the data also with Martín and the other riders has some pros and cons, especially when you are so close in the championship.”

He added, “For next year we need to raise the bar. We cannot afford to struggle at the beginning of the race weekend. Despite all, I think we deserved to win. Except on time, we were leading for the whole season.”

Family

Those who know Pecco well undoubtedly point to his secret: the stability that comes from his family. His older sister Carola is his assistant at the garage, skilled to calm him when he is nervous, his parents, and even his grandmother Luciana. His family is his home, despite the fact that he lives in Pesaro, with his future wife Domizia and his dog Turbo. You might not believe it, but at home he is the one at the stove. He prepares a perfect carbonara and he would love to join the TV show MasterChef one day, because he is also a champion in the kitchen.