The current two-time world champion has won the past two Spanish Grands Prix in Jerez. But this weekend, he hasn’t been performing as well after not scoring in Portugal and struggling to sixth place in America.
One big problem for Bagnaia has been a shaking feeling at the back of his bike that has shown up at times during the first three races. Other Ducati riders have faced the same issue.
At the start of practice on Friday in Jerez, Bagnaia did not perform very strongly. But in the afternoon, he broke his own record from last year and came in first in the session, just 0.100 seconds ahead.
“We decided to try something different this Friday,” said Bagnaia.
“We used this Friday like a test, and it was really helpful. We tested more things than usual, and I’m very pleased.
“We didn’t have any shaking, but usually it shows up on Saturdays during the sprint race.
“So, we are staying cautious. But I felt better while braking, entering the corners; there was less movement. So, I’m very happy.”
When asked what changes they made, he said, “I can’t say. But it was something significant on the bike. I needed something big.
“It was to improve the feeling. When you have a better feeling, you can do things that help you position yourself better when coming out of corners.”
Ducati has been working hard to understand why their riders are experiencing vibrations. Bagnaia believes it might be because of the different design of Michelin’s rear tires in 2024.
“I think it’s because the tire design is different,” he guessed. “It gives more grip, but if you push it too hard, it can start shaking.
“The lap times we are seeing this year are incredible. So maybe they weren’t expecting this level of performance because the grip is much better.
“They might have thought the lap times would be the same but with more support from the tire.
“But, right now, it seems like the lap times are fantastic, but in our situation, my feeling on the bike, with my setup — also Jorge Martin, who is the same — has this vibration.”
