Bagnaia 50-50 on new Ducati MotoGP engine amid inferior braking

Francesco Bagnaia says he’s solely 50% positive about Ducati’s 2025 MotoGP engine as a result of unfavourable influence it has had on braking efficiency.

Two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia has been trialling a brand new motor developed by Ducati throughout this week’s Sepang check, however his preliminary response to this point has been combined.

On one hand, the Italian has been totally impressed by the elevated energy and the smoother energy supply, which has resulted in enhancing the acceleration and the highest pace of the Desmosedici.

Nonetheless, braking is one space the place the GP25 continues to lag behind its championship-winning predecessor, and this has compromised the bike on nook entry as properly.

Getting the engine proper earlier than the beginning of the season is extraordinarily essential for Ducati, with a brand new two-year growth freeze that means no modifications might be made to the engine as soon as it’s homologated.

“We’re focusing extra on the engine,” stated Bagnaia. “We did a step in entrance right this moment [compared to Wednesday].

“The facility supply could be very easy and we prefer it so much. It is the primary time {that a} new engine is that easy when it comes to acceleration and that is nice.

“However even when now we have closed a little bit of hole, when it comes to braking it’s nonetheless a bit removed from the GP24. For tomorrow now we have to shut that hole and attempt to perceive which approach we’re doing it.

“This check is essential as a result of what we are saying from the check will final two years and that call is essential.”

Braking was at all times a really sturdy level of the GP24, permitting riders to cease later and enter the corners properly. It is for that cause that Bagnaia has doubts over whether or not Ducati will ever be capable of replicate the identical efficiency in 2025.

Requested to elucidate how positive he was concerning the 2025 engine alternative, Bagnaia added: “For the time being, 50-50.

“The factor is the GP24 is a unbelievable base and all of us really feel that it nonetheless has some margin. The GP25 is already very quick, and good on straights and acceleration.

“You’ll be able to [reach] prime pace solely when the bike is exiting properly from the corners and that is the case, as a result of [the acceleration] could be very easy and you may handle the acceleration so much with the throttle.

“However in braking the GP24 was out of this world as a result of we had been doing one thing unimaginable on braking and that is one thing that’s troublesome to succeed in for the time being with the ’25, even when we shut the hole [to the ’24 in the coming days].”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Staff

Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos

Bagnaia clarified that he’s gaining time on Sepang’s lengthy straights attributable to its superior acceleration and prime pace, however the time loss from inferior braking efficiency was far larger.

“All of the [Ducati] bikes are accelerating [well] out of the corners. We now have to say that acceleration is working higher for me than all the remainder and helps to have a little bit of a niche,” he defined.

“However the hole right here in acceleration is just not the identical to the hole you may have on driving, braking and entry. So now we have to stability it a bit.

“On this second what we’re gaining on acceleration is a bit much less in comparison with what we’re dropping on braking.”