Francesco Bagnaia has stated he can already discover a “big” distinction between Ducati’s new MotoGP prototype and the outgoing GP24 bike with which he took 11 grand prix wins this yr.
The 2-time MotoGP champion obtained his first alternative to pattern an early model of the GP25 that he will probably be racing in 2025 when he took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Tuesday for the official post-season operating.
Finishing a complete of 56 laps over the course of the one-day check, cut up between the GP25, the GP24 and a hybrid model of the 2 bikes, Bagnaia ended up a robust third on the timesheets with a lap that was 0.595s down on pacesetter Alex Marquez of the Gresini staff.
Whereas the GP25 bike he examined in Barcelona remains to be in growth, Bagnaia was already impressed with the potential of the bike and the work Ducati has put in to keep up its hegemony in MotoGP.
“We’ve got to say that we examined many issues right this moment and the GP25 [we have] is an efficient base to start out creating and enhancing [upon],” he stated.
“Our engineers and the staff will work rather a lot this winter as a result of we have to enhance the bottom we examined. Fortunately me and Marc [Marquez] had the identical feeling in regards to the bike and this is essential to go in the identical path on the event. That is nice.
“Already the distinction between ’24 and ’25 is sort of big and I believe we is not going to have an enormous step for Malaysia [test in February] as a result of the step [forward] was already right here, however we have to prepare it a bit [in terms of getting everything right].
“Additionally, we have to adapt the set-up of the brand new bike a bit.”
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Staff
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photographs
Bagnaia admitted that there have been nonetheless some areas the place the GP25 is the truth is weaker than Ducati’s 2024 contender, however he places it all the way down to the truth that the GP24 was fairly refined by the tip of the season after a full yr of operating.
“By way of dealing with, the GP24 remains to be higher on the braking,” he defined. “I improved rather a lot this yr with the ’24 [bike] when it comes to braking. We should search to go in the identical path [with the GP25].
“However the ’25 has an excellent stability when it comes to quick corners and I prefer it, and in addition with used tyres. That is good. And the engine could be very sturdy and quick.
“Usually we begin at this [early] level with the brand new bike, we additionally want some work to do. However the beginning base is sort of good and I am pleased about it.”
It is vital for Ducati to start out the 2025 season with a robust bike attributable to a mixture of the brand new engine freeze guidelines and the concession system.
The engine Ducati will homologate in the beginning of subsequent yr should stay in the identical specification till the present guidelines cycle ends after 2026.