Following his unexpected accident in Catalunya, the course of world champion Francesco Bagnaia’s MotoGP season took a crucial turn.
Despite miraculously avoiding fractures when his legs were run over in a highside incident in front of the field, the reigning champion faced difficulty walking upon arriving at his home Misano round just five days later.
Nevertheless, the Italian displayed remarkable determination and managed to secure two podium finishes, a feat that would play a vital role in his title battle against Jorge Martin. Martin won both Misano races and briefly took the lead in the standings during the subsequent races in Indonesia.
“was (Catalan GP) a complicated moment,”
“I woke up the next day and was really destroyed, I couldn’t do anything, but we started rehab straight away and did the maximum to be ready for Misano, just five days later.
“We managed to get onto the front row of the grid and the podium in both races – and therefore only lost 14 points instead of 37, which made the difference in the end.
“I think this race was crucial.”
Securing his second consecutive title, Bagnaia maintained a 39-point lead, though his advantage over Martin was just 14 points heading into the final Sunday showdown at Valencia. During the finale, the Pramac rider, unfortunately, fell after a collision with Marc Marquez.
Reflecting on his season, Bagnaia confessed that the Catalunya accident had a lingering impact on him mentally, leading him to exercise greater caution before immediately pushing himself to the absolute limits.
“On a mental level, however, I was no longer able to perform at 100 per cent (after Catalan GP), especially in the early stages of the races or in qualifying.
“It was a bit complicated to get back to the level that we only found again in the last few races.”
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