Bagnaia aims for redemption at San Marino GP after Aragon crash

Francesco Bagnaia is determined to bounce back from a disappointing Aragon GP as he heads into the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix this weekend. The Ducati rider, who lost the MotoGP championship lead to Jorge Martin after crashing out in Spain, now trails by 23 points. Bagnaia’s race ended after a collision with Alex Marquez, which sparked tension between the two riders.

Though initially furious, Bagnaia later apologized for accusing Marquez of causing the crash intentionally, explaining his reaction as a result of anger and pain. “I didn’t want to say he made me crash on purpose… his defense was aggressive, but normal when you’re fighting for the podium,” Bagnaia clarified in a pre-race press conference.

Despite lingering injuries from the incident, Bagnaia will compete on home soil, though he admitted, “I’m not at 100 percent… the muscles and ligaments are suffering a bit.” However, with strong home support and eight races remaining, he’s eager to reclaim his position at the top.

Meanwhile, six-time champion Marc Marquez, fresh off a victory at Aragon, is now third in the standings and aiming to close the gap on leader Martin.

(Source: AFP)