MotoGP: Bagnaia reveals where he is struggling currently compared to Marquez

On the back of a heartbreaking result at his home race in Mugello, two-time MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia has revealed where he is losing compared to his new team-mate Marc Marquez.

Having secured the first two places on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix, the factory Ducati MotoGP team starred in the nail-biting Mugello round on Sunday.

After a hectic early part of the race, with many position changes involving Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Márquez, Marc Márquez took the lead on Lap 9 and managed the race masterfully to the chequered flag. Bagnaia showed excellent form early on, but a near-crash at the end of Lap 5 cost him the lead. In the closing stages, Italian was overtaken by fellow Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio for third place.

At the end of the ninth Grand Prix of the season, Marc Márquez increases his tally to 270 points, with a 40-point lead over Alex Márquez. Francesco Bagnaia sits third, 110 points behind his teammate.

The Ducati Lenovo Team remains at the top of the teams’ standings (430 points), while Ducati continues to lead the manufacturers’ standings (319 points).

Reflecting on the disappointing end to his home race, Bagnaia said: “Today, in front of this incredible crowd, I gave it everything. When I tried to set the pace at the front, I nearly crashed at the final corner.

"Unfortunately, when the front-end grip drops, I don’t have enough support and I struggle more. I need to stay a few tenths behind the rider in front, then quickly close the gap and try a pass — otherwise I risk losing the front.

"I have to accept that this is the situation for now and keep working with the team to find a solution, while always giving it my all.”

Analysing Sunday's Mugello race, Ducati Corse's General Manager Luigi Dall’Igna has revealed that the opening stages of the Italian Grand Prix "tested [his] emotions."

“We’re extremely happy to witness an all-Ducati top four here at Mugello. It was a spectacular race, especially during the first five or six laps — a thrilling start that really tested my emotions.

"Congratulations to Marc for this fantastic win, which is dedicated to all Ducatisti. It was also great to see Pecco leading early on. From our side, we’ll continue to give him our full support so he can take that final step he’s still missing.”