Bagnaia on Martin, Marquez fight for Ducati seat: “I’m jealous I don’t have options”

While Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez are fighting hard to be his team-mate next season, Francesco Bagnaia is sitting pretty with a multi-year MotoGP deal with Ducati in his pocket.

Martin appears closest to replacing Enea Bastianini, but when asked about whether his future being secure can help him in the title fight, Bagnaia responded: “I’m a bit jealous that I don’t have any options [laughs]. It’s good, I’m in love with my future.

“I chose Ducati years ago and they chose me. Our love story is going well and I feel super great with everything. I don’t have anything more to ask.

“The bike is the best one. I love my team. We are doing an incredible job together and the progression is great.

“I’m very happy and it gives me more stability. I don’t have to think about anything else, just the objective.”

Bagnaia looking to turn around sprint race fortune - “the potential is there” 

Sprint races have been a disaster in 2024 for two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia, and although the gap to championship leader Martin is 39 points, his performances in grand prix’s are what has led the factory Ducati rider to remain a contender.

Bagnaia is yet to finish on the podium in a sprint race this season, something that looked like changing in Barcelona last weekend before he crashed from a comfortable lead on the final lap.

But in grand prix situations Bagnaia has turned his sprint nightmares into Sunday success, winning half the races so far this season. 

Speaking about turning his luck around on Saturday's, Bagnaia believes it’s a matter of time: “Honestly, it is not the fact that I’m slow or that I’m struggling. 

“If you look at the last three sprint races; in Jerez I was strong enough to fight for the win but I had contact with Brad [Binder], then in Le Mans I had an electronics problem with the bike and had to stop.

“The last one I was leading with seven tenths of gap and was controlling everything perfectly.

“It can happen to crash but the potential is there. We are always strong enough to fight for the win in the sprint.

“I just need to have a bit more luck to finish one. The potential is there.”