Pecco Bagnaia disputes theory about GP24 vs GP23: “It’s a bit strange”

Reigning MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia says the step the GP24 has made over the GP23 this year is “strange” given a lack of development on the 2024 bike.

In recent years, Ducati’s year-old machines have proven to be capable of winning races regularly, with both Marco Bezzecchi in 2023 and Enea Bastianini in 2022 also fighting for the world title against the factory bikes.

But after 10 rounds in 2024, a year-old Ducati is yet to win a race, while the leading GP23 in the championship is Marc Marquez in fourth - 62 points off standings leader Jorge Martin.

After a British GP in which he said he was losing four or five seconds per race to the GP24s, Marquez admitted at certain tracks there was a clear difference between the 2023 and 2024 Ducatis.

However, speaking ahead of the Austrian GP, Bagnaia has kicked back at these suggestions, noting that the GP23 has received more development this year than the GP24.

“About everything I'm going to say, they won't listen to me, because everyone has their own idea and I don't care about anything,” Bagnaia said to DAZN.

“I have tested both bikes, and there is nothing like the GP22. It was the most balanced bike of all.

“It's a bit strange that, until Le Mans, the GP23 was always fighting for the victory, and from then until now we have always been far ahead, and without any improvement.

“We haven't had any evolution since the tests. And yet the GP23 has had two or three evolutions since the beginning of the year.

“But in the end, they are very similar. I know nobody will listen to me, but this is the reality.”

Recently, Ducati general manager Gigi Dall’Igna has said that the Italian marque will continue to do what it can to develop the GP23.