Francesco Bagnaia entered the new MotoGP era with a victory at the Qatar GP, where Marc Márquez left a good impression. The Gresini rider, competing for the first time on the Ducati Desmosedici GP23, finished fourth not far from the podium.
Many expect the Spaniard to return to title contention this year. However, Marco Melandri has a different opinion. When asked by the InSella.it website if he sees #93 as a championship contender, the former rider replied:
– I can’t see a rival for Francesco Bagnaia. Last year he was the strongest of all at the beginning of the season. After Barcelona, he had some difficulties. Now he is back in top form and, above all, the Ducati GP24 has improved again by a lot. With the GP23, everyone has some difficulties.
Face à ces déclarations, Bagnaia n’a-t-il que des choses à perdre en 2024? Melandri a déclaré: ‘Il est un peu tôt pour le dire, mais il est le plus fort le dimanche. Je ne comprends pas pourquoi les samedis sont si difficiles. En Sprint, il rencontre toujours quelques difficultés, même avec les pneus, mais pas le dimanche. Au Qatar, il attaquait dans le premier virage‘.
