Ducati seemed more vulnerable than expected in the tabloid-style race at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. Despite Gino Borsoi admitting that the rear chattering issues were not resolved, Ducati’s rivals failed to exploit this weakness. Ducati finished with an impressive 1-3-4-5-6-7, with Pecco Bagnaia securing a comfortable victory.
Expected challenges failed for two reasons. Aleix Espargaro, riding for Aprilia, expected to have the late-race pace to dominate the competition. However, his poor start hampered his chances of victory. Aprilia struggles to match the launch capabilities of Ducati and KTM. In the Grand Prix, Espargaro dropped from fifth to tenth place due to issues with the rear tire.
Espargaro expressed frustration with his performance, noting that the rear tire lacked traction from the warm-up lap. He described the race as a nightmare, with slow lap times and little acceleration. He hinted that there may have been an issue with the Michelin tires, but did not explicitly blame them.
KTM rider Brad Binder, who finished in second place, did not have the late-race advantage that Espargaro was expected to have. His rear tire was very worn out towards the end of the race, forcing him to pace himself throughout the race. Despite this, Binder acknowledged Bagnaia’s strong performance and consistency.
Bagnaia’s victory was attributed to his early race strategy. He overtook Binder and Martin in the first lap and maintained a comfortable lead throughout the race. He made adjustments to the setup and drove more smoothly to preserve the tire’s lifespan. Bagnaia’s lap times remained consistent, with little variation from lap to lap.
Although Ducati was not invincible in Qatar, Bagnaia’s exceptional performance secured the victory.
