MotoGP: Pecco Bagnaia’s 'Achilles heel' on show during Grand Prix Argentina practice as Marc Marquez clocks fastest time
Updated 15/03/2025 at 08:46 GMT
React to this story
Neil Hodgson analysed the reasons behind Pecco Bagnaia’s subdued FP1 performance at Grand Prix Argentina, with the Italian finishing in an underwhelming 16th spot. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, led the session by 1:38.94 ahead of LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco and his brother, Alex Marquez. The Argentina GP will be live on Sunday, March 16 on TNT Sports and discovery+.
How has Marquez arrival impacted Bagnaia's title chances?
Video credit: TNT Sports
Neil Hodgson identified Pecco Bagnaia’s "Achilles heel" during the Grand Prix Argentina practice sessions.
Marc Marquez clocked the fastest time during the opening practice sessions at Termas de Rio Hondo, ahead of LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco and BK8 Gresini's Alex Marquez.
The Spaniard led the session with a 1:38.94 ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix Argentina - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
However, Marquez’s Ducati team-mate Bagnaia had a more subdued start to the weekend, finishing in an underwhelming 16th spot. Indeed, the Italian was 1.351s off the pace of Marquez at the chequered flag.
"It looks like a typical Pecco FP1," Hodgson said on TNT Sports. "He doesn’t look comfortable on the bike, making mistakes. It looks like he’s overriding.
"And I know why he is, because his Achilles heel, his weakness really, has always been, even when he’s won titles, he’s a slow burner.
"He takes a while to build into the weekend. The problem is that the guy who is sat opposite him always does the exact opposite and goes straight to the limit.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/03/14/4109360-83324848-2560-1440.png)
'Confident' Marquez starts from P1 in opening practice att Argentina GP
Video credit: TNT Sports
"What does that gain you? What it gains you is the vital information straight away by lap three, lap four, everything you’re doing out there on the track, the data you’re gathering is so important to improving your motorcycling and improving your feeling.
"That information, all your engineers can work with that, even more so now than ever. There are that many engineers involved in that factory Ducati team.
"Every lap he’s doing now is irrelevant, because he’s so far off the pace. Whereas Marc Marquez, every lap he’s doing is relevant now.
- MotoGP calendar 2025: Which races are on TNT Sports? How to watch MotoGP on TNT Sports?
- Dominant Marquez claims Sprint victory in Thailand on Ducati debut
"Already after a session like this, Mark’s done nine laps, he’d have got five laps worth of relative quality data. This man’s got zero."
Hodgson added that Bagnaia’s practice performances had potentially suffered from Jorge Martin’s injury absence.
"Do you think it could be affecting Bagnaia that Martin’s not riding a Ducati anymore?" asked Hodgson. "If you think, Martin would always accuse Bagnaia of copying his homework, copying his setting, which they’re allowed to do.
"Obviously you’d think, ‘surely he’ll just copy Marc’s’. But Marc rides in such a peculiar way that you can’t copy it."
Watch and stream the 2025 MotoGP season live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement