Bagnaia's Austrian GP Points Finish Follows Pedrosa Advice

Francesco Bagnaia scored his first points since the mid-season break at the Austrian GP. The two-time MotoGP world champion finished sixth in the sprint race and seventh in the grand prix at the Spielberg circuit, ending a run of four consecutive weekends where he had failed to qualify directly for Q2.

After missing the top ten on Friday, Bagnaia's team tried a different set-up on Saturday morning. The change worked. Bagnaia cleared Q1 and qualified seventh. He described the adjustment as something the team had done before, but applied in a new way. The 29-year-old felt better from the first laps despite wet patches on track. He was able to stop the bike more effectively and use the rear to turn, finding improved grip.

Pedrosa's broadcast tip guides tyre strategy

Bagnaia credited a television comment from former rider Dani Pedrosa for part of his turnaround. Pedrosa, a MotoGP race winner and current KTM test rider, made the remark on DAZN before the Austrian GP weekend. Bagnaia used the advice to focus on completing more laps to understand his Ducati better. This influenced a key strategic choice. For the sprint race, Bagnaia opted for the medium tyre instead of the soft to gather data for Sunday's longer event. "We decided to go with the medium because tomorrow the race will be very long and I needed to understand things more," Bagnaia said.

Progress tested by brake issues and teammate pace

The positive feeling from Saturday did not fully carry into Sunday. Bagnaia reported that things felt worse during the grand prix due to difficulties with the Ducati's brakes. His factory teammate, Marc Marquez, was the only rider to finish ahead of him in the main race, crossing the line in sixth place. The results, however, marked a clear step forward from his recent form.

Motegi presents next opportunity for revival

The next challenge for Francesco Bagnaia is the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. It is a circuit where he previously rediscovered winning form a year ago, only for that momentum to fade shortly after. He now heads there looking to build on the progress made in Austria and solidify his title defence as the season moves into its Asian leg.