Francesco Bagnaia believes advice from Dani Pedrosa helped him turn around a difficult MotoGP weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix, where the Ducati rider finally found some progress after a frustrating spell since the summer break.
The two-time world champion had entered the Red Bull Ring without scoring a point since the mid-season break and had failed to progress directly to Q2 at four consecutive Grands Prix. His difficult run had raised concerns that he was again struggling to find the right feeling with his Ducati, similar to the problems he experienced through much of 2025.
Austria did not begin particularly well either, with Bagnaia missing out on the top 10 in Friday practice and being forced to go through Q1 once again. However, he made it through the session on Saturday and qualified seventh before finishing sixth in the Sprint.
Bagnaia said comments made by former MotoGP rider and KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa during a DAZN broadcast had influenced his approach.
Pedrosa had suggested that Bagnaia should focus on completing more laps and understanding the bike rather than becoming too concerned with the results. Bagnaia decided to follow that advice at the Red Bull Ring.
Source: GP Nesia
"I used what Dani Pedrosa said on DAZN last week," Bagnaia explained. "Maybe I needed to do more laps, understand the bike better to be able to control the results. And it was a good suggestion."
That approach was also reflected in his tyre choice for the Sprint. While most of the leading riders opted for the softer rear tyre, Bagnaia used the medium compound as a way of gathering information ahead of Sunday's longer race.
The decision meant he sacrificed some potential early-race performance, but Bagnaia felt the additional laps on the medium tyre would help Ducati better understand the bike and prepare for the Grand Prix.
A set-up change made on Saturday morning also improved his feeling. Bagnaia said he was able to brake harder, use the rear of the Ducati more effectively through corners and find better grip, even though parts of the circuit were still damp.
Ducati's exact change remained undisclosed, with Bagnaia only revealing that the team had tried a similar solution previously in a different way.
The improvement was not completely carried into Sunday's Grand Prix. Bagnaia said the bike felt worse than it had during the Sprint, with braking problems affecting the Ducati riders. Even so, he finished seventh, with only teammate Marc Marquez ahead of him among the Ducati riders.
The result gave Bagnaia his first points since the summer break and offered a small step forward during a difficult period.
His next opportunity comes at Motegi for the Japanese Grand Prix, a circuit where Bagnaia rediscovered winning form last season. After a challenging few months, the Italian will hope the progress made in Austria can provide a foundation for a stronger finish to the 2026 season.
