Overview
- Starting 14th after a three-place grid penalty, he dropped to 18th, recovered to 12th, then lost the front at Siberia on lap 24 for his third DNF in four races.
- He said he "accepted" the possibility of crashing because he refused to finish last again after trailing the Sprint winner by more than 30 seconds.
- An extreme warm-up setup proved "a disaster," prompting a switch to a more stable but heavier configuration that let him push at a stronger pace in the race.
- The downturn has cost him third in the championship to Marco Bezzecchi, with Fabio Di Giannantonio taking second in Australia on a GP25.
- Ducati is continuing its technical review and support, and test rider Michele Pirro will line up again at Sepang as Bagnaia works to recover pace.