Argentina MotoGP: Bagnaia ‘prepared for anything’ at Ducati bogey track

Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia is plotting a calm approach towards this weekend’s Argentinian MotoGP, round two of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship season, as he looks to strike Termas de Rio Hondo from Ducati’s short ‘yet to win’ Grand Prix bucket list.

The Italian arrives in South America as the clear man to beat after an exemplary start to his title defence in Portimao, Bagnaia backing up his landmark victory in the inaugural MotoGP Sprint Race with a commanding success in the main Portuguese MotoGP feature too.

Going a long way to vindicating fears from rivals that Bagnaia-factory Ducati GP23 package is going to take some beating this season, the 26-year old is conscious that he doesn’t want to start thinking about the end title goal too soon.

Even so, with two of his three ‘most feared’ title rivals - Marc Marquez and team-mate Enea Bastianini - forced to sit out this event due to injury, Bagnaia has a golden opportunity to stamp his mark on this year’s championship battle at this early stage.

“It is too soon to think about the championship,” he told the media in Thursday’s pre-event press conference.

“I think we need to consider the standings and in this moment, Maverick [Vinales], Marco [Bezzecchi] and Jack [Miller] are very close, so we have to focus on being competitive and then we will see the process and how the championship will go.

“In August we will have a clearer picture, so [now] I need to focus on them (alongside him) and not do stupid or crazy things. The championship is very long.”

Should Bagnaia - or any one of his seven Ducati counterparts - secure victory at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit this weekend, it would mark a maiden victory for the manufacturer in Argentina.

It’s an unfulfilled