Francesco Bagnaia completed a fantastic weekend in Austria by winning Sunday’s Grand Prix having already triumphed in Saturday’s Sprint race. It was another dominant showing by the Italian and such an impressive performance led TNT Sports expert Michael Laverty to compare him to five-time world champion Jorge Lorenzo. Bagnaia has seven Grand Prix victories already this season.
Francesco Bagnaia has been compared to the great Jorge Lorenzo after his incredible double in Austria.
The Ducati Lenovo star backed up his Sprint victory with a masterclass in Sunday’s Grand Prix – his seventh of the season as he strengthened his position as the championship leader.
With the victory, Bagnaia sent out another ominous warning to rival Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who was second by quite a distance to the Italian.
“Jorge Martin tried to fight today but Pecco was smart in his track position, and in those early laps maybe using a little bit more fuel to stay out in front,” began Michael Laverty, on punditry duty for TNT Sports and discovery+.
“Pecco was using every ounce of rubber, every mil of fuel in the tank. His rhythm is untouchable, it’s like Jorge Lorenzo at his best but with superior braking.
“He is a class act in every area of his riding – how he stops his bike, how he turns, how he accelerates and how he’s metronomically consistent.”
Five-time world champion Lorenzo called time on an illustrious career in 2019, achieving 68 victories across all classes.
Sam Lowes was also keen to point out the level of consistency Bagnaia has shown this season.
He said: “From a rider’s point of view, it’s alright saying he’s good at this track, that he’s on the best bike, that the bike suits this track…
“But to deliver races like he has with no mistakes, with Jorge Martin pressurising you yesterday and today in hot conditions, a track where we’ve seen pretty much everyone else make a mistake… It’s incredible what he has done.”
