MotoGP, Thailand D1: chaos in Buriram, Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati/13) was robbed by Race Direction!

The Thailand Grand Prix, the first round of the 2025 MotoGP, kicked off this Friday in Buriram in a storm of controversy, and Pecco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) was at the epicentre. Expected to be the favourite for pole, the champion saw his test session turn into a nightmare, relegated out of the top 10 and forced to go through Q1 on Saturday. Between poorly managed yellow flags and a collision with Franco Morbidelli, his frustration exploded, with Race Direction in his sights.

Le Thailand Grand Prix was the scene of a very tumultuous day of testing for Pecco Bagnaia, reigning world champion. Between errors signaling and an incident with Franco Morbidelli, the pilot Ducati saw his chances of achieving a good time compromised. His anger, directed mainly at the Race Direction, was palpable.

Everything changed during the last attempt of bagnaia to improve his time. As he attacked his fast lap with promising sectors, he was forced to avoid Franco Morbidelli, who was driving slowly in the middle of the track at Turn 5. This maneuver prevented him from setting a competitive time. bagnaia did not hide his frustration, making a reproachful gesture to Morbidely, who pointed out other drivers who were also slowing down.

Despite this setback, bagnaia achieved a time of 1'29.492, enough to place in the top 10. However, Race Direction cancelled this time citing the presence of a yellow flag. " The last 15 minutes of the session were pure chaos. ", said bagnaia, visibly angry.

bagnaia expressed his dissatisfaction with the management of the flags, which he considers disorganized and incompetent. They displayed the yellow flag from turn 8 to turn 3, for no reason " he denounced. The Italian driver also criticized the fact that, despite the recognition of the error by the Race Direction, his time was not restored. " They admitted the mistake, but they wouldn't give me my time back. “, he lamented.

The disorder around the flags caused confusion among the pilots. It was chaos, because they were giving and taking away the yellow and green flags. The stewards did not know how to activate the flags and they started pressing all the buttons " he said indignantly.

**Pecco Bagnaia: “ I am more angry with the Race Direction than with Morbidelli »**

Contrary to what one might think, bagnaia does not particularly want to Morbidely. " With Franco, the only thing that happened was that he and two other drivers, Joan Mir and Miguel Oliveira, were much slower. I am more angry with Race Direction than with Morbidelli. " he explained. He also noted that Simon Craffar, the new chairman of the commissioners' panel, understood the situation but was not in a position to reverse the decision. These types of incidents are more the responsibility of Race Direction than Simon Craffar. ", he added.

In the face of controversy, Mike webb, the race director, stepped in to clarify the situation and take responsibility. He explained that the cancellation of the lap of bagnaia was due to incorrect signaling: " Race Direction has determined that the yellow flag was wrongly displayed in the tour that was cancelled for Bagnaia. This was due to human error. We are really sorry of this unfortunate situation and the impact it had on Pecco's weekend »

Webb also clarified that the rules prevent a turn from being recovered once it has been cancelled, even in the case of an obvious mistake. When a driver overtakes with the yellow flag displayed, his turn is automatically cancelled. This affected several drivers today, but unfortunately it was the fastest lap of the session for Bagnaia »

Despite the setbacks, bagnaia highlighted the positive aspects of his day. He assured that his pace was not far from that of his new teammate, Marc Marquez. " This morning I didn't manage to do a good lap on the first outing, but in the afternoon I was happy. I was only two tenths slower than Marc. We closed the gap with him “, he concluded.

As the controversy swells, bagnaia remains focused on the goal: to perform well in qualifying and the race. With a promising pace and determination intact, the Italian driver intends to make people forget this chaotic day and regain his place among the leaders. We can expect a weekend full of twists and turns, where Bagnaia will seek revenge.