BAGNAIA SAYS HIS RIGHT HAND IS STILL SWOLLEN AHEAD OF SAN MARINO GP

Francesco Bagnaia arrives at the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano with a milestone in sight, but also with fresh concerns about his right hand. The Ducati rider is set to become the most-used Ducati factory rider in MotoGP history at this weekend’s race, with his 142nd Grand Prix on the Desmosedici—one more than Andrea Dovizioso. Bagnaia also heads into the home event as Ducati’s most successful rider to date, having won two MotoGP titles and taken 31 race victories on the GP machine, with his tally sitting well clear of Marc Marquez’s 15 Ducati wins and Dovizioso’s 14.

Despite the impressive numbers, Bagnaia’s recent run has been disrupted by crashes and physical limitations. Over the past four Grands Prix, he has retired from three: at Assen, Silverstone and MotorLand Aragon. At Silverstone, he crashed out on Lap 8 after what was described as an apparent issue with his Ducati GP26. The weekend had already started poorly, with Bagnaia finishing the Sprint Race in 17th after struggling for grip at the Northamptonshire circuit.

The pattern continued at Aragon, where another crash ended his race. Bagnaia had previously pointed to his recent arm surgery as a factor in his difficulties, but Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi rejected that link. Ahead of the Aragon Grand Prix, Bagnaia admitted he was still “struggling to push” because of the surgery he underwent during the summer break. He even had a device strapped onto his right hand after qualifying in Spain to help manage the problem.

Tardozzi, however, disagreed with Bagnaia’s interpretation. He instead attributed Bagnaia’s lack of comfort and speed during practice to a “technical issue,” saying the Italian never seemed fully comfortable or fast on the bike. Bagnaia did show some improvement in qualifying at Aragon, reaching P8, but he was only P11 in the Sprint—an outcome that left uncertainty over how much the hand and the machine were contributing.

Now, with Misano on the calendar, Bagnaia has confirmed that the physical issue is not yet resolved. Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, he said: “Well, things have been going OK. My hand is still swollen – it’s a bit better, but still giving me trouble. So, we’ll see.” He explained that his right hand is still swollen ahead of the San Marino GP, leaving him unsure what he can expect as he and Ducati race on home soil.

Bagnaia’s surgery was an endoscopic fasciotomy on his right forearm during the summer break, carried out after an issue emerged earlier in the season. He had initially kept the injury private, but chose the four-week break to have the operation. Even with that intervention, his latest comments suggest he is still managing the effects heading into Misano, and that his performance will depend on how quickly the swelling settles and how well he can translate that into confidence on the GP bike.