Luigi Dall’Igna saw ‘less than brilliant’ Francesco Bagnaia moment despite ‘morale-boosting’ podium

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Ducati boss Luigi Dall’Igna feels Francesco Bagnaia scored a “morale-boosting” result with P3 in Sunday’s 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix but his podium was built on a mistake.

Bagnaia has now taken three third-placed finishes across the past three rounds after he also made the rostrum in Barcelona and Mugello. The Italian profited from the misfortune of five riders, after Jorge Martin caused a big crash at Balaton Park, to improve from P5 on the grid.

Martin lost control of his Aprilia RS-GP under braking for Turn 1, and Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Raul Fernandez and Fermin Aldeguer all got caught up in the incident. The crash left Bagnaia in P3, but he had a lonely race adrift of Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta.

Marc Marquez is now 72 points off Marco Bezzecchi after the Hungarian GP 👀 How do you rate his title chances now?

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Luigi Dall’Igna thinks Francesco Bagnaia’s poor start set up his Hungarian Grand Prix podium

Ducati general manager Dall’Igna believes Martin’s crash at Balaton Park was key to Bagnaia finishing the Hungarian GP on the podium. But another decisive aspect was the 29-year-old making another slow start, as he had slippeed to sixth place before Martin fell while braking.

READ MORE: Marc Marquez scores his 100th career Grand Prix win at the Hungarian GP

Bagnaia initially reacted well to the lights going out, but a small wheelie off the line allowed Trackhouse ace Fernandez to fly past from P7. Aprilia star Bezzecchi also streaked clear, and Ai Ogura of Trackhouse also had a look at going around Bagnaia’s outside before the pile-up.

Martin’s crash, however, allowed LCR Honda rookie Diogo Moreira to sneak past Bagnaia on the inside at Turn 1. But Bagnaia regained the position immediately through Turn 2, and the two-time MotoGP champion held on to please Dall’Igna, despite his poor start, last Sunday.

Dall’Igna wrote on LinkedIn: “Pecco took advantage of the initial accidents and, with a start that was less than brilliant keeping him out of the leading group, instead found himself in third position, which he was able to hold until the end on a track that traditionally doesn’t hold his favour, and grabbing a morale-boosting podium, adding it to the last two in a row.”

It was a similar story on Saturday, as well, as Dall’Igna wanted to speak to Bagnaia after the Balaton Park Sprint Race due to his poor start costing the Italian a stronger result. He came home in Saturday’s Sprint Race in P9, facing an 8.237-second deficit to teammate Marquez.

Davide Tardozzi puts Pecco Bagnaia’s recent form down to changes to his Ducati set-up

Marquez did the double at the Hungarian GP from pole position, but Bagnaia would leave Balaton Park after finishing the Grand Prix 11.632s adrift. Bagnaia offered little fight in the Sprint to recover from several rival riders holding him out to dry on the outside at Turn 1.

Bagnaia’s composed ride to an unchallenged P3 in the Hungarian GP convinced Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi that the Turin native is starting to rediscover the form he last displayed in 2024, however. Tardozzi also puts Bagnaia’s revival down to changes made to his set-up.

Tardozzi said, via MOW. “Pecco has scored three consecutive podiums, even though one in Barcelona ​​was a bit lucky. It means he’s regaining the speed he had two years ago, and I think he’s finding the ideal bike set-up. I expect Pecco to be very, very competitive in Brno.”