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MotoGP: Neil Hodgson warns Francesco Bagnaia he is being 'trounced' by team-mate Marc Marquez after Grand Prix Qatar double win
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Published 13/04/2025 at 22:55 GMT+1
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Neil Hodgson told TNT Sports that Francesco Bagnaia needs to rapidly improve if he is to avoid his Ducati Lenovo team-mate Marc Marquez leaving him behind in the race for the MotoGP championship. Marquez completed a double win at the Grand Prix Qatar on Sunday, and extended his lead at the top of the championship standings. Bagnaia finished second in the full-length race.
'He's been defeated already' - Hodgson thinks Bagnaia already beaten by team-mate Marquez
Video credit: TNT Sports
Neil Hodgson said that Francesco Bagnaia needs to shape up quickly as he is getting "trounced" by his Ducati Lenovo team-mate Marc Marquez.
Marquez has been dominant for much of the season and only his brother Alex appears able to get close to him.
However, Marc extended his lead on Sunday with another win, after his Sprint Race triumph on Saturday saw him regain the championship lead from his younger sibling.
Bagnaia has found the season much tougher so far, and on Saturday he started in 11th place after crashing out in qualifying, and could only manage eighth place. On Sunday he ultimately came in second after a better showing, but was still well off the pace to challenge for the win.
The Italian has suggested that his problems are with the sprint edition at race events, but speaking on TNT Sports, Hodgson thinks the problems are more fundamental.
He said: "It's become a thing, but he won more sprints last year than Jorge Martin. I don't think it is a thing, because he's got nowhere near Marc on a Sunday.
- Marquez holds off Vinales for Grand Prix Qatar triumph
- 'Marc Marquez lights it up again' - Marquez extends lead at top of championship with Qatar win
"He needs to go faster all weekend, he needs to start on Friday morning. He's got nowhere near beating Marc, at all. If you think about it we've had eight races, Marc crashed out with a two-second lead [in one]. He'd have had eight in a row.
"I hear what he's saying, because he's just down, isn't he? He's quite pally with Marc, because he's been defeated already. That's how it looks to me."
While he had sympathy for Bagnaia, he reiterated that he is in danger of being left behind by his new Ducati team-mate.
He explained: "I'm a massive Pecco fan. He's a two-time MotoGP champion. He's incredible, but he's been trounced by Marc.
"It's Pecco's team. It's Pecca's garage. I feel for Pecco, it's hard. But that's why I say don't focus on Saturday. Focus on everything, because he's destroying you."
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Marquez celebrates double triumph at 'most important weekend of the season so far'
Video credit: TNT Sports
‘Marc just controlled it’ - Guintoli and Laverty admire Marquez’s dominance
Sylvain Guintoli remarked on just how easy victory had been for Marquez, as he rode conservatively in the early stages before picking up the pace.
He said: "Marc just controlled it. It was closer than we thought it was going to be, and [Maverick] Vinales was a surprise.
"I mean, he wasn’t just a surprise for us, he was a surprise for Marc as well. Marc just said that he couldn’t believe Vinales was there."
Alongside him, Michael Laverty echoed his comments and noted that it was an impressive showing from Maverick Vinales, who took a surprise second spot, though he was later demoted to P14 after a 16-second penalty due to low tyre pressure.
Marquez said the weekend was the most important one of the season so far, and Laverty saw how significant the Spaniard felt his win was.
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'It was his race' - Marquez praised for 'controlled' win after 'surprise' challenge from Vinales
Video credit: TNT Sports
He said: "You can see what it means to him. He controlled it. He called it: strategy again. He didn't push his front tyre. Allowed the race to come to him. Challenges came from different people.
"He didn't expect it to be from Maverick Vinales - none of us did - and Marc was there to respond and break the lap record at the end."
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