#CzechGP

  ¬  June 22th 2026

The Champions’ Weekend - Bagnaia Wins Sprint Race!  3rd in Grand Prix!

This is the champ's 1st Sprint Race win of the year, and 3rd Grand Prix Podium in a row!

There are days to remember. Days worth framing. And then there are those days that deliver sporting achievements so great, and in some ways so unexpected, that they almost seem unreal.

The weekend just gone was nothing short of thrilling for everyone who loves, follows, and works within the MotoGP paddock. It was even more special for the Suomy team, who had the privilege of applauding a solid, incredibly effective Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia, victorious throughout the weekend (and not only in the Sprint), as well as Moto2 rider Ivàn Ortolà, who secured his first-ever Moto2 victory.

Bagnaia, sixth in Free Practice, remained inside the top ten for most of the Practice sessions, climbing to third place in the closing stages before finishing fourth. In the Sprint he beat everyone, while in Sunday’s race he led for several laps before eventually crossing the line in third position.

Francesco Bagnaia #63 Ducati Lenovo Team - 4º

"I'm happy with today's results. We were competitive, but we still need to keep working on the feeling with the bike. We need to improve corner entry to allow me to turn the bike better without the rear sliding away. That's still a limitation, but we've definitely made progress. We'll also need to make a decision regarding the tyre because the soft compound is certainly much more competitive, but the drop in grip is really significant. We're doing a great job, and I believe we have the potential to be fast and achieve a strong result."

SPRINT RACE

Francesco Bagnaia returned to centre stage with a performance full of maturity and determination, claiming a crucial victory at the end of a race managed intelligently from start to finish.The Suomy rider built his success thanks to a perfect launch from third on the grid, immediately taking the lead into Turn 1 and imposing his pace from the very beginning.

Once at the front, Pecco expertly managed the wear of the soft tyre, creating a valuable gap in the opening laps and maintaining control of the race despite increasing pressure from his rivals. In the closing stages, he was forced to defend his lead with determination, resisting every attack and taking the chequered flag in first place after a performance of the highest level.

A victory with strong symbolic value as well as sporting significance: a result that confirms the competitiveness of the Italian champion and reignites his ambitions, rewarding the work carried out together with the team and his ability to react during the most challenging moments of the season.

It was a display of strength, character and race management that returned the number 63 to the top step of the podium and brought renewed enthusiasm to the entire Ducati garage.

It is worth noting that throughout this season Pecco had already shown he could excel in Sprint races, while the longer races had often proved more difficult. Here in Brno, however, the Suomy rider delivered an outstanding performance in Sunday's Grand Prix as well.

– Sprint Race 1° –

"It was a difficult day: in qualifying I made a mistake at 

"I'm happy. We've been competitive since yesterday. After trying a change that didn't work as we had hoped, we went back to yesterday's setup for qualifying and everything went well. We then decided to go with the soft tyre, aiming to be faster during the first two or three laps and manage the advantage later in the race. The strategy worked, and that gives us great motivation for tomorrow. I'm still not completely comfortable with the setup, but I love this track and we'll continue working ahead of the race, especially to manage rear tyre wear as effectively as possible."

RACE

Francesco Bagnaia completed the Czech Republic Grand Prix with a valuable third-place finish at the end of an intense and action-packed race.

The Ducati Lenovo Team rider was one of the main protagonists not only in Saturday's Sprint but also in Sunday's full-length race. During the opening stages, he led the field, once again demonstrating both speed and consistency in race pace management.

Starting from the front rows, Bagnaia immediately took control of the race, setting a strong pace that allowed him to maintain the lead throughout the first half of the contest. From lap sixteen onwards, he was overtaken by one rival and then another, but he continued fighting for the top positions.

In the closing stages, the two-time MotoGP World Champion showed great determination, successfully fending off attacks from riders behind him who were battling for a podium finish, ultimately holding on to third place until the chequered flag.

The result confirms the positive progress shown throughout the weekend and allows Bagnaia to add valuable points to his championship tally. After the ninth round of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, the Italian rider sits seventh in the standings, just thirteen points behind his teammate.

A podium built on determination and character that once again confirms Bagnaia's competitiveness.

At the end of the ninth Grand Prix of the season, Francesco Bagnaia is seventh in the championship standings, 13 points behind his teammate.

– Race 3° –

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) 

"I feel good. We've had a positive weekend and we're improving. We're still missing something, especially with used tyres, but we're getting closer. Today we were missing about six laps. I tried to manage the pace as best as possible, knowing I was lacking one or two tenths. In the final stages I had to slow down because whenever I was in the slipstream, I kept losing the front. Once I found myself back in clean air, I was able to push again, and fortunately I had a good margin over Diggia at the end. The fact that I was able to recover the pace is a positive sign, but we still have work to do."