Marc Márquez Fades as Title Favourite, Pecco Bagnaia Finds Inspiration

Marc Márquez's title hopes have taken a hit, but his teammate Pecco Bagnaia is finding inspiration in the Spaniard's recovery.

What happened?

Despite a torrid couple of races, Francesco Bagnaia is still Mr. Positive when it comes to the remainder of the MotoGP season. The two-time premier class champion had earlier recorded four-straight podium finishes and a sprint victory, but then retired in the Netherlands before a disappointing sixth in Germany. As such, he sits eighth in the riders' championship, 65 points off leader Jorge Martin.

Why it matters for Marc Márquez

Bagnaia spoke to Sky Italia about what he expects after the summer break, and cited teammate Marc Márquez's recovery to title contention as inspiration. "I'll spend this break quietly - relaxing, training a lot, and preparing myself to be 100 per cent ready for the next race," Bagnaia said. "I'm happy that another rider who had problems similar to mine managed to solve them. So I believe that with the right support and the right work, we can solve them as well."

What comes next?

Bagnaia is using his teammate's form as motivation, and is confident that he can turn his season around. "It's still difficult to say [what our true pace is]. In my opinion, from Silverstone through Aragon we'll see the true level of performance on track, and from there we'll have a clearer picture for the rest of the season," he said. Bagnaia is also looking forward to the British Grand Prix, where he expects to see the best 'Pecco' return. "In Silverstone," he warned.

Bagnaia's upgrade

The Italian rider has also announced another upgrade - successful surgery on his right forearm. A Ducati statement read: "Francesco Bagnaia has successfully undergone endoscopic fasciotomy surgery on his right forearm this afternoon at the Policlinico di Modena. Taking advantage of the MotoGP summer break, Pecco will now begin his rehabilitation schedule. We all wish Pecco a speedy return to the track."

Bagnaia's determination to turn his season around is clear, and he's finding inspiration in his teammate's recovery. With the summer break approaching, the Italian rider is looking to come back stronger than ever.