Pecco Bagnaia, protagonist of the new cover of GQ Hype by GQ Italia

I’m sorry Bagnaia is the protagonist of the new cover GQ HYPE by GQ Italy. 26 years old, born and raised in Piedmont, Francesco Bagnaia, known as Pecco, has rewritten history conquering his first world title in the MotoGP class last November on the Ducati.

«Winning as an Italian and with an Italian bike was a wonderful thing, it hadn’t happened for fifty years. Then it happened with the Ducati, and for me it was like making a dream come true that I’ve always carried within me »he recounts in the pages of the magazine.

He talks to GQ Italia about his success and his pride in having achieved an incredible feat: an Italian hasn’t won a world championship with an Italian motorcycle for 50 years. No rider who retired in five races in an edition of the MotoGP World Championship had ever managed to win that same edition of the MotoGP World Championship. No rider in the premier class had ever recovered a 91-point deficit in the standings. A result that comes after a long and personal work, not without criticism. «I had to work a lot on my head, I consider it my fault. Because I’m self-critical, I’m never really happy with what I do, with how I make the bike ride on the track, but at the same time I have always struggled to receive criticism in the right way. But I’m still young, I still have plenty of time to learn and wonderful guides I can refer to.”

One of all, Valentino Rossi. «Valentino’s constant presence was very important for me. And he still is. Indeed, I think I can say that he made the difference with my opponents. Vale is a master who over time has become a friend, but above all he has been an example to follow: having lived a life as a pilot, he knows how to tell you exactly what to do and how to improve in all aspects of our work. Even today, if I need to, I can turn to him, and he answers me by drawing something from his infinite experience. I always try to make the most of this opportunity».

A fundamental presence, an example to follow in a world, that of sport, where being yourself is always the trump card. «In my sport, but I think it’s the same in sport in general, being yourself is the most difficult thing. Maybe because we live in an environment where you’re always looking for the character, and personally I think that’s a rather stupid thing».

The complete interview is available in the issue of GQ Italia dedicated to sport on newsstands from 2 February and also at this link.