Pecco Bagnaia isn't the type of character to demand your attention, but he deserves it. He certainly deserves a bit more respect from the MotoGP paddock that he has come to dominate over the past three-plus seasons.
The 27-year-old Italian is the two-time defending world champion. He has claimed 22 wins since the start of the 2021 season -- more than the next three most successful riders in the class combined.
That's a victory every three grands prix. His win percentage throughout the course of his five-plus-season career is 23%. Of the five multitime world champions of the MotoGP modern era, that ranks third, ahead of arguably the greatest of all time in Valentino Rossi -- who just so happens to be Bagnaia's mentor -- and trailing only Casey Stoner and Marc Márquez.