Pecco Bagnaia was just perfect today, to finish the day with the best time and to find the confidence on the Portimao circuit that he did not have at the 2020 Grand Prix. Today the Ducati rider was precise in the time attack and specifically in the race pace. A mix that seems to be the best possible prerequisite for a weekend as a real protagonist.
“It was a really positive day for me – commented Bagnaia – because I had so many problems with my confidence at the front here last year. I lost time everywhere, I didn’t trust the bike and I thought I would fall on every corner. Today I immediately felt comfortable with the bike in FP1. Today my bike worked very well. In the FP2, we took a big step forward with my rear feeling, which helped me a lot with traction. I took another step forward thanks to my team when we tried the time attack. Everything turned out very well. If it goes like this, it’s great, I also had a great pace, I feel ready for tomorrow “.
Things didn’t go well here in 2020, but it was also the end of the season. Maybe you were very tired?
“At the end of 2020 I was really very tired, after my surgery because of the injury I had a lot of problems. In the last few races it has been difficult to stay fast, I think I was really tired when we got to Portimao while all is this Year different. “
In the past you struggled to be quick right away, but this year that problem seems to have gone …
“In FP2 I started with a used front medium and couldn’t be very fast. After that it got better and my new approach also pays off when I hit the track. I often started shooting red helmets after the starting lap In In the first few sectors it means that I have control of the bike straight away and that is important, and in the winter I worked a lot on this aspect, because in modern MotoGP it is very important to get out on the track and be quick right away I’ve worked a lot on it and now it’s easier, I’ve learned how to heat up the tires better and that’s the key to making everything easier.
Perhaps the changes to your Ducati will help you from this point of view?
“The truth is that our bike is close to last year’s. We work a lot on the setup, which is not very far from last year. I’m working on my riding style, I adapt better to it and the bike is closer to my needs too This is only the third race But I feel a lot better on the bike, I think I did a good job on my riding style over the winter and it pays off. The framework is very similar to that of 2020, there are small changes but they are aimed at having more confidence, not much of a difference.
Were you surprised by Marquez’s speed on his return?
“I’m amazed that people didn’t think Marc would come back like this. In the past he has always shown that he can get back on his bike after a fall and be very fast. It’s very fast and we all know it. He was the fastest in recent years. I was impressed that he came back after not racing in MotoGP for almost nine months and managed to be very fast straight away. It was hard to see. I would have expected to see him this quickly anyway. “
Your Achilles heel last year may have been the lack of consistency. Do you think this is a thing of the past?
“I think the Ducati-Bagnaia package is more solid. I struggled a lot here in 2020 and being so fast today made me happy. Working in Qatar has helped me a lot, I want to last until the end of the season be so constant. ” , seize the potential at every opportunity. In this MotoGP you have to be consistent and that’s what I’ll try. “