White beaches and crystal clear sea help to chase away the bad memories, but the two factory Ducati riders need more than just a good race. Having landed on the island of Lombok, where the Mandalika circuit is located, Bagnaia and Miller know that they have already thrown away a wild card in the Qatar GP, that of a ‘zero’ in the standings. Pecco crashed, taking the innocent Martin with him into the gravel trap, while Miller was halted by an electronic problem.
It could not have gone worse and now the team is obliged to make a dramatic U-turn in the form of a track where the winter tests took place. This fact will certainly be a help, even if the track has been resurfaced in some places and it will certainly change the conditions.
“I’m thrilled to race in Lombok: the place is beautiful, and there are so many fans who can’t wait to see us race – were Pecco’s words – I like the Mandalika track, and I had positive sensations during the test in February. I hope the grip conditions have improved thanks to the new asphalt, but in general, I think it’s a good track for the characteristics of our bike.”
Yes, but something like Losail…
“Compared to the first weekend in Qatar, I’ll try to work more on my riding style starting from the first sessions to find the right feeling with the Desmosedici GP right away. I’m very determined and confident that I can do well this weekend”.
His teammate is also eager to make amends for a bad start to the season.
“I’m happy to be back on track this weekend and finally be able to put the Qatar race behind me – Said Miller- The season definitely didn’t get off to the start we were hoping for, but we were in a good position at Losail, and if we hadn’t had a technical problem, we could have been aiming for a good result. So I hope I can continue in the same direction and take more steps forward to redeem myself on Sunday. I’m ready to face any condition to obtain a good result”.