Friday debrief with Pecco Bagnaia after difficult day at Phillip Island

Pecco Bagnaia Interview
Friday – Australian GP

Trev was in the press scrum on completion of proceedings on Friday at Phillip Island and reports in with some quotes.

Pecco Bagnaia missed automatic promotion through to Q2 for the second round in a row.  He is also highly critical of riders touring around waiting for a tow. Struggling with getting the Ducati hooked up compared to some of the other Ducati riders.

Kicking off with overall feel out on the track:

Pecco Bagnaia: “From the last corner to the straight, to the finish line I am losing time to Martin, this is unbelievable. We see that I’m missing traction on all the tracks, but this was more or less the issue. Like Mandalika the feeling with the bike is not that bad. So this is strange.”

On the Sprint being moved to Saturday:

Bagnaia: “Considering the weather I saw for Sunday, it’s better for sure. For me Sunday will be very difficult to open the box to the garage, fifty and I dunno how many kilometres per hour of wind. So, for sure it’s better, we worked more than the others for the long race with the tyre. But it will be tough – tomorrow morning will be a very difficult morning.”

Was it frustrating to find yourself in the last 5-10 minutes of that session looking for a lap time, when people were touring?

Bagnaia: “The first attempt I was alone I think, the second attempt I was last of the group but I saw like ten riders doing like Moto3, for me this is not acceptable. Considering that we are in MotoGP, we are to give an example to the others, and see not one, not two, but ten riders going slow in the middle of the line, for me is unacceptable. Like always, I prefer to be first of the group and everyone behind. But this is something I always prefer to push at the front, not to have anyone in front of me, sometimes its good, sometimes its bad. But even in case I was slowing down more, anyone would have overtaken me. So, the solution was always to only push.”

You’ve been in this situation a few times this year, when Friday hasn’t worked out, but has come good Saturday or Sunday. Could it possibly turn here?

Bagnaia: “The thing is, it’s strange that we move, with the same setting more or less, and for me, it’s not working. It’s not the first time… Mandalika was not the first time. It was more or less the whole season we arrived Friday we struggled, Saturday was better, Sunday we were the fastest. So we in that case we have a day less for being the fastest. But this track is more difficult to have a clear advantage. Looking to the pace we had this morning, looking to the pace I had this afternoon, we’re one of the most competitive, in terms of lap times and consistency with the tyres, we used the medium more or less, while the others use the soft, so for me our work was better than the others today. We had just to improve on starting already with a better finish.”

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With the position you’re in today, does potentially having 12 less points in the championship benefit you? Less points that can be taken?

Bagnaia: “…It can also be the opposite situation so… I prefer the long race normally. I love to race and control, we’re very good on it. But like today was quite difficult to remain in control of the tyres, the remaining tyre was destroyed – the medium – same from last year. So it’s quite difficult. But in 2019 I was starting I think 13 or 14, and finishing fourth. And I think I’m a bit better than 2019. So comebacks are possible here.”

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