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As he left the box, having just climbed off the Ducati MotoGP, Francesco Bagnaia had a megawatt smile on his face: “it's insane! I'll say just one thing: 315!”. This is the speed the Italian reached on the Desmosedici at Valencia over the nine laps that he won't forget in a hurry.
“It was a crazy experience, really incredible - he says - I expected it to be fast, but not that fast. On the straight it's like your feet come off the footpegs and blow in the wind. I have to thank Ducati and team Aspar for this experience”.
Where shall we start, what most impressed you?
“Everything, when you brake you risk tipping over. In Moto3 you need 16 bars of pressure on the lever to stop, here not even half that. But what impressed me the most is the speed, in Moto3, when you exit the corner you have time to get yourself together and think about the next one. With the MotoGP on the other hand you open the throttle and already have to brake again, there's barely time to think”.
Did nine laps seem long?
“On the contrary, I was hoping they'd never end. Perhaps I'll make another bet with Gino now, to have another nine (he laughs)”.
Did you think about it before opening the throttle fully?
“No, I did it right away because I wanted to see what would happen. The acceleration is the most impressive thing, but also the sensations you get from the front and then it's really strange to downshift without the clutch. At one point Marquez was head of me, going slowly, and I thought, now I'm going to be cool and pass him! And I made a mistake (he laughs)”.
You weren't exactly slow though…
“SI hope I've showed Alex Marquez how to do it, he's testing the MotoGP here too (he laughs)”.
Did you ask for any advice before riding the MotoGP?
“I kept Valentino talking for 45 minutes last week, I asked him everything, I think I was probably getting on his nerves by the end (he laughts). He explained many things and that was useful, for example, he warned be to warm up the brakes well”.
You were riding a Ducati with #21…
“It's fantastic, Troy Bayliss rode the Desmosedici for the last time here. We sent him a photo”.
Tomorrow, you'll be on the Moto2 for the first time...
"I hope it doesn't seem too slow now that I've experienced the MotoGP (he laughs)".
Photo courtesy VR46
