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Qualifying day on the Misano circuit was not easy for Pecco Bagnaia. With the weight of the penalty suffered during free practice on Friday, and with a championship running out in pursuit of the Frenchman, the Italian rider had to obtain an excellent result. The rain at the beginning of the session hindered the Ducati rider's plans, but excellent circuit knowledge plus a pinch of recklessness of the riders who can and want to fight for the title made it possible for the exploit to succeed. Second best time in qualifying, which tomorrow on the starting grid will turn into a fifth position, was exactly the goal that Pecco was hoping for. However, a race full of unknowns is expected, from the weather to the Ducati tide in the front rows, without forgetting Fabio's Yamaha and the Aprilia, which proved to have excellent race pace during the free practice weekend.
It can’t have been an easy qualifying session, even considering the additional pressure you were subjected to due to the penalty. So you have to be satisfied to have obtained the front row, even if tomorrow you will start from the fifth slot.
"I am very satisfied, starting from the third row would have made the race much more complicated - Pecco told us - I think it was one of the toughest qualifying sessions. When it started to rain the track conditions became uncertain, it remained mostly dry but the rain was still a risk factor. At the beginning of the session I started on rain tires, then I switched to slicks. The most difficult thing was to understand how far I could go, especially to understand the actual level of grip, at the Curvone I usually take it up to the kerb in sixth gear, but today I didn't know if I would find it wet. On the last lap I tackled it as if everything were in perfect condition, it was either do or die I said to myself, and it went well even if I have to admit that the bike felt a bit strange. To finish second starting from row 2 tomorrow was the goal we had set for ourselves, so it's an excellent result ".
Your chief rivals in the standings, Aleix and Fabio, also had difficulties and will start from the third row. Will this be an opportunity to make up more points in the championship?
“I don’t want to think about this situation. I just want to think on myself, focus on myself. The race here is long, and in two occasions I did mistakes in the last part of the races. So, I would just like to be smart, to understand the conditions. I would like if the conditions are dry but I will try to understand because Jack has a better pace here than last year. So, he will be very strong to beat. But I will try. For Fabio, I don't think it will be a problem for him to be in the leading group, he has shown that he has one of the best paces, and also the Aprilia are really fast ".
The lap times of the riders are all very close. Will we see some riders get away in the early laps or will there be a bit of elbowing?
“I don’t know, because it was difficult. Normally FP4 is the session where you can understand better. But today was difficult for the conditions. In any case, my pace in FP4 was quite good. And I think that Ducati riders will be strong, Fabio is strong and the Aprilias are strong.”
According to many riders, this will be the first race in a long time in which the low tyre wear will allow them to push from the first laps. Do you agree?
"Last year I used a soft compound on the rear, which obviously has a significant drop in the later stages of the race. This year they brought a soft compound that is harder on the left side so that could also be a valid option for the race tomorrow. The medium compound is another great option to try to push right away, but it will need more time to warm up. Ultimately it seems that we can tackle the race always keeping the same pace. "
Will it be more difficult, as a Ducati rider, to have to fight with so many Ducatis in the front rows than Fabio's Aprilia or Yamaha?
"I think that in my situation it is even more difficult with the other Ducatis because I know exactly their strengths, while for example with the Yamahas or Aprilia I could take advantage of the points on the circuit where I know I have an advantage."
Here at Misano many riders are showing off helmets with different liveries. Pecco chose Dennis Rodman, a sportsman who also has a dark side... But Pecco responds promptly to the criticism.
"I made this choice just looking at his sporting side".
However, we are talking about a character with accusations of sexual harassment, and with questionable friendships including the North Korean dictator... a choice that could have been better thought about maybe given the visibility that comes from it.
"I think that in my situation, I mean in this championship, I need to think outside the box, to learn not to give a damn as he did at the peak of his sporting career."
But in character you are very different, you are much calmer.
"He was a rebounder; he played a lot in defence. I'm a big fan of NBA and when we chose the livery for the helmet, I only took into consideration the sporting side of his life."
