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Maybe the only positive thing about today was that Pecco Bagnaia managed to smile. In the second round of free practice and in qualifying, he seemed very nervous, both on the track and in the garage. That’s understandable when you don’t get the times you expected, but it’s not common for Pecco, who had arrived in Argentina with the aim of turning his season around, and who’ll start tomorrow from a 13th position.
"It’s maybe best if we wait for the turning point in the next Grand Prix," he said jokingly. "I don't have much to say, except that I was slow. I wasn’t able to be fast with the new tire, and it's not the first time that’s happened to me, so we know how to react. Last season's Sachsenring GP was an important lesson in relation to this. I also struggle with the holes, like what happened to me in Austin a year ago, so we also know what to do with that."
Could you have done better today?
"I was confident with the worn tires. I was able to keep a good pace. Then I mounted the new ones, and I was slow. I improved my time by just three tenths. This and the holes were my main problems."
You also got angry with the riders who were following you. You braked in the straight at some point.
"I have to apologize. When you're nervous, you make mistakes, and that's what happened to me. I went to talk to the stewards and, as soon as I entered their office, I apologized. They understood my situation and told me that, in certain situations, I have to be smarter and be more careful. I got upset, because I saw riders complaining about those waiting on the track doing exactly the same thing. That said, it was my mistake.”
You often don’t lose your temper like that.
”I've had other difficult days. The difference is that I didn't have cameras in the garage,” he laughed. “When I get upset, I behave like this. I'm sorry I gave you this impression, but we're all human. Last year, I had worse moments. Let’s say that everything was normal today,” he laughed again.”More than angry, I was disappointed that I went slow."
Was having only two rounds of tests and then qualifying in one day a limit?
"The situation was the same for everyone, so that means that the others were better and adapted faster. I always take a little longer to get settled. I really need Friday. Here we had to do a more compressed job. I think I was able to prepare for the race but not for qualifying."
At the exit of Turn 11, your Desmosedici looked like a crazy horse.
"There are many holes there and, with my set-up, it’s a critical point. The same thing happened to me in Austin last year, then we had made a change that had helped me. We’ll try it tomorrow."
What do you expect from your race?
"It won’t be easy, especially since Aleix Espargarò is very fast, as is Viñales. I may do well, but I need to get better."
