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Silverstone has traditionally been a tough track for Ducati, but tomorrow there will be 7 red bikes in the top 10 on the grid. Pecco Bagnaia's will be in the middle, on the 5th slot. Not a bad result, but it is obvious that the rider from Piedmont expected better, considering that Zarco will be on pole and Miller on the front row.
“Today I did one of the best laps ever in qualifying but it wasn't enough - he said - Compared to last year, there is an incredible level and a huge step forward has been made in terms of pace. Today I tried to work well but it wasn't easy because I don't feel very comfortable on my bike at the moment, even though we know what we have to do and this is important. I will definitely improve tomorrow; I need 2 tenths of a lap to be able to win. At the moment it is also difficult for me to understand what the position is by looking at the pace because I followed a totally different strategy from that of the others in FP4. However, I think I can be competitive tomorrow”.
What are you missing?
“Rear grip, I can't find it. I am losing compared to other Ducati riders in some parts of the circuit, we are focused on solving the problem. The good thing is that there are only two places where I lose a lot”.
Are you surprised by these difficulties?
"Last year I was more or less in the same situation, after enjoying myself in Austria here I struggled. This time I got a better start, but I'm still missing something. It was easier at Assen, we have to work harder this weekend, but we are on the right track. Today's time is proof of this”.
All in all, you seem optimistic…
“It's not all so obvious, but I think it can be an advantage that Zarco, who is on pole and is the rider with the best pace, rides the same bike as me. It allows me to see where I am losing time, in two corners, and now I have to figure out how to make a difference there. I'm having problems with the rear grip and Johann isn't”.
You are not perfectly comfortable with the bike, Quartararo will have to serve a Long Lap, Espargarò has some physical problems after the crash: will these factors affect the race?
“Fabio and Aleix are faster than me on the race pace at the moment, especially Quartararo, but it is difficult to say how it will go tomorrow. In my opinion the Long Lap Penalty will not affect his race too much, he will only lose 7 or 8 tenths and has the pace to be able to recover them. I should be able to take advantage of this situation at a time when I'm not too good with the bike, so our work will only end in the warmup because I need something to give me a hand”.
Will Espargarò race?
"In my opinion, yes, I did at Portimao after missing qualifying because of the pain: that's the way we riders are."
What do you think of the riders on the front row?
“Zarco is the fastest rider of all at the moment, because he manages to be very fast and consistent, he also went well with the hard tyre and did a good job. Vinales is also going very strong, while Miller is in a similar situation to mine. At the moment there are 6 riders who can fight to stay in front, to make 1m57.9s in qualifying you need to have a good pace. Having said that, I don't think it will be easy to get away tomorrow because tyre wear is great and you have to be careful not to exaggerate”.
In the end you didn't try the tail with wings.
“No, because it is part of a larger package. To mount it you have to change the fairing, I will do it in Austria”.
