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At the Red Bull Ring, before talking about the weekend that awaits him, Pecco Bagnaia wanted to remember Haruki Noguchi, the Japanese rider who lost his life in the race at Mandalika. “I want to offer my condolences to his family. It’s always a sad day when a young ambitious rider like him loses his life,” he said.
After the tribute to his colleague, the World Champion focused on the Austrian Grand Prix, which will be starting tomorrow. It goes without saying that this track is favorable to both himself (he won here last year) and Ducati.
“I’m happy to be here. It's a good circuit for me,” he admitted. “I struggled a bit to find grip with the rear last season, but I was able to be competitive on Sunday. This time, however, it won’t be easy. The KTM has made progress both in braking and in acceleration. Then there’s the Aprilia, the bike that has improved the most since last year. There will be many competitive riders in the race, starting with those of the other seven Ducatis,” he said, smiling.
Bagnaia didn’t want to count his chickens before they hatched, but it’s undeniable that he’s starting as the favorite.
“I know perfectly well what the Ducati’s potential is in acceleration, braking, and on the straight. And the most important thing is bringing home as many points as possible when there’s a good opportunity,” he emphasized. “We have an advantage on this track, maybe less compared to the past, therefore, if we work well, I’ll be able to fight for the win.”
A young Rookies Cup rider then asked him if being the favorite puts pressure on him.
“I’m in a different situation compared to last year, when I was chasing and had to win,” Pecco explained. “This season started well, with two victories at Portimao. Then I made some mistakes, which made me realize that I have to have fun on the bike. Last year, I learned how to keep calm and work, thinking about the race. You have to understand that, sometimes, you can’t win, and it’s not easy, but you have to take that step to improve.”
His last comment was on the minimum tire pressure rule, introduced during the last GP at Silverstone.
“It was the first race, and we all kept a bit of a margin. The temperatures were low, but it was still difficult to stay within the limits. We’ll see what happens here. It looks it’s going to be thirty degrees on Sunday, and it won’t be easy at all, but we have the experience to be able to adapt,” he concluded.
