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There was no better way for Francesco Bagnaia to put behind him the disappointment for the 2nd place scored yesterday in Misano than to end the day in the lead on test Monday, after a good day. In which the Piedmont rider tried several elements to improve the current package and define the basis for the development of next year's bike.
"I worked a lot with a view to 2025. I didn't try the fairing that Martin and Bastianini tried, because it was an aerodynamic that I had already tried at Silverstone but then I took it off because I didn't like it - Pecco explained - They liked it, but I was very focused on other things, because our bike needs something to improve, which unfortunately we can't use right now because it still needs some development at the electronics level. I think it's positive, though, because it means we have more margin in acceleration. Today it was difficult to be able to understand anything, because the times with new and used tires were very similar, but maybe for the last overseas races we will have something that can help us."
Speaking about the direction for next year, Bagnaia added, "I think if we improve only the area where the GP23 was better we will be okay, because we lack some grip and stability and if we can improve in these aspects, the GP25 would not need anything else."
Among the various positive aspects of the day, in addition to first place, was the new front tire developed by Michelin.
"As for the time, I lapped in 1'30"9 with a medium tire for about 22 laps, then I put on a new one and did 1'30"6. If we had wanted to do a time attack I could also have lapped in the low 1'30, but it didn't make sense," pointed out the reigning champion, who was pleasantly impressed with the new tire: "At first it was strange, I think I did the first lap in 1'36" or 1'34", but as soon as I understood the tire it was great and I really liked it. Valentino Rossi has often told me about the Bridgestones, and as soon as I tried it I thought the feeling was just like they had with those tires."
The rider from Chivasso then explained in more detail why he was so convinced by the new tire.
"I love it and I really needed it because I'm a rider who uses the brake a lot on corner entry and with the tires we have now I can't brake like I want to because the front collapses, whereas with this tire it feels like I have a lot more margin. I think it can help me because I can push a lot more on entry, so it was a nice surprise. It's more difficult to change direction because it's heavier, but I really liked the grip and the way I could push, and I think this tire can be a good step even being behind someone because you have less problems with pressure," he noted, "Actually, I didn't test because we only had 30 minutes to try this new tire and I was behind Joan Mir, but unfortunately my engine is too fast to be behind someone. I did the whole first sector behind him, but I passed him in Turn 6 before I put it in third. It's unbelievable because the Honda's top speed is not bad, but they have very little acceleration."
Definitely less appreciated by Bagnaia, however, is the idea of radio communications with the pits.
"I think I will get fines at every race like Michael Jordan, who was fined at every game for red shoes, because I will not use anything like that. I've tried the systems and they press on an area of the bone that starts to hurt just by pressing with my fingers for 30 seconds, let alone riding for 40 minutes. It's a no-brainer, " he commented unabashedly, "We already have all the systems in place to be alerted, like the dashboard and the chart. There is no need for more communication, not least because they can also be distracting, and we ride vehicles that do not allow for distraction."
The less-than-perfect condition of his shoulder did not create major problems for Pecco, who is ready to tackle the tour de force that will begin after the second round at Misano.
"This morning I took a slow-release painkiller that worked perfectly along with two localized patches, which helped me a lot. The effect lasted until two runs from the end, so I was pretty good," he explained, before starting to look ahead to the upcoming trips: "It's almost easier when you do the races one in a row, because by doing the triple headers you get a rhythm that I really like. Maybe this year I will also have the chance to have Domizia with me, which was the one thing I missed when I was away. Now I'm good and it's great. I'm pumped."
Returning instead to talk about yesterday's race, the Ducati rider explained why he was not fooled by the rain.
"I know this place and living here I know what it's like when it rains and that wasn't the case because when it rains here there's a different humidity and smell - he explained - It was already dripping at the beginning of the race, but you could see that the rain didn't stay on the ground. I did an extra lap to see if it would stop raining and if it didn't I would have pitted, but in any case Martin went in really early and he would have lost time anyway because the track was still dry. This time Martin made a mistake and we took advantage of it, but he won't always make one. Whether it's a four-way fight or two-way doesn't change."
Photo credit: Pier Luca Brunetti
