There's no point beating around the bush: we all expected a different Bagnaia after the positive signs shown in testing. Instead, we had a déjà vu of 2025: a lackluster time attack in qualifying and a Sprint Race that ended in ninth place, still far from the zone that counts. As Pecco said, one point is still a better result than the last five Sprints of last year, but it's still far too little.
After praising his improvements until last week, starting with yesterday's pre-qualifying, Bagnaia stopped feeling comfortable with the front of the GP26. At Buriram, the track conditions have actually changed since testing: there is less grip, it is much hotter, and the Desmosedici, according to the Italian rider, no longer stops when braking. The point is that the world keeps turning and you have to be able to adapt to changing conditions."Marc does it right away, I always take longer," candidly admitted Bagnaia, who is more confident about his race pace. We'll wait and see tomorrow.
"In qualifying, I didn't do a good lap. The truth is that conditions have changed quite a bit since testing, the grip is lower, and at the moment, I haven't been able to adapt to it. I struggled a lot, especially this morning in qualifying. With used tyres, it's almost okay, but in time attack, both yesterday and today, I don't have the feeling and I can't push like I did in testing. But that's my problem, the bike is the same, it's the conditions that are different, so I'm working on understanding that. Anyway, today I scored more points than in the last five sprints of last year, so we have to look on the bright side and stay calm, relaxed, and keep working. I have to accept things as they are and try to improve."
But is there a lack of feeling at the front like last year?
"It's different. All the Ducatis struggle with braking and entry, we can't stop, but it's a bit different from last year. I think that, compared to KTM and Aprilia, we are currently struggling with braking and corner entry. Our bike is a bit more difficult to stop than it was in testing. In my opinion, Marc did a fantastic job as always, he did an incredible lap in qualifying and then in the race he managed to adapt very quickly and well to the situation."
Earlier, Morbidelli also said that the track conditions were extreme, and he even had difficulty touching the brakes.
"I almost burned myself riding today, but that's how it is. After two laps, the overheating warning light came on on the dashboard, but you can't pay attention to it. So that's how it is, and it's quite difficult to brake and have power on the bike because of the temperature."
However, your pace in the Sprint was top 5.
"Yes, yes, but I finished ninth. You have to look at that. I made a mistake three laps from the end, I couldn't stop at turn 1 and I went wide. There's a very fine line between being able to stop well and not stopping at all. But in the race I think I rode better than in qualifying, I managed to be more consistent, more aggressive on some entries."
But why did your feelings change so much compared to the tests?
"It's more my problem than the bike's. The bike is what it is, you have to understand everything in advance and adapt. As I said, the conditions are very different from the tests, and I'm struggling with the front. The bike is new, and when you're faced with something new, some people understand it quickly, and others take longer. I always take longer to adapt to new things. I'm trying, but it's definitely a long process."
Did you expect Acosta to be so competitive? Do you think KTM was holding back a little?
"I don't think KTM was hiding. The conditions have changed compared to testing, and Pedro and KTM have done a better job of adapting to the situation."
What is your opinion on the Marquez-Acosta contact?
"I didn't see it," concluded the #63.