Pecco Bagnaia wrapped up the first day of free practice on Brazil’s wet track with a smile. Despite conditions that were difficult to read due to the rain that fell intermittently on the Ayrton Senna Circuit, the Turin native managed to secure a crucial Q2 spot with the 9th-fastest time, finishing seven-tenths of a second behind Zarco’s benchmark. A result that, as the Ducati rider admits, “was impossible last year.” Bagnaia’s smile thus reflects, on the one hand, satisfaction with the result itself, and on the other—and perhaps more importantly —the sensations that the GP26 is once again conveying to him, a feedback he had lost last season but seems to have regained since the tests in Thailand.
“I really enjoyed myself today,” Bagnaia begins, “the track is a lot of fun; you can have fun riding here because it’s technical but fast, and the grip is good considering the conditions we faced, so I had a good time. Fortunately, the bike gave me good feedback, the kind I need to be able to push. In the past, I struggled in these conditions, but today we managed to make it to Q2. I think I took turns 9 and 10 too slowly; I made a mistake and lost a lot of time, but aside from that, I’m satisfied.”
Track conditions, compounded by the rain, made it difficult to get a feel for the new Brazilian circuit.
"It was difficult; with this rain in the afternoon, it was important to put together a good lap. Under these conditions, making it into Q2 last year would have been impossible. As I said, I made a mistake, but it was still enough to make it into Q2."
His Q2 result was also thanks to the right feel on his Ducati.
"The feel on the bike has improved; last year I couldn’t always figure out what the bike was asking of me, but today I could. This morning on the exit I almost crashed, but I realized what was about to happen and managed to stay on the bike. With the new bike, it seems easier to interpret the feedback."
The feel on the bike is therefore positive, a step forward compared to the first weekend of the championship.
"The feel is the same as it was during testing in Thailand, even though we had difficulties in the race. Right now we can be happy, but if we race in dry conditions tomorrow, we’ll be able to understand the bike better."