Bagnaia highlighted it over the weekend, and Fabio di Giannantonio did not deny it. Best Ducati at the start of this season according to the standings, which now see him in fourth place, if one were to sum up the #49's start to the season in one word it would be consistency. This consistency of results in this bittersweet Saturday of Barcelona, as he points out to journalists.
On one hand, the sweetness of another podium and other valuable points in the sprint. On the other, the bitterness of a somewhat lackluster qualifying but on which the Roman managed to make amends during the race. In the sprint, the VR46 rider climbed up the standings fighting among the agile Aprilias and the sturdy KTMs, eventually battling with Acosta. The pace of the best might have allowed him something more, but for today, he'll have to be content.
"Considering we started from the second row, we're happy with what we've achieved - Fabio commented - the podium was extremely important, and we brought it home. I made a mistake in qualifying by riding aggressively with this new aerodynamic package I thought would be more rewarding, but I realized on the last lap that by cruising, I matched the qualifying time. I approached it wrong, it was a mistake because starting here from the first row is very important, and that second and a half I lost at the start to Alex and Pedro I never managed to recover. Overall, though, I'm satisfied; we made many overtakes, it was a race that kept me busy let's say," the Roman jokes.
With that pace at the end, a few more laps would have helped.
"Maybe we would have tried, but today it was only twelve laps. I think at the end we were the fastest on track, I was gaining on Alex and Pedro, but there was no more time. It's a pity because when you start sixth, you have to make several overtakes to recover. I think we must be happy even though there's a bit of a bittersweet aftertaste from the qualifying".
At the start of the race, there was also contact with Binder, which was not penalized.
"We all braked at the same point, I was in the middle and got sucked in by the air. I saw that the only chance not to cause damage was to go inside. At the second turn, I breathed a sigh of relief thinking nothing happened because I wasn't aware of anything, but then I learned about Brad and Joan's crash. I didn't feel the contact, but I couldn't have done anything anyway".
You had the chance to battle closely with Aprilias and KTMs, what sets them apart?
"I think that the KTMs and Aprilias have a great front end, I saw Pedro ride incredibly. Watching the Aprilias, it seems they can delay corner entry even with their bodies, which allows them to safely exploit the front end, they push the bike and then cut back in, improving their lines as well. On exit though, we're slightly ahead; today we were there".
In terms of race pace, you're competitive.
"I feel good, the bike is behaving well. The problem is that we'll be starting sixth, and a lot will depend on the start. If you lose ground at the beginning, pushing to recover might not allow you to manage the tyres well. It will be a race that's not as easy as it seems; we'll have to work hard. The last laps will be critical, here in Barcelona in MotoGP on the bike it's like being on a boat, with the bike moving and sliding a lot. The slowest will be the fastest. It will be like a motocross race where conditions vary, and you have to change riding style five times during the race; it will be interesting, but I like this type of races".
A curiosity: Jorge Martin did some starting practice in the pit lane today.
"I never do it, the track isn't that clean, and with the wall so close..."