The Valencia track is historically not too friendly with Ducati, but in this 2021 it is reversing the trend, dominating the qualifying of the last Grand Prix of the season. The pole position went to Jorge Martin, but the Desmosedici monopolize the front row with the other two official drivers. Pecco Bagnaia will start from the second box, remaining just 64 thousandths from the Spanish pole holder.
For the vice world champion comes a new front row, a result that comes constantly from the Assen Grand Prix. Ducati proves with today’s result that it is the best bike on the grid, conquering the 30th front row, Pecco’s tenth consecutive. A crash on the last lap prevented Bagnaia from undermining Martin, but the satisfaction is great in the box of driver number 63.
Bagnaia also acknowledges that he doesn’t have any to be in front of the Pramac rider, but he is still very happy with the result: “I’m happy because it’s from Assen that I start from the front row and this is already a very important thing, so I’m happy. I am very happy, because I have never been strong in Valencia. The only thing that is staying the same is that I always fall off at Turn 2. That’s an amazing thing that I’ll have to figure out, but the grip on this track is different from other tracks, because it always feels like the tires aren’t gripping and it’s a feeling. strange “.
Curve 2 was the area of the track that betrayed Bagnaia, who explains: “At Curva 2 it seems that he arrives with both wheels blocked and you have to hope to be able to enter. However, we did a good qualifying, we start second, which is perfect. Today Jorge deserved pole position more than me, so that’s okay. I definitely wouldn’t have done the best lap when I lay down, so that’s okay ”.
During the first qualifying stages, Bagnaia led Valentino Rossi, who is competing here for his last race of his career. The Doctor then lost contact with the Ducati rider, going wide. Pecco tries to give an explanation: “I don’t know what happened, but I identify with his situation and the same thing happened to him that happened to me in Qatar. I think he got into my air tunnel and when he braked the bike he accelerated, this thing happens here a lot. I think this happened, then I’m going to ask. However, it is the least I can do for Vale, if I can help him in some way, I would like it very much “.
Once the qualifications have been archived, however, it is time to think about the race, which will not be key in the standings, but it is still important to crown the great work done in the garage. Bagnaia explains how they behaved at Ducati: “I made this choice because tire wear is very high on the left and you have to be careful. With the team we thought that maybe on the left because the tire is spinning so much, then we have brought forward a soft that still goes very well, definitely better than the hard. I tried it for two laps, but on the right I only risked some big highside. But then when I put back the average which already had 13 laps I did four laps and I improved the time again, I went two tenths faster than the morning, when it was new, so we have quite clear ideas and I think that everyone in general has the same idea “.
What you see in Valencia is an analytical and very concentrated Bagnaia. Despite being the last race of the year, Pecco is also working towards 2022: “We are working on it, without a doubt. We’ve taken a huge step forward on this lately. In the meantime, we have put the qualifications in place, we are always very fast, we are able to make the most of our engine which gives us a hand especially when you have maximum grip on the tire. In the race, on the other hand, the question is more about rubber management. At Ducati, we all ride a little differently, but in the end the substance is always the same, you have to pull off hard and do some distance, and we are also working on that. In practice lately, I try to do as many laps as possible, constantly at the limit to understand how much fuel consumption is and this always gives me a great hand in the race ”.
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