Tomorrow he will start fifth, but Pecco Bagnaia could not have asked for much more in qualifying for the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Grand Prix. Thanks to the penalty remedied yesterday for hindering Alex Marquez in FP1 (a retreat of three positions), the Ducati rider knew that the best he could aspire to was fourth place on the grid and he didn’t go too far, because he missed. pole for just a few thousandths in favor of teammate Jack Miller.
A result that we could almost consider half a feat, given that qualifying took place with an insidious drizzle that fell on the Misano track, conditions in which the Australian literally wallows. Even the vice-champion of the world, however, was really good at being able to throw his heart over the obstacle.
“Qualifying today was really tough, because the conditions weren’t the best. I started with the rain tires to be sure I had a time, then when I put the slicks on, there was grip, but it always tended to slip a bit. . A minimum of water remained on the bottom, so at the beginning it was not really easy in terms of grip, “said Bagnaia at the end of the day.
“In the end I said to myself ‘it goes or breaks it’ and I made the bend as if the track was completely okay. The bike made some strange noises, but in the end I managed to take the lap home. and to be second, which will be a fifth position on the grid tomorrow, and for better or worse that was the goal today, “he added.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
When asked to delve into the theme of the “noises” of his Desmosedici GP, he added: “She wasn’t very happy at that juncture, but I think it was the only way to try to stay ahead, because I struggle more in T4. , so I had to squeeze everything into the third sector “.
Even though he has reached his target, he does not expect an easy race tomorrow, also because the weather forecast remains quite unstable at the moment. “The race will be very difficult because all the Ducatis are very fast: we will have to make a great start and try to get ahead as quickly as possible. Then we’ll see what happens.”
The world leader Fabio Quartararo did not experience a simple qualification, because he only finished eighth. Therefore, despite the penalty, he will find himself in an advantageous position and with six Ducatis ahead of his Yamaha rival. Pecco, however, he expects “El Diablo” among the protagonists tomorrow and for now he does not think it will be easy to reduce the gap by 44 points.
“Also last year he started far behind, but he recovered anyway. I don’t think it will be a problem for him, since he is very fast here. But I also think that I will have my beautiful cat to peel tomorrow.”
During the conference there was also a small controversy related to his choice to dedicate the special helmet to Dennis Rodman, given some particular choices that the former NBA player made off the pitch. Bagnaia, however, made it clear that his admiration for him is limited to what he represented as a sportsman and his ability to go outside the box on the pitch.
“I chose this helmet because I liked Rodman a lot on a sporting level. It made a difference and in certain situations he gave it a little. And that’s what I have to try to do in this championship phase, try to break the mold. A he was not interested in scoring points, he took rebounds and defended. I chose him for this reason, then what he does off the pitch I don’t give a damn. Everyone is free to lead their own life and that’s what journalists should understand in certain situations “, he concluded.
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