For the first time, Bagnaia fought against the Márquez brothers in Austin

Starting in sixth place, Francesco Bagnaia leaped forward like a jack-in-the-box to lead the race from the first corner. The Italian driver then delivered a spectacular first lap, battling it out with Marc Márquez and his brother Álex. Although the battle was short-lived, it provided a considerable boost to the morale of the two-time world champion.

Titled in 2022 and 2023, Bagnaia relinquished his crown to Jorge Martín last year. This season, he shares his garage with the No. 93, Marc Márquez, who dominated the first five races of the year. Despite this fierce competition, the protégé of Valentino Rossi remains determined to return to his best level.

“It was great from my point of view.”, he told the official MotoGP website. “I got off to a good start, and when I saw I was on the inside, I took my chance and it worked out well. However, I still need to work on the first laps, as I lost too much time on the second and third laps. I lost 1 seconds to Alex, and that was too much. Then I managed to maintain a similar pace to the Márquez brothers. So I need to improve my first laps to be able to fight.”

After two difficult weekends at the start of the season, Pecco Bagnaia feels his hard work is starting to pay off. The Qatar Grand Prix, where Marc Márquez is usually less comfortable, will be a crucial first test. Bagnaia, who has always performed well at Losail, could well return to the top step of the podium thanks to his renewed feeling.

“It was great because for the first time this season I felt like I had a chance,” he added. “We’re working really hard with the team and we’re getting closer. I know it’s going to be a long road. Unfortunately, I lost a bit of feeling in pre-season testing and the first races. Racing at this pace isn’t easy, but we’re starting to find our feet again.”

The Grand Prix of the Americas, this Sunday at 21 p.m., will be another opportunity for Bagnaia to prove that he is still a serious contender for the title.

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