Bagnaia: “My goal is not to win” 

In contrast to fabio quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia doesn't seem as comfortable since the weekend's opener against Valencia, but the Italian doesn't need to take unnecessary risks either. He secured a place in Q2 and qualified eighth, so far nothing dramatic. 

He will try to get a good start, at least as good as in Malaysia, to take cover and then it will be a matter of managing. “Of course, I expected a little more given the feeling I had last year,” he confided. After talking with other riders who ride the same bike, we are suffering a little from the feeling with the front axle. This year, we feel it less, but we can brake harder. It's something strange, but on this kind of track, it doesn't help me much. I also have difficulty with new tires to attack as I want, because the feeling with the front is not the best. With used tires, we are competitive (…). »

The Italian still has the warm-up to find a solution. “For tomorrow we have to do something,” he said. I think the ideas my team has are good and it can help me for tomorrow. My goal for tomorrow is not to win, but to be calm and understand. I will take risks initially to keep myself away from problems. Then it will be about being smart. »

Pecco under pressure? Not too much… 

Many believe that the closer the deadline approaches, the more pressure Bagnaia is under, but the main person concerned does not agree. “The race will be the only session of the weekend without this nervousness,” he said. We only focus on the race. In Malaysia, it was the only moment where I fully focused on what I had to do (…)”

And added: “I tried not to take any risks and to be competitive without making mistakes like in Malaysia. Today we saw a lot of falls, because the asphalt is starting to get a little old. But I don't think it affected me much. »

Bagnaia has not yet established a strategy for the race, but he knows more or less what he will have to do. “Difficult to implement a strategy, because in MotoGP, it is impossible to predict what will happen, he recalled. I may have to take a few risks on the first two or three laps to have a little margin on the drivers behind me and manage better. I'm going to try to make a better start than in Malaysia, that could help me, then we'll see. »