Pecco Bagnaia had said that he had the potential to express himself on the Ducati at the befriended Red Bull Ring. Second place on the grid today confirms how right the Italian was and at that point he will have to manage the start of the race to overtake Fabio Quartararo who was just great on the flying lap.
However, the risk that the rain could shuffle the cards in tomorrow’s race is very high Starting before everyone else is an advantage for Bagnaia, who have to capitalize on the double headed ball in Austria to score points for the driver who will start next to him on the grid tomorrow. Rain or not, tomorrow’s World Championship run must be a turning point for Pecco’s World Cup hopes.
“I’ve had a few too many problems in the last few races – Bagnaia explained – and Assen has been really tough for us at Ducati. During that time I’ve worked a lot to find the right mindset and I think I have another one Step made. ” Today I took other steps with the bike, yesterday I was not in good shape. In FP4 I noticed how much we had improved. Certainly this track is better for us than Assen, because here we can make good use of our braking and acceleration values. Just look at the standings to see four Ducatis in the top six, this track is good for us. But it could rain tomorrow, which will be difficult in my opinion. “
Do you feel the pressure on you? Here you are the undisputed favorite to win …
“The great thing is that Everyone here has told me that Ducati has to win. They said it in Qatar and Mugello too, they told me that I had to win there too. But I think that all manufacturers will be very close this year. In the past few years, Ducati has been much faster than its competitors. Now it’s not like if we look at the FP4 I think I’m the only Ducati rider in the top 6 for top speed. I think things have changed; Ducati usually suffers in Jerez, but this year we did a 1-2. The bikes are all close together and even if we may have a small advantage on the straights, the others have the same advantages in the curvy section as here in the third sector. I have a great chance of my first win, but I don’t think it will be as easy as the fans imagine. “
Are all problems in the third sector?
“The third sector is a point where I was very fast in Moto2. I’m looking at Jorge’s data tonight because in this sector he’s turning Ducati into Yamaha or Suzuki, he’s very fast. We, on the other hand, have a harder time entering the corners and closing the line. In FP4, I followed Marc Marquez to see if he was quick and I saw that he was able to build a lead of a tent or two on me on some points. I think that he and I are contenders for victory with Joan tomorrow. But I also see Zarco, Fabio and Maverick. I think tomorrow there will be more than six drivers able to fight for victory and it won’t be easy. “
You talked about the progress made thanks to the work. How do you mean?
“I practically never went on vacation. I started training on Wednesday after Assen. I tried it in Assen, but it was very difficult. Then I trained a lot with the Panigale V4s and I think that I made a big step forward in terms of concentration in order to stay fast and consistent even on used tires. I think we worked well during this break. I think when you know that you have done a good job, you arrive at the race weekend strengthened and ready ”.
What do you think of Pedrosa’s return to racing?
“I think everyone is happy for Pedrosa, happy to see him out on the track. As a kid I saw his races against Valentino and he was one of the Fantastic Four. I’m excited about this return, it’s not easy to be that quick after three years, but I think it is possible for a champion like him. He can be happy. “
Are you worried that it might rain tomorrow?
“If it rained like in Assen 2016, there would be a lot of problems. F1 was here in the wet two weeks ago and we’ve all seen how difficult it is to brake on wet tarmac. I don’t know how it can be difficult to control the bike in extreme conditions here “.
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