The 2021 championship runner-up scored four wins for Ducati across the past season and qualified on pole five times, marking himself out as a title contender for 2022.
Ducati has brought a raft of new items to the two-day Jerez test this week, including a new engine, fairing and exhaust, with Bagnaia currently topping Friday’s times as of 3pm local time with a 1m36.872s lap set on medium rubber that is quicker than his Spanish GP qualifying lap.
World champion Quartararo already admitted after the Valencia finale that he was “worried” about Ducati’s potential ahead of 2022, with Bagnaia likely doing nothing to calm his Yamaha rival’s fears with his comments on the final day of the Jerez test.
“The old bike was perfect already and we are improving this perfect bike,” he said.
“That thing is incredible. The laptime we did and the pace we are doing with the medium tires and used tires are incredible.
“This means Ducati has done a really great job, because to improve a bike that was already fantastic is not easy.
“For next year we will have a lot more things to try, but there will be something to try in Sepang.”
Bagnaia went on to say that Ducati “has all my trust” in the development of the GP22, while noting that the 2022 engine – the first Ducati has been able to develop since 2020 owing to the COVID pandemic – is pretty much already at the level of the current engine.
“The character of the engine is totally different,” he added.
“But like always, when something is new you have to understand it and it’s more or less at the same level of the old one, but it’s just the second day we are using it.
“So, we still have margin [to improve]. I feel very good with the work they are doing, because I’m really confident, Ducati has all my trust for the development, and I think we are telling great things – me and Jack – to Ducati to improve this bike.
“There are all small differences to the bike, some things have worked well and some things maybe not.
“So, we have been doing laps to understand and find a way to follow for next year. But already I am feeling great.”
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