Francesco Bagnaia after difficult first day: Our potential is much higher

Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia faced a challenging first day at the Qatar Grand Prix, with early barriers putting him at a disadvantage against his rival. Unlike riders like Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez who started fast, Bagnaia struggled from the start.

In the morning’s free practice (FP1), Bagnaia quickly returned to the pits and expressed his displeasure at the behavior of the rear tyre. Despite the time spent in the garage, the world champion managed to post a lap time that put him in the top ten, showing his adaptability and ability to overcome difficulties.

The overnight FP2, which took place in the rain, did not bring any significant changes to the overall structure and Bagnaia remained focused on optimizing his performance for the rest of the weekend’s challenges.

In an interview with MotoGP.com after the first day, Bagnaia shared his thoughts on the difficulties, saying: “It was certainly not the first day I expected, but unfortunately we didn’t have the best feeling on the bike. The bike worked well, but it didn’t work well. Overall, I’m not satisfied, but we know that our chances are much better and we can fight for the best places. My feeling was not the best.”

However, the Italian has confidence in his team and their ability to overcome challenges, stressing that understanding the bike’s potential is key. He said: “We know the set-up perfectly and we know where the potential lies.

When discussing the expectations for the next day, Bagnaia emphasized the importance of feeling good and confident on the bike and expressed his desire for significant improvements. He said: “I hope it will feel good tomorrow. The conditions of this wet FP2 stage will not be the best for the sand, but we will try to stay in the top ten.”

Bagnaia’s ability to overcome adversity and trust in her own potential underpins her resilience and determination. With the changing conditions and the added challenges of the weekend, MotoGP fans can expect a remarkable recovery from the champion as he looks to increase his performance to get to the top of the standings.