Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia faced a rocky start during the Friday practice session at Phillip Island, as dark clouds loomed overhead and he struggled to set a lap time. With nearly half of the session elapsed, the Ducati star had yet to record a time, raising concerns about potentially having to enter Saturday’s Qualifying 1.
However, fortune smiled on the Italian racer when rain held off, allowing him to eventually secure a top-ten finish, placing fifth overall and just 0.243 seconds behind the session leader. Bagnaia’s challenges included switching to his spare bike after feeling uncomfortable on his initial machine and dealing with a session interruption due to a goose on the track.
Reflecting on the session, Bagnaia told MotoGP.com, “I was quite sure to enter Q2, honestly. But it was not the ideal start of a session because with the first bike I wasn’t feeling well, so I had to stop and switch to the other one, which wasn’t ready. It was a bit of a rush in that moment. But as soon as I started with the other bike, I understood what to do regarding bike setup and worked very well with the team.”
Despite the early setbacks, Bagnaia was able to establish a solid pace with a used soft rear tyre. He noted, “Unluckily, we didn’t have the chance to go for full performance due to the yellow flags. I think we could have finished in first or second position, but it’s enough to finish fifth today. The objective was to be in the top 10, and we achieved that. I’m happy with that, but I want to take another step tomorrow. We know what to do, and I believe we have the potential to do it.”
Bagnaia, who is just ten points behind title rival Jorge Martin with four rounds remaining, commented on the newly resurfaced Phillip Island track, stating, “The level of grip is very high, which feels good, but it’s very bumpy, which is quite strange given the new asphalt. Choosing a tyre right now is challenging. I saw that only Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi tried the new medium rear, and they were fast, so it might be a good option.”
As Gresini GP23 machines topped the timesheets, Bagnaia emphasized the competitiveness of the field. “I think right now we are all very close, and it’s easy to follow a faster rider around here in the slipstream. It will be difficult to see someone opening a gap in the Sprint, but tomorrow we will see. The performance is very balanced among everyone.”
Bagnaia’s teammate, Enea Bastianini, currently two points ahead of Marc Marquez in the championship standings, finished in 16th place and will enter Qualifying 1. As the teams prepare for the next day, all eyes will be on Bagnaia as he aims to build on his promising performance at Phillip Island.
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