Pecco Bagnaia Reveals the Secret Behind His Return to Success: “The Right Choice”
Pecco Bagnaia is back on the winner’s podium, ending a winless streak that had lasted since last year’s Malaysian GP Sprint race. The choice of the soft tire proved decisive, allowing him to build a lead in the early laps and then manage that advantage all the way to the checkered flag.
“The tire? Fortunately, we made the right choice this time, unlike what happened in Austin,” explained the Ducati rider. “The race was decided in the opening laps: I pushed as hard as I could there and then tried to manage the lead. I kept Ogura in check, and I hope we’ll be just as competitive tomorrow.”
Bagnaia acknowledged that, had he been on the same tire compound as his rivals, the challenge would have been tougher: “I would have struggled more in the early stages, and I think Ogura’s pace was better than mine today. I knew, however, that the start would be crucial and that I had to push hard right away in the first three laps. Perhaps that effort took its toll on me in the final stages, partly because the vibrations were quite pronounced. If they happen again tomorrow, we know how to minimize their effects.”
According to the Italian champion, the progress is now evident: “Excluding Balaton, we’ve made significant strides in recent races, and we need to keep moving in this direction. I feel comfortable under the brakes and don’t even have to think about what I’m doing. The difficulties come mainly during corner entry and acceleration, when the rear tends to slide a lot and the bike reacts unpredictably as soon as I open the throttle a little more.”
A significant improvement came thanks to the work done on the rear brake: “Since we arrived here, I’ve been focusing above all on greater stability. A modification to the rear brake allows me to be more precise and brake with greater confidence. Now my corner entry is exactly what I was looking for, and the bike follows the racing line correctly.”
The use of the rear brake has proven to be one of the key aspects in managing vibrations: “The rear brake needs to be used, but when the bike is leaning into a corner, I almost have to forget about it. That’s where the vibrations start, and I’ve always been used to holding it on until the acceleration phase. In the final laps, I stopped using it that way and was able to pick up speed again.”
As for tire management, Bagnaia explained: “By the fourth lap, I already had a lead of over a second over Ogura and could feel the vibrations starting. That’s why I immediately switched to engine map C. Realizing I needed to limit my use of the rear brake helped me maintain a steady pace. In any case, today I didn’t have the pace of either Ogura or, above all, Marc.”
