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Bagnaia Optimistic Despite Big Setup Struggles in Thai GP Practice

Pecco Bagnaia reflects on a challenging Friday at the Thai Grand Prix and his evident setup struggles on Friday.

Francesco Bagnaia wasn't happy with a setup experiment "that failed" // Photo by Lukasz Swiderek

Following the first day of running at the Thai Grand Prix, Pecco Bagnaia is optimistic that setup problems in Practice have been solved. Despite the hurdles, the Italian felt a sense of improvement compared to his rather chaotic Phillip Island Friday.

“For me, yes, in terms of the feeling we finished the day with,” he stated when asked if this Friday was better than the one last weekend at Phillip Island.

“I just had a little problem with one of the two bikes during the sessions. But this morning I felt good; this afternoon, as soon as I had to try a different setup, the bike wasn’t working well.”

The reigning champion found himself grappling with a setup experiment that didn’t align with his riding style, forcing him to make adjustments on the fly.

“I struggled a bit with the adaptation, and it wasn’t working well,” he continued, highlighting the complexity of finding the right configuration. However, with a quick change before the time attack, Bagnaia managed to regain his rhythm.

“I felt better again going in the other direction. I was ready for the time attack; without doing a very precise lap time, I was able to be fast. So, a good Friday.”

Despite reports of brake issues affecting several riders, Bagnaia remained unfazed. “For me, it’s not an issue. I’m able to brake very hard,” he asserted. “I’m just missing a bit in corner four, quite a lot, and I didn’t do a very good sector three,” he added.

Marc Marquez Flies High in Practice, Ducati Dominates, and Records Fall

Marc Marquez Flies High in Practice, Ducati Dominates, and Records Fall

Marc Marquez tops Day 1 at the 2024 Thai Grand Prix as Ducati dominates a very close Practice Friday and Aleix Espargaro sits out most of the day.

Bagnaia finished Day 1 at the Thai Grand Prix 4th behind his teammate Enea Bastianini. The session saw Marc Marquez lead with Jorge Martin a close 2nd.

As the championship race intensifies with the season nearing its end, Bagnaia’s approach to practice remains steadfast. “For me, it’s the same as the rest of the season.”

“During the race weekend, I just want to work to be perfect for the race,” he explained. “Right now, I don’t feel anything different compared to before. Maybe it will change a bit, but right now, no.”

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