francesco Bagnaia on why he swapped to his spare bike but was then halted by red flags and seeing his title rival Jorge Martin in the same boat.

 

Pecco Bagnaia faced a series of challenges during the qualifying session at Phillip Island, but his resilience and strategic adjustments helped him secure a top ten finish. After initially feeling uncomfortable on his primary bike, he made the switch to his spare machine. However, his progress was temporarily halted by red flags caused by an unexpected obstacle—a goose on the track.

Despite these setbacks, Bagnaia managed to finish fifth, just 0.243 seconds off the top spot, and directly behind title rival Jorge Martin, who had also experienced an early fall. “I was quite sure to enter in Q2, honestly,” Bagnaia reflected on the session’s interruptions. “But it was not the ideal start… I had to stop and start with the other one, which wasn’t ready.”

Once on his backup bike, Bagnaia quickly adapted, finding a solid setup and demonstrating impressive pace, especially with the used rear soft tyre. He expressed some frustration

at the missed opportunity for a faster time due to yellow flags, noting, “I think we were able to finish in first or second position, but it’s enough to finish 5th today.” His goal was to secure a top ten finish, and he successfully achieved that, aiming for an even better result in the race.

With only four rounds remaining in the championship, Bagnaia is trailing Martin by just ten points. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the newly resurfaced Phillip Island track, describing it as grippy yet bumpy. “The level of grip is very high… but it’s very bumpy, and it’s quite strange to have these bumps already with the new asphalt,” he noted. This unique surface condition has made tyre selection crucial, and while some riders like Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi tested a new medium rear tyre with promising results, Bagnaia is keen to explore options further in the next session.

As for the competition, Bagnaia believes the close performance among riders means no clear favourite has emerged. “I think right now we are all very close… it’s easy to follow a faster rider in the slipstream. So it will be difficult to see someone opening a gap in the Sprint,” he stated, emphasizing the balanced performance across the field.

His teammate Enea Bastianini faces a different challenge, qualifying 16th and needing to navigate Qualifying 1. With the championship tight and the stakes high, all eyes will be on Bagnaia as he aims to capitalize on his experience and speed in the race ahead. The dynamic at Phillip Island promises to deliver an exciting showdown, with Bagnaia poised to make his mark.