MotoGP at Phillip Island: Bagnaia Navigates Challenges in Friday Practice

 

As the MotoGP paddock descended upon Phillip Island, reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia faced a turbulent start to the lone Friday practice session. With dark clouds looming and the threat of rain, Bagnaia found himself without a lap time halfway through the session, a precarious position that could have left him vulnerable for Saturday’s Qualifying 1.

The Italian rider’s troubles began with discomfort on his primary bike, prompting him to switch to a spare machine. Just as he was making the transition, the session was interrupted by red flags due to an unexpected hazard—a goose on the track. Despite these challenges, Bagnaia remained focused, knowing that his title rival Jorge Martin had also faced difficulties earlier in the session after an early crash.

Fortunately for Bagnaia, the rain held off, allowing him to find his rhythm. He eventually secured a respectable fifth place on the timesheets, just 0.243 seconds off

the leader and directly behind Martin. Reflecting on his session, Bagnaia shared, “I was quite sure to enter in Q2, honestly. But it was not the ideal start… I had to stop and start with the other bike, which wasn’t ready.”

Once on his second bike, Bagnaia and his team quickly adapted, honing their setup. “Finally, I was able to have a great pace with the used rear [soft] tyre and then the time attack went quite well,” he noted. Despite the disruptions, including yellow flags that impeded his final lap, Bagnaia expressed satisfaction with finishing in the top ten, emphasizing, “The objective was to be in the top 10 and we did it. So happy for that, but I want to do another step tomorrow.”

Currently trailing Jorge Martin by just ten points with four races left in the season, Bagnaia’s comments on the new Phillip Island surface were telling. He described it as “grippy but bumpy,” adding, “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.” The choice of tyres remained a point of uncertainty, with only a few riders, like Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi, having tested the new medium rear tyre.

Looking ahead, Bagnaia noted the competitive nature of the field, stating, “Right now we are all very close, and it’s easy to follow a faster rider around here in the slipstream.” This parity among the riders could lead to a tightly contested sprint race on Saturday.

Meanwhile, his teammate Enea Bastianini struggled to find pace, finishing 16th and set to participate in Qualifying 1. With the championship battle intensifying, all eyes will be on Bagnaia and his strategies for the upcoming sessions as he seeks to close the gap on Martin and solidify his title defense.