Catalunya has become one of the most critical grand prix for drivers when it comes to managing rear tire consumption. The extremely hot conditions, with more than 50 degrees on the track and an asphalt that devours the tires, the key is not to be the fastest, but to reach the last laps with the possibility of being.
For this reason, at the press conference, the drivers who will start this Sunday from the front row of the grid focused all their thoughts on the management of the rear compounds.
The first step, however, was to get a good grid position and looking at Aleix Espargaró’s dominance this weekend in his home race, Pecco Bagnaia’s second place seemed like the best possible reward.
“I’m happy, we’ve done a good job all weekend, FP4 has given me the confidence I needed to improve attacking at the time of Q2, we’ve changed the setting a bit. It was very easy to make a mistake today, but in the end I was very close to pole position. This weekend, as in the last Aleix, he is being very strong, but especially here in Barcelona he is very strong”, admitted the Italian.
Although, logically, he did not want to reveal what strategy he has in mind, Pecco did admit that it will not be easy to arrive with the whole tire at the end.
“I don’t know how to beat Aleix, but the key will be managing the rear tire, you can go fast but if you push a lot at the beginning you don’t make it to the last few laps, it will be an absolute survival race, you have to find the balance between not being too conservative when principle with saving rubber”.
Francesco Bagnaia, Equipo Ducati
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
What Pecco is clear about is that he will go into the race with the medium rear tire.
“I have tested the race tire in FP4 and I am satisfied with the pace we have”.
With all the drivers so on edge with the rear compound, they asked if the front can have an influence.
“The front medium in these conditions is sometimes not a hard enough tyre, but it gives me a good feeling, I’m only worried about the rear.” Finally, Pecco was asked to assess the departure of Jack Miller from Ducati, bound for KTM, after admitting Paolo Ciabatti, the team’s sports director, that the Australian will not continue next year. Bagnaia had always defended Jack’s continuity at his side.
“For me it was fantastic to have Jack as a teammate, we form a pineapple and I need it and I like it, we have been working together for many years, even in the box, we shared many things and we talked a lot about everything, I would like to keep that and I hope that the (new teammate) that comes understands, if we want to be fast and improve we have to have a good and close relationship, I am sure that this is something that Jack and I have started and we can replicate it in the future with another pilot. I wish Jack Miller the best in his future,” settled the Italian.
