Pecco Bagnaia’s confirms brake change "much easier for me” after "positive" test

Francesco Bagnaia confirmed an improved front-end feeling from running the larger 355mm discs on his factory Ducati during Monday’s Aragon test.

The double world champion, who has struggled to replicate his usual corner entry prowess since stepping onto the latest GP25, tried the bigger brakes in warm-up on Sunday morning.

After a lacklustre 12th in the Saturday Sprint, the Italian looked much more like his normal self as he held off an attacking Pedro Acosta for third behind the Marquez brothers in the grand prix.

But was he able to confirm the same feeling during Monday’s official test?

“Yes. I think this is the most positive test I've had this season,” Bagnaia replied after setting the ninth fastest lap time, 0.697s from Tech3 KTM pace setter Maverick Vinales.

“It was important after yesterday’s race where I started to understand better and taking confidence lap-by-lap.

“Today I started quite happy and I was able to test items, for example in Jerez it was impossible to understand anything so I’m very happy about today.

“In both the morning and the afternoon I was able to improve my lap-time with the last run on the tyres so was important to have this confidence and important to improve what I learned from yesterday. Very positive for me.”

Pecco Bagnaia: "I wasn’t feeling like I was running wide"

Quizzed on how the larger disc has helped fill the void in feeling he’d been suffering, Bagnaia explained:

“On Saturday with the 340[mm disc] I was braking and I cannot control because as soon as I was releasing I was not stopping the bike, so I need all my force to stop the bike and it was very difficult to manage and control the front tyre.

“I was entering and locking and understeering and it was very tough for me.

“The feeling is that the disc continues to be cold. You continue braking hard but it is not stopping.

“Then we moved to the 355 and it is true that you can lock easier but you can manage better. It’s more controllable.

“If you feel it is locking a bit then you can release a bit, but still continue braking and I wasn’t feeling like I was running wide.

“It was much easier for me. Normally, last year, the feeling with the 340 was like this for me.”

With the GP25 working more to his liking, Bagnaia joined team-mate Marc Marquez and VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio in providing feedback on the new GP25 fairing.

“We were focused on the new fairing though I don’t think we will take it to Mugello because we need more time to understand it,” he said.

“It’s true that it was competitive because we used it all afternoon and also a bit in the morning.

“Luckily we have Michele [Pirro, test rider] in Barcelona in these days and he can put some more kilometres on that fairing.”

Bagnaia’s only concern was that having worked tirelessly to find a comfortable set-up, of which the larger brake disc looks to have been the missing ingredient, he may now need to adjust it again to suit the revised aero.

“I was quite happy about [the fairing] but I think we need to change a bit the balance of the bike, so right now it is not my case!” he said. “I don’t want to start changing things again.

“The second item I tried was the swingarm but in conditions like today it is difficult where the grip can change. The grip today was very good, very grippy and I was able to run fast also with used tyres.”

“My feeling is still not to fight for a win”

Despite the progress, Bagnaia warned he still needs more if he is to take on title leader Marquez, who dominated the Aragon weekend and most of the Monday test.

“We have to be realistic and my feeling is not to fight for a win,” he said of his upcoming home MotoGP round at Mugello.

“We have Marc and he is with much more confidence on the bike, so it is hard to think ‘ah, now we go to Mugello – my track – and we win…’

“Right now we have to keep the feet on the ground and continue working.

“Yesterday we made a step and fought with Alex and were close to Marc but he was still much faster.

“We will see. We move to Mugello. The race yesterday was important and so was the test today to keep the confidence and to try things.

“I improved today and that was very important and the next [step] is Mugello which is a very good track for me.

I have to start with this confidence and maybe continue gaining it, but I don’t want to say I will arrive in Mugello and fight for a win. It is not realistic now.

“But it’s my home GP. I will try everything to have the best result possible. I’m happy, the next two races are very good for me.

“I think that I can do another step and it will be important to keep going in a calm way.”

Gresini’s Alex Marquez, who currently splits Marquez and Bagnaia at the top of the world championship, was eighth fastest on his GP24.