Bagnaia: Portimao win wraps up ‘my best weekend in MotoGP, I enjoyed every lap’
Francesco Bagnaia believes today’s dominant MotoGP victory at Portimao is the best of his premier class career thus far.
The Ducati rider, who started from pole for the fifth consecutive race, was faultless throughout as he led from lights-to-flag.
In fact, Bagnaia’s only hiccup this weekend came during the start as he was slow away - led to team-mate Jack Miller coming through, however, Bagnaia regained the lead on the exit of turn one before Joan Mir also got through on Miller.
Mir did well to keep the pressure on Bagnaia during the first eight laps, but Bagnaia’s pace was eventually too much as he won by a comfortable 2.4s.
The win for Bagnaia, along with Miller claiming third has also resulted in the Bologna-based team winning their second consecutive manufacturers’ title.
Speaking after the race, Bagnaia said: "I’m very happy because I think it’s my best weekend in MotoGP. Also, I enjoyed every single session this weekend.
"When you feel so great with your bike everything comes more easily to you. I’m very happy with the work done.
"Compared to April when I finished second, I was feeling more competitive this time around.
"This race was more difficult at the start because with the front tyre I was struggling a bit more compared to other races, so I was trying to push but every time I was leaning on the left I was feeling that the left was closing.
"But then everything came better and better in the next laps, so I’m very happy for this win."
Heading into the weekend, 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo said he could ride without any pressure having wrapped up the title.
And while Bagnaia was asked if that was the case for him during the post-race press conference, the Ducati rider said nothing changed compared to Misano.
"I sincerely think I’m the same in Misano. I was doing the same race, I was doing the same pushing like Misano and there I was more unlucky because I crashed," added Bagnaia.
"Maybe today it's because I wasn’t with the hard front [jokes Bagnaia]; Mir cuts in and says ‘I hoped you used the hard’ [smiles], but sincerely I didn’t change it.
"In Misano I was just trying to open up the championship, but I already knew that it was very difficult to win it."
During today’s race Quartararo crashed with five laps to go, something that would not have happened in Bagnaia’s opinion had the title fight been extended to this weekend.
The former Moto2 champion said: "If I won in Misano then for sure Quartararo would not crash today. So it’s okay like this. I was racing without pressure in the championship, so I just did the same thing today."
