Francesco Bagnaia Is Getting Closer To Finding The Best Performance

JAKARTA - Francesco Bagnaia is feeling progress despite being in 10th position in the 2025 American MotoGP Free Exercise (FP1) at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

Francesco Bagnaia believes finishing 10th in FP1 on Friday, March 28, 2025, WIB night, is a significant progress.

The Italian racer started the day in sixth place in a soaking wet morning session, then stayed in the last 10 positions for direct access to Qualification 2 (Q2) which will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025, western Indonesia time.

With the other five Ducati filling the top five positions, there is still doubt about Bagnaia. Moreover, he has not been able to surpass his teammate, Marc Marquez, in all sessions as far as MotoGP 2025. Even so, Bagnaia remains optimistic.

"I'm happy for the first time on Friday with my feelings for the bike."

"When I'm wet, I'm very happy because usually I need more time to be competitive and since the first round I've felt good."

"Then this afternoon, the whole session went well. I just made the wrong decision by using soft front tires in the last 10 minutes."

"We know that I've always had a hard time getting the tires working. The other Ducati riders are better at that. I know it's one of my weak points. But, besides that, I'm happy."

"I feel when braking, feeling when entering the corner is better, and this is something we are looking for."

"We're trying to solve our problems session by session. I think we're getting closer to my best feeling."

"Right now, on this track, I feel much better than in Thailand. So, I have to keep going like this," Bagnaia said as reported by Crash.

Bagnaia added that he had maintained many advantages in difficult conditions. He also reiterated that he did not want to return to the GP24 motorcycle package last year despite being defeated by satellite riders Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli at the Argentine MotoGP.

"My English is not very good, but what I want to explain is that I want to go back to my feelings for the GP24. Not really back to the GP24."

"Obviously that a new bike has better potential. Marc shows it. So, I don't need to go back, I just want to have the same feeling about last year's bike."

"However, on this track, I feel much better. So, I'm already happy," said the rider who is familiarly called Pecco.

The two-time MotoGP world champion will start the Sprint Race race on Sunday, March 30, 2025, early in the morning WIB, taking third place in the standings, 15 points behind Alex Marquez and 31 points from Marc Marquez.