MotoGP Buriram: ‘Now I have to be smart’ - Bagnaia

Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia recovered from a disappointing Japan to stand on the Buriram podium despite a rain-hit Thai Grand Prix.

With no prior running in wet conditions at the Chang International Circuit - thanks to a weekend of dry sessions and the championship’s two year absence - Bagnaia’s confidence was waining as conditions deteriorated. A pep talk from teammate Jack Miller and a strong pace as the action got underway turned the tables for the Italian, with third place the reward.

“I wasn’t so happy,” Bagnaia admitted when discussing the arrival of the torrential rain. “All the weekend but this morning more, we had a new setting, for the warmup everything was perfect. My best warmup on dry weather, everything was ready for a dry race but then when I see it started raining, I was a bit nervous.

“It was in this moment that Jack comes to me and just say something about believing more in myself on that conditions.

“But I was knowing that my potential on wet wasn’t the one in Mandalika or the one in Japan, because normally last year also I was competitive on wet - not to be on the podium but to be in the top five. Today I think the angriness of Japan have helped me to be more close to them, because normally Miguel [Oliveira] and Jack on wet, with also Johann [Zarco] are the three fastest riders on wet, on these conditions. I was sure that to be with them closely was a good idea but I was just struggling at the last part of the race with the front tyre but I think was the same situation for everybody.”

The closing stages of the race found the advancing Pramac of Zarco inches from his factory cohort, before the Frenchman called off the attack and settled for fourth. A previous altercation with Repsol Honda’s Marc