MotoGP Catalunya: Bagnaia on Miller - ‘We work together all the time, I wish him luck’

Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia secured his fourth front row of the season on Saturday but the talking points were off track as much as on.

Ducati Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti confirmed on Saturday that Bagnaia would have a new teammate for 2023 with Jack Miller departing the Bologna factory after five years. With rumours strongly pointing to KTM as the Australian’s destination - with Miguel Oliveira tipped to go the other way, potentially with Gresini - the Italian was quick to reflect on the partnership the duo has built since their Pramac days.

“For me, was great to have Jack like a teammate because we form a group inside of the team and it’s something that I really need and I really want,’ Bagnaia said on Saturday evening. “We were together from 2019 and from that moment we started our relationship that was really great in the box.

“We work together all the time and we speak a lot during the weekend, for the tyres, for everything.

“So I would like to have the same relationship in the future for sure. Who will be my teammate will understand that because for me if we want to go fast and if we want to improve, we have to be close and have a good relationship. So I’m quite sure that this have started from when we arrived, me and Jack in the team and for sure in the future will be the same situation but with another rider. And I want to wish all the luck to Jack in his future.”

Returning to the day’s work, which saw the Mugello winner set a 1’38.773 lap on his final effort of qualifying - a time that would have been enough for a new lap record coming in to the weekend and 0.002s adrift of the record set in FP3 before Aleix Espargaro bettered his own time on his way to a home pole - Bagnaia was pleased with a front row