MotoGP Misano: Bagnaia ‘agrees with penalty, wet race will be difficult’

Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia put a difficult first day behind him by claiming the second fastest MotoGP time at Misano in Friday’s FP2.

Having received a three-place grid penalty for Sunday’s 27-lap race after just 45-minutes on track at his local Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Bagnaia was both accepting and reflective of his FP1 actions, having been caught ‘riding slowly on the racing line, causing a dangerous situation’ - to LCR’s Alex Marquez - in the closing minutes.

“This morning that the first session was already finished, but wasn’t finished,” Bagnaia explained. “I thought that I had taken the chequered flag, but I didn’t, so I’m totally agree with the decision to give me the penalty, is normal so it’s okay like this.

“But for that I have to do really great qualifying to don’t lose so much time in the start of the race.

“In any case, I think we did a good step in front this afternoon. Apart from the crash, because I was too on the inside, that I touch the white line and I lose the front. But in any case, I think we did a good job to be competitive again this afternoon, and we have a good possibility.

“Will be important to do the perfect lap tomorrow,” he continued on the task awaiting him on Saturday. “Because it’s very easy to do mistakes in this track because it’s very technical but I think we have a good set up to do a really great lap.

“Will not be easy because Fabio [Quartararo] and Aprilia and the other Ducatis are competitive, but we train a lot in here so we have a better position than them. The most important thing is that a lot of people are here to support us so we have to do a good job!”

With rain threatening, Friday afternoon saw a mini qualifying in the closing stages, as the pack all pushed