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(Motorsport-Total.com) – The official Ducati rider Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia has at the opening of the 2021 MotoGP season, the Qatar Grand Prix in Losail, after pole position and 14 laps in the lead, his second MotoGP podium (after Misano 1 in the 2020 season) thrown to the ground. However, the 2018 Moto2 world champion has yet to await his first victory in the premier class.
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“Pecco” Bagnaia and Johann Zarco had to admit defeat to Viñales
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Like his brand-mate Johann Zarco from the second-placed Pramac team, Bagnaia owes the fact that he even made the podium on Sunday, mostly thanks to the power of Ducati. At the end of the last corner of the last lap, defending champion Johann Mir (Suzuki) was in second place but was still intercepted on the line by Zarco and Bagnaia.
While Mir had to admit defeat and finished fourth, Ducati had nothing to do with race winner Maverick Vinales. After the race, the official Yamaha rider sees the surprisingly high cornering speed on the M1 and Sunday’s conditions at Losail as the key to defeating Ducati.
It had started very well for the Ducati team. Initially, Bagnaia held the lead and was the first to take the first corner. Right behind him were his teammate Jack Miller and the two Pramac drivers, Zarco and Jorge Martín. The latter had gained no less than ten positions until the first corner thanks to an all-out rocket launch.
Bagnaia: Started strong, slowed down, risky last lap
Bagnaia held the lead for 14 laps, then Viñales passed Turn 15 on lap 15. Subsequently, neither Bagnaia nor Zarco, who was also overtaken three laps later, could keep up with Viñales’ Yamaha. Why did Ducati “only” take pride of place on the podium this time on one of its all-time parade routes?
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Quadruple leadership for Ducati riders after the start, but no victory at the end Zoom
“I had problems with the grip on the rear wheel,” Bagnaia said after third place and went into detail: “I did not expect that, because I had not had such problems either in the test or in practice. The conditions were different today, although she was like yesterday [Samstag]So maybe my pace would have been good enough to win the race. “
On Sunday, however, when a strong headwind blew, especially on the long start / finish straight, Bagnaia, with his lap times in the low range of 1:55, fell victim to Vinales on the upgraded Yamaha. “Because the wind was blowing so hard from the front, our maximum speed was not as high as the previous days,” confesses Bagnaia, who in qualifying on his way to pole position with 355.2 km / h third in the Top speed rankings behind Miller and Zarco were.
During the race, the wind literally got in the way of the Ducati riders on the long start / finish straight. “I can still be satisfied,” Bagnaia said, “because it is my second podium in this World Championship class and my first race with this team.”
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0.13 seconds between P2 and P4: Zarco, Bagnaia and world champion Joan Mir Zoom
“Pecco” secured this second podium of his career in MotoGP with a lot of risk in the last corner. “After a race like this, I wouldn’t have been happy without a podium. That’s why I was very aggressive on the last lap. Like Joan [Mir] I went a bit far in the last corner, I wanted to get out of the corner better than on my fastest lap in qualifying, “recalls the pole-sitter and smiles:” That made it impossible not to overtake him. “
Zarco is happy for the first podium of Qatar
Zarco, who managed to outrun Bagnaia in the sprint towards the goal by 0.037 seconds and thus finish second, reports after his first podium in Qatar, that he made his debut in the Pramac team: “It was a very good weekend: at the beginning , I immediately got back three places, and then Jack got down to business very quickly [Miller] He passed and was able to follow ‘Pecco’. That was pretty good until Viñales arrived and increased the pace. “
“I wanted it [Vinales] keep going, but I put too much pressure on my tires, “said Zarco and continued:” In the end, I also passed. But thanks to my engine, I still managed to take home second place. I am happy because this is my first podium in Qatar. I will enjoy it now and I want to experience this feeling as often as possible this season. “
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Johann Zarco already feels at home in the Pramac team Zoom
The fact that Zarco can shine again now is also a great satisfaction for him because two years ago, as an official KTM rider at the time, he experienced the start of the worst season of his career in Qatar. In the end, the season didn’t end at all. In September there was a separation, after which the Frenchman docked with the Ducati Avintia client team for 2020. There he rehabilitated, especially in Brno, with the first podium of the Spanish team and was recommended for promotion to the Pramac team.
“I’m happy. My confidence in the team and on the bike is already very high. I think we have the potential to be on the podium regularly and maybe even to win. Qatar is obviously a good track for Ducati. ‘I am happy to have used these strengths. If that helps me in any way for the World Cup, I will be happy to take it with me. But right now I am happy and enjoying it, “said Zarco.
The second race of the 2021 MotoGP calendar will also take place in Losail next Sunday. With this in mind, Bagnaia, who finally finished third from pole position in the season opener, says: “I may have to change my strategy next time. Maybe I should push less at the beginning and rather follow someone. We have a lot of data now that we can analyze to improve in the second part of the race. “
