Francesco Bagnaia started the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix weekend on a high, calling Friday one of his best practice days of the season despite setup experiments that fell short of expectations. With a 20-point gap to Jorge Martin in the championship standings, every session counts for the reigning world champion. And while the Ducati star showed some discomfort during the hour-long practice, he still secured a solid fourth-place finish, trailing teammate Enea Bastianini, Martin, and Marc Marquez.
Bagnaia later attributed his shaky second practice to adaptation issues with new setup tweaks, which ultimately hindered his flow. “This morning, I felt good, but as soon as we changed the setup in the afternoon, it didn’t work out,” he explained. “I had to adapt to the setup of the second bike, but it wasn’t possible.”
Despite these challenges, Bagnaia felt a resurgence during the time attack, where he reverted to a previous setup. “I felt better going in the other direction, so I was ready to push and managed to be quick without a precise lap time,” he said, describing the day as “a good Friday.”
Braking issues, which have plagued other riders at Buriram, haven’t troubled Bagnaia. “I’m able to brake very hard,” he confirmed, noting only slight performance gaps in corners four and sector three. “Braking is not a problem for me right now,” he added confidently.
Though the championship’s intensity rises, Bagnaia remains steady in his approach, treating practice like any other race weekend. “It’s the same as the rest of the season,” he insisted, focusing solely on perfecting his setup. “Maybe it will change a bit, but right now, I feel no different.”
As Bagnaia digs in to bridge the gap to Martin, his controlled confidence and adaptability at Buriram could be key in the final stages of this thrilling MotoGP season.