Bagnaia scored a key victory in Sunday’s race at Barcelona after approaching high in an in depth duel with title rival Martin, overtaking him on lap 19 of 24 with a formidable transfer on the within at Flip 5.
It was the identical nook at which he had slid off his manufacturing facility GP24 on the ultimate lap of Saturday’s half-distance contest, a crash that additional widened his deficit to Pramac rider Martin within the championship standings.
Bagnaia was left “curious” by his fall on Saturday as he claimed he was circulating at a decrease pace than earlier than, however he discovered redemption within the grand prix by making the all-important move going into that very left-hander.
After taking the chequered flag in first, Bagnaia gave a primary bump whereas passing by way of Flip 5 on the cool-down lap, displaying the importance of that nook to him in a topsy-turvy weekend.
Requested about his overtake on Martin, he mentioned: “I made a decision to do it in nook 5, a bit only for what occurred yesterday.
“As a result of yesterday I crashed there in a really unusual state of affairs. So I simply determined to bust a delusion. Yeah, and it labored nicely.”
He added: “I misplaced 12 factors in very…pfff! I take it slower and I crashed so that is one thing I’ll by no means settle for.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
“And at this time I did it once more however a lot a lot slower as a result of the hole was extra and I made a decision to do it very slowly and it labored however nook 5 could be very, very difficult.
“We noticed many, many crashes in the course of the weekend and it was crucial for me to complete the race.”
Bagnaia appeared to lose contact with Martin after which second-placed rider Pedro Acosta within the early levels of the race, dropping as a lot as a second behind the main duo.
However the Italian revealed that he was saving his tyres to mount an assault afterward, a method that paid dividends when not solely was he capable of reel within the Spaniard and take the lead but in addition construct a buffer for himself within the closing laps.
“The tempo, I simply determined to stay [as] fixed as attainable and do not push in the beginning like Martin and Pedro, and it was the proper alternative as a result of then within the final laps I used to be capable of be very quick and controlling the tempo, so I am simply very blissful, simply very blissful
“After they overtook me I simply tried to do one lap [with] a bit extra push, however I noticed the entrance tyres had been a catastrophe, the consumption could not be a lot aggressive on the rear and it was a catastrophe.
“So I made a decision to manage it extra. And after 10 laps I began to see that my technique was working. I used to be a bit scared in the intervening time but it surely labored. And as quickly as I arrived to Jorge it was vital to overhaul him for the strain of the entrance.”
