“I’m very scared of turning ten; it’s one of the most dangerous tracks I’ve ever ridden ‘- Francesco Bagnaia

Francesco Bagnaia finished Austin’s first day with the sixth fastest combined time. The Italian was second on Ducati, as he saw Jack Miller finish just behind Marc Marquez.

In the debriefing, when asked how he felt on his bike and what his opinion was on the irregularities in the track, Bagnaia said he was afraid to pass turn ten – the downhill to the left that precedes the turn that begins the inside straight. The Ducati rider also says this Texas track is one of the most dangerous he has ever raced on.

‘Today [yesterday], the main point was to understand how smart you can be with the bumps, because this is one of the most dangerous tracks I have ever ridden on. It’s very difficult. I think everyone’s opinion is the same, but we have to race. We are working hard to have a bike that is easier to ride, it will not be easy. It will not be good, because we will be quite upset by this situation; this is because usually it is better when a circuit uses new asphalt and not the other way around. We have to understand why they did what they did and understand if the race will be a good idea, because it is already very difficult to do two consecutive laps without errors. You try to roll and something happens at any turn, I’m very scared of turning ten. With each lap, the bike shakes a lot and it is very difficult. This is the situation, we have to race and we are trying to do our best in the garage to make the bike more docile, â€he told reporters in attendance.

Compared to his teammate, Bagnaia recognizes that he is a level below in the first sector and it is there that he hopes to improve until Sunday’s race:

‘I saw Jack [Miller]’s data and it is very competitive in the first sector. I’ll try to do like him. The rest of the track I’m fast, the first sector is the most critical for me, but we are working. I’m happy with what we did today. It’s not easy, because this trail is always difficult, and with these bumps it gets more complicated. Twenty laps in the race will be very strange and difficult, but we have to do it. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)