Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia faced significant challenges during the Thai MotoGP qualifying sessions held on Friday, setting him up for potentially more difficulties as the race weekend progresses. The two-time MotoGP world champion completed the session with only the 13th-fastest time overall, forcing him to return for the qualifying round on Saturday from the first qualifying group (Q1).
The troubles began when Bagnaia attempted to secure his place among the top ten during the pre-qualifying event. Just minutes before the session concluded, he clocked a personal best at 1:29.492, which seemed sufficient to breach the top ten. Unfortunately for the Ducati star, the timing of his attempts did not go as planned. A yellow flag was displayed following Marco Bezzecchi's crash, leading to the cancellation of his impressive lap time. Bagnaia was frustrated, claiming there were unnecessary yellow flags on the track, which compromised his efforts.
"I got angry about the situation because there was no yellow flag when I was on my fast lap," Bagnaia said. "Three other riders besides Franco were going slowly, but the issue was Morbidelli’s position on the track. It is unfortunate because I would have gotten through to Q2 with the lap I set, and it's disappointing to be denied because of external circumstances." His suspicions were confirmed when the race direction acknowledged the error, leading to his eventual time being nullified.
Bagnaia's path grew more complicated when he encountered Franco Morbidelli, who had already concluded his qualifying run and was traveling significantly slower. This unintentional obstruction forced Bagnaia to halt his final attempt, cementing his position as he finished 13th and set him up for Q1 on Saturday.
"I think our timing was off. We might have waited too long for the time attack, but overall, it was still okay. It's just frustrating when mistakes are made and you can’t regain what was lost," he lamented after the session.
Morbidelli, who finished with the fifth-best time, received three grid penalties for the race on Sunday due to his involvement with Bagnaia. He stated he accepted the decision, recognizing the importance of safety during racing moments. "I regret how things played out because I could see Pecco was ramping up for something good," Morbidelli commented. "But I also had to slow down because of the yellow flags, so it was unfortunate timing for both of us.”
Race officials determined Morbidelli’s penalty stemmed from obstructing Bagnaia between corners 5 and 6, which violated race conduct regulations. While Morbidelli will start three positions back on Sunday, he will race Saturday without penalty, competing for positions based on his Q1 result.
Ducati Team Manager Davide Tardozzi voiced his disappointment at Bagnaia's luck, emphasizing the need for clearer race guidelines. "It was incredibly unfortunate for Pecco. He was capable of entering the top ten, and the combination of yellow flags and slower riders deteriorated his time. I trust he will have no issues moving forward during the qualifiers tomorrow," he said.
Despite the unfavorable results of Friday's practices, Bagnaia remains optimistic, aware this is only the early stage of the championship season. He continues to express confidence with the setup and tuning of his machine and looks forward to seizing opportunities to jump up the grid.
On Saturday morning, the spotlight will shift as the MotoGP community gears up for the sprint race, including the chance for fresh engagement from Bagnaia and Morbidelli. The stakes are high as the qualifying rounds promise to shape the competitive lineup for Sunday's main event, and both riders will need to leverage their skills maximally to secure advantageous starting positions.
Meanwhile, Alex Marquez took the spotlight on Friday by claiming the fastest lap time of the day at 1:29.020, edging out his brother Marc Marquez by just 52 milliseconds. The two brothers topped the session, setting the foundation for what might be a storybook race weekend as they navigate the tricky Chang International Circuit.
With fierce competition and tight time schedules, both established and rookie riders will aim to achieve their ambitions. For Bagnaia, the battle to recover from the 13th position to secure pole positions will be the primary focus. With the series of unforeseen events, it certainly adds to the intrigue of the upcoming qualifiers and races.
The results and strategies deployed this weekend at the Thai GP will likely resonate as the championship continues to progress, offering fans and competitors alike thrilling moments from the track.