Pecco Bagnaia admitted that despite showing strong pace on the straights, he is facing a massive hurdle after missing out on an automatic Q2 qualification spot during Friday practice at the Sepang circuit.
The Italian rider actually showed impressive speed through the opening and closing sections of the lap. Based on combined best sector times, he managed to outperform factory Ducati teammate Marc Marquez in terms of top speed and heavy braking efficiency at T1 and T4.
However, the performance completely unravelled through the twisty and fast middle sections of the circuit. Bagnaia lost roughly eight-tenths of a second across T2 and T3, ruining his chances of a direct progression into the top-12 shootout.
"My bike works only when it's straight. So I did the maximum, in the first and last sectors I'm in the top three. In the other two sectors, I lose eight tenths. So it's ridiculous," Bagnaia explained when speaking about his alarming deficit.
In the official team press release, the double premier-class world champion elaborated that he struggled heavily with front-end stability through the high-speed, flowing corners after sticking to a winter testing bike setup.
"We made the decision to start with the same bike configuration as in winter testing, and I certainly had different expectations in terms of performance," Bagnaia stated.
"I mainly struggle in the faster, more flowing sections, namely T2 and T3, while in the first and fourth sectors, where there are heavier braking areas, I'm among the quickest riders. It's really difficult to carry corner speed right now because the front tucks and I end up running wide."
This setback means the Italian must now navigate the treacherous waters of Qualifying 1 on Saturday morning to salvage his weekend grid position.
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