“Not the ideal start” but Francesco Bagnaia “sure he would enter Q2”

With almost half of the lone Friday practice session at Phillip Island complete, and as dark clouds gathered overhead, reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia was yet to set a lap time.

Had the heavens opened, the Ducati star would have been heading into Saturday’s Qualifying 1.

Fortunately for the Italian - who swapped to his spare bike after feeling uncomfortable on his first machine but was then halted by red flags due to a goose on track - he at least knew title rival Jorge Martin was in the same boat, after an early fall.

With the rain staying away, Bagnaia eventually claimed a top ten place in fifth, directly behind the Pramac rider on the timesheets and just 0.243s from the top.

“I was quite sure to enter in Q2, honestly,” Bagnaia told MotoGP.com of the delay in setting a lap time. “But it was not the ideal start of a session because with the first bike I wasn't feeling well, so I had to stop and start with the other one, which wasn't ready.

“So it was a bit of a rush in that moment. But as soon I started with the other bike, I understood what to do on the bike [set-up] and worked very well with the team.

“Finally I was able to have a great pace with the used rear [soft] tyre and then the time attack went quite well.

“Unluckily we didn't have the chance to go with the full performance due to the yellow flags. I think we were able to finish in first or second position but it’s enough to finish 5th today.

“The objective was to be in the top 10 and we did it. So happy for that, but I want to do another step tomorrow. We know what to do. And I think we have the potential to do it.”

Bagnaia, who is just ten points behind Martin with four rounds to go, echoed the opinion of other riders in describing the new Phillip Island surface as grippy but bumpy.

“I think that the level of grip is very high and feels good, but it's very bumpy and it's quite strange to have these bumps already with the new asphalt,” he said.

“But apart from that it’s difficult to choose a tyre right now. I saw just Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi tried the new medium [rear] and they were fast, so maybe it's a good tyre.

“But I have to try tomorrow morning maybe, to understand what to do.”

While the Gresini GP23 machines of Marc and Alex Marquez topped the timesheets, Bagnaia doesn’t see a clear favourite for any rider at this stage.

“I think right now we are all very close and it’s easy to follow a faster rider around here in the slipstream. So I think will be difficult to see someone opening a gap [in the Sprint] but tomorrow we will see.

“The performance is very balanced by everyone.”

Bagnaia’s team-mate Enea Bastianini, currently two points ahead of Marc Marquez in the battle for third in the championship, could only manage 16th place and will take part in Qualifying 1.