Having struggled at the start of the 2022 season, Saturday saw Pecco Bagnaia score his maiden pole on the Ducati Lenovo GP22.
A feat he accomplished in some style, after smashing the 2020 all-time lap record by four tenths of a second thanks to his blistering 1’36.170 effort.
“After the hard work we did from the first test, I'm so happy,” Bagnaia said from the Andalucian paddock. “I'm so happy.
“Finally our potential is coming from our side and I'm so happy because today we did my best ever lap time I did in my life. Was perfect. Everything was perfect!
“I was wondering that the pole position was 36.5, 36.6," he said of the day's potential. "I was not thinking on doing that lap time but everything was perfect so I'm so happy to have done it. I tried to push and I didn't do any mistakes. Normally when you push like this is easy to go a bit wide, maybe in a corner, but today everything was perfect.
“I had the luck to race in Portimao because I was feeling great again with my bike and the feeling was back in the braking and we started well this weekend. Every session I was improving a bit and today also in FP4 my feeling is was really good.
The success denied his title rival Fabio Quartararo a clean sweep of five poles in his premier class career at the Jerez Circuit- Angel Nieto, but the Yamaha man remains his biggest challenge in Sunday’s 25-lap race.
“For tomorrow I think that Fabio have still a bit of gap compare me but in the FP4 we were more close so let's wait tomorrow," he admitted. "The race will be long and it's very important to manage the tyres in this track so let's see. It's too soon to predict now but I feel confident and strong to fight.
“I think we still missing one or two tenths per lap but yesterday we were three. So I think that now we are more close and we can think on stay with Fabio tomorrow.
“This track is Fabio's track,” he continued on the dominance the defending MotoGP Champion has shown at Jerez in recent years. “He is always so competitive, so strong. Compare yesterday we have closed a bit the gap compared to him in terms of pace. FP4 was really good for me in terms of speed and constancy so, I think we can have a good fight tomorrow. But it's too soon now to predict, Fabio was very constant and fast for all the weekend and the condition in the race is always a bit different so we have to wait tomorrow.
“For sure will be very important to finish the race in front [of him] but looking at my races, the most important thing will be to fight. I don't want to say that I want to win tomorrow because it's sure that I want to win tomorrow but for me it will be more important to fight and to stay in front and because from the start of the season, will be the first opportunity to fight for the victory.”
While Quartararo is the obvious opponent, the Ducati man is expecting a group to fight at the front.
“For me also Aleix [Espargaro] and also Joan Mir have a good pace. But it's true also that I think me and Fabio have done more or less the same work, because this morning we were with used tyres. In FP4 we started with new and more or less the pace was quite similar. Is true that Fabio was able to do more laps, I was trying to be more calm for the shoulder but in any case, I think four riders have a great pace, and Fabio in this moment is the one on top.”
For a rider who was far from a certainty to race at Portimao last weekend after his shoulder took a battering thanks to a heavy fall during qualifying, his fightback at the rollercoaster followed by a stunning performance for the Spanish GP pole is an impressive showing.
“For me, the shoulder is coming better,” Bagnaia explained. “Is true that compare yesterday was a bit worse but it's normal when you push and it's normal that start to be a bit worse, but will not be a limitation I hope. For the time attack was not a limitation. Is true that doing more laps can be worse but I think that for the race tomorrow the Clinica Mobile will give to me something good for the race.
“I hope to arrive in the last lap fighting with Fabio and then I will think about the shoulder but if I will have the possibility in the last lap to overtake him, I will not think about the shoulder.”
With last season’s runner up once again back at the sharp end, does the title fight start now?
“If I wasn't in the first races, yes, but I was there and I was losing points,” he admitted. “We have worked a lot from the first test of the season and has been not easy but finally, in Portimao I find again my feeling with the front of the bike and in this track from the start of the weekend I feel again, my strong point in the braking and in the entry. So I'm very happy about that but for sure it's time to think on the points so I have to start gaining!”
