A return to the podium at Aragon 'feels like a win' for Francesco Bagnaia after two terrible previous Grand Prix weekends.

Francesco Bagnaia had not featured on a Grand Prix or Sprint podium since the Spanish Grand Prix in April. However, he was back on the rostrum at the Aragon Grand Prix after a breakthrough with his bike.

Since finishing third at Jerez, Bagnaia had failed to score points at Le Mans, finished sixth in the Sprint Race at Silverstone and crashed out of the British Grand Prix.

But his third place at MotorLand Aragon 'feels like a victory' after a difficult two previous Grand Prix meetings.

"It feels like a victory today," Bagnaia told MotoGP.com after the Aragon Grand Prix.

"It is a third place that is fantastic right now, not just for me but also for the team. They are working super hard trying to understand my situation, but it is also difficult for them.

"For example, this morning we decided to make some small changes, and they made a huge difference for me. I was able to brake harder without any locking, until yesterday, I was using all my force to decelerate the bike.

"But the bike would not decelerate, so I was locking the front everywhere. Today we changed something on the disc, so from the start of the day I was able to brake harder when I needed to. I could feel when the front was locking, so it was a huge step for me.

"The little details have given me more confidence to be more competitive lap by lap. Every lap I was able to be competitive, so I am happy about it. It is important to have a result like this ahead of Mugello."

Despite his podium in the Grand Prix, his Sprint Race difficulties continued as he failed to score points. But his newfound changes to his front end have given him confidence ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

"Hontesly, yesterday maybe something did not work," he admitted.

"To arrive there was really strange, I was nearly on the ground everywhere, I was losing the front everywhere. It was difficult for me to be competitive yesterday. I tried, but I was locking the front at every corner.

"Today, from the start, I felt much better, maybe the disc had helped, but maybe it was not just the disc. I was able to force the entrance into the corner, and the feeling was there. I was not losing the front, so it was a huge relief for me."