Ducati locked out the top seven places at Motegi as Francesco Bagnaia won the Japanese Grand Prix Sprint Race.
Francesco Bagnaia has won two MotoGP Sprint Races in a row as he returned to the top step in Japan. The Italian rider controlled the latter stages of the Sprint Race from the front as he closed down the gap in the Championship.
Bagnaia started the race from second place, before going on to take a crucial victory. After the race in an interview with TNT Sports Bagnaia explained how he feels more comfortable this weekend compared to in Mandalika.
"I think we have worked really well compared to Mandalika," Bagnaia revealed after the Sprint Race. "There on the first day, I struggled and it was difficult to improve my performance. At this track from the start of FP1, I felt much better and today the conditions were not easy with the rain and the wet patches.
"Finishing first is fantastic, I am very happy, I took a risk in the last lap and maybe slowed down a bit too much. But everything was under control, so I am very happy."
On the last lap of the race whilst in the lead Bagnaia left many worried as his pace dropped by a second. The two-time MotoGP Champion explained that it was a calculated decision to drop his pace for the last lap.
Bagnaia explained: "In the last lap, it started to rain a bit and when I saw I had 1.3 seconds of gap at the start of the last lap I said 'ok I have a margin I can slow down'. I slowed down by a second and it was ok."
It looked like Bagnaia would have to settle for second place in the Sprint Race as Pedro Acosta was comfortably leading in the middle stages of the Sprint. However, the MotoGP rookie crashed from the lead after starting from pole position.
Bagnaia did give credit to Acosta on his performance throughout Saturday but also saw where Acosta's mistake crept in.
"It was very difficult to lead today," Bagnaia stated. "Pedro (Acosta) was doing a very good job. When I saw he (Acosta) crashed I knew I had to push for two or three laps to open the gap to Enea (Bastianini) and then control it.
"He (Acosta) was pushing a lot and was taking a lot of margins, on that lap I think he (Acosta) entered the corner a bit too fast. We have to expect him to fight in the race tomorrow."
