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There is nothing better than hearing compliments from one's rivals and, after the race in Austria, Marquez and Quartararo had no problems giving them to Bagnaia. Right now his superiority is undeniable and he is also the favourite in Barcelona. "I don't feel invincible - he smiled when reminded of his rivals' recent comments - I feel like I'm having fun and I have an excellent understanding with my team, we always improve our situation even when we don't start well. In Austria we discovered something that helped me improve my situation a lot and I'm happy."
The tranquillity that Pecco is experiencing in his garage is also clearly visible from the outside, so much so that in the press conference of the Catalan GP he used irony to answer many questions. Like when he was asked if seeing Marc Marquez in the Pramac team would be good for the sport: "I don't know, it would certainly be good for him" he smiled.
He also felt like joking about the contract renewal of his friend Bezzecchi in the VR46 team: "We talked about this choice and the one he has made is the best for both of us, so if we lose, we have the excuse of not having the same bike". Then the world champion got serious again: "I advised him to stay on the same team, like me he too needs the human side and, when you feel good with your team, even if you have an old but competitive bike you can fight for the top positions. As Simoncelli had done when he won in 2008 after they had taken away his factory bike. For me, Marco did the right thing for him."
This seems to be the secret of the Ducati champion, feeling the support of his men at all times, knowing he can blindly trust them.
“Compared to last year, I've improved my speed and my consistency, then I feel incredibly good with the team - he said - They always give me what I ask for and this makes my job easier. Having 8 bikes on the track also helps, but the main reason is that I feel great with the team and the bike."
He therefore has everything he needs to be able to win for the first time in Barcelona.
“It's one of my tracks, I like racing here, even if I've never achieved a good result. The best was a 6th in 2020 - Pecco recalled - Last year I was doing well, but I was unlucky at the first corner. I think that if we work well, I will be able to fight to stay in front, as always".
The weather could put a spoke in the works, with rain expected for Saturday.
“It depends on the forecast, I've seen one that talks about 16mm of rain, in which case we won't be racing. At Silverstone it went well in the wet, I've never raced in those conditions here and I don't know what to expect".
To get used to the water, yesterday Pecco, together with Gigi Dall'Igna, was a guest on the boat that the New Zealand team uses in the America's Cup.
“The speed they manage to reach is incredible, when they made a turn it was like being in a Formula 1 car due to how strong the lateral thrust was, I didn't expect it. I also drove it, I was a little scared because the wind was unpredictable, but it was nice,” he said.
