{
  "id": 18557203,
  "title": "Pecco Bagnaia 'feels like a factory rider again' as he finds form in Qatar",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/pecco-bagnaia-feels-like-a-factory-rider-again-as-he-finds-form-in",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-06T19:55:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motorsport.com",
    "slug": "motorsport-com",
    "url": "https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/pecco-bagnaia-feels-like-a-factory-rider-again-as-he-finds-form-in-qatar/10872286/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Francesco Bagnaia has expressed feeling like a factory rider again after finding form at the Qatar Grand Prix. This resurgence comes after a period of poor performance in the last two seasons. The Italian rider was competitive throughout Friday's practice sessions at Losail Circuit, regardless of the tyre compound or age. He qualified in second place for the final race, which is only the second time since the summer break that he has made it past Qualifying 1.\n\nBagnaia explained that he initially did not fully understand why he was pushing so well, but as the day progressed, he began to push more from the start. He attributed his improvement to finally being able to feel the bike after a long period without doing so. He expects the same feeling at the shorter sprint race tomorrow, especially if he starts in the front.\n\nThe 29-year-old rider had previously felt this good on the GP26 at the Czech Grand Prix in June, which has a similar grip level and asphalt to Losail. Bagnaia believes that his improved rear grip helped him navigate the corners better, particularly at the entrance of the first corner.\n\nBagnaia emphasized that he enjoyed riding the factory team, despite the struggles he faced in the last grand prix. He expressed his desire to enjoy this period of success and use his potential to contribute something new to the team before leaving Ducati for the factory Aprilia squad in 2027.",
  "summary": "After the better part of two seasons in the doldrums, Francesco Bagnaia says he finally feels like a factory rider again. This follows a strong Friday at the Qatar Grand Prix. The works Ducati man looked competitive all day at Losail, regardless of tyre compound or age, and made it directly into Qualifying 2 for only the second time since the summer break. It was a stark contrast to the recent…",
  "key_points": [
    "Pecco Bagnaia feels like a factory rider again at Qatar Grand Prix",
    "Competed well in Friday's practice sessions across all tyre compounds",
    "Qualified second for final race, second best since summer break"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}