P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Bagnaia “scared” of 2009 Rossi/Lorenzo repeat with Vinales in Barcelona MotoGP
One of the most memorable moments in MotoGP history occurred during the 2009 Catalan GP, when Rossi made a daring last-corner overtake on his Yamaha teammate Lorenzo to seize victory. In the 2023 Barcelona sprint, Bagnaia, who had initially secured pole position, had to defend vigorously against Vinales on the sister Aprilia in order to maintain his position. Despite Vinales coming close, the reigning world champion narrowly secured second place by 0.051s. Bagnaia acknowledged that they needed better traction, as he knew the Aprilia was strong in initial throttle response and on the edge of the tire. He found it enjoyable to battle with Vinales, focusing on flawless braking to prevent him from overtaking. Vinales recognized Bagnaia’s faultless defense and acknowledged that attempting a risky move in the last corner didn’t make sense. He emphasized the importance of respect between riders and the need to understand that all riders are doing their best. Vinales attempted to find an opportunity to overtake Bagnaia, closely positioning his bike with the hope that Bagnaia might make a mistake, but learned from a previous incident at Misano. Meanwhile, Espargaro expressed a sense of loss after qualifying before ultimately winning the Barcelona MotoGP sprint race.
Source: Autosport.com
