After an Austin round that did not go his way - eighth in the sprint💃 and fifth on Sunday, Francesco Bagnaia and his Lenovo Ducati team and mechanics had been looking for improvements and practice results suggest they have been found🍸.

After finishing the first session in twelfth while looking to be making change♉s, the #1 bike was back on top with a new lap record - which was needed after Maverick Vinales had already lowered the old benc🥃hmark.

Bagnaia had just one🏅 word to describe his return to form - it felt ‘better’:

“Better, even better -𝓡 compared to Austin, I feel a bit🐻 better".

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The reigning champion has seen success at Jerez - as recently as last year where he won the Sunday feature race. T💯he Italian revealed that a series of adjustments over the day to test new thinꦯgs had brought success:

“We plan this Friday as a test - compare the past and it works, we test mor𝔉e things than normal. In the last part of P2 I was feeling great with the used tyres and we put in the new tyres  - we were able to do the record so ha𝔍ppy - very happy.

“But still, it is a long weekend - so feet on the ground and keep workin🎶g b♏ecause I think we still have some margin, but we are in a good point”.

When pressed on wh🌜at changes had b🤡een made the Ducati man was tight-lipped offering only “I can’t say”.

Bagnaia acknowledged that in Jerez it is always hard to make the leap to the front as so many riders have so many laps under their belt from testing tha🌳𝐆t everyone does well:

“The level is quite high, like always, considering꧃ th♓e amount of laps we having on the tyres I’m happy. We had to wait to understand better the pace of each rider - but right now I’m happy”.

Finally, Bagnaia’s focus turned to the races ahead whe🌞re he is already thinking abo꧋ut what his tyre choice will be:

“The pace was quite good on the soft used and 🦹I think that tomorrow with the race we will be with the soft”.