Francesco Bagnaia confirmed an improved front-end feeling from running the larger 355mm disꦉcs on his factory Ducati during Monday’s Aragon test.

The double world champi🍸on, who has struggled to replicate his usual corner entry prowess since stepping onto the latest GP25, tried the bigger brakes in warm-up on Sunday morning.

After a lacklustre 1꧑2th in the Saturday Sprint, the Italian looked much more like his normal self as he held off ♔an attacking Pedro Acosta for third behind the Marquez brothers in the grand prix.

But was he able t𝓀o confirm the same feꦕeling during Monday’s official test?

“Yes. I think this is the most positive test I've had this season,” Bagnaia replied af𝕴ter setting t🌼he ninth fastest lap time, 0.697s from Tech3 KTM pace setter Maverick Vinales.

“It was important after yesterday’s race whe💦re I started to understand better and taking confidence lap-by-lap.

“Today I started quite happy and𝔉 I was able to tes🥂t items, for example in Jerez it was impossible to understand anything so I’m very happy about today.

“In 𒉰bo꧟th the morning and the afternoon I was able to improve my lap-time with the last run on the tyres so was important to have this confidence and important to improve what I learned from yesterday. Very positive for me.”

"I wasn’t feeling like I was running wide"

Quizzed onꦓ how the larger disc hওas helped fill the void in feeling he’d been suffering, Bagnaia explained:

“On Saturday with the 340[mm disc] I was braꦇking and I cannot control becau⛄se as soon as I was releasing I was not stopping the bike, so I need all my force to stop the bike and it was very difficult to manage and control the front tyre.

“I was entering and locking and underst꧙eering and it was very tough for me.

“The f🌟eeling is that the disc continues to be cold. You continue braking hard but it is not stopping.

“Then we moved t🐠o the 355 and it is true that you c🤪an lock easier but you can manage better. It’s more controllable.

“If you feel it is locking a bit then you can release a bit, but still continue braking and🍰 I wasn’t feeling like Iꩵ was running wide.

“It was much easier for me. Normally, last year, the feeling with the 340 was like this for 🗹me.”

W♉ith the GP25 working more to his liking, Bagnaia joined team-mate Marc Marquez and VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio in♏ providing feedback on the new GP25 fairing.

“We were focused on the new fairing though I don’t think we will take it to Mugello because we need ꦿmore time to understand it,” he said.

“It’s true that it was competitive because𝐆 we used it all afternoon and also a bit in the morning.

“Luckily we have Michele [Pirro, test rider] in Barce♏lona in✨ these days and he can put some more kilometres on that fairing.”

Bagnaia’s only concern was that having work൩ed tirelessly to find a comfortable set-up, of which the larger brake disc looks to have 💯been the missing ingredient, he may now need to adjust it again to suit the revised aero.

“I was quite happy about [the fai🌸ring] but I think we need to change a bit the balance of the bike, so right now it is not my case!” he said. “I don’t want to start changing things again.

“The second item I tried was t𒈔he swingarm but in conditions like today it is difficult where the grip can change. The grip today was very good, very grippy and I was able to run fast also with used tyres.”

“My feeling is still not to fight for a win”

Despite the progress, Bagnaia warnಞed he still needs more if he is to take on title leader Marquez, who dominated the Aragon weekenꦬd and most of the Monday test.

“We have to be realistic and my feeling is not to fight for a win,” he said of his upcoming home MotoGP round at Mugello.

“We have Marc and he is with much mo🦂re confidence on the bike, so it is hard to🧔 think ‘ah, now we go to Mugello – my track – and we win…’

“Rꦆight now we have to keep the feet on the ground and continue wo💯rking.

“Yesterday we made a step and foughꦰt with Alex and were close to Marc but he was꧃ still much faster.

“We will see. We move to Mugello. T🦋he race yesterday was important and so was the test today to keep the confidence and to try things.

“I improved today and tꦐhat was very important and the next [step] is Mugello which is a very good track for me.

I have to start with this confidence and maybe contꩵinue gaining it, but I don’t🐟 want to say I will arrive in Mugello and fight for a win. It is not realistic now.

“But it’s my home GP. I will try everything to have the best result possiblꦯe. I’m happy, the next two races 🎀are very good for me.

“I think that I can do another step and it will be🐎 important to kee♐p going in a calm way.”

Gresini’s Ale✱x Marquez, who currently splits Marquez and Bagnaia at the top of the world c🥃hampionship, was eighth fastest on his GP24.