The Ducati star knocked 0.8s from his Saturday time to d💜efend his position at the top of the timesheets, becoming the first two-wheeled competitor to lap the circuit in under 1m 38s.

Bagnaia’s Sprint simulation was equally formidable, the Itali꧃an setting a peerless average of 1m 39.0s over the 12-laps, in preparation for MotoGP’s first half-distance race at t🌊he same circuit on the afternoon of March 25.

"I'm thrilled with how the five days of pre-season testing went, including the three days in Malaysia last month. We improved in every session and completed our work programmไe,” Bagnaia said.

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“After I did 1m 38.1 during the Sp✱rint [simulation, I was quite sure to do a 1m 37 during the time attack. The conditions were a bit worse, but I had time to do two time attacks… when I saw 1'37 I was happy."

Bagnaia’s form meant he was unanimously named as rider to beat for the upcomi🌜ng season opener, but t🍨he #1 warned.

“✨I like the new bike and prefer it to last year's, but now we must keep our feet on the ground and keep working with our heads down to be fa🐬st on every track.

“The other manufacturers h♐ave also taken important steps forwardꦿ, so we must stay focused.

“Te✤sting is one thing, the race weekend𝕴 is totally another.

“I don't like to say that one [rider] is the favourite during the test because🀅 you don't know what tyre the rider was using, or work they were doing. Like Marc, he didn't do a time attack.

“Or ꧅Enea [Bastianini], who did just one time attack, for sure his second would be ✨close to me.”

Nonetheless, in c෴ontra𓂃st to one year ago, Bagnaia feels 100 percent ready for the new campaign.

“I'm very happy about everything, I'm🀅 very happy about the Sprint race simul💎ation, I'm very happy about the tyres, the time attack,” he said.

“We can say that if the race will be tomorro▨w, we are ready to fight for the win. That is clear. But then more than one rider is competitive to fight for the top positions.

“In any case, we can say that we are rea🐽dy at 100% to star𓃲t the season.”

In a further blow to Ducati’s rivals, Bagnaia revealed he had been testing with higher front tyre pressure꧂s throughout the weekend, even though the stricter real-time monitoring won’t result in penalties until at least round four.

“All the laps in this test, we h🔥ave worked as if the rules about the front pressure is there,” he said. “It's a bit different, a bit risky, because if there's someone in front it becomes more dangerous [when the temperature and pressure rise].

After gathering experience with the real-time pressure measurements in the opening three rounds, it is thought that riders will then need to stay above the minimum tyre pressures for at least 50% of a race distance or ris🍷k disqualification. A similar tolerance will be 🦩applied to qualifying laps.

“If [the tyre pressure rules] will be like this, we are prepared. If it will not be like this [and the proposed pressure t𒆙olerance is changed], it will be for su𓄧re safer for everyone.”

Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo, runner-up to Bagnaia last season, was the onlಌy non-Ducati rider in the final top eight at Portimao.