It was not an easy weekend, in fact, probably one of the most complicated since the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, starting behind in this MotoGP immediately complicates everything for you: if you’re not in front, you’re forced to chase, to work twice as hard to get half the result. Yet, there are also positive things to take home from this race.

The second half gave me so much charge. Lap after lap I started to feel better, more comfortable, more “in tune” with the bike. I started riding the way I like, having fun, pushing. I made good overtakes, good braking, I recovered … and when it happens like that, even if you’re fighting for positions that don’t fully satisfy you, it triggers something inside you.

Too bad about that one lap down, because I was catching up hard on Jack (Miller) and maybe I could have gone for it. Maybe the result didn’t change, but another attack I would have pulled it out, for sure. And it’s those things that stay in your head after the race: not so much the placing, but the feeling. And those, today, at the end, came back good.

Of course, we need to fix things upstream. Qualifying remains our weak spot. With the new tire, the bike moves so much, it’s much more nervous, and I struggle to find the right limit. I want to push, but I can’t push too hard, otherwise I risk throwing the lap away. It’s a difficult balance to find: pushing without pushing too much. At that stage there, the bike is not yet “mine,” and this is also reflected in the first few laps of the race.

We are working to make the bike more stable, more precise. I know that as soon as we can make a step there, everything will change. Because when I can find rhythm and confidence, I can play with the top guys.

Now head to the next one. There’s more work to be done, more filing, but I’m taking this second half of the race home, because it reminded me how good it is to fight. And I want to go back to it right away.