Bagnaia qualified on pole for the first time since the Catalan GP on Saturday at Sepang, setting a new lap record to beat chief title rival Jorge Martin – something he branded “a relief”.
And though he led in the early stages of the sprint, Bagnaia’s pace dropped off and he could do no more than third, which allowed second-placed Martin to narrow the points gap to 11.
Late in the sprint, a piece of debris flicked onto the right front wing on Bagnaia’s Ducati, which eventually detached.
He later revealed it was a lunchbox, but isn’t sure how much it affected his pace.
“[It was] a lunchbox,” Bagnaia said.
“For me it was not a help, absolutely. It was stuck on a wing, and I think I lost it on the last lap, so for sure it was not a help.
“It happened on the same lap I started to struggle. I don’t think it was for that, but we don’t know, we cannot understand it.”
More drama adding up! 😱
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) November 11, 2023
Something's stuck on @PeccoBagnaia's fairing 👀#MalaysianGP 🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/FZ4yfeKzhn
