Rookie Francesco Bagnaia thinks he has only understood 65% of what it takes to become a MotoGP🌳 rider, but that was still good enough to finish second fastest - under the all-time lap record - during this week's officia🌱l Sepang test.

The #63 put his Pramac Ducati just 0.063s behind factory Ducati's Danilo Petrucci, courtesy o♏f a 1m 58.302s lap time.

"For sure, I was not expecting to make a '58. My objective was '59 and to make a '58 and beat the [old] record is incredible," grinned the reigning Moto2 champion, who has a 2018 spec Desmosedici and received last year's fairing update on t𒉰he final day at Sepang (pictured).

"I still nee🃏d to improve a lot of things, but I'm very happy with the work done in these days because I understand a lot more.

"Most of all about how t꧒o ride a MotoGP bike, like a MotoGP♔ rider. Making the racing line and especially the acceleration like a MotoGP rider."

🎃How far along the MotoGP learning process does Bagnaia think he now is?

"At the moment I'm about 65%. Because I understand a lot more now, but you only get pointsꦑ in the race and I have to understa🦹nd how to be more constant with used tyres.

"I'd like to win the car for qualifyꦕing this year, but with Marc it⭕'s very difficult!"

Bagnaia explained tᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhat he had taken big steps in ditching the flowing Moto2 riding style for a hard braking, lift-up-the-bike-and-go technique needed in MotoGP.

"The first day I was riding more similar compared to last year [in Moto2], with more mid-corner speed, and it has been v𝔉ery important to understand how to pick up the bike and use more traction on the exit," he said.

"One other thing where I improved a lot is in the braking, because last year in November and the first two days here it has been difficult, but weꦛ made a good set-up of my bike a♎nd I'm very confident with the front, which is very important for me.

"I prefer to have a good feeling with the front than the rear and in this moment I think we are in a good way, to have a good base to start the test in Qatar and to understand m♔ore things."

Next on Bagnaia's to do l🐓ist is how to keep his pace with used tyres.

"I still need to improve in a lot of things. I have to understand how to be more constant ꦇwith used tyres, but th🧸is morning has been another step because I started with used tyres and I made '59.9 in the first exit.

"That has been very positive, but for the race pace I need to improve a little bit more because the tyre drop in the race is different. Bigger. And I have to understand ﷽how to use the different engine maps as the tyre grip drops."

Despite finishing a whopping 12 places higher than next-best rookie Joan Mir (Suzuki), Bagnaia won't be chang🔯ing his goals for the season ahead.

"No, I think I made a good lap and also a good pace but I prefer to be calm, work step-by-step and arrive in Qatar with the 🌸same objective, which is to be the rookie of the year.

"It hasn't changed anything at the moment."

Team-mate Jack Miller, on the GP19, was 0.064s behind Bagnaia꧅ in third.