The reigning world champion came to Qatar with a chance of wrapping up the 2023 crown in the grand prix, if he was able to outscore Pramac rival Martin by 23 points across both races.
However, after Martin won the sprint and Bagnaia could only manage fifth as he battled a lack of rear grip, the gap between the pair is only seven points and the title fight will go to the finale in Valencia next week.
Bagnaia said he had a feeling with his Ducati ahead of the sprint that made him think he could fight for the victory, but instead found himself “struggling to have normal pace”.
“Honestly, all the weekend I was having a different feeling – a feeling to consider our potential for a victory,” he said.
“But then in the race, as soon as I started, my feeling was different.
“I was struggling a lot to push, I was struggling a lot to have a normal pace – something I was showing already this morning, with some consistency.
“So, I’m quite angry with what happened because losing seven points like this is a pity.
“I’m just looking forward to the race tomorrow because I think in a normal situation I can be faster.
“My feeling with the rear grip was really low. I was struggling to exit [the corners] in the same way as the guys I had in front.
“As soon as I was opening [the throttle], I was sliding a lot, spinning a lot and this was different compared to the rest of the weekend.”
Source: Autosport