The best rookie of the season is, so far and after only one race, Enea Bastianini. The Esponsorama team rider closed his MotoGP Grand Prix debut in 10th position, putting behind him the other two rookies, Martin and Marini (15th and 16th at the finish line). But the reigning Moto2 world champion certainly doesn’t want to settle and knows he can aim even higher, with a few small adjustments and a little more experience on his Ducati.
“Last weekend was a great race,” he said on the eve of the second GP of the season on the Losail track. “Obviously, we noticed some weaknesses with the team. In qualifying, even though I didn’t enter the Q2, I think I was pretty good, but I want to get there this weekend, and already starting from the FP2. My race was compromised by the lowering device. I wasn’t able to activate it but I still made a good comeback. I can't complain."
How much did the lowering device problem affect your race?
“I didn’t start out very fast and, in the first laps, I had many riders in front, and I had to figure out what trajectories to follow. It was the first time I was racing with a MotoGP, and I made some mistakes. But even if I had managed to insert the lowering device, not much would have changed.”
Enea showed he can be competitive even in his first MotoGP race on a Ducati : not one of the “simple” bikes with which to make a debut in the top class, according to the rookies of the past few years. Is your Desmosedici the 2020?
“Actually, I don’t really know how my bike was configured. I think it’s a mix between 2019 and 2020, but you should talk about it with Dall’Igna. I’ve seen it these days, and I think that it if I go fast, I'll also get some new pieces.”
You’re fresh from your first weekend in the MotoGP. What were the strongest emotions last week?
“Definitely being on track with the greats of this sport. It was strange to see the riders with whom I had never raced on the track and also to find someone I had already met and see how much we’ve grown.”
The leap from the Moto2 to the MotoGP can also be physically tiring. Did you feel tired after the race?
“Yes, I was quite tired because, from the middle of the race onwards, I pushed hard. I never had a moment to relax because was always in the tussle. I hope to have fewer problems this weekend.”