Another battle for third place on the track for KTM, this time with Enea Bastianini starring on Sunday at Montmeló. Eleven laps were enough for the Italian to put some distance between himself and Pedro Acosta, who finished fourth again and is still fighting for the World Championship médaille en chocolat.
The choice of the soft tire today didn't give him yesterday's results, but the Shark is satisfied with the work he did during the weekend."Honestly, I didn't feel good with the medium tires. I didn't feel good on Friday and, this morning, I finished twelfth in the warm-up. Yesterday, I suffered a lot, and that's why I thought it couldn't be worse. It wasn't the right decision, but I hope that every day that goes wrong we'll be fourth. We have to continue along this line, and I'm happy that KTM brought a bike to the podium for the fourth consecutive weekend."
Was the tire decision yours?
"We always make the decisions together. I can't say that if I had used the medium tires I would have won the race. It probably wasn't the best choice, but it will give me experience for the future."
You're fighting for fourth place in the championship.
"I want to participate in as many sessions as possible between now and the end of the year in the top five, which is what gives you consistency, speed, and a chance to see what the other riders are doing. We're seeing that Álex and Marc are pretty unbeatable at the moment. Bezzecchi is going really fast with the Aprilia and then there are the three KTMs. Maverick is on the sidelines for now because he still has to recover from his injury. It's important to continue to be consistent. Last year, at this time, I made a lot of mistakes. Out of eleven races, I missed the mark on eight, I think, so I have to find that perseverance that I lacked last season."
Do you feel you're sowing seeds for the future?
"I think, for the first time, we're creating a very solid base. The Pedro of three months ago today would've put the bike in the gravel. I'm not making many mistakes, especially in the race. I knew Montmeló would be one of the most difficult circuits for me, but now we have circuits where we've always done well. Misano, Japan, Australia, Indonesia."
Yesterday, you passed Ogura in the Q2. Today, Bastianini passed you at the end of the straight.
"Karma gave it all back to me," he said, laughing. "The faster the riders next to me are, the faster I'll be too. Little by little, I'm improving my riding, becoming more fluid. It takes some time but, for now, we can be satisfied with our summer return."
Were you surprised by Bastianini's change on the KTM?
"We have to remember that, two years ago, he was fighting for the World Championship with a Ducati Gresini. With the KTM, it was only a matter of time before he got there. He was leading every weekend with the Ducati."
Photo: Pier Luca Brunetti