Enea Bastianini came in 14th in the morning session and managed to make the leap forward he had been waiting for in the afternoon session. Still struggling on his RC16 and constantly searching for the right feel so that he could unlock the bike’s potential, the rider from Rimini secured a 10th-place finish that kept him out of Saturday morning’s battle, but, above all, it allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s great to be back in the Q2. Even if it was close, I managed to hit the target. I’m riding well here. Since this morning, I was sure that I’d take a big step forward in the afternoon, and that’s how it went, at least for now,” he said, almost in disbelief and aware of the hard work that still lies ahead for him to prove himself in the two races.
“We need to improve a bit more before the Sprint since I fell in pre-qualifying and couldn’t complete many laps with the soft. In that regard, I still can’t get the soft compound to work well. I feel a strong push from the rear, especially on entry, and that’s why I slid out. Overall, though, like I said, I’m riding well here, except at turns ten and nineteen,” he continued. He then reassured everyone about his physical condition after the fall. “I didn’t hurt myself,” he was quick to add.
Speaking about the alleged improvement in his bike’s pace, the Tech3 rider explained, “I felt good right from the first lap. As I’ve often said, starting up front helps me stay in the top positions. On the other hand, if I’m at the back of the grid, it’s hard for me to make up ground. In general, the KTM isn’t bad on this track, so even though I struggled a bit in the time attack, I’m in good shape in terms of pace, especially compared to the top three, and that’s positive.”
At least two factors helped Enea. “Here, the construction of the tire supplied by Michelin is different, but the track layout is also helping us. Proof of this is Acosta’s better result in Free Practice 1. In my opinion, this is an opportunity to achieve a good result,” he reiterated, concluding with a comparison between the two bikes tested on Friday.
“The new one is better,” he said. “I only rode the old one once, and, even though we have to test both at every track, I know which direction is the right one. The new frame definitely has something extra.”