Two KTMs have already qualified for the Q2 at Assen. One was Pedro Acosta's, and the other was Enea Bastianini's. He was able to find the momentum in the final stages to break into the top ten.
It was an encouraging Friday for the rider from Romagna, who expressed his satisfaction with his performance on the first day at the TT.
We’re obviously only at the beginning and there’s a long way to go, but Bastianini is confident.
“Making it to the Q2 is always a relief, because getting through the Q1 is always very complicated,” he said. “It would've been a real problem tomorrow morning, so I’m especially happy about that. Honestly, I didn’t expect it, because it was really tough at the start of the session. I started with a used front tire, but it never worked. I tried to do two runs and was really slow, not to mention worried. Knowing that the soft tire puts even more load on the front, I thought to myself, ‘Who knows what’ll happen'."
But it turned out differently?
“Exactly! The problems practically disappeared, and it was a pleasant surprise. Then we made a few adjustments to prepare for the final time attack and managed to make it into the Q2.”
Did having Maverick as a reference point in front of you help?
“Having a reference point in front of you, even if it’s far away, definitely helps. On a track like this, full of changes in direction changes, it’s easier to follow someone on our bike because the bike seems to get lighter during the turns. When I’m on my own, though, I struggle much more with the changes in direction. It’s definitely an area we can improve on. In fact, the fourth sector is where we really lose a lot of time.”
What are your expectations for Qualifying and the Sprint?
“I think we need to improve our pace a bit. It’ll be important to see how the bike behaves with new tires. Today, when I put them on, they worked well, but I want to see how they degrade. If the front tire were to lose grip like it did today, that would be a disaster.”
Is the problem more with the front than the rear?
“Lately, yes, the main problem is actually the front. But that’s pretty much the general consensus among all the riders, so that’s the critical point.”
Is there a chance you’ll use the soft tire in the Sprint?
“Yes, there is. In fact, I felt better on the soft tire.”
Tomorrow will be the first start without the holeshot device. Could that be an advantage or a disadvantage for you?
“It’s hard to say. When we all start together, you really see who can make a difference. It feels like I’m starting much slower, but I think that’s a feeling everyone shares. The interesting thing is that, on a track like this, as I approached the first corner, I felt like the front end was locking up less than when we were using the holeshot device. So, compared to what I was saying after the last race, maybe yes. There could be a slight advantage. But I’m missing that feeling of getting off to a 'booming' start."
Temperatures are expected to drop by about ten degrees on Sunday. How much will that change the work you did today?
“It’s not an ideal situation for us. What we struggle most to understand is how to adjust the bike when we go from cold to hot or vice versa, because the behavior changes so much. That's why such a significant change in conditions doesn’t particularly help us. That said, usually, when temperatures drop, we manage to ride a little better, so that could be a positive aspect.”