It was his 100th Grand Prix, and Enea Bastianini proved to be the best on his KTM at Assen. The rider from Romagna finished 6th at the end of a race where he used both a saber and a foil. Obviously, the bike’s limitations are evident, but the Tech3 rider didn’t shy away from the battle.
So the glass is half full, but Bastianini aims to raise the bar as the season continues. But, as if that weren’t enough, #33 had an ace up his sleeve at the TT, namely, Jenny Anderson, the electronics engineer who worked at HRC during the Marquez era.
Her presence provided Enea with additional support over the weekend.
“It was a good race,” he commented. “At the start, I fell a little behind the riders up in front and had to close the gap. It wasn’t easy, because I could only make up one-tenth of a second per lap. In the end, though, I managed to close the gap. We had a few minor issues with the rear, and maybe the soft tire could've worked a little better. But I had fun and gave it my all from the first lap to the last to secure this sixth-place finish.”
How was the final battle with Marc?
“In the end, I think he touched the green. We crossed the line almost side by side, but I managed to exit the last corner better. Clearly, that small mistake cost him something.”
Did you expect such a positive weekend?
“Pretty much. Actually, we’re doing a great job, and I don’t think it’s a surprise. I really like the way the team works and how we’re working together. I hadn’t mentioned it yet, but I had a new electronics engineer in the pit this weekend. Her name is Jenny, and I got along very well with her. In fact, she was excellent. She used to work with Marquez back when he was at Honda, and, this weekend, she filled in for my engineer, who just became a father.”
How much of a morale boost does a race like this give you?
“Racing like this definitely lifts my spirits. The important thing is that I didn’t finish sixth, three hundred seconds behind the leaders. I finished about one second behind the leading group, while the Aprilias had a bit of an edge today. This result gives me motivation and the drive to keep improving.”
How would you rate this weekend?
“I want to be generous because this was my one hundreth Grand Prix.”
Of these 100 GPs, which would pick as one of the best?
“The first one that comes to mind is the win in Austin. For me, it was the best win of my career.”