Moto GP
Bastianini’s Silverstone Triumph Tightens MotoGP Title Race: Marquez Highlights GP24 Dominance at Select Tracks
Marc Marquez described Enea Bastianini as 'unstoppable' when he's at his best, noting that the GP24 bikes are incredibly quick on certain circuits. At the British MotoGP, Marquez fell to fourth place in the world championship standings, overtaken by Bastianini, while GP24 machines dominated the podium on Sunday.
Enea Bastianini achieved his first MotoGP Sprint and Grand Prix wins at Silverstone, which also propelled the factory Ducati rider to surpass Marc Marquez, moving him into third place in the world championship standings.
Bastianini is currently trailing by 49 points behind the championship leader Jorge Martin and is 46 points behind his team-mate, the defending champion Francesco Bagnaia.
However, with 370 points still available, 'The Beast' has a significant opportunity to transform the world championship into a three-way contest and possibly bring the #1 title to Tech3 KTM next season.
Prior to the summer hiatus, Marquez had hinted at the increasing challenge posed by Bastianini. Bastianini, known for his exceptional tyre management skills, subsequently secured his first MotoGP victory since Sepang 2023 at the Silverstone race.
"His way of riding is rather unusual," Marquez stated on Sunday night at Silverstone. "At first, with a new tire, he has a bit more difficulty compared to Pecco and Martin. However, once the tire is worn, he becomes exceptionally quick because he can maneuver the bike with less lean angle."
"He's performing excellently and simultaneously braking late while smoothly picking up the bike. On this circuit, to be honest, when I was trailing him, his riding was impressive. He managed the tires perfectly, maintaining efficiency and speed without much movement."
“Absolutely, he had a huge impact. We've observed previously that on his best days, he is invincible as a rider.”
The key issue regarding the title is how many more performances like that Bastianini can produce this season.
In contrast to the championship contenders, Bastianini has completed every race. However, his decision to disregard the long lap penalty in Catalunya led to a significant time penalty after the race, which caused him to lose all his points. This mistake might prove costly for him in the future.
Marquez: GP24s ‘extremely fast’ on certain circuits
At the same time, Marquez must close a 13-point gap to Bastianini to secure a top-three spot in the championship standings.
However, the eight-time world champion, who will be replacing Bastianini on the factory team next year, cautioned that on certain circuits, such as Silverstone, the GP24 bikes hold a noticeable edge over his GP23.
Marquez commented on Sunday’s all-GP24 podium, stating that the focus should be on the development of the bikes rather than the rear tyre.
“Last year at this location, my brother Alex and Fabio di Giannantonio, who began the race from the rear, were the quickest on the circuit, and Aleix Espargaro clinched the victory riding an Aprilia.
"Today, I ended the race ahead of Aleix and Aprilia, who placed sixth. I also outperformed Diggia, who came in fifth, and my brother Alex, who finished seventh."
"My performance is solid, but it seems that the '24 bikes are exceptionally fast on certain tracks. This is particularly true for tracks with long straightaways, where the factory-spec rear device provides more top speed, making a noticeable difference."
“However, our performance today demonstrated that with effective teamwork, even though we were slightly behind schedule with our setup this weekend, we have the potential to compete strongly with them. Nonetheless, the margin for error is very narrow.”
When questioned about the extent of the performance difference compared to the GP24s, Marquez responded:
“Currently, we are approximately 4-5 seconds behind per race. To compete with them, we need to enhance our speed by more than a few tenths of a second per lap.”
"That's quite a bit. It may not sound terrible, but it really is substantial!"
"[Austria] will present a challenge. However, our goal is to finish in the top four or five and, if possible, compete for a spot on the podium as we have done in other races."
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