Enea Bastianini Reflects on Gritty Sprint Battle and Pecco Bagnaia’s Crash at British GP

Enea Bastianini dissects intense sprint battle with Jorge Martin

Champion Enea Bastianini also questioned about Pecco Bagnaia's accident

Enea Bastianini achieved his debut podium finish in a MotoGP sprint race and also secured his inaugural sprint race victory at the British Grand Prix.

The Ducati factory team's rider seized the lead from Jorge Martin on the sixth lap by making an audacious braking maneuver at Stowe corner.

He managed to keep the #89 at bay to secure victory, and due to Marc Marquez's failure to finish, he advanced to third place in the World Championship rankings.

Bastianini shared with media outlets such as Crash.net that the race was challenging due to Jorge's aggressive pace in the initial laps.

"Towards the end, I noticed something new on the course and adjusted my strategy for the third sector."

"It went well! I managed to attack at the braking points and build a gap between myself and Martin in the final laps… I'm pleased with my performance. Yeah, I pushed really hard, and I believe Jorge did the same."

Bastianini and Martin required help returning to the podium during the cool down lap due to pushing their fuel limits, which underscored the challenging nature of the Silverstone Circuit.

Bastianini commented, "Yes, we were pushing the limits today, and I'm hopeful that tomorrow will be an improvement. I believe Jorge activated Fuel Map B and was pushing harder than I was. I managed to finish without any issues at the chequered flag."

What's causing Bagnaia and Martin to crash?

Bastianini was questioned about the reasons behind the crashes of his teammates Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin. He offered a brief explanation, suggesting it might be linked to the rear tyre pressing during corner entry.

"This year, we've typically faced issues with the rear of the vehicle, particularly when entering turns as the rear tends to slide out. It's interesting to consider using the hard tire for tomorrow's race because today's experience with the medium tire was challenging, especially on left-hand corners. I believe opting for the hard tire will be a better choice for tomorrow."

On Thursday, Bastianini emphasized the importance of enhancing his qualifying results in the latter part of the season to increase his chances of contending for podium finishes and victories. His impressive showing in Q2 earned him a spot on the front row, starting in third place at Silverstone. However, he pointed out that being fortunate, unlike in the first half of the season, also played a role.

“I’m not sure what adjustments I made, but my set-up stayed consistent. From my first ride on the bike on Friday, everything felt great. Throughout practice, whether I used old or new tires, I consistently performed well. This made me realize I had a good shot at securing a top spot in the qualifying rounds.

"I feel like I was unfortunate during the first half of the championship. I often encountered yellow flags and crashes, which made it difficult to catch up with the other competitors. However, today was different; it was much easier and I faced fewer challenges than I normally do!"

He emphasized that Silverstone ranks among his preferred tracks on the schedule, even though he faced difficulties in 2023 with the GP2 series.

"I really enjoy this track because it's very fast and has many direction changes. In 2022, my speed was good here, and now, with the 2024 bike, it feels just as good. Last year was tough for me as I wasn't at my best, but it was a different year. Despite that, I have a great love for Silverstone."

The key issue emphasized by the Italian centered on choosing the correct tyre combination and effectively managing it throughout the race.

He stated: "Tomorrow's race will be different. We pushed too hard today, and the last two or three laps were particularly challenging for the rear tire. I believe we need to manage the initial phase of the race better to ensure the rear tire is in good condition by the end."

"The main objective is to select the optimal tyre."

"We might be able to fix the issues with our riding technique somewhat… But how? I have no idea!"

"We possess the data to make comparisons with other riders and identify if they are performing better in certain aspects. This allows us to attempt their solutions. It's a beneficial strategy when you're lagging or facing challenges."

Explore Further

Recent Headlines

Recent Headlines

Site Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to reproduce any part of the text, images, or drawings, whether in whole or in part, by any means.