Heartbreak in Indonesia: Enea Bastianini’s MotoGP Title Hopes Derailed by Late-Race Crash

Enea Bastianini laments missing “one of the final opportunities” in the 2024 MotoGP championship battle

A crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix has nearly dashed Bastianini’s hopes for the title.

Enea Bastianini stated that his sole objective was to clinch victory at the Indonesian Grand Prix, and his crash while in third place signified “one of the final opportunities” for his 2024 MotoGP championship aspirations.

The Ducati factory racer was among the top contenders to compete for a win in the 27-lap grand prix on Sunday at Mandalika. He appeared well-prepared to take on Jorge Martin after moving up to second place right from the beginning.

Bastianini swiftly dropped out of contention for a podium finish due to significant issues with his rear medium tire. However, he made a strong comeback in the latter half of the race, regaining third place and posing a serious challenge for a last-minute victory.

Nevertheless, he had an accident at Turn 1 on the 21st lap shortly after recording the quickest lap of the race. He is now trailing the championship leader, Martin, by 75 points with five rounds remaining.

"I'm not sure if I could have won the race," Bastianini commented when questioned about the potential outcome had the crash not occurred.

"It was likely achievable to secure second place. Competing with Pedro was tough for me because of his speed."

“However, during the final two or three laps, I was likely matching his speed, attempting to overtake him and engage in a battle.”

“My goal was to win, but Jorge was prepared from the beginning. I struggled with the rear tire right from the start, and that's how it went.”

He stated, "My sole aim today was to attempt to secure a victory."

"My main goal was to aim for either second or third place."

"That thought never crossed my mind; I was solely focused on winning. It was one of the final opportunities."

“I’m currently very close to the leader in points, but I believe it will be quite challenging. For now, I need to focus on other matters and mentally prepare myself for Motegi.”

Describing the incident, Bastianini stated: "I approached at a slightly higher speed than the previous lap."

"I was giving it my all, trying to catch up to Pedro [Acosta in second place]. Unfortunately, I ended up exceeding my limits."

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