Mixed day for Enea Bastianini at Assen, reflecting his season. In qualifying, he failed to express his full potential, and only finished 11th. Then, during the Sprint, we saw him multiply his overtaking moves, each as daring as the last, to climb up to fourth place. He is one of the best when it comes to tire management, and has a quite remarkable racing science. On a narrow track, he did not hesitate to dive to make his way.
Again and again, the starting position is lacking for “Bestia”. “We improved the bike after qualifying, and even though these were complicated, it was a good race. All my overtaking was at the limit, especially the one about Aleix Espargaro, I didn’t know if I was going to get through it » affirmed the main interested party in the columns of GPOne.
He is the first to admit it: his teammate was untouchable. « Pecco Bagnaia does something incredible this weekend, and I see him winning tomorrow too. I think I can fight for second or third place. The long distance could work in my favor, and even if Martin is competitive, I don’t know if he will be able to maintain this pace throughout the race. » he added, sure of himself.
Then comes the time to talk about the qualifications. We saw the pilots waiting, slowing down on the trajectory, desperately looking for a wheel. This is very dangerous, and some Moto3 riders are penalized for this kind of behavior. Enea Bastianini is fed up. « It keeps happening, especially on circuits where having aspiration and more broadly a reference point is important. Slowing down is a risk for yourself and others. I’m still waiting for Marc Marquez to leave, but when I go to the track afterwards, he’s there waiting for me. I don’t know how to improve the situation, but it will have to change.” he concluded.
Photo : Michelin Motorsport
In Assen, moreover, Marc Marquez hit Enea Bastianini in 2023 when he wanted to take his wheel. Moreover, these comments are in agreement with the very latest decision of the race management: for having hampered Raul Fernandez during Q2, Jorge Martin receives a three-place grid penalty. Click here if you would like to read more about this decision.
What do you think of these behaviors in qualifying? Tell us in the comments!
MotoGP Sprint Result at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix:
Ranking credit: MotoGP.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
: “We may have left space for Marc Marquez, but he’s still waiting for us”){kind=link}