Enea Bastianini has an enviable history at Misano. Since he has been racing in the premier class, the rider from Rimini has always been on the podium at his home track (he didn’t do so only last year, but he was off the track due to injury). After the two third places obtained with Avinta in 2021, in 2022 he challenged Pecco Bagnaia for the victory until the checkered flag and two weeks ago he placed third, behind Marc Marquez and his teammate.
A trend that the Ducati rider hopes to continue this weekend, when the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will take place, which will be held in decidedly different conditions to the one in San Marino and the Rimini Riviera, given that today MotoGP was greeted by rain on its return to the Romagna track and by a decidedly lower temperature.
“Let’s hope that the conditions improve, because for now they are disastrous. However, we come from a good weekend and a good test, so we have what it takes to do well. I want to get on the podium again, but I’m also here to try to do something more. It will be important not to finish beyond the second row in qualifying,” said Bastianini when he spoke to Italian journalists at the end of the press conference that opened the weekend.
Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team
Photo credit: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
In the last race he suffered from a grid position that was a bit too far back to fight for the win, given that he started from the third row: “Certainly every weekend is different and last time in the time attack we didn’t make the difference, because I didn’t feel very comfortable, but I think this weekend will be different, also because it will be about ten degrees cooler”.
Two weeks ago he was one of those who had risked the choice of the rear tyre, which however suffered a strong decline in the final. After all, he had had some difficulties with the medium, which however he seems to have resolved in the test last Monday. Among other things, the lower temperatures seem to be able to direct everyone towards the medium: “I think we will go with the medium anyway. In fact, the cool will be better for the medium. Then we will have to see, because the conditions here in Misano always change quickly. For example, on Friday I didn’t feel at all comfortable with the medium, while on Monday in the tests I felt great. It’s difficult to say”.
Finally, when asked if at the moment he feels like a bit of a wild card who can also act as a referee in the title race between Jorge Martin and Bagnaia or if he thinks he still has a chance, he concluded: “It’s a good question, a tough one. If we look at the standings, at the moment I’m the wild card, because I’m the one a bit further back, but I think I can do well. And maybe we can also try to change roles”.
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