MotoGP | Bastianini: “With the GP24 we are back on the right track”

Enea Bastianini does not go too far. He decided to start the 2024 MotoGP season with the policy of small steps, but quietly found himself second in the World Championship after the first three events. Even today in Austin he didn't attract too much attention, but in the end he took home a third place which earned him his second consecutive Sunday podium after the one in Portimao and allowed him to reduce the gap to 21 points against Jorge Martin.

The American Grand Prix wasn't easy, because after an excellent start he made a mistake that dropped him back in the group. At the distance, however, his excellent management skills came to the fore, which at the end allowed him to overtake first his teammate Pecco Bagnaia and then Martin, grabbing third place and thus finishing as the best among the Ducati riders.

In fact, the Aprilia of Maverick Vinales and the GasGas Tech3 of Pedro Acosta, the ones who had made the right choice with the medium tire on the rear, were now too far ahead of him. In any case, the balance of Sunday in Texas seems rather positive for “Beast”.

“I set out to try to have a good first part of the race, but wanting to try to take the lead straight away compromised everything for me, because I lost positions. Then I struggled a bit with the front when I had so many bikes in front, but the second part of the race is always my strong point. It's here that I can express myself 100%, so I managed to come back. I would have liked to win, but I think we can be happy with this podium.” Bastianini said at the end of the day.

Even if he still seems to lack something to fight for victory, little by little the Rimini native is constantly finding his competitiveness again: “I think we worked very well at the beginning of the year, because our base is good to do well more or less everywhere. That What I still lack is a bit of explosiveness. I'll try to fill this as soon as possible, because especially in the Sprints I struggle a little more than the others. Let's see what the future holds, but I feel ready.”

It is undeniable that Ducati also seems to be taking a step in its direction in the leap between the GP23 and the GP24: “The engine and chassis have been revised a little and this helps me to hold the brakes a little more, which which I couldn't do with the 2023 bike. Let's say that one of my strong points was missing with the GP24, although obviously we can still do a little bit to improve tracks, because we are fast straight away, so I'm happy.”

Finally, he didn't hide the fact that he struggled a lot from a physical point of view today: “It's one of the hardest races, if not the worst of the year, because it's a very physical track. Let's say that I'm quite tired and Acosta is also It wasn't easy for any of us, but Maverick obviously had more. But physically I held up well, so I can be happy with my work.”