Ducati continues to take time to choose the rider to partner with Pecco Bagnaia in 2023. After Sunday at Le Mans, however, objectively one wonders what Enea Bastianini needs to do more to earn the Desmosedici GP Rossa, in addition to treatment as an officer for the next two years which would already be guaranteed.
Undoubtedly, during the winter the passage of Jorge Martin from Pramac Racing to the factory team of the Borgo Panigale company seemed a fairly obvious and practically done thing, but it cannot be denied that the Rimini-born in this first third of the season has done all the possible to overturn the cards on the table.
The fact that the two podiums won by rookie surprise with a now obsolete GP19 in 2021 did not guarantee him access to at least one of the five GP22s on this year’s grid was to be understood as a clear signal of which ones they were up to. doors of Bologna the hierarchies for the succession of Jack Miller.
“Bestia”, however, never lost heart and managed to turn what might have seemed a handicap into an advantage. The GP21 was by far the best bike of the lot at the end of 2021, while the new prototype took longer than expected for the factory riders to understand and exploit properly.
While the others struggled, he took advantage of the opportunity and took home two wins in the first four races. The curious thing then is that he realized in Qatar and Texas, on the two occasions in which Martin also tried to make a mark by signing the pole position.
The real masterpiece, however, was that of yesterday at Le Mans, because the third seal has arrived now that the GP22 seems to have become the best bike of the lot, or at least this is what would suggest the roadmap of the last two weekends at Bagnaia. , at least until the fall of the 21st lap.
Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
An aerodynamic kit 2022 for Enea had also arrived from Borgo Panigale, but he preferred not to homologate it to continue with the package with which he found a great feeling. Another winning choice, which also suggests the below under the Gresini Racing driver the dream of fighting for this World Championship is seriously harboring him, because in the Barcelona tests a new guise for the official drivers will debut and Gigi Dall’Igna has promised to do so. try him too. Wanting to play evenly is a clear sign of ambition.
Exactly one third of the championship, the confrontation with Martin has no history: Bastianini has won three races, scored 94 points and is third in the World Championship, just 8 points behind the leader Fabio Quartararo. The Spaniard, on the other hand, has only 28 points, he made two poles and got on the podium in Argentina, but he also has four zero points in the standings. As a partial excuse, it must be said that he has a nerve problem, which yesterday made him fall asleep after just three laps. And perhaps this is one of the aspects that are still keeping the games open.
“Fortunately we have more than two bikes on the grid and a good relationship with our independent teams to find a solution. Now we are in the situation where we have to fix things and we hope that between Mugello and Assen we will reach a conclusion to have the riders defined. in the teams “, explained sporting director Paolo Ciabatti after the match, taking more time and adding that he would like to find a space for Miller as well in the plans.
The only thing that Bastianini could have done wrong in this almost perfect first part of the season, if you really want to nitpick, maybe it was the way he approached after the race, putting it a bit on the plan of the challenge with Bagnaia, hinting to have made him nervous and misled, as he is the teammate he would not want next year. After the double in qualifying, Pecco had in fact said without too many words that if he were to decide, he would stick to Miller.
Perhaps this didn’t go down to Aeneas, who retorted after the run. Thinking about the atmosphere inside the team, therefore, there could be some tension. Even if we are talking about the two drivers who have so far taken home the four victories won by the brand in this first part of 2022, who are both Italian just like the Red. It is true that in the world of racing 2 + 2 does not always equate to 4, but this time it is really hard to understand why this is not yet the case.
Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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