Ducati announced the decision to upgrade Enea Bastianini to the official team shortly before the Italian landed in Misano, his home event. Bastianini will become Pecco Bagnaia’s teammate in 2023, putting an end to several months of rumors that placed Jorge Martín as the favourite.
To celebrate his promotion, the Gresini rider closed free practice on Friday leading the Ducati army, setting the fastest time in the second session.
It is well known that Bastianini is a pilot of second parts. The start of the weekend is usually uphill for the rider from Romagna, who this time starts the weekend on the right foot and is running as one of the riders who can fight for victory in Misano.
“It’s one of the best Fridays of my life, I’m happy. In MotoGP it’s sure to be my best free practice day, but in the rest of the categories I think I’ve already closed some Fridays in the lead. In any case, for me it’s important to be fast at a time that has always been important to me. I’m sure it’s benefited me to race on a track I know well.”
However, ‘ The Beast ‘ is not confident and admits that his rivals are not far away. “Today we have done a good job, but we have to work and be focused, because the others are also very fast, especially in race pace”.
“In FP1, the grip was a bit low, especially in the first stint , but after a few laps it got better. We had some problems with the front end at the beginning, but in the end everything went well. For Sunday I hope the track be in good condition. I don’t know if it will rain, but in any case we will have to push, gain more experience in the wet, especially for the future. In any case, I am happy with this challenge”.
Today’s weather could also be a product of the peace of mind that knowing your future brings, but Bastianini categorically denies this hypothesis: “I think that the release of the contract had little to do with today’s result. I was often asked about it and always I had to answer in the same way, because I didn’t know anything either. Even in Austria I didn’t know anything. So I think it didn’t affect me much.”
Despite today’s excellent result, Enea does not see himself fighting for pole, or at least he thinks it will be very difficult to overtake his future team-mate, Pecco Bagnaia: “It will be difficult to get pole here. Pecco is very strong at a lap, and I think tomorrow he will be the man to beat. But what matters is Sunday, so we have to work on the race pace. I don’t think the three penalty positions will make things too difficult for him, last year I started 18th and I finished 3rd, so if he’s got the pace, I don’t think he’s going to have much of a problem.”
“Pecco at this point in the championship is very incisive in the first part of the race,” he continued. “But above all he is using his head much more than at the beginning of the season. I think he has matured a lot, in fact I will have to imitate him. I have had some very good races, but also some not so good ones, so for the future it will be good. work with him also for this reason, to try to see what he does”.
Pecco himself had spoken on the eve of the weekend of how important collaboration between teammates was and how important it will be next year. Bastianini feels ready to face this new challenge: “I am already exchanging information with Fabio [Di Giannantonio] and I think that with Pecco it will be something quite similar. I don’t know what kind of relationship he has with Jack, what they say and what happens in the box The truth is that in the factory team the way of working is different, so I will have to get used to it quickly to be ready for the first race.”
“It’s a bit of a tricky situation, because I don’t really know if I’m a good test rider. So it’s going to be crucial to understand. I’m a rider that sometimes feels more one click more preload than a different chassis, so it’s going to be critical for me. grow in this aspect as well.”
Finally, Enea commented on the forced separation from Giribuola, his technical chief, who will not be with him next year in the official Ducati team, but will go to KTM: “I found out a day before all of you. For me it has also been a jug of cold water, but I think Ducati will work to put a good person by my side. I’m sorry, because with ‘Pigiamino’ we have a very good relationship and we can express ourselves 100%, but you know that in this world sometimes anything can happen”.
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