Enea Bastianini (Rimini, 12-30-1997) has become one of the sensations on the MotoGP grid in this last part of the season.
The young Italian rider of the Avintia team, who competes on a 2019 Ducati , has achieved his first two podiums in the premier class in just a few weeks, and if we look at the last four races held, he has scored 52 points, the fourth best record.
Specifically, since last September 12, Bastianini has put together top driver numbers: he was sixth in the Aragon Grand Prix , third in the San Marino Grand Prix, sixth again in the Americas Grand Prix, and finally, he repeated third place in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
In that same period of four races, the numbers of the Italian have only been surpassed by Marc Márquez (73 points), Pecco Bagnaia (66) and Fabio Quartararo (61), while runners of the stature of Pol Espargaró (38), Joan Mir (34), Jack Miller (31) or Johann Zarco (15) have been left behind.
The most surprising thing about Bastianini’s good results is that he has achieved them by always starting far behind on the grid. In Motorland he started 9th, his best classification of the season, so he only made up three positions. But at Misano 1 he started 12th, climbing nine places, which were ten at Austin , from 16th to 6th, and thirteen at Misano 2, where he started the race 16th and crossed the finish line third.
In just four races, Enea has added more points than in the first twelve, in which he accumulated 35, with a 9th as the best result achieved in the Portuguese Grand Prix , precisely the stage where it will be raced again next weekend.
This tendency to go from less to more, logical for a rookie in the category, reflects a little the style of the Italian, who also tends to go in the ascending line in the race.
“The potential we reached at the end of the race was our real level”, explained ‘the Beast’ after getting his second podium finish in Misano.
“In the beginning the front tire overheated a bit, maybe because I had a lot of traffic in front of me and I couldn’t drive well, especially in the left-hand corners I couldn’t force. Then, lap after lap, I started to pick up the pace and at the end, when I saw that I was fourth and that Fabio (Quartararo) was close, I was able to give that little bit more that I needed. We both started from very far back (on the grid), only he got free before the riders in front of him and it took me a little longer. But let’s say that my style is to arrive strong at the end”, defined the one from Rimini .
A strength at the end of the race that was already seen in the first one at Misano, and that was replicated in Austin and at the Emilia Romagna GP.
“The last three laps were very hard because Fabio, even though he knew he was already world champion, pushed very hard and it was very difficult for me to catch up with him. But on the last lap I managed to overtake him and I would say we had a great race”.
The acceleration carried out by Bastianini in this final stretch of the season places him 13th overall in the World Cup with 87 points, and as the leader in the fight for the rookie of the year, beating Jorge Martín (13th with 82) and Luca Marini (20th with 37).
In addition to having the goal of becoming the best rookie within reach, Enea still aspires to finish in the top 10 of the overall championship, ahead of Maverick Viñales 9th (106 points), Miguel Oliveira 10th (92), Alex Rins 11th (91) and Pol Espargaró 12th (90), with two races to go and 50 points at stake.
For a rookie, finishing in the top ten of the World Championship would be an enormous result, and even more so if he can embellish it with some podium finishes, as is the case.
“I must admit that this time I did not expect to be able to get on the podium, but a bit of bad luck and a good final pace allowed me to reach it”, Enea honestly agreed, aware of the many crashes that occurred on Sunday.
Until now, the Achilles heel of the Italian has been the classification on the grid, since he always has to start from far behind.
“I would like to start a little closer, on Fridays I usually lose a bit, it’s my weak point, I can’t be fast right away. Perhaps because the sessions are too short, we will try to change our strategy in the last few races. In Misano the weather didn’t help me either, I really suffered with the mixed conditions”.
In his first season in MotoGP , with the oldest bike on the grid (2019) and with a team that will disappear at the end of the season, Bastianini has managed to get his head out and show his class, the quality that led him to being Moto2 world champion in 2020, when few were betting on him, and that has already assured him of having a permanent position next year in the Gresini team, although once again he will not be able to count on the best material from the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.
Bastianini will have a 2021 Desmosedici in 2022, while up to five riders from the brand, Pecco Bagnaia, Jack Miller, Jorge Martín, Johann Zarco and one of the VR46 riders, who will almost certainly be Luca Marini , will enjoy the latest version of the red motorcycle, the 2022 model.
“Next year I will have a GP21, I discussed it these past few days with the Ducati guys, I don’t think it will be possible to have a 2022 bike, although after achieving this second podium maybe I can talk to them again”, explained Enea on Sunday after the race, although the driver’s smile betrayed that the decision has been made and there is no going back.
A situation that not everyone considers fair, since the potential that Bastianini is showing would merit a greater effort on the part of Ducati.
“The way of running that Enea is showing has impressed me”, recognized Max Biaggi , the Italian champion now acting as skipper of a Moto3 team.
“Racing in Misano sure helped him a bit, but he has been at a high level for several races. Without a doubt he has talent, he already showed it in Moto2 , but even now in MotoGP you can see his great qualities. It doesn’t seem fair to me that next year he doesn’t have an official bike, although I have no doubt that Ducati will support and help him in everything, especially if the good results continue”.
“It’s a real pleasure to see Enea pilot”, adds Giacomo Agostini , the Italian champion, also present in Misano. “Little by little it will improve hand in hand with Ducati, in recent races it has shown that it is in a phase of great growth,” he added.
“Enea is doing a great job and her magnificent podium in Misano deserves a special applause; without a doubt, he has a great future ahead of him that for our team is already a reality”, highlighted, for his part, Gigi Dall’Igna , Ducati’s chief engineer and the person who has the key to the motorcycles that each rider must carry the next season, in which up to eight Ducati (five official and three from 2021) will populate the MotoGP grid.
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