In the Jerez test last week, the official riders already had a first taste of what awaits them next season, but the manufacturers will have until the Mandalika tests, in mid-February, to prepare more news. However, others like Enea Bastianini were able to test the bike they will ride next year, since it is the 2021 model.
The Italian made his MotoGP debut this year with the Avintia team, riding a 2019 Ducati with some improvements. Now, with Gresini , he has already been able to get on his new bike, the one that Pecco Bagnaia rode this year. Speaking to the championship’s official website, Bastianini said the experience was “fantastic” as the Borgo Panigale brand had made great progress in recent months.
“I’ve tried the 2021 bike for the first time and it’s amazing,” said the 2020 Moto2 champion. “The bike is fantastic. It’s faster than the 2019 in every aspect. It’s also more stable. You can be more relaxed and be smoother driving it. I’m very happy [and] it’s great to be back with Gresini Racing.”
On day two, after 76 laps, Bastianini told reporters that the philosophy of the bike remained intact, but the gains were remarkable: “You can see that the DNA is the same, but clearly I managed to focus much more on the riding because it moves a lot less and turns a lot better, whereas with the 2019 bike I was really struggling in that aspect. And when I put a soft tire on to try and do a time attack , it came easy. I made a few little mistakes on the lap, for sure I could have done a lot better, but I felt comfortable right away anyway and I’m getting better in every way.”
(Before reading on, click on this link or on the image to see all the photos of Enea Bastianini in the Jerez test)
Between Ducati’s very good results at the end of the season and this encouraging debut, Bastianini is looking forward to 2022 : “It’s an easier bike to push to the limit, so it will surely help me a lot next year. After that, I will surely have to work harder, I don’t think all my problems will go away in two seconds. But being competitive from the start gives me hope and, above all, motivates everyone who works with me.”
“I expected to be competitive from the start, that’s for sure, but to be in the front right away, no. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be in the front. I think it was a very good day and, above all, I managed to perform well despite the wind, because there was a lot and it tends to cause more problems. So I’m not saying that we’ll never have problems, but things are a little easier now,” said #23 , who finished fifth overall over the two days.
This year’s GP21 seemed easier for the Italian, which gives him a lot of hope: “I’m able to push hard and right away, which I couldn’t do with the 2019 bike, so I’m very confident for the year.” next. We’ll see if I deserve a few improvements on the bike”.
That ability to push instantly was one of the things Bastianini looked for in this test, having struggled often in the early part of the weekends and ending up performing well on Sundays, which resulted in big comebacks, including the that took him to the podium in both Misano races.
“I have worked hard to be fast from the beginning, because every weekend it was difficult in FP1 and then it got better and better. I was fast in the warm up and even more so in the race.”
