Enea Bastianini has made a spectacular start to her second season in MotoGP, securing a first win in Qatar last month and returning to the top of the standings on Sunday after taking victory at the Grand Prix of the Americas.
The Gresini rider, riding a 2021-spec Ducati, has been working with Dovizioso’s former team boss Giribuola since his MotoGP debut.
“I think they are very similar, because their style is very much about braking and using the front tire to the limit,” Giribuola told Autosport at COTA. “Although Enea [Bastianini] always stays a lot on the edge of the rear tyre, [Andrea] Dovizioso was a bit more aggressive.”
After sharing time with the Italian rider, Giribuola says that both riders have a similar way of riding the Ducati, before going into detail on how Bastianini has a better understanding of the limit of the rear tyre.
“I think Enea has improved a lot since the beginning of this year,” added the Italian driver’s crew chief. “He’s worked a lot on himself, on staying calm and analyzing the situation and the set-up we’re trying for.”
“Yes, Andrea [Dovizioso] was more analytical. Sometimes he thought too much.”
Compared to the Ducati riders on the 2022-spec bike, Bastianini is currently 30 points clear of the closest GP22 of Jack Miller, in seventh place in the standings.
Asked how Bastianini’s data compares to that of the factory Ducati riders, Giribuola explained: “Honestly, I think Enea [Bastianini] is very, very confident with the front end. He’s using the front tire to its fullest. “.
“So yes, the difference is that. I don’t think we are in a lower package at the moment compared to the 2022 [bike],” he concluded.
Added to this comparison is the opinion of riders like Jack Miller, who, they say, would love to share style with the Gresini Racing rider.
