Enea Bastianini surprised by securing an unexpected third place at the Red Bull Ring, during the Austrian Grand Prix, eleventh round of MotoGP 2024. The Ducati rider, winner at Silverstone, had to fight hard after a complicated weekend marked by numerous technical problems and a Sprint Race which saw him finish in fourth position.
Despite these difficulties, bastianini was able to put in a solid race on Sunday, managing to finish alone in third place, behind Pecco Bagnaia et George Martin. A result which, although not enough to stay in the title race, allows him to limit the damage in a weekend which seemed to be off to a bad start.
Interviewed by Sky Sport after the race, Enea Bastianini shared his thoughts: “ I'm sorry because I suffered a lot this weekend, maybe today we improved something, because yesterday I couldn't keep this pace, but I missed something compared to the first two. As for the weekend, everything is fine. My problem was not forcing the entries, the hard tire on the left was not at temperature and already on Friday I was in danger of falling, that's why I didn't want to use it. I couldn't use the front of my bike like I usually do. And if it doesn't work, then you're lost along the way ».
Enea Bastianini: “ as it was clear for a long time that I could not do anything, I avoided any additional risk »
Then Enea Bastianini admits: “the team did absolutely everything to give me the best bike. But to be honest – I didn't stand a chance against the other two. My confidence suffered towards the end. And since it had long been clear that there was nothing I could do, I avoided any further risk.”
The Italian driver also highlighted the importance of starting race weekends well, which has been a key factor in his fluctuating performances: “ now you have to start well from the first round compared to the past, if you start well the weekend continues well, if you start badly it's difficult to get through it. The podium was unexpected, I started well and tried to make few mistakes because I didn't have the situation under control »
Then he finishes: “ Pecco is currently very strong and on all tracks. He still manages to be two tenths faster in crucial situations ". Despite a difficult start to the weekend, Enea Bastianini knew how to make the most of the circumstances to get on the podium, thus confirming his resilience and his ability to perform even in the face of adversity.
MotoGP, Austria J3: results
Austrian GP MotoGP race
MotoGP General Ranking