Absolute best time of the day, Bugatti lap record on a motogp (in 1'31.148), but also two falls (one per session), this Friday was not easy for Enea Bastianini! The Italian was the fastest and will try to confirm his current good form to do well tomorrow in qualifying, which promises to be crucial as rain now seems more than likely in the race on Sunday.
Thanks to his good performance, the number 23 is ideally positioned to aim for another victory this weekend, which would be his third of the season after that obtained during the inaugural round in Qatar as well as during the GP of the Americas. The Gresini driver answered questions from journalists after the second free practice session of the day, and we transcribe his entire remarks here.
Enea, it was a strange day for you, marked by two falls but also the absolute best time in the end. What are your feelings?
«
It's really very strange, because something always happened! Our speed was good today. We led very good FP2 without having attacked too much, at least at the beginning, because during my last time attack with the soft tire I gave 100% and this was felt in terms of the times. Here we found our good feelings on the bike. »
Your last crash happened right after you set your best lap. Were you still attacking at that time?
« Yes I was still attacking a little. But in this corner it's always a bit difficult because you can lose the front very easily. All I can say is I'll be more careful tomorrow.
»
There were a lot of falls today. What were the actual driving conditions?
« The conditions were not exceptional this afternoon. It was better in the morning, especially in terms of the grip provided by the asphalt. But the situation was still a little better with the soft tire at the rear. It was easier for me to use the rear brake, because with the medium it was simply impossible, it was really too unstable. We must therefore improve on this tomorrow, while increasing our experience with the medium tire despite everything. »
The possibility of rain during the race on Sunday seems to be confirmed. How important is it going to be to qualify well tomorrow?
« This will be crucial, especially if there is rain. If you start at the front, it is clear that the visibility is much better, whereas if you are in the peloton it is immediately much more dangerous. If I get a place on one of the first two rows it will be a good result for me.
»
Do you feel safe on this circuit?
« It's true that the first corner is quite dangerous for motorcycles, especially in the morning because it's quite cold and you can easily block the front. But personally I like this circuit. »
