Enea Bastianini brilliantly dominated the first day of testing at the Portuguese Grand Prix, marking a promising start to the second round of the 2024 MotoGP. Riding the #23 Ducati, Bastianini displayed remarkable speed during the quest for the fastest lap, although he admits his running pace still needs adjustment. The transition to the Ducati Desmosedici GP 24 appears to be a positive change for Bastianini, providing him with renewed confidence after a previous season marked by difficulties following an injury during the Portuguese sprint.
During an interview with Sky Sport, Enea Bastianini shares his impressions: “ being at the top of the timesheet is a feeling we haven't felt in a while » he admits. “ Although the beginning was not ideal, we gradually found our rhythm. We faced the same challenges as in Qatar, but we started to overcome them successfully, particularly with the soft tires ».
Enea Bastianini: “ Marc Marquez is certainly the benchmark here at Portimao »
He adds : " we still need to improve our performance with the medium tires. Despite everything, the day was productive. The track was pretty dirty this morning, and although I haven't looked at the data in detail yet, I feel like I made a difference from the start. With this bike I feel comfortable from the start, but Marc Marquez is certainly the reference here in Portimao. " And the Spaniard has a GP23 ...
Bastianini, who must defend his place as official driver Ducati facing strong internal competition, then explains: “ I was already in excellent physical shape for the Sepang and Qatar tests. I feel good, and the new bike contributes enormously to this feeling. The introduction of a new engine braking system has particularly helped me, and I would say that it's a combination of my physical condition and the improvement brought by the bike that makes the difference »
MotoGP Portugal J1: classification
Credit classification motogp.com
