The situation is getting considerably darker for Enea Bastianini at Silverstone, even more so than the British weather. Injured by Luca Marini's bike in Portugal during the very first Sprint in history, the man who shined in 2022 has been nothing more than a shadow of himself since his return to Mugello. And if we could put this down to his convalescence period, the six-week break does not work in his favor given his stagnation. During his absence, drivers and machines have progressed, and the Italian is perfectly aware of this. Big loser at the start of the season, he qualified 13th, not far from Q2, and finished in the same position.
« We still have to figure out how to get started, some things are not clear » confided Enea Bastianini to the microphones of GP One. " Qualifying didn't go bad, even though I missed Q2 by a tenth. »The 2 Moto2020 world champion puts things into perspective. “I had fun, and it's a real shame not to have been able to approach the Sprint from a better position. » Indeed, the place on the grid is absolutely decisive for success in the short format. But even with not so bad speed, Enea Bastianini could not do better than 13th, while some favorites were in great difficulty, like his teammate Pecco Bagnaia. " I can't say the Sprint went badly. I could have gotten a better result, but I had a problem at the front » he continued.
# EB23 🎙️ “I made some steps on the front compared to the morning, but I'm not really close to the other guys, so we must improve more to stay with them on Sunday”#ForzaDucati #DucatiLenovoTeam pic.twitter.com/jPlWgGXcta
- Ducati Corse (@ducaticorse) August 4
Of course, this is difficult to live with for someone who really exploded last year, who could look the world champion straight in the eye. “ It's not easy, but I try to take it well. Physically, I'm fine, I have no more excuses. This means that there is another type of problem that will have to be resolved, I will have to adapt and change my riding style in relation to the bike. » Even taking examples from his – numerous – “teammates” is not an easy thing. “ They all have different styles, except Pecco, maybe, he's the only one I can compare myself with. I think I need to focus more on my feelings rather than observing the work of others. » To tell the truth, there is no manual, no instructions in this specific case. But we also see, in these situations, the limits of pilots, who remind us, sometimes, that they are human like us.
On the other hand, the sky should clear for tomorrow, which is a good sign for Enea Bastianini. But he still realizes. “ We didn't do much riding in the dry, I hope to have some time in warm-up. We are realistic, my goal is to finish in the top 10 » he added. Sad situation for a generational talent, but we do not believe for a moment that a great man like him, coupled with an immense champion, could give up at one moment or another.
Do you think we can see again Enea Bastianini shine, and why not tomorrow at Silverstone if the track is dry? Tell us in the comments!
Here are the results of the Sprint race at Silverstone:
Classification credit: motogp.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
