Enea Bastianini, “La Bestia”, has embarked on an odyssey with KTM, but the transition from Ducati to the RC16 seems more of an obstacle course than a bed of roses. After dominating the track with Ducati for four years, the Italian rider landed in 16th place on the opening day of MotoGP testing in Buriram, 1,277 seconds behind leader Marc Marquez.
Enea Bastianini, the new pilot KTM, is having difficulty adjusting to his new motorcycle. When Buriram trials, the Italian expressed his frustration at the differences between the Ducati and the KTM, especially at the rear brake level.
During the previous tests in Sepang, bastianini has been putting in the laps, gradually making progress in adapting to the RC16, but his lap times have only slowly improved. He has been open about the reasons for this difficult adaptation. At first I was very busy. We tried many solutions, but in the end nothing worked. " explained the pilot of 27 years. “ In the afternoon we went in the opposite direction and we tested something that I don't usually like. But in the end it was good with this bike because the main problem was me, because I always ride the bike like a Ducati. »
bastianini, who rode with Ducati during four years and won Sept victories, highlighted how striking the difference between the two bikes is. Yes of course. From the outside, the KTM looked very similar to me., but I noticed that the bike is completely different. It takes me longer than expected to get used to it and I get used to it quickly. »
Enea Bastianini: “ The KTM prefers to be used on bends rather than straights »
One of the biggest challenges he faces with the KTM concerns the rear brake. It's completely different. The bike prefers to be used in corners rather than in straight lines. When you apply the rear brake in a straight line, there is a lot of movement in the rear and vibration in the front. It's hard to adjust to this after so many years. " he said. However, he stressed that he had made progress in this aspect as the day went on, already feeling more satisfied with his performances in the afternoon.
bastianini remains optimistic despite these challenges. I spent four years with the same Ducati brand, and logically I have habits. I will have to put aside many things that I did before. I hope I don't have to revolutionize my whole riding style. ", he explained. La reset It will take some time, but the KTM has good potential and I want to give my 100% to reach the maximum possible »
With one last day of testing before the first race in Thailand, February 28 to March 2, Bastianini knows he has little time left to finalize his adaptation. But he seems determined to make the most of the situation and give his all to KTM.
MotoGP, Buriram Test J1 Final: times
