Enea Bastianini narrowly missed the podium at the MotoGP German GP, finishing fourth at Sachsenring, the same position he holds in the championship after nine rounds.
The Ducati rider shared his thoughts with the press post-race: ‘This track is difficult to save the tyre because you are always on the edge. My situation was the same for everybody, for all the riders. It was difficult for me exiting from turn 8 and also from turn 10 and I lost time on that point during all the race, but I was confident to do the podium. When I lost a lot of time with Franky [Morbidelli], I understood that I had lost the possibility to fight for it, and Marc [Márquez] has gone, and at the end has been impossible’.
When asked if he could have been faster with a clear track ahead, Bastianini responded: ‘Yeah, yeah. My target was the podium because my pace was good. But, you know, not all the races are the same. This time wasn’t the best one for me, because I exited from turn 8 with Marc and after that I lost time with Franky. I have to start more in the front for the future because like this is impossible’.
In a balanced field, grid position can greatly influence race outcomes. Would Bastianini have challenged the top riders if he had started closer to the front? The Italian commented:
– I don’t know, probably yes, but I don’t know. When I did a lap alone without being in the front, I did 1m21.1s after 22 laps and it was a good lap time. But, you know, if you are behind you can’t fight for the victory.