The year 2023 held high expectations for Enea Bastianini in MotoGP. However, an accident in the Sprint race at the Portuguese Grand Prix resulted in his first serious injury, marking a season filled with physical challenges.
Nevertheless, the Ducati rider managed to bounce back. Once free from injuries and with more competitive rhythm, he showcased his potential, even winning the demanding Malaysian Grand Prix. He also faced some uncertainty when Jorge Martín threatened to take his place at Ducati.
Bastianini, now entering his second season with the Borgo Panigale team, gave an interview reflecting on the 2023 season. He also outlined his expectations for the upcoming season, where he is once again teammates with two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia.
How tough has this year been?
Mentally, and also physically, it’s been a difficult season. After the first injury, I understood that it was difficult or even impossible to come back on track very early. I understood also that my possibility to win the title was zero or one – very, very strange.
I came back and in my first three or four races, my shoulder didn’t work well. When I was OK again, I crashed again and got the other injury – and mentally it was so, so difficult. I always remained focused and positive, but it was hard to do that.
Then I came back, I won again, and this was so nice for us, for everybody.
Why was the second injury tougher?
It’s different, but at the end it was the same. I was angry about my mistake in Barcelona. After a good start, I was a little bit nervous because inside me I knew after the good start that I wanted to stay on top during this first corner. I braked so later and, well… the disaster happened. It was different [from Portimao], but in the end it’s the same. You stay at home.
When did you realise after Portimao that the season was gone?
The main injury was the first one, because after it, after three months, I thought I would be like before. That was my question. I lost the power in my right shoulder, I wasn’t the strongest, and when I went to the gym it was so difficult for me to train.
For me mentally this was difficult, but for the Barcelona Grand Prix I received something. I was powerful. And then I crashed again.
After the crash, the shoulder also suffered a lot, and again at the gym it was difficult again to work with the upper body.
So the Sepang win was so important?
It was important because during that weekend, I was really focused on my objective. When I saw myself fast on Saturday, fast on the pace, I thought ‘OK, tomorrow I can win.’ I started the race with this objective and not any other one. Not to go onto the podium, just to win again.
When I saw Alex [Marquez] very close to me every lap, I was 0.7 the lap before, then 0.5, then 0.7 again. It was very close! At the end, I pushed hard – over the limit – and we arrived.
How important has Ducati’s confidence in you been?
This is really important for me, because the confirmation from Ducati said ‘OK, we are with you.’ They know my potential, all the Ducati people, and this year this potential isn’t coming. At the end, yes, but for my injuries nothing happened and always I was behind. It’s been really difficult.
But always, Ducati have supported me every time, and now my relationship also with my crew chief and all my engineers is very good, and I’m happy to be in that team.
Without the injury, would the championship have been possible?
It would have been much difficult, because the bike of last year was really good, and very fun for my riding style. This one is much more difficult to go on the limit with. It’s strange. One of my strongest points is the entry, and to make the entry really fast with this one is not so simple to understand.
But at the end, it was good. Now, in Malaysia and in Qatar I was competitive because we understood something. The team know me better. And, well, it would have been difficult to win the title this year even apart from the injury.
So you are in the perfect position for next year?
Probably, yes, I’m in a good position now. In Portimao, it was OK and I was at the front, but for next year we’ll have other solutions, new things on the bike, and let’s see how they arrive.
Let’s see how the new bike is. I don’t know how it’ll be, the bike of next year, but ,my comments are so close to the comments of Pecco. And if Ducait work for us, then probably it will be more similar to the bike of this year. Ducati have worked well in the tests, and I’ve already spoken to Michele [Pirro].
It helps having a teammate with a similar strength.
The riding style of Pecco is different because he prefers to brake so much later, and me I don’t brake really hard and prefer to keep speed during the entry. He stops the bike much more. But one of the strange points of this bike is the braking point and the entry. If you are not perfect, you lose time.
Apart from the bike, what has changed in the factory team?
You have to speak with many people. For the rest, it’s very similar. But also for me I changed my crew chief. All the team was completely new. It’s different because you work for a factory, you have many interviews and you have to do many events. But this is normal in the factory.
At the start, well, you have to bring the confidence also with this. But after you understand it, and in the end it is good.
Looking to this winter, what do you need to do to recover?
We have to make a program with my trainer to have much better sensation with my body. At the moment I’m not at 100%, and after the Malaysian GP I was so tired after the race. But I know. I haven’t trained in three months, and to come back to MotoGP is so difficult with this high level.
You have to push every lap, every session. It’s different. And we haven’t a lot of time. We have two months and then we have to go to the Sepang test. It is short, the time, but we have to use it very well.
