MotoGP, Bastianini will aim for the double in Indonesia, but...“It won’t be easy”

One of the most highly anticipated events of the MotoGP season is here, with riders set to take to the track of Mandalika for round two this coming weekend. This is the first time the championship will compete at this track, and there is great anticipation following test sessions in February. And the stakes are particularly high for team Gresini, home to current leader, Enea Bastianini.

Mentally and physically fit, Bastianini can fight at the front

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After his superb performance at the Qatar GP, all eyes will be on Bastianini in Indonesia. On paper, the Italian starts as favourite, but the Indonesian track might throw up some curve balls, as we saw during testing. Firstly, riders will need to see what has been done to the asphalt and whether this will allow them to ride smoothly without the issues that arose during testing.  The February test sessions at Mandalika saw Enea place thirteenth in the combined standings, although the Gresini rider finished just 0.530 from first-placed rider Pol Espargaró.

At the end of the test, Enea seemed pleased with how things had gone, explaining how they had focus on both set-up and pace in preparation for the upcoming race. He also liked the track, saying he finds it “similar to Mugello”, albeit it with some different characteristics: “I really like to brake hard, and here there’s only one real hard braking point, but there are a lot of fast turns”. And so Enea, considering how the opening race went, has every chance of being able to do well and battle for the podium. He is also in excellent physical and mental shape following his win in Qatar. All factors that will work in his favour, unlike other ‘top riders’ who were unable to maximise their potential during the season-opener.

Many unknowns and rain forecast for the weekend

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The typical Indonesian climate, wet and humid, could impact on the weekend of course, and this is why Bastianini is realistic as he looks ahead to the next round: “I can’t wait to race in Indonesia”, he comments. “We had an incredible race in Qatar where I scored my first win. It won’t be easy to do it again, but we definitely had good pace during the tests. They should have resurfaced certain sections of the track, so I don’t know exactly what to expect. Even the tyres will be different compared to the test, but we need to continue working as we’ve done until now. I expect a lot of fans and Gresini Racing supporters”. The weather forecast for Mandalika says it all – 90% chance of rain all weekend. Can Bastianini also perform on a wet track?

Translated by Heather Watson

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