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Happy to have completed the Sprint Race in Portugal - after the Portimão weekend had been the incipit of his difficulties last year with a fall and a long absence due to an injury - Enea Bastianini didn't hide his bitterness for his 6th place, which could've been something more if he hadn't made a mistake at the start.
"At the start, I accidentally deactivated the front shapeshifting device, because I was convinced I hadn't activated it, and this compromised my race. My pace wasn't bad, but what happened at the start made me nervous and didn't allow me to rider very well. However, I was able to identify what our weaknesses and strengths are, so I think it's clear where we have to take action for tomorrow. Me, king of the long race? I hope I can have my say, even if we're more competitive this year with the soft tire and in time attacks, rather than over distance. We're still working on it, so I won't be starting as a favorite. Let's say the podium is feasible."
What brought a smile to the rider from Rimini's face was the end of a long fast. A fast that had started in 2022, exactly 581 days since he had started off from the first position. "I had done well in qualifying even in Qatar. Compared to before, when I was looking for a bit more performance from the front, now I prefer to make the most of the rear grip, also for a matter of confidence. And, I have to say, it's working."
When he was asked about the likely winner of Sunday's GP, the 26-year-old said, without a doubt: "I think Marquez has something more on this track, at least from what I could see. It seems to me that he has that extra tenth more than the others, but we'll try to fill it and bring the race home. Today, unfortunately, it was a wasted opportunity, because I could've definitely done better. With these bikes, if you start behind, you have a hard time catching up. You really have to have more to make a difference, not to mention that, without a device, you wheelie a lot, and you need to close the throttle."
After dismissing the journalist's statement with an "I don't know" - explaining how in qualifying Marc had slipped precisely because he had deactivated the device before he was supposed to - the rider from Romagna didn't even want to respond to the question of whether riders frown upon all these electronic devices.
Finally, when questioned about the reasons that prevented him from keeping Bagnaia's pace, he asserted, "Pecco was very fast because, by sprinting up front, he didn't have traffic problems. When you're behind, you struggle to brake the bike, you lose time, the tire pressure increases, and you have to defend yourself from the attacks of those pursuing."
