Enea Bastianini and the KTM that won’t stay still behind the others: “It’s a struggle in a group”

Enea Bastianini finished in the top 10 at the Indonesian Grand Prix, but the result did not satisfy him. The Tech3 KTM rider, who came 11th in Saturday's Sprint, just outside the points, described a difficult Sunday at Mandalika, hampered by a bike that struggled to hold its line when following other riders.

His comments, collected by Manuel Pecino for Motosan after the race, came at the end of a weekend dominated by Aprilia, which placed four bikes near the front, as also noted in our article Insinuations about Ducati and Marquez: Tardozzi's response.

It followed a familiar pattern, with a difficult start and a more convincing second half of the race: "It was the same as always when you're a little further back. Very, very difficult at the start. And when the group gets smaller, it's always easier for me to fight my way back through. Today I really struggled with the bike sliding and with running behind the others".

The Rimini-born rider went on to explain how the KTM behaved in traffic, and why his pace improved towards the end: "My bike moved around a lot behind the others, as if it were really nervous. From halfway through the race to the finish, it was better. That's why I was almost faster at the end. I did a good job in the closing stages, but I'm still not very happy with just a top 10".

Several riders complained about a lack of grip through the corners at the Indonesian circuit. For Bastianini, the problem was not limited to Sunday and occurred at a specific point: "The bike was sliding not just today; it happened to me yesterday too. It happens when we enter a corner and when we're behind other riders. It's as if the bike doesn't want to stay on the same line or even turn. And all you can feel is the vibration from the rider in front of you".

It's a significant limitation for a rider like him, who often has to work his way up through the field: if the bike becomes unstable just as he closes in on his rivals, every attempt to attack costs time and energy.

The Tech3 rider is already looking ahead to the next round, where the conditions could make the problem worse: "We need to study this problem, because we know the wind will be stronger in Australia than it is here, and that will be very important. I hope we can find a solution with the team in case we're behind other riders. But in any case, the main thing is to keep trying to solve whatever problem comes up".

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