Bastianini gains ten places en route to P6 finish; ‘this result is fantastic’

For the third consecutive race since Aragon, Enea Bastianini carves his way through the field to claim a top six MotoGP finish.
Enea Bastianini MotoGP race, Grand Prix Of The Americas, 3 October 2021
Enea Bastianini MotoGP race, Grand Prix Of The Americas, 3 October 2021
© Gold and Goose Photography

Enea Bastianini gained an incredible ten places during the American MotoGP in order to secure a third consecutive top six finish. 

Bastianini, who had shown great pace in free practice, was unable to replicate that form in qualifying after finishing 16th.

But just as he did in Aragon and especially Misano, the Italian began to make his way forward just before mid-race distance. 

The MotoGP rookie got through on the likes of Andrea Dovizioso, fellow rookie and team-mate Luca Marini, Alex Marquez, Brad Binder and Pol Espargaro before closing in on Jack Miller and Joan Mir. 

It looked as though Bastianini, after having caught the pair with a couple of laps to go, would instead need to settle for eighth, however, a desperate lunge by Mir at turn 15 pushed he and Miller wide, which therefore gave Bastianini an easy double overtake. 

Speaking after clinching sixth place, Bastianini said: "My feeling was really nice! I’m very happy about my race. 

"Yesterday was a really difficult day for me because we modified a bit the set-up for qualifying which was so-and-so. 

"But today I have improved again to be fast and then in the race I was fast.

"I have gained ten positions during all the race and this result is fantastic for me, for the team, for everybody. It was another unexpected result."

Despite the recent up-turn in form, Bastianini also detailed the difficulties of being a MotoGP rookie as ‘I have more electronics and more tyres’ to focus on than in Moto2.   

"Well, I’m a rookie and it’s not easy to arrive in MotoGP, also it’s so difficult to work in every zone of the bike," added Bastianini. 

"I have more electronics and more tyres than in Moto2, so it’s more difficult in this category. 

"But in the last three races since Silverstone and Aragon I have done a good step and now I’m more competitive in every race."

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