Image copyright: Getty Images
2024 MotoGP World Championship
2024 Portugal Grand Prix
Algarve International Circuit
Portimao, Portugal
Sunday, 24 March 2024
Ducati Lenovo Team's Enea Bastianini admits he has higher expectations for the
Portugal Grand Prix on Sunday, March 24 after missing out on the podium in the opening race of the season.
The Italian finished a full 5.153 seconds behind winner Francesco Bagnaia in the Qatar Grand Prix and 3.220 seconds outside the top three in P5.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Bastianini had started third on the grid in both the sprint and the main race, but failed to maintain his position in the former too after only managing P6.
The 26-year-old revealed that he struggled with braking on race day and felt he was being too cautious in the early laps in a bid to preserve his tyres.
However, 'The Beast' insists the team has a "clearer picture" on how to close the gap to their rivals in Portimao.
"We're half happy," he said. "It was a difficult race: I couldn't get the bike stopped the way I wanted and that prevented me from pushing hard.
"Then I tried to save the tyres for the final laps, but in hindsight it wasn't the right choice, as the drop was a lot lower compared to yesterday.
"It was better to try to do the maximum from the start, and I'm not happy about this. In general, this fifth place can be a good point to start, but my target was to do something better.
"Our expectations were higher, but we'll try to do better in the next race; once we get to Portimao, we will have a clearer picture on how to make a further step forward."
2024 Qatar Grand Prix results:
Winner: Francesco Bagnaia - Ducati Lenovo Team
Second Place: Brad Binder - Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Third Place: Jorge Martin - Prima Pramac Racing
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