Resigning From The Spanish MotoGP, Bastianini: I Don't Believe In Myself

Ducati Lenovo Racer Enea Bastianini. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Ducati Lenovo Racer Enea Bastianini revealed his reason for withdrawing from racing in the Spanish MotoGP this weekend.

"I am very sorry to have to withdraw from the race. I have tried hard, however, in the morning (Saturday) I realized that I was not in a condition to race and felt I would not face the race confidently," Bastianini said, quoted from Ducati Lenovo's official statement on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Bastianini withdrew from the race after five laps in the free practice (FP) session. It was his first time back on track since focusing on recovering a fracture earlier this season.

The rider nicknamed "The Beast" continued, he felt unable to continue racing at the Jerez Circuit that day, and decided not to do it all weekend.

"There's no point in taking unnecessary risks, so with me the team, we decided to quit. However, I think (the decision to return to the track) is right so I can understand my current level, and how far I have to go to be competitive again," he said.

Previously, Bastianini had been declared fit to participate in the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend after passing a series of medical tests on Thursday, April 27 at Jerez.

He reportedly suffered a fracture in his right side which he found after the crash in the Sprint Race round in the first round of MotoGP 2023 at the Algarve Portimao International Circuit, Portugal, Saturday, March 25.

Francesco Bagnaia's teammate was hit by friction or contact with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) at Turn 5, causing the Italian rider to lose balance and fall quite hard.

Upon examination at the hospital, it was found that the fracture suffered by Bastianini forced him to miss the main race on Sunday, March 26 due to unsuitable conditions.

Due to the injury, Bastianini has missed the main race at the Portuguese MotoGP, as well as the MotoGP Argentina and MotoGP United States.

On the other hand, Bagnaia said she was quite satisfied to finish in second place in the Sprint race in the Spanish MotoGP.

"I'm happy with my race today. The night before, my team really did an amazing job trying to put me in a position to have good qualifications," Bagnaia said.

"At first, I had difficulty adapting to the bike, but after that, I felt comfortable on the motorbike and tried to go fast. It wasn't easy, but I'm sure I can also do it in the main race later," he added.