Will The 2023 MotoGP Sprint Race Be A Loss For Enea Bastianini? Head Of Ducati Crew Admits Worry

JAKARTA - The crew head for the Ducati team, Marco Rigamonti, is worried. The reason is the new MotoGP 2023 format which presents a sprint race.

According to Rigamonti, this format could actually be detrimental to his team's racer, Enea Bastianini. The reason is, Bastianini has to change his approach on the track to be successful in the Sprint race.

"As something new, I don't mind. I'm afraid that this format can punish my driver (Enea Bastianini)," said Marco Rigamonti as quoted from Crash.net on Tuesday, March 21.

Bastianini is known for his ability to overtake opponents in the final laps of races. The ability to manage tires at normal race distances has made Bastianini strong in the latter part of the race.

The sprint race uses a shorter race format, which is half the normal race distance. Rigamonti said there would be a modified formula in the motorbike to suit the new format.

"Many of Bastianini's wins have come from comebacks, but we will no longer focus on tuning the bike to be able to bounce back in the last laps of the race," said Rigamonti.

"Indeed, we have to be braver with a little sacrifice," he continued.