Image copyright: Getty Images
2024 MotoGP World Championship
2024 Australian Grand Prix
Phillip Island Circuit
Ventnor, Australia
Sunday, 20 October 2024
After missing out on a podium finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, Ducati rider Enea Bastianini will no doubt hope to maintain 3rd spot on the 2024 MotoGP standings after the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Despite a decent start to the race, Bastianini was passed by Brad Binder, Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin en-route to a 4th place finish at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit.
After enduring tyre issues late on in the race, Bastianini finished +4.358s behind six-time world champion Marc Marquez.
As it stands, Bastianini sits on 313 points with four races to go, two points behind Marquez who claimed 3rd in Japan.
Image Source: Alamy Stock Photo
Bastianini’s best result in Australia came during the 2022 season where he claimed a 5th placed finish in a tightly contested battle with Marco Bezzecchi and Francesco Bagnaia at the Phillip Island Circuit.
Speaking after the Japanese Grand Prix, Bastianini revealed that he expected a different outcome in Motegi and that he used a lot of rubber toward the end of the race.
Image copyright: Getty Images
“It was an unexpected race, after Brad passed me, Marc and Jorge also got in. At braking point 11 I couldn’t see anything and in the end I had to manage,” Bastianini said.
“Once I passed Brad I tried to catch Marc, but it wasn’t easy, he had a good pace. I lost a lot of time behind Brad, he rides in a particular way, he stops in the middle of the corner and our bike suffers when restarting.
“Every time I have Brad in front, he catches me badly. To pass him I had to take strange trajectories, I used a lot of rubber and the pressure on the front one went up.”
2024 Japanese Grand Prix Prix results:
Winner: Francesco Bagnaia - Ducati Lenovo Team
Second Place: Jorge Martin - Prima Pramac Racing
Third Place: Marc Marquez - Ducati team Gresini Racing
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