MotoGP 2024 races “complicated” for Enea Bastianini after being “destroyed” in 2023

Enea Bastianini’s time at the factory Ducati MotoGP team will conclude at the end of this season, as the Italian heads to KTM.

It has not been a straightforward relationship between Bastianini and the factory team since he joined last year, with a broken shoulder blade in his first race for the team destroying his first season, which had knock-on effects for 2024.

“Mentally [2023] has been not good,” Bastianini told TNT Sports in the lead up to the Austrian Grand Prix. 

“Because, especially after the second injury, I was destroyed because I lose not only the points, because I was fighting for nothing, but mentally it wasn’t very simple.”

Bastianini recovered in 2023, winning in Malaysia, but it was not enough to avoid entering 2024 with his future severely questioned.

“In my head, there wasn’t other possibilities,” Bastianini said regarding his thought process at the beginning of this year.

“It was clear I wanted to remain in my [current] seat, I wanted to remain in the Ducati factory. This was my target, my objective; I haven’t thought about other factories or nothing.

“But from the first race until Mugello has been really complicated, because many times we have thought about it and I have received many questions about it from many journalists.

“It’s like this, and it’s normal if you have more pressure. But after Mugello I realised I have to open my mind and go another way, to understand which one is the best possibility for me.”

Bastianini’s choice, in the end, was KTM and the Tech3 team.

“At the end, I chose KTM,” the Italian said, “and I’m really satisfied. It will be important to remain focused on this year, and for the next one let’s see.”