Enea Bastianini was certainly one of three riders, already on slicks, to lose out when the beginning of Sunday’s COTA MotoGP was delayed.
Final-minute chaos as different riders deserted their moist bikes and ran again to the pits for dry machines prompted Race Route to delay the beginning on security grounds.
MotoGP’s ‘Fast Begin’ process – which the principles state ‘could also be invoked by Race Route as essential… for instance a delayed begin’ – was then triggered.
This enables riders to make ‘a change of machine’ in pit lane.
These beforehand on moist bikes thus returned on dry bikes and lined up of their unique grid positions, with not one of the ride-through penalties (that may have been given if the beginning wasn’t delayed) carrying over to the ‘new’ race.
“It’s not utterly right”
The unique slick trio of Bastianini, Ai Ogura and Brad Binder might have been in podium competition if the race had began as deliberate.
“From my aspect, in all probability it’s not right,” Bastianini stated. “Since you take threat, I used to be with dry tyres and in that second it was nonetheless a bit moist.
“We tried to do it however after Marquez left from the grid and lots of riders adopted him, we restarted the race, however within the [original] positions.
“And from my aspect, it’s not utterly right.”
Nonetheless, Honda’s Luca Marini – who additionally stayed on the grid, albeit on wets – felt Race Route had little alternative given the sheer variety of individuals and bikes concerned within the confusion.
“I believe the Race Route managed it in an excellent method, in a secure method, I’d say. So, good job to them,” stated Marini.
Enea Bastianini, 2025 Americas MotoGP at COTA
Bastianini: “I felt good for the primary time on this bike”
Whereas Bastianini was denied a possible podium, he salvaged seventh place on the restart, his finest end since becoming a member of Tech3 KTM.
“I’m completely satisfied about my race, it has been the very best one for the reason that begin of the season,” stated the previous Ducati COTA race winner.
“I used to be using very effectively from the center till the tip of the race, and I felt good for in all probability the primary time on this bike.
“We’ve discovered a great route that we might want to test within the subsequent spherical.”
Tech3 workforce supervisor Nicolas Goyon noticed the end result as an indication of issues to return.
“Enea did a great job this weekend, he’s getting higher and higher on the bike, and seventh place is a good reward for his work.”
Group-mate Maverick Vinales overcame a pit lane begin for 14th place.