When everything seems to be going against them, each person has two alternatives: let themselves go down the ravine prepared by fate or react and try to return to the surface as soon as possible. Needless to say, Enea Bastianini, a MotoGP rider who recently returned to racing after a shoulder injury that caused him to miss 9 grands prix, chose the alternative. 76 days of work and suffering, to return to being "the beast" that fans and insiders have seen start from minibikes and reach the top of the world.
Beginnings and arrival in Moto3
Bastianini was born in Rimini on December 30, 1997. His passion for engines was passed on to him by his father Emilio, who already at the age of three and three months made him experience the impact with two wheels. There is obviously talk of a minibike, but this precocity will also accompany him in other phases of his career. His gritty driving style contributed to the birth of the nickname "the beast" due to his surname. After several victories at youth level, in 2014 the sixteen-year-old made his debut in Moto3 by being hired by Fausto Gresini's Junior Team GO&FUN. At the seventh grand prix, scheduled in Catalunya, he conquered his first podium by finishing second. He will add two more podiums between there and the end of the season, with a second place in the Czech Republic and a third in Great Britain. The 127 points are a respectable result for a rookie, but he is certainly not satisfied and takes little time to improve. In 2015 he remained in the Gresini team, which in the meantime had moved to Honda NSF250R, and started the World Championship as best he could. On his debut in Qatar he immediately took a second place. This result was repeated in France, Catalonia and the Czech Republic. The high point of that year, however, remains undoubtedly his first ever victory in Moto3, conquered in San Marino. Results that earned him the third place finish, behind Danny Kent and Miguel Oliveira. Bastianini seems to be ready to triumph in this category, but at the 2016 World Championship he has to surrender to the overwhelming power of the South African Brad Binder (first with 319 points, against the 177 of the rider from Rimini who finishes behind him). Then came less exciting placements in the next two editions of the World Championship, in a category that Bastianini was beginning to feel close to. He didn't triumph, but he will have a chance to make up for it.
Moto2 and MotoGP: rollercoaster seasons, between triumphs and falls
In view of the 2019 World Championship, Bastianini moves to Moto2, riding the Kalex of the Italtrans Racing team. The first races were a settling in for the rider from Rimini, who then conquered his first podium in the category by finishing third in the Czech Republic. The only flash of a season of apprenticeship, which "the Beast" closes with the tenth position in the final ranking. 2020 was supposed to be a "simple" year of growth, but it goes down in history as the best of his career. Confirmed in the same team, the rider from Rimini got off to a flying start with two victories (in Andalusia and the Czech Republic) in the first four races. Winning the World Championship therefore became a concrete goal from the first months of the season, in a three-way challenge with compatriot Luca Marini and British Sam Lowes. After two consecutive first places, Bastianini has a couple of empty passes between Austria (retired) and Styria (tenth). Two stops that could knock him down, but he reacts like a great rider by winning at Misano. The two rivals mentioned above did not give up until the end of the World Championship, which however ended with the triumph of the "beast". 9 points ahead of the other two riders, who had to surrender at the end of an exciting season until the last corner. The first World Championship of his career almost inevitably led Bastianini to promotion to MotoGP, riding a Ducati. The debut in the top motorcycle category seems to follow the one in Moto2, with a first year with few rings – two third places – and a lot of study to adapt to the new reality. In 2022, therefore, he starts with the aim of trying to enter the top fight and thus to hit the second world title of his career. The start of the World Championship is a dream, with two victories (in Qatar and Chile) in the first four Grands Prix. The rest of the season, however, is up and down, between other first places (France and Aragon) and a few too many retirements. In the end, he had to settle for the lowest step of the podium, behind "pecco" Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo. A disappointment for expectations after the first races, but nothing compared to the suffering suffered this year. Bastianini's 2023 World Championship is in fact conditioned by the injury mentioned in the first lines. A stop that was hard to digest, to which the rider reacted like a real "beast". The first post-injury races did not give podiums, but they are still a good start for the end of the season, always in crescendo.
Season 2024
In 2024, Enea Bastianini continues to compete for the Ducati Lenovo team, with the aim of building on the previous year's successes. The first few races of the season confirmed his potential, with Bastianini showing increasing skill in managing competition and fighting for top positions. His determination and the support of a strong team put him in a favorable position to achieve further success and leave a significant mark on the MotoGP championship.
