The final time MotoGP raced at Portimao, in early 2024, Enea Bastianini claimed pole place as a manufacturing facility Ducati rider earlier than ending second behind Jorge Martin within the grand prix.
Returning this weekend as a Tech3 KTM rider, the Italian badly must rediscover that time-attack kind after qualifying inside the highest ten at solely three of his 19 occasions this season.
Bastianini’s common grid place is sixteenth, and he hasn’t began greater than seventeenth within the final 5 rounds.
However his race tempo was underlined final time in Malaysia, the place he charged from nineteenth to seventh.
“We’re arriving at Portimao with the arrogance of two stable races in each Australia and Malaysia,” mentioned Bastianini, who shared the 2024 Portimao podium with KTM rookie Pedro Acosta.
“Taking a look at final season, the KTM was quick right here, so it’s encouraging for us, however we all know that we’re nonetheless lacking one thing in qualifying.
“I hope that we’ll discover a technique to be extra aggressive on one lap, and hopefully, we are able to attempt to qualify for the second or third row, which ought to make our life simpler!”
Tech3 has a powerful historical past at Portimao, having received the inaugural Portuguese MotoGP with dwelling hero Miguel Oliveira in 2020 in addition to Acosta’s maiden premier-class podium.
“The Tech3 staff has excellent recollections at this monitor, since Miguel Oliveira received the primary version of the Portuguese GP with us again in 2020 on the KTM, and Pedro Acosta took his maiden MotoGP podium there with us final season,” mentioned staff supervisor Nicolas Goyon.
“Our bike has all the time been sturdy on this monitor, we had three KTMs within the high 5 in 2024, which makes us consider we have now the instruments to struggle on the entrance this yr.
“Enea will arrive in fine condition with two sturdy races within the bag, and we all know he’ll be decided to enhance qualifying. Portimao may be the right place to do it, since he began from pole there in 2024.”
With Maverick Vinales nonetheless recovering from shoulder surgical procedure, KTM MotoGP check rider Pol Espargaro will once more be part of Bastianini within the Tech3 line-up this weekend.
