5th place at the finish of the Australian Grand Prix is an “expected result” according to Enea Bastianini, given how the first 2-3 laps turned out. He had every chance to break through higher, but on the second lap, he was thrown back by an unusual problem…
On the second lap, Enea suddenly worked… an airbag in a jumpsuit!
“The 5th place is the result I expected, having suddenly found myself 17th. I am both pleased and saddened. On the second lap, the airbag went off due to vibrations (the same thing happened in Assen with Joan Mir). So I drove a lap and a half with the cushion open, losing a lot of positions. When it collapsed, I immediately began to restore positions. Ducati works great on Phillip Island! Then, I passed Marini, Martin, and Aleix… So I could have competed for the podium,” Bastianini said afterward.
Bastianini does not think about the chances of the title: “No, there is little chance. We’ll just try to achieve as much as possible.”