Malaysian MotoGP: Francesco Bagnaia: Atmosphere with Enea Bastianini next season ‘will not be easy’

After their on track battle at the Malaysian MotoGP which could have ended in disaster, Francesco Bagnaia is anticipating a difficult atmosphere with future team-mate Enea Bastianini in 2023.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Sepang
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Sepang

During Sunday’s race at Sepang, MotoGP series leader Bagnaia had to fend off fellow Ducati rider Bastianini, with the latter seemingly not b𒁃othereꦍd that Bagnaia had the chance to clinch the title.

Given 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Fabio Quartararo finished third, first or second was not going to be enough to claim the title for Bagnaia, although Bastianinไi, who was un🥂clear of the situation behind, pressed on with his attempts to win the race anyway.

In fac♏t, Bastianini nearly ra🥂n into the back of Bagnaia at turn nine on the final lap, which came after an unusual mid-race meeting between Ducati management. 

Bastianini, who was also shown a pit board when leading t𒁃he race whic🍸h alerted him to the fact Bagnaia was directly behind him, confirmed post-race that he tried to win despite everything.

So when Bagnaia was asked how he envisions the relationship going between the two as teamm💛ates next season, it came as no surprise that the Italian felt like things could be challenging.  

"The atmosphere will not be easy," said Bagnaia. "We have to try and do a good work and for sure, it’s different compared to now. He’s a different person✤ and really [wants to win]. 

"It’s difficult for me to explain well in English because I don’t have thiဣs vocabulary like in Italian. 

"But it will be a different situation because✨ he’s another person and I think that at the start when you arrive at a factory team you need to adapt a bit to the work with all the engineers. 

"It will not be easy for him at the start in testing, but then in the cham🦄pionship it will be the same as alwaဣys. The first person you want to beat is your team-mate. It will be like this for all the years."

Bagnaia not planning on being more ‘careful’ as MotoGP title beckons

Francesco Bagnaia , MotoGP race, Malaysian MotoGP, 23 October
Francesco Bagnaia , MotoGP race, Malaysian MotoGP, 23 October

Despite increasing his points lead to 23 in the MotoGP standings over Quartararo, thus on🐓ly needing two points in Valencia to be crowned champion if the Yamaha rider wins the race, Bagnaia is keen to not let up.

"For sure, it will be a different situation," stated Bagnaia. "23 points, I’m just missing two, so I will have to finish 14th if he wins. It’s easy to say no💧w, but it will be very tough because sometimes when you are careful, you have more trouble, you have more mistakes, you have more distractions. 

"I will try just to do 𓆉a normal weekend like this one, maybe with less crashes – because this weekend, I crashed too much – and be smart, for sure. 

"To work well,🍎 to be in the front, and if𒆙 I have the possibility to win, I will try to win again."

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