Enea Bastianini Insists He Can Win Again

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Enea Bastianini insists he remains capable of winning in MotoGP again despite failing to find his strongest form since joining KTM. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider acknowledged that results falling below his expectations affected his mental condition and reduced the enthusiasm he carried into Grand Prix weekends.

Bastianini moved to Tech3 in 2025 after spending two seasons with the factory Ducati team. The transition to the RC16 proved difficult because the motorcycle has different characteristics from the Desmosedici on which he won races across three consecutive seasons. He completed his first KTM campaign without a victory and recorded only one Grand Prix podium before continuing the adaptation process with a new crew chief in 2026.

“When I joined KTM last year, I think that was a difficult moment for me because I didn’t achieve the results I expected,” Bastianini said in an official MotoGP video.

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Bastianini’s difficulties have not been restricted to single-lap performance. His riding style on the Ducati relied heavily on preserving rear grip and maintaining speed during the closing phase of a race. The RC16 demands a different approach to braking, motorcycle rotation and power delivery on corner exit, forcing him to adjust the riding references that had previously formed one of his principal strengths.

When confidence declined, those technical limitations became more difficult to manage. A rider must make immediate decisions over brake pressure, lean angle, throttle application and the amount of risk available. Bastianini said the extended period without the expected results caused him to lose some of the motivation he normally brought to a Grand Prix, leading him to seek professional support to rebuild his psychological condition.

“At times like that, you have to look after yourself psychologically because it’s very easy to feel down and lose yourself. I dropped off a bit and didn’t have the same spirit when I went to a Grand Prix,” he said.

“I started working with people to get back into shape mentally. That was the moment I found myself again, but we’re still a long way from what I want to achieve.”

The change has not yet produced a victory, but the 2026 season has delivered several indications of progress. Bastianini was promoted to third in the United States Grand Prix Sprint after Pedro Acosta received a tyre-pressure penalty. He then recovered from 12th on the grid to finish sixth in the main race at the Circuit of the Americas, which remains his best Sunday result of the season.

That performance showed Bastianini still possesses the ability to manage tyres and increase his pace as race conditions evolve. His results, however, have not been consistent across different circuits. He continues to encounter difficulties securing a strong starting position, forcing him to spend large parts of races clearing the midfield while controlling tyre temperature in disturbed air.

Tech3 also believes a complete season of experience with the RC16 should provide the basis for improvement in 2026. The team paired Bastianini with crew chief Andres Madrid following his previous split with Alberto Giribuola. The change was designed to establish a revised working method and convert the lessons accumulated during 2025 into more consistent results.

Bastianini has a substantial record on which to base his confidence. He secured seven Grand Prix victories on Ducati machinery between 2022 and 2024, including four wins while representing Gresini Racing in 2022. That campaign carried him to third in the championship and demonstrated his ability to become one of the strongest riders when rear grip began to decline during the final phase of a race.

“The strongest riders in the world are here, so it’s more difficult. But I know that I’ve beaten them, and if I’ve done it once, I know I can do it again,” Bastianini said.

“My dream is always the same: to show that I’m the fastest.”

The statement represents a defiant response to the difficulties that have defined his KTM period, but his next challenge remains technical. Bastianini needs progress in qualifying speed, braking stability and his ability to direct the RC16 towards the apex without sacrificing traction on corner exit. Without improvement in those areas, his strength in tyre preservation will continue to be limited by an unfavourable track position.

Bastianini’s future beyond 2026 remains part of the rider market and has not been officially announced by any potential destination. His immediate priority is converting his mental recovery and the development of the RC16 into stronger results. The next round will provide another test of whether the Austin Sprint podium represented the beginning of sustained progress or an isolated result within an adaptation process that remains incomplete.