Can Enea Bastianini succeed Valentino Rossi?

With three wins in seven races since the 2022 season opened in Qatar, Enea Bastianini is now a contender for the crown. Riding his Desmosedici GP21 from last year, the Italian is currently holding the role that was promised to Francesco Bagnaia.

Born on December 30, 1997 in Rimini, Bastianini tried his hand at motorcycling at the age of 3 years and 3 months, an important clarification since that is where the number he wore for many years before coming comes from. change to #23 upon arrival in MotoGP in 2021 in tribute to Michael Jordan.

Very quickly, the Italian launched into competition on a national scale until winning the RS125 GP trophy in 2012. This performance opened the doors to the prestigious Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, which revealed many riders such as Johann Zarco, the following year. He will face certain opponents that he meets today on the track like Jorge Martin, Joan Mir and Darryn Binder. Ranked fourth with three podiums, including two victories, Bastianini was offered a ride in Moto3 by the late Fausto Gresini, double 125cc world champion in 1985 and 1987.

Very close to the Holy Grail in Moto3…

On the podium three times, he concluded his first world season with the status of best debutant in the category ahead of Karel Hanika who had nevertheless largely dominated the 2013 edition of the Red Bull Rookies Cup.

It was only in 2015 that he achieved recognition by achieving his first success in Moto3 at the San Marino GP on the Misano circuit located around twenty kilometers from his birthplace. On the third step of the final podium, the man who then barely spoke English returned to the table in 2016, still with Gresini, but despite his six Top 3s, including a victory, “Bestia” could do nothing to overcome a Brad Binder at the top of his game.

from # Moto3 rookie sensation # Moto2 race winner! 🏆

Here is how @eneabastianini worked his way up the ranks to become a title contender in the middle-weight class 👀#MotoGP pic.twitter.com/yoxshJHC3A

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) July 31, 2020

In 2017, he made the bet to leave Gresini to join the ranks of the Estrella Galicia team alongside Aron Canet, but once again he found himself confronted with another formidable opponent in the person of Joan Mir who won no less than 10 races out of the 18 on the program. In 2018, the protégé of Carlo Pernat, agent who notably launched the career of Valentino Rossi to name just one, this time dealing with Jorge Martin; who will manage to do what “Bestia” failed a few years ago, namely to pocket the title for Fausto Gresini’s team.

#BeastMode: Consecration in Moto2

It is then time for Bastianini to move up a gear. In 2019, he entered Moto2 with the Italtrans team. After a third position as best result, he concluded the season in 10th place in the hierarchy, 11 points behind the place of best rookie won by Fabio Di Giannantonio, his current teammate in MotoGP.

During the year 2020 marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Bastianini immediately showed his intentions by finishing third in the opening race in Qatar. After the long interruption due to the health crisis, he resumed hostilities only in July at the Spanish GP, which he finished in ninth position. But a week later, on the same Jerez circuit, he pocketed his first Moto2 success. He will win again in Brno (Czech Republic) and Misano (Emilia-Romagna). A few days before this final victory of the season, he signed a contract with Avintia to join MotoGP in 2021 riding a Ducati. Despite a merciless battle against Luca Marini, with whom he will team up in 2021, Sam Lowes and Marco Bezzecchi, Bastianini won his first GP crown during the final on the Portimão circuit.

Thank you Misano 🏆🥇#EmiliaRomagnaGP pic.twitter.com/b3Kz7qymcr

- Enea Bastianini (@ Bestia23) September 20, 2020

If his debut in the premier category was somewhat overshadowed by the performances of Jorge Martin (despite his serious injury in Portugal), Bastianini progressed to regularly appear among the top ten. And as tradition dictates, it was once again on his home ground of Misano (San Marino) that he recorded his first podium, not hesitating to stand up to much more experienced drivers like Jack Miller or Marc Mark. He will do it again on the same track two races later, depriving fabio quartararo, then assured of the title, of the podium in the last lap.

The realization of a dream! ✨

Congratulations @eneabastianini and the Italtrans Racing Team! 👏#beastmode | #PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/jjWNRyWypE

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) November 22, 2020

Successful passage to the premier category

The Avintia team having given way to the structure of Valentino Rossi for the 2022 season, Bastianini finds the Gresini team, which separated itself from Aprilia to join the ranks of Ducati.

Even finishing second only nine lengths behind Martin in the rookie standings last year with a GP19 (from 2019), Bastianini is not among the contenders for the crown or victory during the opening race of the calendar at Lusail. And yet… he creates a surprise by winning his first success, a GP21 (of 2021). We know the rest since he won again in Austin and then at Le Mans a few days ago.

A third of the calendar has just been completed, so it is too early to say that Bastianini can succeed Valentino Rossi on the list of Italian world champions in the premier category. Others like Andrea Dovizioso (2017 to 2019), Franco Morbidelli (2020) and Francesco Bagnaia (2021) were close to glory but failed. Note that Bastianini's chief mechanic is none other than Alberto Giribuola who notably supported Dovizioso in his fight for the title against Marquez. On the other hand, he is now one of those who can believe it... and as surprising as it may seem, Bastianini has arrived this far without having been part (nearly or far) of the fold of the VR46 unlike Bagnaia , Bezzecchi, Marini or even Morbidelli.  

On the Ducati side, Gigi Dall'Igna, Paolo Ciabatti and Davide Tardozzi will soon have to decide who will race alongside Bagnaia for the next two seasons. Martin/Bagnaia, Bastianini/Bagnaia…