Bastianini put in an impressive performance in front of his home crowd at Mugello on Sunday, making two key overtakes in a race that featured little action to . The 26-year-old first cleared the Gresini bike of with two laps to go going into Scarperia, before catching championship leader by a surprise with an impressive pass into the final corner on the last tour. The result marked his first visit to the podium since the Americas GP in April and came at the end of a week in which it became clear beyond any doubt that he will be losing his seat at Ducati, with Martin now emerging as the favourite to take the vacant spot next year.
Bastianini said he rode like ‘never before’ in the closing stages of the race, having been spurred on by Marquez briefly snatching the final podium spot from him on lap 18 of 23. “[It] feeels so special because I come from a difficult moment, it happened during this whole past week,” he said, referring to the media attention about the second factory ride at Ducati. “But this week we had a result in mind and from yesterday I improved and I was fast.
Today I was really motivated to do something more for me but also for all the people here. “I slept a little bit during the half part of the race but when Marc overtook me I closed my mind and said that 'no, it's not correct. No.
This is my podium.' “I came back. I am riding like never [before].
It was good. Also the last lap I overtake Jorge and it was too dangerous but at the end I can be h.
