Confidence High As Bastianini And Di Giannantonio Head To The Dutch Tt
The 2016 Moto3 Campaign resumes this weekend at the historic TT Circuit Assen, the only venue to have hosted a round of the World Championship every year since its creation in 1949. Both Gresini Racing Team Moto3 racers, Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio, arrive in the Netherlands galvanized by the results obtained in Barcelona: the 18-year-old rider from Rimini climbed the third step of the podium, while the 17-year-old rookie from Rome, after the beautiful podium finish at Mugello, was once again in the top ten by closing the Catalan GP in ninth place.
Started from pole position and sixth under the checkered flag last year, Bastianini aims to fight again for a podium finish at a track on which he has always shown a great competitiveness. For Di Giannantonio the target remains a top ten finish: also the Italian rookie has good memories of the Dutch track, having achieved two second places in the Red Bull Rookies Cup races he took part a year ago.
Friday, June 24 at 9:00 will kick off the first Free Practice session while the 22-lap race, will take place for the first time on a Sunday, instead of Saturday.
ENEA BASTIANINI
“The race at Barcelona was undoubtedly a turning point of my season, because it was crucial to be able to recover well after the right wrist injury that forced me to miss the French GP. In Spain we had an excellent race, managing to be always fast and to stay always in the leading group. Now the goal is to continue like this in Assen, where, as always, it will be essential to start well the weekend. I like the track very much: last year in the race I was a bit stuck in traffic but I took the pole position in Qualifying and I was fast, so I think we can be strong. We will give 101% to try to get a good result!”.
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO
“Last year I raced with the Red Bull Rookies Cup in Assen and I really like the track. We are fresh from two excellent results collected at Mugello and Barcelona, so we hope to be able to give continuity to this positive trend, taking another top ten spot. Last week we made a positive test day at Aragon, which allowed us to make a good job on the bike set-up, therefore we are confident also from this point of view and we arrive in the Netherlands ready to battle!”.
FAUSTO GRESINI
“In Barcelona Bastianini was back on the podium thanks to a great race and Di Giannantonio confirmed himself in the top ten at a track he didn’t know: therefore at Assen we will try to follow up this positive trend, without thinking about the standings but simply giving our best. Both Enea, who started from pole last year, and Fabio, who raced here with the Rookies Cup, like the track, and the recent test at Aragon enabled us to find good set-up solutions on the bikes, so we head to Assen in high spirits and confident that we can do well with both riders”.