Enea Bastianini did the double at the 2024 British Grand Prix for Ducati, but he now returns to Silverstone with KTM Tech3 still to finish any race higher than P7 in 2025.
The 27-year-old produced a brilliant late charge on MotoGP’s previous visit to Silverstone to force Jorge Martin into a mistake. Bastianini placed the would-be champion under pressure, and it paid off on the penultimate lap when Martin ran deep into Village and opened a door.
Bastianini even had to pass Francesco Bagnaia to complete his Silverstone double after also winning the Sprint at the 2024 British GP. Yet his victories in Northamptonshire only offered Ducati a reminder of what they had let go after signing Marc Marquez to replace Bastianini.
KTM jumped at the chance to sign Bastianini to a two-year factory contract to ride for Tech3 upon the Italian losing his ride for Ducati. But the move has not yet paid off, with the Rimini native the lowest-scoring KTM rider in the 2025 MotoGP season through the first six rounds.
Tech3 boss Herve Poncharal urges Enea Bastianini to fix his ‘main problem’ of qualifying
Bastianini has only earned 31 points since joining Tech3 for his first time racing a KTM RC16. He even only came P9 in Thailand, P17 in Argentina, P7 in America, P11 in Qatar, P9 in Spain and P13 in France to trail Pedro Acosta with 46, Maverick Vinales’ 40 and Brad Binder’s 32.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Enea Bastianini from net worth to career stats
Adapting to the RC16 has been a big problem, with Bastianini struggling to manage his tyres on the KTM. But Tech3 team principal Herve Poncharal feels his rider also sets himself up to struggle with Bastianini’s ‘main problem’ being qualifying, having averaged P19 on the grid.
Poncharal told GPOne: “We know that the time attack is one of Enea’s weaknesses. It’s been like that in the past. He was in the middle of the pack and fell at the first chicane at Le Mans.
“His main problem is poor starting positions. Enea is capable of delivering lap times like the leaders, but advancing is difficult when you’ve already lost seven or 10 seconds in the hustle and bustle after two or three laps.
“You can never make up for all that. I’d love to see Enea in Q2. He could shape the races completely differently for himself.”
Enea Bastianini has been the worst-performing KTM rider in every qualifying session in 2025
Bastianini’s trademark strength has always been his late-race pace, yet his struggles to show enough speed on a single qualifying lap has left the KTM Tech3 ace fighting off his back foot since leaving Ducati. He even qualified 20th in Thailand, 21st in Argentina and 20th in Qatar.
READ MORE: Everything to know about KTM Tech3 including the MotoGP team’s riders
He has even been the worst-performing KTM rider in every qualifying session thus far in the 2025 MotoGP season. The Italian’s plight may even see him throw in the towel as Bastianini would gladly leave KTM Tech3 at the end of 2025, despite having a contract through 2026.
The seven-time MotoGP Grand Prix winner may also capitalise on the situation surrounding the man he beat to win the 2024 British GP. Bastianini is on Aprilia’s radar to replace Martin in 2026 after the Spaniard informed the Italian factory he plans to break out of his contract.
