KTM MotoGP rider “can’t explain why” they can’t use soft rear tyre
One KTM rider struggled hugely in qualifying and sprints during the 2025 season
Enea Bastianini says he “can’t explain why” he struggles to use the soft rear tyre on his KTM MotoGP bike, after a year of struggles in qualifying for the Tech3 rider.
The Italian moved to the KTM stable for the 2025 season following four years on Ducati machinery, during which time he won seven grands prix.
But from pre-season testing this year, Enea Bastianini struggled to adapt to the RC16, particularly when using soft rubber on the rear.
This was particularly noticeable in qualifying, with Bastianini only making Q2 four times in 2025 and cracking the top 10 on just three occasions.
Unsurprisingly, when he qualified well, Bastianini scored his best results of the season, with sprint podium at Brno and a third in the Catalan Grand Prix the highlight.
He ended the season 14th in the standings on 112 points.
“The trend is this: Friday is complicated, Saturday a bit less and Sunday in the race we are competitive,” he explained.
“But also, we are competitive because in the race with the medium tyre, I find the confidence to be fast.
“With the soft, the bike gives me the opposite: no confidence, I can’t push.
“It will be important to stop for two months to reset and try to find something for next year.
“To be honest, it’s like the rear pushes me out in every corner, and it’s much more complicated to turn.
“With the medium, it’s much better for me to slide the rear, I’m more confident, and lap by lap I’m more confident. This happens every time.”
MotoGP’s packed weekend schedule forces riders to be on qualifying pace by Friday afternoon, though Bastianini believes the current format has provided its uses for him in understanding his bike.
“Sometimes the sprint has helped me to be fast on Sunday, because if we analyse, during the warm-up many times I’m fast.
“It’s always the same when we use the tyre of the race.
“When we use the tyre of the sprint, the soft, I’m always behind and trying to do something different on the bike.
“But checking the video, I’m not relaxed, it’s not my style, and I can’t explain why.”
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