Bastianini needs to 'modify' Ducati contract for Gresini move

Enea Bastianini says his 2022 Gresini Ducati move is not yet 'definitive' and that he needs to 'modify' his contract.
Enea Bastianini, MotoGP, Catalunya MotoGP 5 June 2021
Enea Bastianini, MotoGP, Catalunya MotoGP 5 June 2021
© Gold and Goose

Enea Bastianini may have been announced as moving to Gresini next season as part of the team's new Ducati MotoGP deal, but the Italian himelf says it's not yet 'definitive'.

"Gresini has signed with Ducati, and Ducati have confirmed me, but now this week I have to speak with Ducati because we have to modify something in the contract," Bastianini said on Thursday at the Sachsenring.

The Moto2 champion, under contract directly with Ducati, refused to divulge any further details of the issue to be ironed out, adding only: "Some part of the contract we have to modify and I'm positive, but for the moment it's not definitive."

Bastianini is currently spending his rookie season on a two-year-old Desmosedici at the Avintia team, whose grid places are being taken over by VR46 for 2022.

Unlike the Pramac team, which has the same Factory-spec bikes as the Official Ducati squad, Gresini will run year-old Desmosedicis (the same specification as VR46 is expected to use).

Bastianini, who will be teamed with rookie Fabio di Giannantonio next year, indicated that bike specification was not the issue that needs solving, having accepted that he would not be on GP22s.

The #23 arrives for this weekend's German round having been receiving physiotherapy for a shoulder injury at Mugello.

"In Barcelona it was strange to ride the bike because after 3-4 laps I was very tired and without power on the left arm. My feeling is better than a week ago. The pain was very strong and now I have worked a lot with my physio and also in the swimming pool because inside my shoulder there was a bone [issue] and now it's more better. We will see tomorrow with the MotoGP bike."

Remote video URL

Read More