Bastianini - 'I think I have learned a lot' ahead of first MotoGP race

After six days of Official testing at the Losail International Circuit, the 2021 MotoGP season is finally here with the first of two races in Doha. 

2020 Moto2 Champion Enea Bastianini is one of three rookies in line for their first MotoGP Grand Prix with Ducati, as is team-mate Luca Marini and Pramac rider Jorge Martin. 

Bastianini was the most impressive of the three rookies during testing as he finished three out of the five sessions fastest. 

Speaking ahead of his competitive debut with the Avintia Esponsorama team, Bastianini said: "This Sunday will be my first MotoGP race.  I am very happy with how the tests have gone and how they have developed. 

"I have had a lot of fun and above all I have started to understand how MotoGP works, I think I have learned a lot, but we still have a lot of work to do.

"It is not an easy category, but I hope to be able to achieve satisfactory results for the second race, in which it will be more important and essential to show progress."

Bastianini and Marini will be competing on GP19 spec machines, while all other Ducati riders will be using the GP20 engine. This is due to the current engine freeze for the 2021 season.

Given some of the standout performances of late on older spec machines, such as Franco Morbidelli last season on the Yamaha 19 spec bike, there remains plenty of potential for both rookies going into the first race.