Aerodynamics is becoming more commonplace in MotoGP bikes, with new solutions emerging frequently – sometimes peculiar ones, like the rear wings that have been proliferating. Enea Bastianini, a Ducati rider, spoke about this and warned of the risks that aerodynamics pose.
The Italian told La Gazzetta dello Sport that aerodynamics reduce the margin for error and complicate the task for riders: ‘Let’s say that it has become very complicated to brake always in the same spot, and during the race, you have to consider thousands of variables; the bikes are very fast, so the reaction time has to be, let’s say, early! Due to aerodynamics, it’s easy to make mistakes, and being behind another rider carries the risk of hitting them; this happened to me in Barcelona, but it also happened to other riders during the 2023 season. Besides this, it has become very difficult to overtake’.
Bastianini highlighted that the risk level is also significant but admitted that mitigating these problems won’t be easy: ‘I don’t know how to advise an engineer to solve these problems; I don’t think it’s easy, but it can certainly be dangerous for us, riders’.