Moto3: Niccolò Antonelli and Enea Bastianini at Motegi for the first of three non-European races

Niccolò Antonelli and Enea Bastianini, riders of the Gresini Moto3 Team, are ready to face the first of the three non-European trips of the world championship. It starts in Motegi, a circuit owned by Honda (motorcycle available to the Team from next year, a team that will be made up of the confirmed Enea Bastianini and Andrea Locatelli, while Antonelli will race with Team Ongetta), known since #23 and unknown for #33, who used the PlayStation to learn it.

“Motegi is a physically demanding circuit due to the many braking points, but I think that after the Aragon race it's all downhill for me now – said Niccolò Antonelli – the second operation on the collarbone went well and now with the larger plate I don't I should have any kind of problem. I haven't trained my shoulder so as not to strain it, but I feel good and I think I'll have the strength to face this event as best as possible: the important thing is that there's no pain, otherwise I can ride well."

“A very intense period begins in Japan, with three consecutive races on circuits that I have never faced – added Enea Bastianini – these days, at home, I have trained a lot on the PlayStation to learn the Motegi track, so at least I will know a lot Which way do the curves go... In any case I'm not worried, this year I've already gone fast on tracks I've never seen before and what's more I have the feeling that I'll be happy at Motegi, which has lots of strong braking. However, we will only know this for sure on Friday after the first free practices. For me it is also the first such long trip outside Europe: it will be challenging, but I think I am prepared.”