Bastianini calls for fairer shakedown rules for manufacturer-switching riders

Enea Bastianini has said it is unfair that riders switching manufacturers for 2027 will have very few laps to learn new bikes while others complete extensive testing. He said the issue needs to be discussed with the other riders, and that he had seen no progress since raising the possibility of allowing switching riders to join the shakedown in Malaysia.

Bastianini, who has moved to KTM and will ride the Trackhouse Aprilia next season, arrived in Qatar with a cyst that he said was not serious. He said he hopes to build on recent improvements to his KTM package ahead of the Losail race, a circuit where he won his first premier-class race in 2022.