Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini is hoping Barcelona can produce a fourth podium, or victory, of the Italian’s 2022 MotoGP season.

A third crash of the Mugello weekend brought Bastianini’s home race to a premature conclusion ten laps from the end, as he ran sixth. The Italian is aware that consistency is the goal if he wants to challenge the front runners in the title race as the year hots up.

“I have to be more consistent because I make a really good races but also not really nice, like in Mugello, in Portimao,” Bastianini admitted. "I have to do more to stay more concentrated in the future and also to enjoy it.

“In Le Mans, but also in Mugello I miss a little bit of feeling on the front, especially in entry on the corner,” he said of the two most recent weekends which saw him extend the crash budget of the Gresini team by a considerable margin. “I think we understand why it's stayed difficult for me to stop at the bike from braking straight. We know what we have to modify on the setup to resolve this problem.”

Turning his attention to round nine and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which saw the 24-year-old secure a top ten finish in his first season on premier class machinery, Bastianini is full of confidence thanks to the GP21 now at his disposal.

“Montmelo is a nice track for me,” he confirmed. “It's fast but also very technical. I come from not really beautiful race in Mugello, I crash but I'm motivated to start in the best mood here.

“The last year it has been a little bit complicated for me, the first time with the MotoGP, the grip of the asphalt is not too much and I have to adapt a little bit my style this year. We will see what we can do and we have to do the 100 per cent.

“I don't know for the moment the strategy here in Montmelo,” he continued. “These riders are so fast and will be not easy to stay with them in the race but for me, it's a little bit different from Mugello. The track is different. There is a lot of chicanes like in Mugello, but the grip is not too much here and this can be critical for me.

“But this year with the '21 bike I think will be more easy to ride and also this bike can help me during the qualifying and we know this is a lot important for the race.”

With Fabio Quartararo announcing his commitment to Yamaha for another two years, all eyes are on the young Ducati rider. Bastianini is certain his future lies with the Bologna factory, but which team has yet to be decided.

“I know for the moment I haven't signed with Ducati but I know how is it my future,” he said confidently.

“I think I will remain with Ducati but we don't know for the moment in which team.

"We still work for this but for me the most important thing to have a good package, to be consistent rider for the championship. But I think for the moment is not a problem. I have a really good bike also this year and I have to be fast in all the conditions - in a factory team but also in satellite.”