Best Independent Team 2020

BEST INDEPENDENT…GONE DUE TO ONE LAP EARLIER CELEBRATIONS!

BEST INDEPENDENT…GONE DUE TO ONE LAP EARLIER CELEBRATIONS!

 

A perfect Saturday, excellent Superpole, spectacular race with lots of overtaking between Rinaldi, Bassani, Petrucci, Lowes and Philipp, on the last lap the Go Eleven rider seems to be able to defend the Best independent… but he celebrates with a lap early, thinking the race was over, Danilo passes, Philipp realizes “the mistake”, but it’s too late. Anger and a hint of disappointment, yes, but hats off to the performance on the track.

In FP 3 the session was split into two outs: the first with the race tyre, the second for the time attack. Philipp settles inside the Top Ten, then in the all-or-nothing lap he finds some traffic, failing to enter the top five positions. Feeling with the bike and confidence in the potential don’t seem to be lacking here in Jerez.

Free Practice 3:
P 1   A. Bautista   1.39.638
P 2   D. Aegerter   + 0.233
P 3   S. Redding   + 0.455
…
P 8   P. Oettl    + 0.879

Superpole, the session that Philipp suffered the most of the year, on the Andalusian circuit, proved to be extremely positive. Sixth place on the grid, second row and best qualifying since Phillip Island, once again showcasing an incredible first sector. The hugs to number 5 upon returning to the pits, almost with teary eyes, demonstrate the good result obtained and the awareness of being able to achieve something important in the Race.

Superpole:
P 1    A. Bautista    1.38.635
P 2    D. Aegerter   + 0.210
P 3    A. Lowes   + 0.270
…
P 6   P. Oettl   + 0.456

Race 1, definitely the most exciting and full of suspense of the whole 2023. Philipp starts and immediately ignites the battle with Bassani and Rinaldi. Having freed himself of both, he has a slightly faster pace, enough to create a slight gap. Petrucci comes back from behind and chases Philipp, starting a duel lasting about 10 laps. The two Ducati riders, despite the battle, recover and overtake Alex Lowes, arriving close to the podium. After at least three or four overtakes, the number 5 seems to be able to defend fifth place and take home the first Best Independent of the season. Penultimate lap, Philipp celebrates at the finish line thinking that the race is over, but there is still one lap left; Petrucci passes, Oettl realizes the mistake and finishes the race sixth. Losing like this really hurts, despite the applause-worthy performance, but seeing the rider apologize to everyone and almost in tears shows how much he is really looking to get the most out of this last round.

Race 1:
P 1    A. Bautista    33’44.752
P 2    T. Razgatlioglu    + 1.195
P 3    A. Locatelli   + 9.071
…
P 6    P. Oettl   + 11.538

Honorable mention and congratulations to Aruba.it Ducati team, to all of Ducati Corse and to Alvaro Bautista for the second consecutive WorldSBK championship. Race victory and title on this Saturday in Jerez at the end of an incredible season, in which the Spanish rider’s work group raised the bar session after session, proving itself as a point of reference for all the other protagonists.

Philipp Oettl (Rider):

“It’s difficult for me to analyze our day after the last lap of Race 1! I had a really positive Superpole, starting from the first two rows change the life, then a good start in the Race, too. I went a little bit wide in turn 6, but our pace was incredibly fast. I am happy with the race, just the end was really frustrating. Petrucci could easily pass me cause I thought the race was over when there was still one lap to go. We will try tomorrow again, it was a solid P 6, we did a good job all the weekend. I want to have one more time fun with the Team, I will give my best to finish the season in a good way!”

Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):

“Too bad, too bad about the mistake, but this is perhaps Philipp’s best weekend of the season. Two seconds from the podium, a constant pace throughout the race, showing some clean and exciting overtakes. He defended himself very well against an expert rider like Petrucci, also managing to get through the first steps well. Celebrating a lap early is perhaps the worst way to lose a result, but on motorbikes it happens sometimes and there’s little you can do about it. Tomorrow I hope that Philipp will be able to bring home the long-awaited result!”

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