Italiano
TOP 6 AT THE END OF FRIDAY, MAGIC LAST MINUTES SET-UP CHANGE TO EARN TWO TENTHS!
The first day of school is behind us; Friday at Phillip Island is a special moment. In the two minutes before the green light, the paddock become quiet and tension rises for the official start of the WorldSBK Championship. And what a start for the Go Eleven team! Sixth place overall, fifth in the afternoon session, a lot of work done on used tyres and a fully completed program.
In FP1, the goal was to accumulate laps to get ready for the end of the race; two stints of over ten laps each, the best time came on lap 20, despite a mistake in the second sector. Two tenths better than the ideal time, which would have guaranteed a further step forward in the standings. Breaking the ice of the first session on his return to WorldSBK with a sixth-place finish means an excellent session for the italian rider.
Free Practice 1:
P 1 N. Bulega 1.28.858
P 2 S. Lowes + 0.524
P 3 A. Bassani + 0.689
…
P 6 L. Baldassarri + 0.811
In FP2, the team made a comparison between the two rear tyres available for the race. “Balda” found little difference between the 922 and the 829, managing to repeat similar times with a consistent performance; the more laps passed, the faster the tyre became. He struggled to find the right speed in the first two sectors, but in the second half of the track, he consistently placed himself among the best riders. A final setup change, the magic touch of the final ten minutes, allowed the number 34 to close the gap to Bulega, getting a 1.29.484, just a few thousandths of a second off third place. But above all, Baldassarri showed a lot of confidence in braking.
Free Practice 2:
P 1 N. Bulega 1.29.101
P 2 A. Lowes + 0.253
P 3 A. Bassani + 0.367
P 4 A. Bautista + 0.381
P 5 L. Baldassarri + 0.383
Saturday at Phillip Island will be a very “close” day in terms of gaps, down to the last hundredth of a second, making the difference between starting ahead or behind. Tension is rising…but finally, we’ve reached the first Race Day of the 2026 season!
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider):
“Today was a great day for us. We confirmed the speed of the test, completing our whole work program without problems. We improved every session, step by step. I think we have the right speed, especially in the race. I worked a lot on used tyres and I want to try to fight for the top positions. Now, however, we have to stay focused. We’re all very close, and qualifying will be very tight. Tonight I’ll try to understand the last things from the data, then I can’t wait to close my visor for Race 1!”
FRIDAY PICS: CLICK HERE
