Italiano
TWO-TIMES P 4, CLOSE TO THE PODIUM IN MOST’S SUNDAY!
Fourth place in the Superpole Race, fourth place in Race 2, a solid and consistent Sunday for Lorenzo Baldassarri and Team Go Eleven, just close of the podium! Something was missng in the opening laps on new tyres in both races, but the result is positive, and it’s the best weekend of the season so far in terms of points got.
From the Warm Up, Balda found an excellent feeling with the Ducati V4R, improving overall in all sectors. Third place, in a session characterized by cold temperatures; SC0 tyres used to evaluate them for the SP Race.
Warm Up:
P 1 I. Lecuona 1.30.481
P 2 N. Bulega + 0.211
P 3 L. Baldassarri + 0.431
In the Superpole Race, Balda had a good start, braking aggressively at Turn 1, and overtook a row. Temporarily sixth, he immediately attacked Surra on the second lap, taking fifth place. On the fourth lap, the Go Eleven rider attacked Gerloff, making the same move and gaining the position. He began a tenth-by-tenth comeback to chase Montella. Balda gained a second and a half but only managed to finish close to the podium, without chance of attacking. The taste of podium was there, but he came back four positions from where he started, an excellent race.
Superpole Race:
P 1 N. Bulega 15’07.499
P 2 I. Lecuona + 1.959
P 3 Y. Montella + 6.980
P 4 L. Baldassarri + 7.679
In Race 2, number 34 finally starts from the front, from the second row. The reflexes are once again lightning-fast, enough to defend the position and chase the podium. Montella is third, Balda tries to catch up, but in the opening laps the Barni rider seems to have a slightly faster pace; number 34 takes a couple of too many risks, loses his pace for a couple of laps, and got overtaken by Surra, finishing fifth. The podium thenis about 3.5 seconds far, but Baldassarri regains his focus, reopens the battle with Surra, and takes fourth place with yet another strong braking move into Turn 1. From that moment on, a pattern unfolds, familiar both this morning and in the Balaton race: Balda chases tenth after tenth, gain two seconds, and crosses the finish line about a second behind the podium. Another great performance for the whole Team Go Eleven, but there’s a bitter taste in the mouth for having had a glimpse of the podium, and then letting it slip away in the opening laps!
Race 2:
P 1 N. Bulega 33’20.149
P 2 I. Lecuona + 0.594
P 3 Y. Montella + 15.529
P 4 L. Baldassarri + 16.783
Overall, Most’s weekend, which started off with difficulty on Friday, turned out to be the best of the season so far for the yellow Ducati; Baldassarri was consistent, bringing home the maximum, and with today’s two fourth-place finishes, he moved into fourth place in the overall standings, fifteen points behind third. Let’s keep our feet on the ground: the season is long, but it’s worth dreaming!
The WorldSBK circus moves to Misano for two days of testing before flying to Aragon, Spain, for Round 06, halfway through the season!
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider):
“I’m really satisfied with the weekend. We started well on Friday, then we had a few issues. I wasn’t entirely comfortable at the end of Day 1, knowing we’d have to chase; in the end, we closed the gap, bringing home some good results. The work with the team was excellent; we managed to get the most out of the package. Today, however, I’m here a bit annoyed; we came close to the podium twice, but we weren’t able to bring it home. However, I want to look on the bright side: we scored a lot of points in the standings, we’re always fast; missing the podium keeps us focused for the next few days of work. We’re moving to Misano for testing; I want to find more on the bike and make another step forward!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“It was a great weekend. We confirmed our current level, we’re consistently fighting for the podium, and here at Most, we scored more points than in previous rounds, a result that gives us fourth place in the championship. We can also smile, especially considering Balda’s growth. The work between him and the team is excellent, and we’re aware of the areas we need to improve, knowing we still have room to do so. So far, we’re not very effective on new tyres, but we’re fast on used tyres, so we often have to come back. Now we have two days of testing at Misano, Wednesday and Thursday, which will be important for us to make another small step forward!”
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