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EXTREMELY HOT CONDITIONS, ARAGON WORLDSBK ROUND STARTS IN TOP 10!
The extreme heat of Aragon welcomed the WorldSBK riders from the first session; a slippery track, low grip, and asphalt temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius through the day. Balda and Team Go Eleven restarted with Most’s setup, planning a change to the front end midway through the session. The first outing had been stopped by a red flag midway through the session, but the number 34 rider then put in four consecutive laps in 49.6/49.8, getting a temporary top six. He proved a strong final sector, second in that split by a thousandth of a second behind Bulega. In the final minutes, the engineers tested the aforementioned change, but unfortunately, a sensor issue on the front forced Baldassarri to stop along the track, without a chance to evaluate the new solution. The test was postponed until the afternoon, with a seventh-place finish.
Free Practice 1:
P 1 N. Bulega 1.48.916
P 2 I. Lecuona + 0.022
P 3 A. Lowes + 0.526
…
P 7 L. Baldassarri + 0.779
For FP2, temperatures heat up further, causing a significant decrease in track grip. Times rise by about half a second for all riders; Balda, at first, seems to struggle with the change in conditions, then tests the new modification to the front forks, gains confidence, and begins to improve his times. Lap after lap, tenth after tenth, he closes in on the main group; on the final lap, with now 18 laps of tyre, he improves significantly in the first three sectors, only to lose ground in the last, remaining “too conservative under braking,” by his own admission.
Free Practice 2:
P 1 I. Lecuona 1.49.578
P 2 S. Lowes + 0.010
P 3 N. Bulega + 0.081
…
P 10 L. Baldassarri + 0.783
Friday at Aragon proved to be quite a difficult day for the Go Eleven team, with a few unexpected issues and a slight lack of explosiveness on the fastest lap. However, good progress remains, which bodes well for the race, where managing the front tyre, as well as the physical condition, will be crucial. Tomorrow it’s time for qualifying and Race 1 from Motorland Aragon!
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider):
“Our first day in Aragon wasn’t the best Friday of the season, but we still managed to complete a good job, getting ready for the race. This morning we were even fast, then a small issue slowed us down in the final minutes. This afternoon, however, with the very hot weather, it has been more difficult to be fast. I still remain confident that we can improve for tomorrow; we’re all very close, and I want to fight for the positions that matter here too!”
FRIDAY PICS: CLICK HERE
