Italiano
GREAT COMEBACK TO GET INTO TOP 6!
Looking at the standings, it might seem like a quiet day for Team Go Eleven and Lorenzo Baldassarri—sixth in qualifying and sixth in Race 1—but in reality, tension was high from the very start of the day. He faced some difficulty finding the right pace in FP3, then managed to overcome the challenges posed by yellow flags in qualifying, and finally had to fight his way back up the field after a difficult start to the race. Rider number 34 battled hard and came out on top, securing the best possible result.
During FP3, Team Go Eleven tested the qualifying tyre over a ten-lap run with the Superpole Race in mind. He set a best time of 1:25.666—half a second faster than on Day 1—though he was still a few tenths off a spot in the top five.
Free Practice 3:
P 1 S. Lowes 1.24.756
P 2 Y. Montella + 0.202
P 3 I. Lecuona + 0.369
…
P 11 L. Baldassarri + 0.910
In qualifying, the Italian rider saved the weekend at the very end. His first attempt was solid, but running wide at Turn 8 forced him to abort the lap, and a yellow flag then wiped out his second time attack. Fresh tyres, same story—yellow flag, lap cancelled—but Balda went all out on his third attempt. He held his own pace in the first two sectors, attacked and improved in the third and fourth, and crossed the line in sixth place. It was a great result and an excellent handling of a tricky situation that could have ruined his weekend. He secured a spot on the second row—an excellent position for Race 1.
Superpole:
P 1 N. Bulega 1.24.410
P 2 I. Lecuona + 0.052
P 3 Y. Montella + 0.198
…
P 6 L. Baldassarri + 0.904
In Race 1, the start complicated Balda’s plans; he released the clutch too quickly, causing the Ducati V4RS to wheelie, and the number 34 rider lost a couple of positions, dropping to tenth. From there, he began a comeback filled with overtaking moves and spectacular action—especially at Turn 4—overtaking Bassani first, then Oliveira and Vierge, and finally Alex Lowes after a twelve-lap chase. His initial attack on the British Bimota rider at the Turn 11 hairpin was a heart-stopping moment, with the bike sliding sideways; he then completed the move on the following lap, once again between Turn 3 and Turn 4.
Race 1:
P 1 I. Lecuona 32’58.594
P 2 N. Bulega + 0.165
P 3 Y. Montella + 6.711
…
P 6 L. Baldassarri + 16.830
It was a positive day for Team Go Eleven and Lorenzo Baldassarri; both managed to overcome the day’s challenges and secure a solid Saturday at Donington Park. Furthermore, after several races without scoring, it was crucial to get back to earning points for the standings, despite the track not being ideally suited to rider 34 on paper. Tomorrow, a small step forward is needed to fight for a spot in the top five!
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider):
“I’m happy with how the day went. Qualifying was tough because I had my best lap cancelled twice due to yellow flags, leaving me in last place with just few seconds remaining; however, I bounced back well and secured a solid sixth place. I had good pace in the race—not quite enough for the podium, but still fast—though it was a shame about the start, where I lost a lot of ground. That said, I think the team and I have found a solution for that. I stayed calm despite losing positions, and lap by lap I fought my way back up and overtook my rivals without making any mistakes. I even had some fun battling with Lowes! We’re struggling a bit with rear grip, but we’ll look to make some improvements tomorrow. The main thing was being fast here at Donington, and we’re on the right way.”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“I was really tense during qualifying today; we were close to starting last, but Balda did a great job reacting, even though his tyres were already quite worn. I’d like to take this opportunity to say, once again, that the rule regarding lap cancellation under yellow flags needs to be reviewed; the risk of starting at the back due to other riders’ mistakes is high, and it isn’t fair. As for the race, after a slow start, it was crucial to avoid errors and fight our way back up using our own pace, getting back to scoring tons of points. Sixth place brings us closer to some of the rivals ahead of us, so it was a positive day. Tomorrow, we’ll look to give Balda what he needs to be faster, and see where we can fight for!”
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