Italiano
P 3 IN THE MORNING, TOO TRICKY AFTERNOON TO RIDE FASTER!
Further confirmation of Lorenzo Baldassarri’s speed and consistency aboard the Ducati V4-R WorldSBK: an excellent opening session saw him finish third, followed by an afternoon session marked by many crashes. With fourth place in the combined standings, it was a positive Friday for Team Go Eleven.
In FP1, the technicians opted to start with the base setup found during testing; the rider number 34 felt comfortable on the bike right from the start, showing consistency and clocking excellent lap times—consistently in the low 1:29 range. During his second run, Balda attempted a time attack— on used tires—and immediately improved his times, dropping to a 1:28.5 and moving up to third place.
Free Practice 1:
P 1 I. Lecuona 1.28.278
P 2 N. Bulega + 0.119
P 3 L. Baldassarri + 0.304
In FP2, the track surface warms up slightly, but conditions change drastically; in the opening minutes, several riders go down at the circuit’s fastest sections, demonstrating the low level of grip. Balda sets his pace, but several laps—including his best, a high 1:28—are cancelled due to yellow flags. Crashes continue towards the end of the session, leading the number 34 rider to manage the run rather than pushing at 100% and taking unnecessary risks on a Friday. Upon returning to the pits, he complains of poor front-end grip, noting that he struggles to feel when the front loses grip.
Free Practice 2:
P 1 I. Lecuona 1.28.108
P 2 N. Bulega + 0.254
P 3 A. Surra + 0.461
…
P 9 L. Baldassarri + 0.904
Even though lap times didn’t improve in the afternoon, it was still a positive day for the yellow Ducati, which finished fourth in the combined standings—free of crashes or major issues on a particularly challenging day. Now, the focus must be on working when the track heats up, in order to regain the same confidence felt in the morning.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider):
“We started strong right away this morning; I felt really good on the bike—so much so that the lap time came easily. This afternoon, a few riders crashed just ahead of me, and I realized the conditions were tricky; riding right at the limit would have meant taking excessive risks for a Friday. We got our testing done and figured out which direction to take; we’re fast, and we still finished the day in the top five. I’m happy, and I hope the conditions are good tomorrow so we can push at 100%.”
FRIDAY PICS: CLICK HERE
