Italiano
FOURTH PLACE, SO CLOSE TO THE PODIUM!
A Saturday to remember for Balda and Team Go Eleven at their home track! It was a sensational race, a nail-biter decided by hundredths of a second right up to the final lap, with Balda chasing the podium really close for the entire 23-lap distance. They missed out by a whisker, but it certainly stands as one of the best races of the season for the “Yellow Ducati”!
In FP3, the team opted to first test a set-up change using used tyres, followed by a time attack run, aiming to be fully prepared for qualifying. He set a low 1:28—a solid time—but Balda still didn’t feel quite confident on the bike, leading him to decide to get back to the bike setup used in FP1 for the remainder of the weekend.
Free Practice 3:
P 1 A. Surra 1.27.666
P 2 I. Lecuona + 0.029
P 3 J. Dixon + 0.271
…
P 8 L. Baldassarri + 0.620
In Superpole, Balda employs the same strategy as in recent rounds: riding solo, without slipstreams or rider in front of him. His first attempt is astonishing—successfully avoiding the yellow flags to secure third place—but staying on the front two rows requires going faster than the 2025 track record. No sooner said than done: the Go Eleven rider works a miracle in the fourth sector of his second flying lap, clocking a 1:27.7 that earns him a spot on the second row. Mission accomplished—a great qualifying performance!
Superpole:
P 1 I. Lecuona 1.27.253
P 2 N. Bulega + 0.044
P 3 A. Surra + 0.184
…
P 6 L. Baldassarri + 0.538
In Race 1, Balda got off to a good start but was hit from behind at Turn 2, losing a couple of positions in the process. He immediately showed great grit, overtaking Gerloff and Alex Lowes at the final corner on the opening lap. This kicked off one of the most fiercely contested races; Surra, followed by S. Lowes and Balda, consistently lapped in the high 1:28 range, never giving an inch. Surra was the first to falter, crashing out at Turn 4, while Sam and Balda maintained a blistering pace, closing the gap to Bulega. Although the italian rider couldn’t quite launch a successful attack, he rode a superb race all the way to the finish line. He took fourth place, finishing less than eight seconds behind the winner and about three seconds off second place. Well done Balda—a great race in front of the home fans.
Race 1:
P 1 I. Lecuona 16’26.38
P 2 N. Bulega + 5.591
P 3 S. Lowes + 7.247
P 4 L. Baldassarri + 8.763
For Sunday, the goal is to replicate the speed and strong start shown in Race 1; there is still room for improvement in the bike-electronics package, so the technicians will work this evening to find that classic “Saturday night” tweak and shave off a couple of tenths—enough to contend for the podium. Credit also goes to Sam Lowes for making no mistakes despite the constant pressure.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider):
“I’m really happy today; we did a great job and scored important points in the race, maintaining an incredible pace from start to finish. I was chasing the podium the whole time—I was so close, and we were right up there with the factory Ducatis, too. Unfortunately, Sam rode really well today; the gap between us kept fluctuating in the third sector, and I never quite managed to make a move. I think I was consistently lapping in the high 1:28s right to the end—which is impressive—though in the closing stages, I focused more on managing the race and bringing the result home. We’re working to find that little bit extra and put on a great show tomorrow!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“In my view, Balda finished one of the best races of the season today. He remained focused throughout and stayed right on Sam’s back—despite the pressure and the desire to perform well in front of the home crowd—without making a single mistake. Marc VDS did a better job than us today, but fighting for the podium is always fantastic, and we still need to fine-tune a few things in certain sectors. Let’s enjoy this great race, but we’re already hard at work with the team to improve for tomorrow.”
SATURDAY PICS: CLICK HERE
