Italiano
DEFENSIVE RACE, SOLID SEVENTH PLACE FINISH FOR THE STANDINGS!
There’s nothing to hide: given the strong race pace shown on Friday, the Go Eleven team expected more than a seventh-place finish in Race 1. Balda, too, was a bit upset for the result. A podium might not have been within reach, but a top-five result certainly was. While seventh at the finish line is still a solid result, the race pace proved to be a bit slower than anticipated.
In the final free practice session, Balda attempted a time attack—using a qualifying tyre and running two or three laps to fine-tune the setup for the Superpole. He broke through the 1.38 barrier, with an excellent performance in the fourth sector!
Free Practice 3:
P 1 A. Lowes 1.37.690
P 2 N. Bulega + 0.023
P 3 Y. Montella + 0.158
P 4 A. Surra + 0.226
P 5 L. Baldassarri + 0.253
In Superpole, Balda feels excited and ready to secure a strong starting position. On his first attempt, he finds a good rider to follow, improves his morning time by a tenth of a second, and slots into the top five. He heads back to the pits for a second set of tyre. A small mistake in the first sector costs him a tenth, but he is absolutely flawless for the rest of the lap, making up significant ground in the fast sections. He’s lightning-fast through the final sector, clocking a 37.6—good enough for sixth place on the grid. A spot on the second row—an excellent starting position for the races!
Superpole:
P 1 N. Bulega 1.36.643
P 2 S. Lowes + 0.317
P 3 I. Lecuona + 0.455
…
P 6 L. Baldassarri + 0.996
Race 1 began with a good start, but he found himself slightly closed in at Turn 2, losing two positions. Track conditions were unusual—grip was low, and lap times across the field were quite slow. After holding back for a few laps, Balda began to push, overtaking Bridewell. He then set about closing the gap, first catching up to Alex Lowes—whom he overtook at Turn 6—and then reaching Surra. He arrived at the finish line in a close battle with the Ducati rider, though he was unable to make a move for the overtake. He crossed the line in seventh place; it was a solid, error-free race, though it lacked a bit of pace—especially when compared to his performance on Friday.
Race 1:
P 1 N. Bulega 33’09.762
P 2 S. Lowes + 1.657
P 3 I. Lecuona + 2.853
…
P 7 L. Baldassarri + 12.192
Balda did a great job avoiding any mistakes today; he was struggling with both the front and rear, so the risk of a crash was quite high. Seventh place perhaps doesn’t fully reflect his potential—the minimum goal was definitely a top-five finish—but it’s important to bring home a result even on less-than-ideal days. The team is already at work analyzing what changed since yesterday, seeking a solution for tomorrow. Furthermore, the weather could shift conditions at the Angel Nieto Circuit on Sunday!
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider):
“Today was a bit of a disappointment compared to my expectations. Given where we stood yesterday, I thought I could fight for the podium, but instead, I had to settle for less. I struggled a bit with the track conditions and a lack of grip, both at the rear and the front. In the end, we still did a good job fighting and bringing it home; we picked up some important points, which is always a positive. I can’t wait to try again tomorrow, as I want to finish the season with a good feeling on the bike. We’ll have to keep an eye on the weather, but let’s look forward to enjoying this final day on track!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“Today was tougher than we expected; after yesterday, we were aiming for a top-five finish, but we lacked the pace right from the opening laps. Even so, Balda managed to find a better setup as the race went on, gaining back a couple of positions. Unfortunately, overtaking is quite difficult here, so we’ll need to come up with something for tomorrow. If it rains, it will shake things up and likely make for a chaotic day—especially considering we haven’t ridden in wet conditions since Australia. The guys in the garage are currently analyzing the data to see if we can find a few tenths!”
SATURDAY PICS: CLICK HERE
