A solid Friday on the rollercoaster with ninth place

A solid and consistent Friday in Portugal for Team Go Eleven and number 34 Lorenzo Baldassarri; Portimao always proves to be one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar, with blind spots, uphills, high-speed corners, and downhill braking sections like the hard ” turn 5.” Finding the right balance on this “Rollercoaster” isn’t easy, but today the team and rider worked in the right direction, making progress with each exit.

In FP1, “Balda” took some time to get to know the bike and tyres here in the Algarve, while also trying not to overwork his arms; remember, the Superbike riders have been out for about a month, following the opening race. A small geometry change towards the middle of the session, but a clear improvement in terms of time references. The first session concluded just outside the top ten, within one second. The feeling on the bike was good, however, although something was lacking in the first part of the track.

Free Practice 1: 
P 1   S. Lowes   1.40.287
P 2   N. Bulega   + 0.004
P 3   A. Lowes    + 0.155
…
P 12   L. Baldassarri   + 0.968

In FP2, the italian rider got a more decisive and confident start, immediately moving into the top ten. It was a tight session with close gaps, so much so that by mid-session the top ten were all within five tenths of a second. The technicians were still testing a slight setup adjustment to the front end and the electronics, especially between turns seven and nine, right where the jump is located, one of the trickiest areas to fine-tune. Back on track, he immediately improved three tenths off the pace, setting a 40.7, his best lap of the day. On his final outing, on new tyres, he repeated his best time, but abnormal vibrations in the front forced the number 34 to abort his final lap.

Free Practice 2: 
P 1   S. Lowes   1.39.941
P 2   N. Bulega   + 0.247
P 3   Y. Montella   + 0.410
…
P 9   L. Baldassarri   + 0.817

A positive Friday confirms Team Go Eleven’s performance and opens for a tight and spectacular Saturday, starting with Superpole, where the gap between the first three rows will be decided by a few hundredths of a second. Tomorrow morning, Further progresses in the first and third sectors are needed, but confidence for the race remains high!

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider): 
“I’m happy with today; we made progress in all the sessions. After a month without riding a Superbike, it took a moment to adjust, but then I felt comfortable and we finished in the top ten, with a good feeling. We have a few details to fix, so there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Since we haven’t done any dry testing here, the more we lap, the more we improve. We need to keep working and stay focused, then we can have fun here in Portimao, too!”

Close to the top ten after Race One

A tricky track, where Go Eleven need to defend theirselves and bring home points. But Balda and the Team put in a strong performance, at least until Superpole. In Race 1, after a less than perfect start, Balda suffered so much pain in his right arm that he even considered retiring after a few laps.

For FP3, the engineers opted to try a more rear-based setup, a move that didn’t particularly pay off; this session tested qualifying, with which Balda was able to lower his Best Lap, but without the impact he would have liked.

Free Practice 3: 
P 1   I. Lecuona   1.39.186
P 2   Y. Montella   + 0.419
P 3   M. Oliveira    + 0.436
…
P 15   L. Baldassarri   + 1.316

The Superpole here proved to be a truly close affair, with hundredths of a second making the difference between the two positions. Balda chose Bulega as his reference point on the track, and the choice proved to be a winning one. Two incredible laps, the number 34 dropped to the low 39, just two tenths off the previous lap record. Eighth on the grid, the first three rows as hoped. Interestingly, with today’s time, Balda would have started from P2 in 2025 Portuguese Round, a sign of how much the level rises year after year.

Superpole: 
P 1   N. Bulega   1.38.495
P 2   I. Lecuona   + 0.142
P 3   Y. Montella   + 0.438
…
P 8   L. Baldassarri   + 0.733

In Race 1, Balda didn’t get a good start, losing a row before Turn 1, then getting caught up in the various classic early-race battles. He set his pace in the first four laps and overtook Locatelli, Bautista, and Petrucci, only to then begin to struggle severely with his right arm. By his own admission, he thought he wouldn’t be able to finish the race. His times, however, weren’t slow, and his feeling with the bike was good, so much so that in the final laps he came back to life, rejoining the battle for tenth place. P 11 under the chequered flag, just a couple of seconds outside the top six. It was a race that certainly taught Balda a lot, in addition to his ability to bring home points in difficult conditions.

Race 1: 
P 1   N. Bulega   33’34.579
P 2   I. Lecuona   + 2.522
P 3   M. Oliveira   + 4.815
…
P 11   L. Baldassarri   + 21.126

Tomorrow there will be two more races, two opportunities to show our true pace and get back into the top ten. Now Balda needs to recover during the night and tomorrow is another day, hoping that the pain in the arm will go away!

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider): 
“Today we found a good balance from Superpole onwards. In qualifying, I made it to the first three rows, but at the start, the bike wheelied and I lost a lot of time. We battled hard in the first laps, and that made me sore. From the fourth lap onwards, it was really painful. For a moment, I thought about retiring, but I’m happy with my reaction and that I gritted my teeth. I scored points, but I felt I could have done much more without this problem. The top six was close and within reach, but we’ll try again tomorrow. The feeling on the bike is good, and we’ve worked in the right direction!”

Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager): 
“After a difficult first session, the team was able to react and find a good setup for the race and qualifying. Unfortunately, in the race, Balda lost a few positions at the start, finding himself in traffic, which worsened the pain in his right arm; in some places, he couldn’t keep the throttle open. However, he didn’t give up and, in fact, in the final stages he was back to riding very well, still taking the points. Now he will undergo some treatment, and we hope he can race tomorrow without thinking about the pain!

Sixth place in Race Two after a stunning comeback for Lorenzo Baldassarri

A sweet end to the Portuguese weekend for Team Go Eleven and Lorenzo Baldassarri; a great comeback in Race 2 to secure sixth place! Consistency, speed, and determination in overtaking, taking advantage of a formidable second and final sector.

In the Warm Up, Balda tried to slightly change his riding position, trying to put more weight on the rear; while it’s difficult to change the riding style, on these Superbikes it can make a big difference. The feeling on the bike was good, and just small adjustments were needed for the Superpole Race.

Warm Up: 
P 1   N. Bulega   1.40.216
P 2   S. Lowes   + 0.149
P 3   A. Lowes    + 0.327
…
P 13   L. Baldassarri   + 1.411

In the Superpole Race, the start wasn’t too strong, but the battle quickly turned on. Balda overtook Locatelli but couldn’t get a hold of the Italian Bimota rider, who opened up a few tenths of a second’s advantage. Petrucci got closer together with Alvaro Bautista, and the trio was faster, catching up with those ahead, but when the Spaniard took the lead, a gap opened up. The Go Eleven rider kept Petrucci behind, but narrowly missed out on the points and the grid reversal. Lorenzo, upon returning to the garage, said he was satisfied with his riding style and excited for Race 2.

Superpole Race: 
P 1   N. Bulega   16’39.446
P 2   I. Lecuona   + 1.882
P 3   M. Oliveira   + 2.401
…
P 10   L. Baldassarri   + 8.016

The best start came in Race 2, where the yellow Ducati managed to defend its position, immediately attacking Locatelli on the second lap. The pace was much stronger compared to yesterday; low 41, a best lap of 40.7, allowing the number 34 rider to gain tenths and positions. The second sector was a notable strength, where he managed to make the difference, then completing several attacks by capitalizing on an excellent exit from the final corner. He got close to Bassani and overtook him with four laps to go; then managed the gap and took home a solid sixth place! Lots of points, excellent consistency so far, and great determination in the battle.

Race 2: 
P 1   N. Bulega   33’32.986
P 2   I. Lecuona   + 1.967
P 3   M. Oliveira   + 7.096
…
P 6   L. Baldassarri   + 15.105

A weekend of growth, session after session, Balda and the team continued to improve, climbing the rankings. Remember, this is the second race of the season, and number 34 is still in the midst of learning the class, but with results like this, it’s possible to raise the bar a bit. The goal here in Portimao was to confirm the speed, and Team Go Eleven did it!

Now WorldSBK moves to Assen, a completely different track from Portimao, but incredibly fast and adrenaline-filled, where Baldassarri has good memories; April 17-19, Round 03!

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider): 
“Yesterday, at the end of Race 1, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish two races today. I was exhausted, and the arm pump forced me to ride defensively. Then, looking at the data and taking advantage of a better riding position, I managed to secure a great result. The weekend was all about improvement. We overcame the difficulties together. The pace in Race 2 was very fast, and I found the bike easy to ride. In the second half of the race, I had podium pace, which allowed me to move up the standing. I’m happy, and I thank the whole team for their work. We’ve completed two very good rounds. Now we move on to Assen, a track I particularly love!”

Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager): 
“Balda made a significant step forward today. We worked well with the whole team to give him a chance to rest his arms, but he also found a better position on the bike. In race 2, he was excellent, fast and determined in overtaking. He fought back and finished sixth on a weekend where he needed to confirm his performance. I particularly appreciated his reaction when Petrucci tried to pass him; from there, he focused on himself and took sixth place. We’re on the right track, even though it’s just the beginning. These results give us great confidence and morale!”