In extremely hot conditions Team Go Eleven start the weekend in the top 10

The extreme heat of Aragon welcomed the WorldSBK riders from the first session; a slippery track, low grip, and asphalt temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius through the day. Balda and Team Go Eleven restarted with Most’s setup, planning a change to the front end midway through the session. The first outing had been stopped by a red flag midway through the session, but the number 34 rider then put in four consecutive laps in 49.6/49.8, getting a temporary top six. He proved a strong final sector, second in that split by a thousandth of a second behind Bulega. In the final minutes, the engineers tested the aforementioned change, but unfortunately, a sensor issue on the front forced Baldassarri to stop along the track, without a chance to evaluate the new solution. The test was postponed until the afternoon, with a seventh-place finish

Free Practice 1: 
P 1   N. Bulega   1.48.916
P 2   I. Lecuona   + 0.022
P 3   A. Lowes    + 0.526
…
P 7   L. Baldassarri   + 0.779

For FP2, temperatures heat up further, causing a significant decrease in track grip. Times rise by about half a second for all riders; Balda, at first, seems to struggle with the change in conditions, then tests the new modification to the front forks, gains confidence, and begins to improve his times. Lap after lap, tenth after tenth, he closes in on the main group; on the final lap, with now 18 laps of tyre, he improves significantly in the first three sectors, only to lose ground in the last, remaining “too conservative under braking,” by his own admission.

Free Practice 2: 
P 1   I. Lecuona   1.49.578
P 2   S. Lowes   + 0.010
P 3   N. Bulega   + 0.081
…
P 10   L. Baldassarri   + 0.783

Friday at Aragon proved to be quite a difficult day for the Go Eleven team, with a few unexpected issues and a slight lack of explosiveness on the fastest lap. However, good progress remains, which bodes well for the race, where managing the front tyre, as well as the physical condition, will be crucial. Tomorrow it’s time for qualifying and Race 1 from Motorland Aragon!

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider): 
“Our first day in Aragon wasn’t the best Friday of the season, but we still managed to complete a good job, getting ready for the race. This morning we were even fast, then a small issue slowed us down in the final minutes. This afternoon, however, with the very hot weather, it has been more difficult to be fast. I still remain confident that we can improve for tomorrow; we’re all very close, and I want to fight for the positions that matter here too!”

P6 in Superpole and sixth place in Race One

An excellent result for Team Go Eleven at the end of Saturday at Aragon; sixth place in Race 1, Balda was able to defend himself and fight hard, earning good points for the overall standings. It was probably not the best race for the yellow Ducati, but finishing a slightly struggling day just outside the top 5 proves the excellent work Lorenzo and the whole team are doing.

In FP3, Balda found the feeling back he had yesterday morning, consistently riding alone and immediately managing to lower his times; the track was faster, with a best lap of 48.4, but what counts most is consistency. He completed 11 laps with the SCX, exceeding the full race distance of the Superpole Race, maintaining an excellent tyre drop range.

Free Practice 3: 
P 1   A. Bassani   1.48.169
P 2   N. Bulega   + 0.049
P 3   A. Surra    + 0.082
…
P 7    L. Baldassarri   + 0.237

In qualifying, Balda chose to go completely alone, without needing a reference rider in front. Despite the much higher temperatures, he managed to match his morning time and then lower it by a few tenths. At the pit stop for tyres, he was fifth; he rejoined the track, slipstreaming Bulega and Surra. The speed was there, however, and he broke the barrier of 48, getting sixth place on the grid. For the first time, Balda felt confident and at ease going alone, knowing he had the speed to stay ahead; it was a shame Bulega overtook him on the final turn, otherwise he could have improved a few tenths.

Superpole: 
P 1   N. Bulega   1.46.836
P 2   I. Lecuona    + 0.476
P 3   A. Surra     + 0.513
…
P 6    L. Baldassarri   + 0.933

In Race 1, Balda got off to a good start, defended himself through Turn 1, and completed the first lap in sixth place. He struggled in the early laps, made a few mistakes, and wasn’t as clean and precise as he’d like, but he didn’t leave room for the riders behind him to attack. As the laps passed, grip decreased, and the number 34 gradually improved, improving his times too. In the final seven laps, tenth after tenth, he managed to close in on Bridewell ahead of him, but the Englishman was particularly effective exiting the corners and keeping traction. Balda tried, staying close, and on the final lap he attempted to cross through the final corner but missed the lead by a thousandth of a second. Sixth place, a good performance, plenty of points, and confirmation that the Ducati Go Eleven is always there at the front, race after race!

Race 1: 
P 1   N. Bulega   32’46.379
P 2   I. Lecuona   + 1.274
P 3   S. Lowes   + 8.078
…
P 6   L. Baldassarri   + 18.684

Today Lorenzo was particularly good at managing the situation, not getting carried away in the early laps, when he didn’t have the right feeling on the bike. The second half of the race was good, but tomorrow the team needs to make a small step forward, especially when exiting slow corners. Keep head down and keep working!

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider): 
“Overall, I’m satisfied with today. In qualifying, I managed to find good speed on my own, with no references in front of me, qualifying sixth, on the second row, which is a good result. In the race, I thought I’d do a little better, but I struggled at the start of the race. It took me a while to get into the rhythm, and then towards the end, I was having trouble in overtaking. I was losing too much on corner exits, and I wasn’t able to take fifth place, which was just a few thousandths away. I would have liked to put on a bit of a show and try to overtake, but I had to settle for today. On the other hand, I’m happy with how I handled it. We brought home ten points, which are important for our position, but I want to improve for tomorrow. Now, let’s work things out with the team and see if we can compete stronger tomorrow!”

Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager): 
“Today we were pretty consistent throughout the day. We’ve been riding around sixth place since this morning, and we finished sixth in the race. Balda has made a step forward since yesterday. This morning’s Superpole was very encouraging, as he preferred to go alone, here at Aragon, where a slipstream counts for a lot, and he managed to set a great time. For the race, we perhaps suffered a bit from the higher temperatures, and especially in the early laps, we weren’t able to be strong. The second half of the race was much better. I was a bit disappointed to see how fast the Ducati in front of us was coming out of the corners, because it was difficult for Balda to find a point of attack. Well done, though, for not getting nervous and bringing home a sixth place, which is important for the championship. We need to find something between traction and speed for tomorrow; we’ll work on that!”

A double crash on Sunday at Aragon

In motorcycling, it’s a short step from the possibility of a dream Sunday to a double zero; the bitter reality of our sport was fully experienced by Team Go Eleven and Lorenzo Baldassarri on the final day at Motorland Aragon. Battling for the podium in the Superpole Race, recovering at an incredible pace, he crashed on the penultimate lap while preparing to overtake Sam Lowes; forced to start Race 2 from tenth place, he was immediately involved in an accident on Turn 1, though he was not someone’s fault. Two zeros that hurt, but from which he bounced back immediately, keeping the conviction of being fast!

In the Warm Up, the SCX rear tyre was further tested in preparation for the short race. Balda completed five laps, all on the high 48; the modification to the rear gave him further confidence, showing him ready and excited for the Superpole Race.

Warm Up: 
P 1   N. Bulega   1.47.903
P 2   S. Lowes   + 0.051
P 3   Y. Montella    + 0.633
…
P 7   L. Baldassarri   + 0.951

The start of the Superpole Race wasn’t perfect, but on the first lap, the number 34 managed to weave through the group well, moving back up to sixth on the grid. He passed Alex Lowes for fifth, and a few laps later it was time to attack Surra. He exploited his strong point, between Turns 4 and 5, and took fourth place. Balda’s pace was incredible; he was the fastest rider on the track and closed the gap on the three leaders who were battling for the win. Just at the most crucial moment, with two laps to go, Balda felt a podium and prepared to attack, but right on that Turn 5 that had given so much in the race, he lost the front. A crash, the rider was Ok, the podium slipped away, and he started Race 2 from tenth on the grid; racing is for trying, and for the first time this season, the Go Eleven rider was one step away from two factory Ducatis, one step away from fighting for the win.

Superpole Race: 
P 1   N. Bulega   18’08.215
P 2   I. Lecuona   + 0.594
P 3  S. Lowes   + 1.240
…
DNF   L. Baldassarri 

Unfortunately, Race 2 was an unlucky consequence of the morning; the Ducati wheelied at the start, and Balda was passed by several riders. Then, in Turn 1, Vierge made a mistake, losing control of the bike. Lorenzo behind him was unable to avoid him, and both crashed. Baldassarri, though blameless, suffered a nasty blow to his right wrist. Subsequent checks revealed no fractures, but he needed some rest to get back to 100%.

Race 2: 
P 1   N. Bulega   32’50.074
P 2   I. Lecuona   + 0.786
P 3   S. Lowes   + 6.506
…
DNF   L. Baldassarri 

An unlucky Sunday to say the least, from dreaming to finding themselves with two crashes and a nasty bruise; Team Go Eleven must console themselves with the speed they proved throughout the weekend, building on the good performance up to the Superpole Race and the significant progress made between Saturday and Sunday. Don’t give up, Balda, now comes the home race!

Following the crash and resulting bruise to his right wrist, Team Go Eleven and Lorenzo Baldassarri have opted to forgo the Michelin tests scheduled for tomorrow here at Motorland. The goal is to fully recover for the Misano weekend, scheduled for two weeks from now.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Rider): 
“I’m really disappointed about today. We were fast and were fighting for the first time near the two Aruba Ducatis in the Superpole Race. I had a better pace and was recovering, but then unfortunately I crashed in Turn 5, which also compromised Race 2, finding myself starting behind. Unfortunately, the start is also a weakness for us right now. We need to work on it because I’m losing too much there, and that’s important. I couldn’t have avoided the accident in Race 2. I’m just disappointed to have to come back from here with a heavy zero, when we had the pace to achieve something big. I hit my right wrist, it’s not broken, but I want to recover for Misano. I want to thank the team for the work they did. I felt good on the bike today and I want to start again from there!”

Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager): 
“Today we came close to a great result, but unfortunately it turned out to be a day to forget. We made a big step forward with the bike and with Balda’s riding between yesterday and today, so much so that we were close to the front in the Superpole Race. The mistake was understandable, the podium was there, and we needed to take a little more risk; on the other hand, we know that the Superpole Race affects Race 2, and that’s what happened. Now let’s go home and recover for Misano, where we can fight at the front again!”