Portimao (Portugal), June 7th 2015
Great races for Matteo Baiocco (Team Althea Ducati) on the seventh round of the 2015 ENI Superbike World Championship which took place last weekend at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal.
After the first two days in extremely hot conditions, the morning-race brought a surprise in the shape of rain during race 1.
Having been fast all weekend, Matteo Baiocco completed a fantastic race 1 that saw him quick and consistent despite the onset of rain five laps from the end. Fast in the dry, after the team performed a perfect pit-stop to change the tyres, Baiocco also proved to be fast in the wet, crossing the line in sixth position. In race 2 some technical set-up solutions were implemented in order to try and improve performance but unfortunately they did were not effective. Despite the change in feeling with his Ducati Panigale R, the Italian rider closed in final tenth position. Overall, he completed a great weekend’s work, consolidating seventh position in the general standings. Now he will go to Misano, a track he knows very well and where he should be able to fully express himself.
Matteo Baiocco #15: “In general I’m pleased with how the whole weekend went because we were constantly fast and in race 1, despite the changes in weather, we did a great job and were able to bring home a strong sixth place finish. In race 2 we made some different set-up choices which didn’t bring the expected results, and so I chose to avoid mistakes and bring home additional points. We are taking a step forward each weekend and I’m pleased because together with the team we are doing a good job.”
The racing weekend ended with two results within the top ten also for Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing Ducati), who closed respectively Race 1 and Race 2 in eighth and ninth position.
A cloudy sky opened the race day: the Argentinean compete a lively and intense Race 1; after sliding 13th just after the start, Tati remained close to the group with Baiocco (Ducati), Guintoli (Honda) and Giugliano (Ducati), becoming protagonist of a great battle and managing to bringing himself into fifth position.
With 5 laps to go, rainfall stirred things up: Mercado got back into pit lane to change tyres, but he lost precious time as he had to avoid the other riders entered for the “flag-to-flag“ and, once he got back on track, he put himself back into 8th position, where he was able to remain till the end of the race on the slippery wet track.
In Race 2, the Argentinean made a good start, but because of two mistakes in the first part of the race, he slid in ninth place. Mercado stayed behind and kept the position till the finish line, keeping a good rhythm and managing to defend himself from his rivals, conquering also in this race important points in view of the championship.
Leandro Mercado, #36: “It had been a positive weekend and we scored important points in view of the champioship. Race 1 was really nice and intense: I fought with Guintoli, Giugliano and Baiocco and I manage to bring myself in fifth position. Then, unfortunately, it started to rain and that was my first flag to flag. Still I am happy with the eighth place. Also Race 2 went well: I made a good start, but during the first laps I did two mistakes and I lost the group of the other riders. I kept having a good pace, but I couldn’t rejoin them. We still have some things that we have to improve, but we hope to do even better in Misano!“
After the Portuguese round, the Argentinean of the Barni Racing Team has gained 85 total points in overall championship standing.
Chris Ponsson (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) had a rough approach to racing weekend, complicated by a small technical problem which occurred in the warm-up. The French managed to maintain its original position after the start, but for the first few laps failed to exploit the full potential of the bike and remained in eighteenth position until the arrival of rain. In lap with dry tires on the asphalt now flooded, Chris has pushed hard gaining four positions, coming in to change tires in fifteenth position. Unfortunately the return to the track the Racing Team Pedercini rider found himself again in eighteenth place and then keep right up to the checkered flag.
In Race 2 Ponsson instead managed to play a great race. The French started well and already at sixth round has managed to climb-up on fourteenth place. Thanks to the excellent race pace already demonstrated in the tests, the rider of the Pedercini Team Racing is so managed to maintain the excellent position until the checkered flag, managing to precede drivers like Nico Terol and Randy De Puniet, gaining 2 fine points in the standings.
Chris Ponsson # 23: "This morning, in the warmup, I wanted to do the finishing touches to the bike, but we still had some problems and I went into the race a little tense. In the first laps I could not push as I wanted, then after six laps, I found the right pace. When it started raining I pushed and passed many riders, but in the end, unfortunately, we could not finish the race in the points. In race 2 I started well enough, I was a few laps behind Terol and De Puniet and then I tried to pass them to try to gain a few seconds of advantage and to secure my position. My race pace was good and I managed to get fourteenth with six seconds ahead of Terol. Tomorrow we will also have a day of testing that will allow us to further improve, I'm sure."
The World Superbike Championship will get back on track in two weeks, on the 21st June, at the home track of Misano.
