WSBK/WSS ASSEN: SP RACE ENDED AT THE FIRST LAP, SOLID COMEBACK IN RACE 2!

A Sunday of ups and downs for the Pata Go Eleven Team in Assen; the day started under the typical Dutch rain, Superpole Race with Rain tyres, then the sun dried the Assen track, allowing a spectacular and tight Race 2. Two incredible first laps by Andrea Iannone, from tenth to fourth in SP Race, from fourteenth to fifth in Race 2, did not lead to the final result hoped for, although redeeming, however, the difficult yesterday with the ninth final place and a good battle in the afternoon.

The Warm Up with a lot of water on the track inaugurated the last day at the TT – Circuit; five laps for Andrea Iannone, who proved to be satisfied with the feeling with the rain tyres, without taking particular risks, also considering the very low temperatures, below ten degrees.

Warm Up: 
P 1    N. Bulega   1.45.102
P 2    A. Locatelli  + 0.499
P 3    S. Redding   + 0.602
…
P 12   A. Iannone   + 2.939

For the Superpole Race the asphalt begins to dry, but the ideal line still remains wet and almost the whole grid opts for Rain tyres. The rider from Vasto has a perfect start, turning fifth in turn 1, then fourth in turn 5. A first lap of hard battle with Locatelli begins, the two exchange for four turns in a row, then the hopes of Team Pata Go Eleven end at the final chicane; rear brake blocked, race over. A shame, because the Superpole Race also provides the starting grid for Race 2, and a good result could have turned the day around. Assen does not seem to want to smile on the yellow Ducati number 29.

Superpole Race:
P 1   T. Razgatlioglu  16’40.209
P 2   S. Lowes    + 3.798
P 3   A. Bautista   + 6.865
…
DNF   A. Iannone   

Forced to start Race 2 from fourteenth position, Andrea reacts perfectly to the green light, attacking very well in the first lap; fifth at the finish line, nine positions recovered in one lap! With new tyres and the full tank, the feeling with the front is critical, and in an attempt to defend the inside in Turn 1, he goes straight, losing many positions, and finds himself thirteenth. There the real comeback begins, improving his own references lap after lap, overtaking Aegerter, Van der Mark and re-entering the fight for P6. Best Lap of the race on the fourteenth lap, 1.34.574, at that point the second fastest rider on the track; he recovers the group formed by Lecuona, A. Lowes, Petrucci, and at the end Toprak, ignites the fight with the Italian rider of Barni, overtaking him three laps from the end. Unfortunately the challenge with Danilo made him lose a couple of tenths, which did not give him the chance to attack other riders at the end. The pace was there and Andrea was able to manage the tyres, changing pace in the second half. The ninth final place does not fully repay the efforts made by the whole Team, but it remains a good race from which to restart and find spirit for the next Round.