During the Football World Cup in 2006, the Italian team used to sing “we are a strong team”. As for us, among our ups and downs, we are very strong, as well. Still we do not get what we deserve.
I am aware it is useless to keep complaining and that what matters are the results and not the words “what if… he could have overtaken but…”.
Nevertheless, I think there is a reason for everything, and for us being so see-sawing and doing some good races and some bad ones means that we are improving and growing up to achieve important results.
Due to his injured shoulder, Antonelli is forced to race in defense. It sounds weird but, sometimes a compound fracture might be better than a dislocation which keeps hurting even when the doctors claim you are fit for the race.
Tatsuki made a good race fighting hand-to-hand for the first time with the other eight riders in his group. We figured out a good tactic: I tell him what to do through the pit board, and he has to do it. Tatsuki’s good lap time proves that we were close.
However, the latest minutes of qualifying were our main problem of this weekend. Tatsuki and Niccolò were together in the last laps but they weren’t able to be team players and this made me get mad. Helping each other during qualifying is a clever move but it is not as easy as it seems. It is complicated for a rider to understand the he needs a help or he has to help his team mate.
The root of this behave might be trace back to the mini bikes competitions, where riders are taught that their team mate is their first rival. But in Moto3 helping each other is crucial as the level is very high and if your start from behind it is complicated to reach the leading positions, and that’s what happens to us last weekend.
Anyway, this was the first race where Suzuki was really able to make a good come back and showed his willing to be there! I am proud of him.
That’s what remains of our weekend in the beautiful Netherlands, together with Antonelli’s stoicism to endure the pain. It goes without saying that we need to change our mentality if we want to win. And now everybody’s home till Sachsenring!
-PaoloSic58-