It’s 2025, the first race of the Championship. The sun beats down on Buriram along with the adrenaline of a new season and the weight of high expectations, which can already be felt.
The weekend that just ended seemed highly promising for the team, with two riders starting from the first two rows. Nepa achieved 2nd place while Lunetta qualified 5th… he was showing a strong race pace…but then came “the usual” Munoz, who after three years of competing in the world championship still has not understood the thin line between combativeness and unfairness.
A racing contact that took place while the yellow flag was waving, among other things. In the end, having to restart from the back, Lunetta was one second faster than the leading group, which says a lot. However, he had to settle for 10th place as his final race result. It leaves us with a bitter taste, a 10th place that feels like an ”almost”, a glimpse of unexpressed potential.
However, there is some good news: Simon Crafar, the new race director, has brought a breath of fresh air. A former rider who, unlike others is able to distinguish between a good move and the mistake of those, at times, acts impulsively, in racing terms “lets the vein close”. The race direction’s decision was clear: Munoz will start from the pitlane in the next GP. I’m happy the RD is no longer just a simple observer, but a judge, we have always said that every move on the track should be guided by a code.
Then, there is Nepa. Securely anchored in second place until the final laps, when he decided to let the other riders pass, not giving them his slipstream, looking for the perfect final move. This was a crucial choice, as he was unable to catch up with the front riders, finishing in 4th place.
We came from what you could call “intense “testing days in Jerez. The team went through a complete renewal process. Indeed, Nepa had to face some hard and unusual days, as after eight years with a KTM he had to relearn how to ride a Honda. In Buriram, he was a positive surprise, although we knew he was a fast rider. He is still missing the cunning that defines the leaders, that confidence of those who know they are strong, he’s missing a bit of experience in one-to-one battles. But he’s a hard-working rider, who knows his place and this will reward him throughout the year, I’m glad to have him with us.
The Sic58 Squadra Corse team has an important history behind it, one that has shaped us into what we are today, a history that teaches others and us that, every step, every tenth, every corner is a challenge and a new opportunity to prove and reinvent ourselves.
See you soon, on the burning circuit of Argentina!
-PaoloSic58-