On 5th May 2019 Jerez speaks Italian. Niccolò Antonelli and his teammate Tatsuki Suzuki took SIC58 Squadra Corse on the top pf the podium and made the Italian Anthem sound all over the hills of Andalusia. I am happy. We couldn’t ask for more: both riders on the podium, first and second. The way Tatsu handled the fight in the leading group struck me. He never gave up and we can really see how much he has improved during the last two years. Niccolo’s strategy really worked out: he decided to take it easy till the last third of the race when he worked his way up to the first position. This victory means a second place for him in the Championship Standing and brings the team to the top of the Teams Standing.
I guess you could watch live on TV how moved we were on Sunday. We almost hit each other for the immense joy. Words are useless after such a race. We just want to dedicate this podium to all the people who love and support us. Days like this make you forget all the bad things happened in the past, also the pole position we missed on Saturday when Niccolò was half a second faster in T2 and Tatsu didn’t get the first position for 4 thousandths only.
Maybe, what makes us a bit stronger than before is the feeling to be a Team. Our riders are getting better along with each other. I got a prove of this on Saturday when Tatsu told Nico to be careful at turn 5 because it was very windy. I think that the hug they gave on track at the end of the race was really authentic.
Tatsuki told me that his thought during last lap was “either champagne or gravel!”. Sounds crazy but also Bertelle got on the podium during Rookies Cup race on Sunday. Jerez has always something special for us and I think that we could have got a good result in MotoE as well if it had taken place. I don’t forget that on Jerez circuit Tony Arbolino gave us our first victory in the Spanish Championship and, above all, that Marco won his first race in 125cc ahead of his teammate and friend Steve Jankner.
If it’s true that life is full of hidden sings from the sky, this one was impossible not to be seen. And even if everybody keeps saying that I dedicate this podium to Marco, I want to tell you that it was Marco who gave this present to us. Even if I can’t see him I perfectly know what he wrote on the card “Dad, we are strong!”.
Jerez where everything started.
-PaoloSic58-