It had been a long time since I last followed a Grand Prix live from home, away from the track. I have to admit that it\u2019s even more challenging to experience it this way. When you\u2019re there, inside the paddock, everything finds its place, from home, instead, your thoughts run more freely. This time, a slightly injured knee also played a role, setting its own pace and limits.<\/p>\n
The return to Brazil\u00a0brought both enthusiasm and curiosity:\u00a0more than 3 decades without racing on that circuit is no small thing. The charm of something new, combined with memory of the past, involved many people. The Gresini Team celebrated this occasion with a special livery dedicated to Alex Barros, on the occasion of team\u2019s 30th anniversary.\u00a0At that time, among them, there was also our beloved mechanic Sanzio Raffaelli, known as Malabrocca.<\/strong> However, to be honest, the circuit was not yet up to the standards required for a World Championship. Charm is not enough to meet all the requirements, we arrived there too early, at least a year ahead of time.<\/strong> Tyre degradation was another major issue<\/strong>. Casey and Marco Grana had planned a race strategy built on patience: stay out of the initial battles to play everything in the final laps, trying to save the tyres. The strategy went up in smoke immediately, with a red flag waived too early.<\/strong>\u00a0I found the 5 laps restart dangerous and unfair. Everyone was thrown in for a \u201call-in\u201d, a group of riders sent out on track to give it their all. In the end Casey took home a 9th place, a result that must be read in context.<\/p>\n The move to America<\/strong>\u00a0brought another challenge: Marco Grana\u2019s return home for family reasons. The team was never left alone, but it inevitably felt the absence of another key figure. Despite this<\/strong>, Casey proved again his value, securing a first row with the second fastest time, clearly showing his potential.<\/strong>\u00a0Leo, instead, was like walking on thin ice, still trying to process Brazil, and faced more complicated qualifying.<\/p>\n Race day came, and Casey lost time in unnecessary battles with rivals he knows too well from CEV days<\/strong>,\u00a0in the early laps<\/strong>, running wide several times and then crashing with 3 laps to go. It\u2019s a pity, because the result was within reach. Driven by enthusiasm he lost sight of the real goal, which is always the chequered flag<\/strong>. But I can\u2019t blame him, youth is a synonym of enthusiasm and instinct. Starting strong, feeling competitive, the desire to prove yourself: all part of the same path. The race is long\u2026but you have to finish it.<\/strong><\/p>\n To sum up, the overall picture shows 3 race crashes, a ninth place and a difficult moment for Leo. <\/em>It\u2019s not what we wanted, the disappointment is frustrating, but it teaches. We never like it, but sometimes it is necessary<\/em><\/strong>. Now it\u2019s time for a break before Jerez. Time, if used well, is never wasted and perhaps it comes to the right moment. We take a breath and start again where we need to: from the learning process, done properly, without skipping steps.<\/em><\/p>\n -PaoloSic58-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It had been a long time since I last followed a Grand Prix live from home, away from the track.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":18714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nAmong those garages some continue to tell the story of this world with the same intense passion and\u00a0those who can\u2019t do it on track,\u00a0like Sanzio, now share it at the museum in Coriano, with the same emotion of someone who knows how to move through time.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nHowever, our riders had a good approach from the beginning. Direct entry into Q2 was a clear signal: Casey is now a solid reference, while Leo quickly found a good feeling with the track. Sometimes that feeling comes without explanations, and it\u2019s one of the things making this sport so unpredictable.<\/strong>
\nSaturday turned things around. Some oil and gravel on the track led to Leo\u2019s crash, and from that moment the weekend took a different direction. Crashes are crucial: they can teach you the limit or, especially for younger riders, they can affect confidence. And without confidence, even the most talented rider may struggle to put the pieces back together.<\/p>\n