Moto2 Germany, Red flag ruins Barry Baltus' plans: "I wanted to attack on the last lap"

Barry Baltus came close to victory this Sunday at the Sachsenring circuit, in a Grand Prix where everything seemed to be in place for him to win. However, fate decided otherwise, as the race was stopped prematurely just as the Belgian was preparing his decisive attack.

Nothing suggested such a result on Friday evening. Barry Baltus and his team, Fantic Racing, had struggled to find their rhythm on a dry track, to the point that a podium finish seemed out of reach. But the hard work paid off: "Honestly, if someone had told me on Friday night that I would be on the podium, I would not have believed it, confides the Belgian on arrival, this Sunday afternoon. We struggled a lot in the dry. I was hoping for a wet race, but we managed to sort out the problems and had a very good pace today."

Starting from the front row, Baltus showed great maturity. He managed his race intelligently, staying in contact with the leader and conserving his rear tire, with a clear plan: give it his all on the final lap. But with four laps to go, a double crash and damage to the protections forced race control to wave the red flag. "I was saving the tire for the end, I had a clear plan to attack on the last lap, but the red flag changed everything. I hope the drivers involved are okay."

Despite the disappointment of not being able to play his cards right to the end, Barry Baltus leaves with second place and 20 vital points, especially after the difficulties encountered at Mugello and Assen. This podium allows Fantic Racing to consolidate its position at the top of the teams' championship, now with a 13-point lead. "We're back on the podium, and we'll try to do even better next week in Brno. Thanks to the whole team for the incredible work," concluded Baltus, already looking ahead.

Team manager Roberto Locatelli praised his driver's performance: " Great race from Barry, who fought for the win for as long as possible. I don't like to say 'we would have won,' but the reality is that the race was stopped just as Barry was about to attack. He still delivered a remarkable performance. »

Had he won the race this Sunday, Barry Baltus would have become the first Belgian to do so in 10 years, and Xavier Siméon's victory on the same circuit in 2015. The number 7 nevertheless chose to dedicate his podium to Borja Gomez, the young driver who died at Magnicourt last week. "I always dedicate my podiums to someone, and this one I dedicate to Borja [Gomez]. He's part of our family. The motorsport family is a very small family. I also want to dedicate it to a member of my management, Didier [De Radiguès], whose wife had an accident. This podium is for these two people. »