The Italian driver decided to leave Valentino Rossi's Academy this season and had to reorganize many things in his daily life, but he does not regret his choice.
After several years of being coached by the VR46 Riders Academy, Lorenzo Baldassarri made the choice to lead his own boat. And with six seasons in Moto2 including two with the Pons HP40 team, the Italian now has the necessary experience to make changes in his career. Like Nicolò Bulega and Dennis Foggia, he feels better alone. “Last year my contract with the Academy came to an end”, he told the Italian site GP One. “So I looked around and understood that it was better to continue alone so as not to stabilize myself too much. »
How has this decision impacted his daily life, now that his career and training are no longer managed by Valentino Rossi's Academy? “I changed some things around me”, continued Baldassarri. “I had already been in contact with Simone for some time [Battistella, Dovizioso’s manager, editor’s note.], so after leaving the Academy we had a common desire to start working together. Regarding training, there is one person who follows me. Overall, I have created a new work team with whom I feel good. »
With three victories in the first four Grands Prix of the season in 2019, the 23-year-old driver had established himself as one of the protagonists in the category and was off to challenge for the title. He finally finished seventh in the general classification, a disappointment linked to numerous problems encountered: “It’s been a special season. I progressed compared to 2018, I seemed to have found good consistency but once I arrived in Europe things got complicated. Even though I managed to win in Jerez, I was already in difficulty, and in the following races I always had to catch up. I remained in contention for the title during the first part of the season but then I encountered other problems which distracted me and therefore the final result was not what I expected. »
Baldassarri can, however, count on the Pons HP40 team, one of the most important in the championship, to support him: “Being in a big team like Sito [Pons] helps a lot. He is a former pilot who can give you lots of advice. The team has already won, it has a lot of experience and that brings a certain peace of mind. With the Forward team I grew a lot, I gained a lot of experience and I achieved good results. There were difficult moments and at one point I thought I would have to stop because I didn't have a bike, but then the situation got better. »
Thanks to the podium won during the only race of the season in Qatar, the Italian occupies second place in the Moto2 World Championship and can hope to achieve good things when the season resumes.
