Victory in Race 2 at Mandalika, achieved after constant pressure on opponents in the last of the 18 laps to the detriment of Stefano manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), makes up for unlucky Phillip Island weekend and rewards Federico Caricasulo and the Althea Racing team for all the work done since the first day of the Supersport season.
This victory in race 2 follows a qualification in 2nd position and a 2nd place in race 1.
Federico Caricasulo : « A positive weekend so far. It was important to get our confidence back after Phillip Island because we struggled a lot there and had several negative events that affected our performance. Here, instead, we did well both in qualifying and in the race. For tomorrow, we need to be able to take a small step forward to try to stay ahead or at least be a little more competitive from the middle of the race where we were missing something to win. »
Genesio Bevilacqua, General manager : "
Today I saw a great race with a very consistent performance from Federico who did everything perfectly. My compliments to Öncü who made the difference in the first three laps then in the central part of the race. They were all consistent but he managed the race very well.
As far as we are concerned, this is the level we expect from Federico on all occasions because by doing such races you can develop awareness and an optimistic outlook. We did a good job and it's not easy to bring together all the necessary elements to finish the race in the lead.
In fact, we saw that even the riders who were candidates for the podium or victory had significant difficulties today. This championship is really at a high level for the entire top ten.
We see this as the start of a positive phase for us in which we can play our game. As international team managers would say, “I’m very happy so far”! »
Perfect settings and an aggressive but lucid driver were then the winning recipe for a perfect Race 2 whose victory acquired even more value due to the fact that all the protagonists were in the game until the end. It's a result perhaps delayed by bad luck for the Ravenna rider who wins for the first time since Portimão 2019, thus ending a four-year wait in WorldSSP, but in any case absolutely deserved this Sunday in Indonesia.
Federico Caricasulo : «
Yesterday had already gone well, both in qualifying and in race 1, but today we managed to take the necessary step to go all the way and win.
I am very happy. We needed it because we have worked a lot with the team since last year and it was normal that a reward finally arrived.
Now we have to stay focused and continue to do well from of Assen. »
Genesio Bevilacqua, General manager : "
Today, we finally won a great victory which showed the maturity and lucidity of Federico, and a good setting of the bike which makes the difference when the riders on the track are of equal performance. The setup, attitude and strategy made all the difference.
We are returning to victory with Ducati after 11 years and it is very exciting for me to see the Althea brand at the top again. We can say that it was a complete and deserved victory because all the protagonists were involved. I congratulate all the guys who fought for this victory. Federico was good but we have a team with experience that can take us far. I won't make any further predictions because for the moment I want to focus on the fact that after an Australian weekend to forget, we have one to remember for a long time. I want to express all my passion for what we do! »
From now on, Federico Caricasulo and the Althea Racing team can look at the championship with different eyes, Federico Caricasulo jumping from 15th to 4th place in the general classification.
WSBK Supersport Championship rankings at Phillip Island then Mandalika:
Classification credit: WorldSBK.com
