Locatelli made a bad decision: 12th place instead of victory / Superbike World Championship

On the grid for the first race, Andrea Locatelli was in tenth place, right next to surprise winner Nicholas Spinelli, who replaced the injured Danilo Petrucci at Barni Ducati in Assen. Only the two Italians had a medium tire at the front, although Spinelli had decisive instincts and also fitted a treaded tire at the rear.

Bad luck for Locatelli: The Yamaha rider decided on the soft SCX race tire shortly before the start of the race and only crossed the finish line in twelfth place.

“The conditions on the grid were difficult so the middle was the best option for me, but in the end we changed the rear and used a slick. “That was not a good decision because the balance with the middle at the front was not the best,” said the 27-year-old angrily. “I was slow at the start and was in second place after a few laps, but I fell back very quickly. Unfortunately we also had a mechanical problem. In any case, it was not a good result.”

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Welcome to the Assen race

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Start of the race

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Razgatlioglu, Bautista, Gardner

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Remy Gardner

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Andrea Locatelli

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Rea, Lowes, Gardner

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Alvaro Bautista

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Toprak Razgatlioglu

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Bautista and Bulega

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Bautista and Razgatlioglu

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Gardner and Lowes

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Razgatlioglu and Gardner

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Bautista vor Locatelli

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Toprak Razgatlioglu wins the race

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Sieger Toprak Razgatlioglu

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Bautista, Razgatlioglu, Gardner

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Sieger Toprak Razgatlioglu

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Sunday’s race went much better for Locatelli with a 6th place in the Superpole race and a 5th place in the second race. However, the best Yamaha rider was Remy Gardner in fourth and third.

“It wasn’t an easy weekend,” Loka shouted. “I could have fought for the podium in the sprint race, but I was lucky to avoid falling in the chicane and I didn’t have a chance again. In race 2 the feeling with the R1 was better. Everything seemed under control and I was fast, but I had a problem with the front brake . When I got passed by Bautista on the first straight, I braked but I didn’t feel anything and I went out. We didn’t do a bad job, but we were unlucky and didn’t get many points on Saturday.”