Barni Racing Team below expectations at Assen

A very difficult weekend ended for BARNI Racing Team and his rider Michael Rinaldi at Assen, home of fourth round of MOTUL FIM WorldSBK. With low temperature and cold Rinaldi didn’t managed to warm tyres and suffered all weekend long.

In an old style Superbike weekend with two races on Sunday, due to snowfall of yesterday, Rinaldi puts in the pocket only one point, scoring a fifteenth place in race 2 after a retirement in race 1.

Race 1

In a slightly higher temperature than yesterday race 1 got underway. Started from the sixth row Rinaldi leaved well being fifteenth after overtaking Kiyonari at lap 5, but at lap 11 a problem on the rear tyre appears and he was forced to slow his pace until retirement 5 laps to go. It was the same type of problem suffered in race 1 at Aragon: an abnormal vibration on the rear tyre.

Race 2

At the start of race 2 temperature increased until 9°C air and 17°C asphalt. Rinaldi had the same start of race 1 being fifteenth at the first turn. Finally from middle-race the Barni Racing Team rider found his pace scoring his best lap time in race in 1’36.494 at lap 10. He managed to reach the four riders group ahead with Melandri, Laverty, and Camier. Rinaldi gave his all but under a checkered flag he missed the fourteenth position for thousandth of a second. 

Marco Barnabò - Team Principal

 "It was the most difficult weekend of the season. The rider had some trouble to understand the track with new bike and the cold temperatures didn’t help us. Besides all the problem faced, in race 1 we had the same problem encountered in Aragon race 1, and we were forced to retire. In race 2 we made some substancial changes and the rider was able to keep the pace of experienced riders as Laverty and Melandri. We don’t have a basic setup to start on all track and this is the biggest problem for us". 

Michael Ruben Rinaldi #21: NC (Race 1) - P15 (Race 2)

"In race 2 we managed to improve after a very though weekend but not enough to be in the first group. We still have a lot of work to do but it’s very hard when you have no informations neither experience with the bike. When everything works I’m able to use my machine at his best, but when we lose the right way, as happened here, it’s hard to escape from a difficult situation".