Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) suffered late heartbreak at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” when running in the podium places. ‘El Bocia’ moved into the podium places in the early stages of the 21-lap Race 2 in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, but a crash from P3 at Turn 8 meant his hopes and dreams of a home rostrum ended in the gravel trap.
Bassani had perhaps been enjoying one of his best weekends of the season, aside from the season-opening Australian Round, with P4 finishes in both Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race. His fourth-place in the latter meant he started from the second row on the Race 2 grid, but he immediately got the jump on Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) to run in third place from the opening lap.
Despite Montella closing the gap and putting pressure on Bassani, who hails from Feltre, the #47 was able to resist Montella’s advances. The gap between them was rarely more than a second after Lap 3, but Montella could not get close enough to make a move on the factory Bimota rider, before Bassani’s fall. He lost the front of his KB998 Rimini machine going through Turn 8, La Quercia, dropping him down the order. Although he was able to return to the track, he brought his bike into the pits with the team consoling him as he walked into the box.
Discussing the crash, an emotional Bassani said: “I think it’s been a really positive Sunday, and the whole weekend’s been good. We were always in the top four. I think we worked really well with the team. This afternoon, we were fighting for P3. When we were doing the last few laps, at Turn 8, I lost the front. I was quite on the limit from the beginning of the race, trying to control the situation. I saw Montella started to slow down a little bit, so I tried to stay at that pace. It can happen; it’s part of the game. We know, to fight for the top four, we need to push at the limit, always. It hurts a little bit, but it’s part of the game.”
Despite the heartbreak, Bassani will be able to take positives from his and the manufacturer’s home round. Had he been able to hold on to P3, he would have taken 35 points from Misano, which would have been his best since he took 42 in Australia. Even the 19 he picked up from his two fourth-place finishes was his third best, tied with Most, and only behind Aragon (23) and Australia (42). It will give Bassani confidence heading to Donington Park, a track where Bimota lead last year in the hands of Alex Lowes.
Looking ahead, the #47 stated: “I’m happy to go to Donington. I like the circuit, and it’ll be the home round for my teammate. We will try to get the same results we got this weekend. I think both of us are doing a good job so I will try to stay with him there, as Alex is quite fast there. The last three rounds, I’ve felt really good with the team and the bike. The atmosphere is really good, both sides are working together, so I’m happy when I jump on the bike.”
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