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The Superbike arrives in Barcelona a week after the tests held last Thursday and Friday. On that occasion, teams and riders worked in view of the race weekend, mapping out the direction to follow. Among the most eagerly awaited is Andrea Iannone. This is going to be his first time with a Superbike on the Montmeló track.
For the occasion, we intercepted Denis Sacchetti, who’ll be at the track Thursday for the traditional TGPOne. He spoke to us about the work carried out.
"We’ve already worked in view of the race during the tests," he said. “Barcelona will be a completely different challenge than Phillip Island because, if there was a lot of grip in Australia, it’s the exact opposite here in Spain. The goal is definitely to confirm ourselves, aiming for the top five. Obviously, it won’t be easy, because I expect a very competitive Bautista and a Rea who’s hungry for revenge after the first round."
Denis, what are Andrea's considerations with the new Pirelli tires?
"Andrea is a rider who comes from the MotoGP. Consequently, he was accustomed to using harder tires in the past, while they’re increasingly going in the direction of the soft in the Superbike. That said, we didn’t like the 900 development very much on Thursday. In fact, we struggled. However, the situation improved on Friday, where we had positive feedback and confidence. Now, all we have to do is see what’s going to happen during the race weekend."
Five months have now passed since the start of the adventure with Andrea. What do you think of him?
"He works hard, especially on himself. He’s someone who never stands still but always aims to improve, with his mind concentrated on the bike every moment. He’s also someone who turns the pressure of the race weekend into a plus, as if it were extra motivation. Many riders struggle, while Andrea gets psyched with the pressure.”
How far do you think he’s come with Ducati?
"He's definitely not at one-hundred percent. He hasn’t entirely mastered the Panigale, and even he’s aware of that. There’s still a margin, and that’s the direction we want to work in. I think that, after Assen, we’ll have a more delineated picture of the season and the numbers on the field."
