Big thrills in Qatar! Top 5 and Top 10 before heading back to Europe!

Friday, April 11th

The afternoon Free Practice 1 officially kicks off the race weekend for the team and riders. The initial track conditions are challenging, marked by strong winds and some dirty sections due to sand.
The team adopts a strategy of separate runs for each rider, with a mid-session pit stop to test tire wear and attempt a partial time attack to gather valuable data.
Toward the end of the session, a yellow flag interrupts the final attempts to improve lap times. Despite this, Riccardo Rossi finishes within the top 15, while Nicola Carraro, showing promising signs, remains slightly further down the standings.

The team’s strategy proves successful during pre-qualifying, with both riders immediately showing excellent pace. From their first outing, both Riccardo Rossi and Nicola Carraro position themselves provisionally within the top 14, securing a spot for direct entry into Q2.
After a quick pit stop, the two riders return to the track, maintaining competitive pace. Both solo runs and group laps see them further improve their lap times. The session ends with outstanding results: Rossi finishes in 5th place, while Carraro secures 9th, with both achieving their goal of reaching Q2, demonstrating great confidence with the track and the bike.

Saturday, April 12th

FP2 unfolds with a strategic and cautious approach, using the session to fine-tune the bike setups in preparation for qualifying.

With direct entry into Q2 already secured on Friday, qualifying begins with great determination. In the first run, both Carraro and Rossi immediately break into the top 10 with fast laps before returning to the pits to prepare for the final push.
In the last six minutes, the team sends both riders out on fresh tires, aiming for maximum performance during the time attack.
This time, they successfully avoid problematic traffic on track, finding themselves in a group that doesn't hinder their performance. The two riders achieve their best qualifying result of the season: Riccardo Rossi will start from the second row in an impressive 4th position, while Nicola Carraro finishes the session in 10th place, ready to fight from the fourth row.

Sunday, April 13th

The race begins with a bit of chaos: both riders lose a few positions on the first lap but manage to stay composed, avoiding any mistakes. During the first half of the race, the group fighting for the podium remains tight, including both Riccardo Rossi and Nicola Carraro.
As the laps go by, the positions begin to spread out. Riccardo stands out with an impressive pace, staying connected to the leading group, while Nicola leads the second group, engaging in an intense battle.
In the closing stages, Rossi, despite battling pain in his leg, pushes hard and stays within striking distance of the top four until three laps from the end, when he slightly loses ground. Meanwhile, Carraro continues to race with focus and precision, steering clear of mistakes and maintaining control of his position.
At the finish line, Riccardo secures an excellent 5th place, finishing over five seconds ahead of the chasing group. Nicola, delivering a solid and tactical performance, achieves a strong 9th place, gaining one position from his starting grid and earning valuable championship points.

Comments

Riccardo Rossi secures an important top-5 finish despite challenges stemming from his injury:
"I thought I would struggle less with my leg than I actually did because, at a certain point, the fatigue becomes mental too. The result is good, but the tire drop didn’t help, although I think everyone felt it to some extent. I’m disappointed because, in previous years, I was able to perform better at the end of races. Now, due to the injury, it’s a bit the opposite. In Barcelona, I’ll continue training and undergoing checks, and we’ll see how I’ll be heading into Jerez.”

Nicola Carraro sets his sights even higher despite achieving his best result of the season:
"The race went quite well. It’s a shame because I could have done better, but I made several overtakes and had fun. Now we need to keep working to close that small gap that’s holding us back from staying at the front. Now we’re heading to Jerez, which is a track I really like, and I can’t wait to ride again!"