Rossi, the sole Snipers rider in Japan

Friday, September 26th

Free Practice 1 open the weekend with a clear strategy for both riders: a first run focused on getting a feel for the track and a second aimed at the fast lap. This choice allows Rossi and Carraro to stand out, even briefly breaking into the top 10.

In the afternoon both riders manage to significantly improve their morning lap times, although they do not secure direct access to Q2. Encouraging signs remain ahead of Saturday for FP2 and Qualifying.

Saturday, September 27th

The second day opened with sunshine and high temperatures. In FP2, the riders stuck to the double-run strategy: a first quick outing followed by a second until the checkered flag. Both immediately improved their references compared to Friday: Nicola Carraro ended with half a second gained and 11 laps completed, while Riccardo Rossi improved by three tenths with a total of 8 laps.

Carraro, however, was forced to withdraw from the Japanese weekend due to a muscle problem, missing both qualifying and the race. Left as the team’s sole representative, Rossi faced Q1 but encountered traffic with slower riders that limited his first attempts. At the checkered flag, however, he managed to cut 1.6 seconds off his best time, missing out on Q2 but keeping good chances for a comeback in the race.

Sunday, September 28th

For the first time this season, Team Snipers faced a GP with only one rider on track. Riccardo Rossi started with the goal of gaining as many positions as possible and already on the first lap managed to climb a couple thanks to a strong launch.
After five laps, the situation became more complicated: a few drops of rain began to fall on the track, forcing all riders to slow their pace to avoid mistakes. Rossi took advantage of the changing conditions and pulled off another overtake, but the leading group built a solid gap in the middle of the race, making the comeback more difficult.
The finale turned into a close fight, with Riccardo defending his position on a track that had dried again. Once more stronger in the race than in qualifying, Rossi finished with several overtakes under his belt, though still outside the points.

Comments

Riccardo Rossi looks at these final races of the year with positivity, aiming for a good result with the Team:
“The weekend was tough, but I expected that from Japan. Now we continue this tour with next weekend’s race in Indonesia, on a track I really like. The championship is coming to an end and I’m trying to give my best to finish these last races in the best way possible and bring home a good result that the whole team deserves. Tonight we’ll already leave for Indonesia and immediately start preparing.”

Updates on Nicola Carraro’s condition will follow on our channels.