Great comeback for BRT in the scorching heat of Thailand

In the sweltering heat of Thailand (35°C air / 47° asphalt during race 1) a great comeback and a very positive result for Barni Racing Team’s rider Michael Rinaldi arrived. After a race 1 one full of overtakes he was able to move up from the sixteenth position of the starting grid to the eighth place of the finish lane.

Superpole

Rinaldi was fourteenth in Friday’s free practice sessions and he aimed to battle for a spot among the top 10 in qualifying sessions but, despite a big improvement from his best time from yesterday the flagbearer of the team from Bergamo was only sixteenth at the end of Superpole. At his last flying lap he scored 1’33.651 which put him in sixth row for Saturday’s race 1 and Sunday’s Superpole Race.

Race 1  

The start was good enough to gain two position and after few turns Rinaldi overtook Reiterberger. Then Rinaldi quick move down Torres and Camier and soon found himself in eleventh position. At lap 3, in front of him, Laverty crashed and Rinaldi entered in the top 10. First half of race was very strong for the young talent from Rimini who scored his fastest race lap at lap 8 (1’33.892) passing Sykes at the same time.

With a solid pace in low 1’34 Rinaldi was able to catch Cortese and he overtook the Yamaha’s rider at lap 14. With six lap to go the Barni Racing Team rider tried to defend his seventh position, but at the last lap Cortese re-passed him.

Marco Barnabò - Team principal 

«We are very happy for the result because from the Superpole to race 1 we changed something on the bike setup and it works. This means the team is always rise to the occasion, no matter how tough the odds are. The rider too, he was at his first time here in Thailand and he had to prove his physical reaction to the hot temperature condition. He made a very good race. Everyone worked very well today and I’m really happy».

Michael Ruben Rinaldi

«I'm quite satisfied because after the qualifying session the team managed to give me a much better bike. The new setup allowed me to ride as I wanted ending the race in the top 10, a result that seemed far away after the Superpole. We have to do some small changes because we have to improve in the last part of the race where I suffered a lot due to the heat».