CIV SS600NG ANDREA MANTOVANI CLOSES TO THE PODIUM AT THE RACING NIGHT OF MISANO
The Racing Night of Misano, the most anticipated event of the 2024 Italian Speed Championship, has just ended. 18,000 people reached the World Circuit to watch the night race 1 of the Supersport 600NG starting at 20:50, where our Andrea Mantovani on the Ducati Panigale V2 of the VMR Mesaroli Racing Team started from the fourth spot. Having moved ninth on the first lap, he recovered positions lap after lap, crossing the finish line under the checkered flag in fourth position. Thanks to the changes made in the warm up on Sunday morning, Andrea has excellent riding sensations in view of the second afternoon race.
In Race 2 starting at 15:40, Andrea immediately moved into second place close to the first in the breakaway from the chasing group, setting the first best lap. At this point the first twist in which the race direction issued a long lap penalty against the rider n. 54, for a suspected contact with another driver on the starting straight. Unfortunately Andrea does not immediately notice the communication from his team’s pit wall displaying the penalty board. After three laps without having served the long lap, the race direction issues the double long lap penalty. Finally Andrea notices the double long lap because it is also present on the race lap board, he immediately serves the first long lap and comes back overtaking the group of pursuers, setting a new best lap of the race compared to his previous one. During the long lap, having almost touched the green, the race direction communicates a further penalty to Andrea: the “ride through”. Having also served this further penalty, he finishes under the checkered flag in 13th place. At the end of the race the race direction shows the video to Andrea from which, among other things, very little emerges of the dynamics of the alleged contact, because it is covered by the drivers in front. A more than questionable decision that of the first long lap, as at the start there was no contact or loss of position of the competing rider.
A flurry of penalties resulting from an excess of zeal by the race direction that compromised Andrea’s beautiful race, in which he would have certainly obtained the podium. You cannot expect that 42 riders starting in a motor-cycle competition can advance with parallel trajectories. We are however very happy as the engine and chassis step obtained by the team has made the bike competitive and Andrea has completed the masterpiece by riding admirably, proof of this was the race pace and the sequence of best laps.
ANDREA MANTOVANI:
Race 1 at night: I didn’t start very well so much so that in the first sector I was 9th. Then I recovered up to 4th place, I would have liked to try to overtake for the podium but at night the track references are not as clearly visible as during the day. At the end of the race, however, I already had in mind the changes for the next day’s wup, shared with the Team.
Race 2: A real shame about the penalty for a suspected contact on the starting straight that by the way didn’t happen. I didn’t see the table of the first long lap because I was very focused on riding and I was in second position “in a row” with the rider in front of me. Unfortunately, in the first laps, 30 tables covering each other are displayed at the same time from the wall, so distinguishing mine wasn’t easy, in addition, nothing was displayed on the race lap board of the circuit and since there is no communication on the bike’s dashboard (not provided for by the regulation) like for example on MotoE, I didn’t notice anything.
While the “double long lap” appeared on the lap counter of the circuit, so much so that I immediately served the penalty. Probably a bit because of the nerves and the fear of losing more precious seconds I hit the green light receiving the coup de grace of the “ride through”.
In my opinion the race direction should have let me finish the race and then possibly called me for a clarification, but that was not the case. I am still very happy because with the VMR Mesaroli Racing Team we worked in the right direction. The team immediately got going after the previous round, and now the bike is really strong, we have made an important step in the chassis. Motivation always at the maximum, I thank the team, my sponsors and all those who came to see me at the racing night.
The next CIV appointment is at Mugello on August 31st and September 1st for the 5th Round of the season. In the meantime I will race with the MotoE in Austria at the Redbull ring on August 13th and 14th.
