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SBK, Rinaldi: "When I passed Rea, I laughed under my helmet"

"He's a five-time world champion, but I knew I was going faster. The missed podium? It would have been a dream to have three Ducatis in front of everyone."

SBK: Rinaldi: "When I passed Rea, I laughed under my helmet"

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The Superbike started again from Jerez de la Frontera, after the hiatus caused by the Coronavirus emergency and, besides Scott Redding's Ducati - absolute star of the weekend with a pole position - there were two wins and a second place, with also another Ducati at the center of the weekend. We're not talking about Chaz Davies' official V4R, which still brought home a good podium in Race 2, but the private one prepared by the Go Eleven team and put in the hands of Michael Ruben Rinaldi. The Italian rider amazed everyone on Friday with the best time in the FP2, finishing 6th in Race 1 and 11th in the Superpole Race. The best performance of Rinaldi's weekend, however, was in Race 2, where he finished 4th , also ahead of world-champion Jonathan Rea.

"I knew I had more than he did," Rinaldi said after the race. "I told myself I was about to overtake a five-time world champion and, when I did, I started laughing under my helmet. I tried to pass him as quickly as I could because my objective was Razgatlioglu."

So Rinaldi failed to catch up with Toprak Razgatlioglu's Yamaha, the only obstacle to an all-red Ducati podium.

Getting on the podium with Redding and Davies, and a Ducati hat-trick would have been a dream. Scott and Chaz went very fast today and, as I mentioned, I would have liked to have been on the podium with them but I didn't have time to catch Toprak.Today I had a good pace but not at their level. They went really fast."

Last year, Michael looked as dif he'd efinitely be out of the SBK paddock, then Go Eleven came to call, and now these convincing results. After a dark period and a difficult season, the Italian rider managed to recover,  and now he looks with interest at Chaz Davies' bike, Davies who has not yet renewed with Aruba.

There have been people who have always believed in me. I've also always believed.  I received Aruba's support.  I was not happy last year. I knew that my level was differen,t and that I was not expressing my potential. When I arrived in Go Eleven, the team treated me like a top rider but also like a son. We're like a family in this team, and this helps me to go faster."

 

 

Translated by Leila Myftija
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