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For Michael Rinaldi, Jerez de La Frontera is a very special appointment. After many years in the ranks of the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer, which began in 2018, their paths will part, thanks to the Motocorsa team he'll be lining up with today.
"I don't want to talk about 2025. My will was to stay in the SBK and, when you realize you still have the speed, and you can't do it anymore, it's strange. Having said that, I don't want to complain, and I accept God's plan for me, because you can't always decide everything. At the end of the day, I'm also happy because, on Sunday, I'll have completed 221 races on a Ducati in this category, so I'll try to do the best I can," he reflected, with some bitterness.
"Seasons like this either knock you out or strengthen you, and I think it's going to help me in the future. Expectations for tomorrow? I don't have the pace to win but, certainly, to have my best race of 2024. Although the group is very close, I'll give 120 percent to bring home a trophy, because I haven't this year."
The Italian rider came in 11th in Free Practice 1 and pulled out his claws in the afternoon session by reaching a best time of 1'39"591. "Since it's my last weekend here, it's something special to have finished up in front. I think I was helped by being in Jerez because, for example, had we been in Aragon, it wouldn't have been possible. Today, I told myself that, if I had a slight chance, I was going to have to try to close this chapter as best I could and, in fact, I gave it my all in the second session," he confessed, before explaining the strategy he used for the tires.
"This morning, we mounted a front SC2, which I don't like, and a rear SCX. The sensations were quite good. Consequently, in the afternoon, even if I wasn't at my best, I figured I could improve, and I did. I was third on the race tires, so not bad. Since I suffered a lot in the superpole this year, I wanted to try the SCQ and attempt to get a good result. I'm glad I did it, to set the time, because I noticed that, on the second lap, it was done. Then, I found traffic, and the electronics weren't at their best. Overall, I think there's room for growth for tomorrow. In any case, being competitive today was positive."
When asked about a hypothetical return to a different series, the 28-year-old replied dryly, "Yes, absolutely."
