Lorenzo Baldassarri was also among the Ducati quartet that finished ahead of everyone else on Tuesday's test at Phillip Island. The new Go Eleven team rider placed his Rossa in third position, 7 tenths behind Nicolò Bulega's benchmark time. This is a good sign before the season opener, which the rider from the Marche region can look forward to with confidence, knowing that he's on the right track for an excellent comeback season in the SBK.
"What was my reaction when I saw that I was third? It was great, because I did a good lap yesterday, and, when I saw that I was fifth, I said it was a whole lot," Lorenzo said at the end of the test. "When you're so close to third, you're a little disappointed, but I was actually very happy yesterday because fifth place was above expectations. Today, however, finishing third before the race weekend gets me psyched. I'm happy, because I'm adapting very well to the bike, and I always feel at one with this Ducati."
Is there a chance that this third place is a prelude to a podium finish in the race?
"Let's say that this third place didn't come by chance. It was constructed. And, in my opinion, there's still a lot to do," he replied. "We have to continue working like we did in this test... always be clear-headed and not try to overdo it, because I think we can further progress."
To make further progress, Lorenzo will also be able to draw on what he observed while following Bulega in his last time attack.
"He's really one with the bike, like we saw both on TV and at the track," he commented. "I thought that watching him would only mess me up, because he does a different sport. Instead, I'm happy because I was able to follow him and see some interesting things. When you follow someone who makes a difference to everyone, it often puts you down, but this is something that got me psyched, because that's where I want to be, too. It's not something that can be built overnight. It's going to take time, but I hope to get there before the end of the season."
Baldassarri then concluded by talking about his state of mind when he arrived in Australia: "I started out very excited, because this is one of the greatest tracks in the world, and I have the chance to ride one of the greatest bikes ever, in terms of the package. Even though I started out excited, I still had some doubts, because I had never done any fast laps, and I didn't know what the real speed was. But even when riding slowly or in wet conditions, you can feel whether the bike is yours or if you're still far off. So I had already experienced something good, and this allowed me to be calm and relaxed enough to find out what would happen in the tests."