Alessandro Delbianco can only be satisfied with how his first race as Dominique Aegerter’s replacement at Magny-Cours ended. The rider from Romagna delivered a solid performance in the pouring rain of a crazy Race 1, taking the GRT team’s R1 into the Top 10 in a heat that saw only 12 riders reach the checkered flag.
“I feel very good in the wet because I usually find the feeling straight away. Paradoxically, however, a Superbike, especially a ‘real’ one like this, is more complicated to set up to get to the limit and I didn’t have much time to do it. So, my strategy was to stay upright, because I wasn’t here to aim for who knows what result but to gain experience,” said Alessandro, summing up his race and his strategy: “Experience is gained in the dry and since today it was wet, I tried to find my pace and bring the bike home. The race then went well and we finished in the Top 10. I played it safe with the choice of tyres and maybe I could have dared a bit more like others did, but I have no regrets.”
The choice of intermediates, however, seemed to be able to give the Yamaha rider a little more joy, credited with a few laps in second position.
“When the others were coming back to the pits I had the intermediates and I tried to make a move like the one that turned out to be the winner for Spinelli in Assen and stay out waiting for him to stop – he said – In reality by doing that I lost 20 seconds, but I tried to take the risk to get the result. It could have been a big win”.
Delbianco then spoke about his expectations for this weekend, which has been heavily influenced by the rain.
“My idea was to have a growing weekend and that’s what’s happening. On the other hand, I dreamed of climbing a few more positions, like I did in the wet, even in the dry, where I haven’t had the chance to express myself yet – he acknowledged – Superbike is a magical place. I tried not to look at the others, but I finished 21st and 20th in yesterday’s two sessions, then 18th in the Superpole and I finished 10th in the race, replacing another rider. So, I see this Top 10 as a victory, also because here the level is extreme and the riders are really strong. Compared to other times though, this time I feel more in the group”.
How has Superbike changed from 2019 to today?
“The riders have grown: Toprak has gone from being a rookie to the rider to beat, but the level has remained the same, which is to say, very high. Bautista dictates the law like many others,” the 27-year-old replied. “Compared to MotoGP where the level is very high but there are many youngsters and rookies who make some mistakes, Superbike is a place where there are super strong riders with a lot of experience. I don’t want to say that it’s more difficult, but that the riders here are veterans who have nothing to learn.”
Asked about the differences found between the top class of the CIV and the Superbike World Championship, “DB52” added: “They are incomparable. I am lucky enough to work with a top-level team, so the change of team was not a trauma. But the difference is all in the bike”.
A Yamaha very different from the one he uses in the Italian Championship, but one of which he was able to glean some secrets by looking at the data of the other standard-bearers of the Iwata manufacturer.
“The added value of Yamaha is that at the end of each session you can see the data of the others, so I took advantage of that – he admitted – It’s a pleasure to look at Jonathan Rea’s data, but also all the others actually, and see their technicalities. Because they don’t do anything particularly different from me, but they adopt a couple of tricks that don’t make you go faster, but they simplify your life”.
