SBK | GP Most: fifth round of the Superbike World Championship; Lorenzo Baldassarri ready to take on the Czech Republic

Following his strong performance in Hungary, the wind from the east continues to blow, carrying Lorenzo Baldassarri all the way to the Czech Republic, where the Most GP – the fifth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship – will take place this weekend, from 15 to 17 May. Following his historic Supersport one-two in 2022 and his first taste of Superbike the following year, the GoEleven rider returns to the heart of Bohemia. The aim is to build on the positive run of form from the first third of the season, just as the championship really gets underway.

“Most is a rather unusual circuit; it’s very similar to Hungary and features some very hard braking points leading into low-speed corners. It’s not among the most beautiful on the calendar, but I have fond memories here, such as the Supersport one-two in 2022. After Balaton I’m motivated, because we’ve shown we’re very fast, closing the gap on the leaders more and more. We need to keep up this work and keep improving to get ever closer to the factory Ducatis. We mustn’t lose sight of our main goal, which is to finish the season as the best independent team. We need to minimise mistakes and be as consistent as possible.”

Lorenzo Baldassarri

It will therefore be another race weekend to build upon during practice sessions leading up to qualifying, before focusing on the race pace established in the early rounds and remaining competitive right up to the final lap. This is a concept we’ve been working on from the start and which has encountered a few obstacles, now largely overcome. Lorenzo’s own skill in managing individual races is proving to be an asset to rely on, particularly on the most challenging tracks such as the Czech circuit, where he will have to demand a lot from the high-performance Ducati Panigale V4R. As Lorenzo explains, the 4,212-metre track winds through twenty-one corners to be tackled with a riding style characterised by powerful braking and acceleration, at times resembling a ‘slalom’, which once again favours a balance between manoeuvrability and horsepower. The sudden changes of direction put a lot of strain on the tyres and tend to tire the rider, who finds himself pushing on the handlebars whilst already holding the throttle. An ‘old-school’ style that usually offers spectacular moments and twists. A key feature is the first braking point after the start, where the rider brakes hard and executes a ‘tight’ right-left combination, before accelerating out to turn ten, a hairpin that splits the track in two, opening up a second, gentler and faster section. The final two corners, both right-handers, set the rider up for a full-throttle run down the straight.

To stay up to date, follow the 7balda (Instagram) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Facebook) social media channels, or visit the official website worldsbk.com. To experience all the excitement of the races live or on demand, simply tune in to worldsbk.com, Sky Sport, NOWtv and TV8 on channel 8 of the DTT. The schedule is as follows.