SBK, GP Aragón: Lorenzo Baldassarri’s sixth round of the WorldSBK Championship, fresh from a successful test at Misano

The sixth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship for Lorenzo Baldassarri takes place at Motorland Aragón over the weekend of 29–31 May. The GoEleven team rider arrives in strong form following last week’s positive official tests at Misano, which, after the excellent results at Most, confirmed the outstanding reliability of his Ducati Panigale V4R. The numerous laps completed allowed him to test various set-ups, optimising performance for every type of situation. However, results count for more than any test: fresh from a series of thoroughly convincing races, Lorenzo returns to the Spanish track where he already won in 2022, on his World Supersport debut. On this fast circuit, the ‘yellow’ Ducati could prove to be the extra edge, in a weekend where everything will need to work perfectly to maintain the steady progress shown since the start of the season.

“The Misano tests went well and although I was expecting a bit more in terms of speed, we certainly did a lot of work on the different set-ups and completed loads of laps. I did about 220 laps. Lots of different feelings and plenty of data to work with. I’m motivated for this round in Spain because we’re coming off the back of a series of positive weekends, always right up there with the front-runners. At Aragón, which is one of the most beautiful tracks on the calendar, very technical, alternating fast sections with slow corners, it will be important to have everything in place to make the difference. I hope to deliver as I have in recent races, to battle for the positions that matter by preparing as thoroughly as possible because, after this round, we want to arrive at the home race in Misano in the right frame of mind.”

Lorenzo Baldassarri

A decisive weekend awaits us, not only for the points and the standings, but as a litmus test ahead of the Misano round on 14 June, the home race for both the team and the rider. Over the 5,078 metres of Motorland, Balda will face fierce competition that will be difficult to contain, but he possesses all the determination and ability needed to contest the round as a frontrunner. With a varied layout, contrasting a very fast section linked by two long straights with a mountainous stretch featuring a spectacular hilltop, complete with a sudden right-left combination on a counter-slope, it will be crucial to manage the V4’s power effectively, placing significant physical demands on the rider. The positions close to the front runners, which have become a constant, are not the ultimate goal, but remain the foundation on which to build everything positive that may come, especially in light of the tests. As in all World Championship races, free practice will be crucial for understanding the direction to take in qualifying and the races.

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.