Best Independent Team 2020

FIGHT, COME BACK, OVERTAKES; PHILIPP ENDS CLOSE TO THE TOP TEN!

FIGHT, COME BACK, OVERTAKES; PHILIPP ENDS CLOSE TO THE TOP TEN!

 

Positive Saturday, full of battles and overtaking for Philipp Oettl and Team Go Eleven; fast in the morning and author of a good qualifying, the German rider took eleventh position at the end of Race 1, defending himself from the come back of Petrucci and Axel Bassani. Solid race and comeback, but tomorrow the goal is the Top Ten!

In FP 3 the strategy involves the first part of the session with a used on Friday race tyre, and then moving on to the time-attack, to prepare for qualifying. Third time, a really clean and precise lap, which brought Philipp less than half a second from the track record. Third sector improved, but a further step is still needed for the second part of the track.

Free Practice 3:
P 1   A. Bautista   1.39.811
P 2   M. Rinaldi   + 0.296
P 3   P. Oettl    + 0.357

In Superpole Philipp goes on track excited and determined, immediately finding a good lap in the low 40s, which places him in the top six. On the second attempt, unfortunately he improved his reference by a few cents, but the lap was canceled due to a yellow flag. The first laptime turns to be valid again, placing the Ducati number 5 in tenth place, thus starting from the fourth row. Third, in Race 1, due to Locatelli starting from the last row. Good laptime, position in the center of the group and excellent opportunity over the distance of 18 laps.

Superpole:
P 1    J. Rea    1.39.620
P 2    A. Lowes   + 0.142
P 3    A. Locatelli    + 0.252
…
P 10   P. Oettl   + 0.642

In Race 1 Philipp got off to a good start, then found himself closed up at Turn 4, where he lost four positions. In the first seven or eight laps he waits, saving the rear tyre, then from mid-race onwards the comeback begins; he overtakes Redding, takes Vierge and Axel, attacking both with spectacular overtaking in the first sector. On the penultimate lap a small mistake exiting the last corner leads to the Honda Spaniard overtaking, who then finishes just a few in front of the Go Eleven rider. Good defence against Petrucci and Bassani, at the end, gaining five points. A solid and positive race, first independent Ducati at the finish line, the Top Ten was within reach, but it will be the first goal on Portuguese Sunday.

Race 1:
P 1    A. Bautista    33’42.916
P 2    T. Razgatlioglu    + 2.098
P 3    J. Rea   + 6.790
…
P 11    P. Oettl   + 21.723

For tomorrow we will need an excellent first lap, to improve the result obtained today, starting from the left side of the track, in tenth position, the one obtained in Superpole. The feeling and speed are there, Philipp feels good riding Portimao, but a further step is still needed!

Philipp Oettl (Rider):

“The Qualifying today was really good, it was the base for our strong Race 1! I did a great start, I overtook Lecuona there, then I also got over Bassani, quite easily overtaking him in turn 1. It was necessary cause I had more rythm, so I tried to stay with Locatelli, but he was a bit faster than me, he was more consistent for all the laps. At one point my tyre dropped a lot, but I could manage my 6th position. We did a good job overall, I hope we can do another small step forward tomorrow, but at the moment I am really happy to be back in Top positions!”

Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):

“In this race we achieved less than our speed, we lost the opportunity to get a good result on the first lap, Philipp got stuck in the first corner and then risked an highside which caused him to lose other positions. From then on he was good because he fought, overtook and defended himself well from the attacks of Petrucci and Bassani. The small satisfaction of being the second Ducati at the finish and the first satellite, however, is not enough for us and tomorrow we want redemption, trying to obtain the best possible result!”

SATURDAY PICS: CLICK HERE

Back to news