Honda HRC fights in the top five in both of Sunday’s races

“Let’s say I’m happy overall with the weekend. I think we did a good job. This year, it seems like we’ve often managed to perform well on Saturdays, and less so on Sundays, but this time we were strong on Sunday too. So in the end, we wrapped up a solid weekend, working very well as a team. Even if it was just small details, we kept making adjustments to the bike throughout the weekend and always in the right direction, so I have to thank my team for that. The Superpole Race was good - I made a strong start and was able to fight inside the top five again. And Race 2 was also very positive, as I made another good start and was able to stick with the front group. I tried to push with them and break away from the pack behind, and I managed to do that. Unfortunately, I worked the tyres hard over the last seven or eight laps, and at the end I didn’t have anything left. I tried to fight for the top five, but it just wasn’t possible. Still, I think it was a solid weekend. We scored a lot of points for the championship and we’re on a good path.”

“Finally, I'm happy, really happy, with at least one of my races here in Cremona. This morning, in the warm-up, the track conditions had changed a lot and I didn’t feel very comfortable on the bike, nor in the Superpole Race. I had a big moment on the first lap when van der Mark hit me really hard, and I lost several positions. I dropped from P6 or P7 down to P13. I managed to work by way back to tenth, but then I crashed because I was simply overriding. After that, it became difficult for me as I lost a bit of focus and got frustrated. But I’m also proud because I was able to reset and go into Race 2 with a clear mind. The team really helped me, not only by supporting me in every moment, but also by quickly repairing all the bikes I destroyed! My start in Race 2 was horrible. I found myself in P13 in the first sector. But I told myself: ‘No way.’ I took my time, properly warmed up the rear tyre, and then started to push. My pace actually surprised me. Even over the last four laps, I was still lapping in the 29.7-29.8 range and overtaking a lot of riders. I really enjoyed it. I reached P5 on the penultimate lap. It’s true that Sam overtook me on the last lap, but that’s okay. It was a good battle. He even came up to me after the race and we joked about that move. When he passed me, he expected me to try something through Turn 13, so he just shut the door. Anyway, it was fun. I’m happy to finish P6 and with such strong pace. Now let’s focus on the next one. I can’t promise I won’t make mistakes — no rider can — but I can promise I’ll keep trying to have more races like today, enjoying myself and giving something to the fans too.”