Michael Rinaldi on Ducati efficiency and Bautista’s benefit


2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship

Spherical One – Phillip Island


Michael Ruben Rinaldi

Q: Are you happy along with your efficiency over  the weekend?

Rinaldi: “Total, no. As a result of after the check, after the follow, I believed yesterday, second place, like at this time. However when the rain arrived, I stated ‘Okay, this can be a completely different race’ often… I end on the rostrum in Catalunya, generally first in follow when it’s moist, however the feeling within the rain yesterday was actually unhealthy. I attempted many issues, modified all of the settings with the electronics, however didn’t have feeling with the bike. So yesterday after doing the race making an attempt all the pieces I may, I stated okay it’s the primary race, it’s unhealthy that I begin the season on this approach, however I can’t management the climate. We have to perceive why I don’t have this sense with the bike, for the following races underneath water, and rain.

Michael Rinaldi

“However I couldn’t do something proper now to enhance my bike. For positive I used to be upset, for positive I used to be indignant, actually indignant, as a result of I knew my potential was second place right here at Phillip Island, which is absolutely good, as a result of Alvaro is absolutely robust. So at this time is an effective day for me, I can verify the pace of the check, I confirmed the pace that I felt on the bike. And that’s it. We have to enhance additionally in numerous situations, as a result of the championship is just not all the time sunny. So I want to enhance there, and perceive what wasn’t working.”

Michael Rinaldi – Picture by RBMotoLens

Q: How had been your tyres in race two?

Rinaldi: “I seemed after I was completed as a result of I pushed quite a bit originally to stick with Alvaro, I attempted to make use of not an excessive amount of, however after I noticed on the end line, I noticed we had been going too quick and knew from the check, that Alvaro is consuming much less tyre than me. So he was saving the tyre, I used to be really not. I noticed that I used to be making a spot from the riders behind, so I stated okay, if I can maintain this tempo until the final laps, it’s sufficient for me to get second. So this was my technique, till lap 15-16, I used to be 4.6 seconds from third, for the final six laps I targeted on management, as a result of the bike was shifting quite a bit and I stated okay we’ll end third like this. And I don’t care about in the event that they catch me. It was good.”

Michael Rinaldi – Picture by RBMotoLens

Q: 4 Ducati bikes within the high 5 in Sunday’s primary race

Rinaldi: “I’m actually comfortable concerning the work that Ducati is doing in MotoGP and Superbike, however I feel Toprak, Lowes they crashed, you’re taking these two out and it’s not the true story. For positive, we see that with the tyre, Ducati is just not unhealthy. The other aspect is that when there’s a number of grip we’re struggling a little bit bit, so all people has his card, and possibly this monitor helps us a little bit bit to work higher with the tyre.”

Michael Rinaldi avoiding effectively away from the unfolding Gardner/Aegerter crash behind him – Picture by RbMotoLens

Q: You talked about climate efficiency, any indications the way you’ll repair that, subsequent weekend is Indonesia. If Phillip Island is changeable, Indonesia is subsequent stage in the case of rain…

Rinaldi: “For positive I feel we’ll have some rain follow in Indonesia, nevertheless it’s a distinct monitor, completely different floor, and I feel there’s extra grip and it’ll be a distinct story. I stated to my supervisor, purchase me a brilliant motard so I can prepare within the moist situation, so I’ll prepare extra within the rain, nevertheless it’s completely different, as a result of as I stated earlier than it’s not that I’m gradual within the rain, it’s understanding why I felt that unhealthy yesterday and making an attempt to not go extra in that approach. Additionally for settings of the bike, we have to attempt to perceive, possibly it was the tyre temperature, possibly the setting, we have to verify higher. And once we perceive, we’ll repair it.”

Michael Rinaldi

Q: How’s your health?

Rinaldi: “Effectively I spoke with my coach, and he stated to me, we improved quite a bit *demonstrates how a lot*, however nonetheless have this *gestures greater* to enhance. This might be the very best model of me. So I feel for positive in these moments I sacrifice quite a bit, no extra partying, no extra staying out late, I’m in mattress at 10, all the time. Anyway I fall asleep, I get up, that is my life now, so I sacrifice this and yesterday I used to be upset, I modified a number of my crew, completed 14th, 55s again, I say fuck… why. However this morning, I skilled, I adopted the plan and that’s it. At present is an effective day for me.”

Michael Rinaldi

Q: What’s the secret of this Ducati?

Rinaldi: “I do know, it is because we’re working within the right approach, working otherwise. You can not complain to Ducati that we’re working higher, than the others. That is superbike vs a superbike, and we’re simply working higher, in Borgo Panigale they’re working higher. It’s not that huge a distinction you see as a result of for positive, this can be a particular monitor and we’ll go to Indonesia and never be really easy there. I feel we’re working good, like Kawasaki did for six years prior to now, like Toprak has completed when he was world champion, nevertheless it’s not honest to say it’s solely the bike. As a result of yesterday there was three completely different bikes on the rostrum, at this time we confirmed that we had been robust, however there are riders, it’s not simply the bikes. So I feel we’re robust, however we’re all preventing with the identical weapons.”

Michael Rinaldi chases down Rinaldi

Q: What are the principle distinction between you and Bautista within the dry?

Rinaldi: “I didn’t verify his set-up, however the distinction is just not that huge. The factor is that he’s driving quick, generally the identical time as me, however he’s saving extra tyre. That offers him a little bit bit extra margin that if he wants he has. Additionally within the race, once we had been doing lap instances, they had been similar, I used to be at 100 per cent and he was 95 per cent, and he stated okay’ this tempo for me is okay, as a result of no one is at this tempo and if you wish to observe me you’ll end the tyre’. So I feel I’ve to enhance a little bit bit, as a result of he’s the world champion, he’s so quick on this bike, and I’m not at his stage but, however I feel time will give me the boldness and the information to get there.”

Bautista, Rinaldi and Locatelli on the rostrum in Race 2 – Picture by RBMotoLens

World Superbike Championship Factors

Pos Rider Factors
 1  Alvaro Bautista  62
 2  Andrea Locatelli  34
 3  Jonathan Rea  31
 4  Michael Ruben Rinaldi  31
 5  Axel Bassani  25
 6  Toprak Razgatlioglu  23
 7  Iker Lecuona  22
 8  Philipp Oettl  20
 9  Danilo Petrucci  15
 10  Xavi Vierge  14
 11  Dominique Aegerter  12
 12  Scott Redding  10
 13  Remy Gardner  10
 14  Garrett Gerloff  8
 15  Alex Lowes  6
 16  Michael Van Der Mark  4
 17  Loris Baz  1
 18  Hafizh Syahrin  1