Moscow (Russia), Sunday 21 July 2013: Ayrton Badovini and Team SBK Ducati Alstare scored their first podium of the 2013 World Superbike season in a very wet race 1 today at Russia’s Moscow Raceway. The very serious accident during the Supersport race, in which rider Andrea Antonelli tragically lost his life, affected the entire paddock and, considering also the flooded track, Race Direction rightly decided to cancel the second Superbike race.

Race 1 – in dry conditions (air temperature 15˚C, track 16˚C), Ayrton started well from fourteenth on the grid, positioning himself twelfth after the first laps. By lap six it had begun to rain in every sector of the track but Ayrton, with a strong pace despite the increasingly difficult conditions, began to push to reach and then pass Camier, Neukirchner and Guintoli. Five laps from the end of the race, the leading pack of riders, including Badovini, all chose to make a pit-stop, changing to rain tyres in response to the worsening conditions. Returning to the track in fourth position, thanks to a very efficient pit-stop on the part of his technicians, the young Italian rider didn’t hold back, lapping significantly faster than anyone else on track. He caught and passed Rea in the space of just two laps to move into third, a position that he then held until the chequered flag. Carlos started from the second row but unfortunately, trapped in the middle of traffic through the first turns, the Ducati Alstare rider was hit by Cluzel, causing them both to crash out. Unfortunately Carlos could not continue with the race.

Ayrton Badovini: “Today was an important day for me, having achieved my first podium with team Ducati Alstare, and the first for the Panigale in this championship. The race was really hard and conditions were difficult. We knew we’d have good pace if it were wet and everything went as I had hoped. My guys did a fantastic job, my pit-stop was really fast and, back on track, I was really able to push. I’m sorry Francis was unable to be here with us this weekend but above all I am sorry for the accident in Supersport and for the tragedy involving Antonelli. It’s impossible to revel in a podium finish when something of this magnitude happens.”

Carlos Checa: “It was a day to forget, mainly due to what happened in Supersport and the tragic passing of Antonelli. To talk about my race almost seems superfluous, and I want to send my condolences to his family, what a terrible tragic accident. Getting back to race 1, I found myself in the air without knowing why; I had already worked out how I wanted to enter the turn when Cluzel hit me. There was nothing I could do, and I found myself in the gravel, hitting my head hard again. After the race I went to get checked over in the Clinica Mobile, because I had cut my right arm. There the doctors realized that I was having problems focusing, some blurred vision, and then I also suffered some nausea, so very probably I wouldn’t have been able to participate in race 2.”

Ernesto Marinelli, Ducati Superbike project manager: “You can’t celebrate a podium when the paddock has suffered such a loss. The thoughts of everyone in Ducati and Team Alstare are with Andrea’s family, team and everyone that knew him. Analysing race 1, Ayrton’s podium was a very important result both for the team and for Ducati. He rode very well in dry conditions and even better when the track was wet. Unfortunately, once more, bad luck prevented Carlos from finishing what started out as a very positive weekend. The results in practice combined with Ayrton’s race nevertheless represent a step forward in the important work that the riders, the entire team and Ducati’s development team are carrying out in order for us to return to the highest level.”

RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Melandri (BMW); 2. Davies (BMW); 3. Badovini (Ducati Alstare). Race 2 – CANCELLED

CLASSIFICATION:
Riders – 1. Guintoli (Aprilia) 239; 2. Sykes (Kawasaki) 235; 3. Melandri (BMW) 207; 4. Laverty (Aprilia) 190; 5. Davies (BMW) 174; 6. Baz (Kawasaki) 144; 7. Rea (Honda) 138; 8. Fabrizio (Aprilia) 131… 12. Badovini (Ducati Alstare) 75; 14. Checa (Ducati Alstare) 59;…