Lukas Tulovic in Assen: “Like driving a car whilst playing on your mobile”

The Euro Moto weekend for the Superbike class championship leader, Lukas Tulovic, at the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ in Assen was, from the outset, devoid of any fun for the star rider of the Triple M Racing Ducati Frankfurt team, due to the much-discussed reduction in maximum revs imposed by the Balance of Performance. Despite the dilemma of having to ensure, without technical aids and relying solely on visual checks, that the revs did not exceed 15,600 rpm – with absolutely no leeway – he finished second in the first race and third in the second. In the standings, he lost just one point to Marcel Schrötter, who is second in the championship, and, with a lead of 46.5 points, still has the chance to secure his title defence ahead of schedule on his own merits at the next round at the Nürburgring. So everything’s hunky-dory, you might think, but far from it.

Congratulations to Twan Smits

During the interviews with the top three for the Euro-Moto live stream, Tulovic came across as frustrated as an overheated piston in an uncoated cylinder after the lubrication failed. In the first interview, he said only briefly and succinctly: “I don’t have much to say. Thanks to my team. We made the best of the situation this weekend and I’m genuinely happy for Twan’s victory, because I think he really put in a strong performance this weekend, following his crash at Oschersleben. So, huge respect to him and my heartfelt congratulations.”

He was even more curt after Race 2, in which he lost second place in the final metres and chugged across the line in third. He brushed off any attempts to analyse the causes on camera with a brief and terse: “I’m not saying.” He continued: “I’m just looking forward to the journey home and to being able to race normally again at the Nürburgring. That’s all I need to say on the matter. Still, thanks to my team.”

Far from ideal

It was all the more surprising, then, that Lukas Tulovic – who had been held back or distracted from his actual job – answered the SPEEDWEEK reporter’s questions professionally shortly afterwards. He began by explaining in much greater detail: “Before the weekend, we didn’t know if it would even be possible. Then we analysed, assessed and made adjustments. We were, of course, racing with a set-up and gear ratio that were definitely not ideal, because we needed a margin everywhere to avoid the risk of overspeeding. That’s why the gear ratio was far too long, and I had to change gear much more often than usual, had I been able to drive normally. So, of course, that was a huge compromise, and I always had my head and one eye – sometimes both – on the dashboard, just to avoid taking any risks.”

That’s not racing as I see it

Lukas Tulovic

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As a precaution, he limited the revs of his Ducati Panigale V4R to around 14,800 to 15,000 rpm to give himself a margin. “Especially in first or second gear, the revs climb so quickly. If you lose focus for a moment and go over the limit, you’ll regret it afterwards. That’s why we had to sacrifice a lot of performance, so I had to make up the time elsewhere. So, at least I’m reasonably happy with the two podium finishes. I would never have thought it possible that we’d lost hardly any ground in the championship. That’s obviously a great team effort, but I’m just glad the weekend is over.”

I didn’t enjoy a single second of this weekend.

Lukas Tulovic

The flip side of the coin is driving in a way that goes against the nature of a thoroughbred racer. He confirmed this by saying: “I didn’t have a single second of fun this weekend. That’s why I’m feeling this way at the moment. I don’t need to hide my emotions and I don’t have to pretend to anyone. You all know what the situation is like. We’re not happy with how it was handled. As for the Nürburgring, we’re optimistic that we’ll sort it out technically, so I can race normally again and won’t have to keep one eye on the speedometer. That’s simply not racing; it’s survival and hoping on the podium that the result stands. But you don’t know whether you’ve secured your place or whether you’ll end up being disqualified after all. That’s not racing to me.”

Even as a layperson, one suspects that under such conditions – with additional tasks distracting the driver from the essentials – there’s also a certain danger. ‘Tulo’ confirmed this too. “It’s like driving a car whilst playing on your mobile at the same time. For example, in a head-to-head battle, when I’m accelerating, I’m not looking at the rider in front of me, but at my dashboard.” In other words, this creates a danger that isn’t necessary. “Of course, but I won’t say any more about it.”