Bassani on Montella: "Inside, he knows that I was faster than him"

Axel Bassani finished 4th in Race 1 of the Superbike meeting in Misano. From 7th on the grid, the Bimota rider put in a solid performance on Saturday. The Italian also finished fourth in the Superpole race, which moved him up to fourth on the grid for the second main race on Sunday afternoon.

Bassani got off to a good start in the 21-lap race. He overtook Yari Montella before the first corner. Bassani then successfully held off the Barni Ducati rider for 17 laps - until he lost control of his front wheel in turn 8 and crashed into the gravel. The race was over, Montella inherited third place and Bimota team-mate Alex Lowes finished fourth.

Willkommen zum Rennwochenende in Misano, Nicolò Bulega

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Paddock

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Kawasaki Motorhome

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Álvaro Bautista

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Axel Bassani

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Iker Lecuona & Nicolò Bulega

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Das Bike von Sam Lowes

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Iker Lecuona

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Lorenzo Baldassarri

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Álvaro Bautista

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Andrea Locatelli

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Nicolò Bulega

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Michael van der Mark

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Yari Montella

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Sam Lowes

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Somkiat Chantra

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Ryan Vickers

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Michael van der Mark

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Garrett Gerloff

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Alex Lowes

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Iker Lecuona

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Xavi Vierge

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Garrett Gerloff

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Alex Lowes

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Nicolò Bulega

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Yari Montella

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Iker Lecuona

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Nicolò Bulega

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Superpole - Iker Lecuona, Nicolò Bulega & Alex Lowes

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Rennen - Iker Lecuona, Nicolò Bulega & Yari Montella

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Sieger Nicolò Bulega

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Willkommen zum Rennwochenende in Misano, Nicolò Bulega

© Gold & Goose

"That's part of the game. But we have to be very happy with our work. We were in the top four all weekend, we had a very good race in the morning and we achieved something special in the afternoon. To be in the top-3, in the middle of the Ducati, is very difficult to achieve. We were there," Bassani emphasised the positives. "I then crashed on the eighth corner because I was trying to be consistent and maintain the gap to Yari. Then my front wheel slipped. I had difficulties with the front tyre the whole race. In turn 8, I pushed a bit too hard in the final braking phase. That can happen. But we still have to be proud and satisfied."

Throwing a podium into the gravel is always tough, but doing so at a home race must be very bitter. "I think it would have been the same in Indonesia," waved Bassani off. "Losing a podium place is always hard to accept. Especially when it happens at the end of a race. You then have to try to see the positives."

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Instead of Bassani, Montella was allowed to smile down from the podium. "Montella deserved it, because he also finished the last two races in third place. But inside he knows that I was faster than him. That's enough for me," laughed Bassani. After the race, Montella paid tribute to his rival's performance. He also felt sorry for him that he crashed in his home race. "It gives me a boost for the next races. It lets me know what the other riders think about me. It's nice to hear something like that."