Positive weekend for GMT94 Yamaha in the Netherlands

The team from Val de Marne led by Christophe Guyot can be satisfied with this Sunday on the Assen circuit. In the World Supersport Championship, Valentin Debise took a good sixth place at the end of a race full of pitfalls. In WorldSBK, Lorenzo Baldassarri finished in 13th position and scored three valuable points overall.

Valentin Debise: “It was a positive weekend. The test at Circuit Carole before the race allowed us to review different settings and engine braking strategies. We continued the work in Assen on Friday and, even if I was far from the standings, I had a very good feeling on my Yamaha R6. This was confirmed on Saturday with a fourth place in qualifying and in the race. On Sunday the temperatures were cooler. We tried a harder rear tire and adapted the engine braking strategies in the warm up. In Race 2, Can Öncü crashed in front of me and I lost some positions. I recovered well as the race went on. Unfortunately a second crash in front of me made me lose contact with the group that was aiming for the podium. I finished sixth, an encouraging result for the future. Thanks to the whole team, see you in Barcelona.”

Lorenzo Baldassarri: “It was a good weekend. We’re continuing to make progress. I like the Assen track, I managed to enjoy myself here, I’m happy. Even though I suffered some forearm problems in Race 2, I finished in the points, so that’s positive. I’m still gaining experience in this new class with the Yamaha R1. We’ll keep working on it. Thanks to my team.”

Christophe Guyot (Team Manager): “It was a very good weekend for us. Both riders made a lot of progress. Valentin Debise has understood how to use his Yamaha R6. In Race 1, Valentin finished two tenths of a second place and made a great comeback in Race 2 after having dropped to 12th position following a crash in front of him. His very good times at the end of the race prove that the podium was in his sights.
As for Lorenzo Baldassarri, we can see a progression with each race. He understands better and better how a 1000cc bike works. Even though the start of the weekend was complicated, Lorenzo was able to rely on his manager Emilio Alzamora to prepare for Sunday’s race and score three valuable points. Riding the Yamaha R1 Superbike is also physically demanding, and Lorenzo has been prone to cramps which he will try to alleviate with appropriate preparation work. After Barcelona, Lorenzo will complete two days of testing at Misano to continue his preparation.