After an amazing weekend at Assen, I was looking forward to coming back to Misano. We had previously struggled there but I was optimistic and looking for a solid points haul!
FP - P24 We had somewhat sketchy conditions in practice because of rain on Thursday, along with some spitting throughout the run up. I was far too cautious at the start, but built up while on track by myself to start putting in decent times, but still not good enough for the top 20. QP - P25 Qualifying was very similar to practice, after setting an initial banker I had to find the group which is exactly what we did at Assen. Unfortunately we messed up the strategy a lot, missing the group on pit exit multiple times. It was very frustrating for me, and I pushed really hard at the end, using the group as a target and gaining over a second, but the lack of slipstream meant it did nothing and we would be starting towards the back. RACE 1 - P21 After Aragon, I was determined to battle on the first lap to get into the group, and after a good start I gained over 5 positions in the first chicane. All the hard work was undone, however, at turn 4 when I got pushed wide and off track! I dropped back behind the group then rode really hard to get back on them, until a false neutral and a big moment stopped me from progressing further. From then on it was a quiet ride, until the end of the race when I was closing someone down. I pushed harder and harder every lap to catch up, eventually getting on them coming into the last sector of the race but losing out on the line by 0.021! I wasn’t very happy after the race, but I now knew what I had to do on the first lap to prevent history repeating itself. RACE 2 - P13 This time I got a terrible start, but managed to make up ground in the first chicane again. I cut to the inside for turn 4 and held position. I was relieved as I knew the slipstream would help me stay in the group now that I was in the middle of it. I tried climbing up the group as far as I could, putting my fastest lap in on lap three to get into the fight at the front. I knew I had a strong last sector so made a consistent run of laps at the end to stay fourth in the group. I got the slipstream perfect on the back straight, but as I pulled out the bike jumped out of gear, ruining my drive and meaning I had to hold position. Unable to make a move through the last couple corners, I ended P13, happy that I could salvage points after a bad weekend. Overall it was a weekend to learn from at Misano, gaining more experience in qualifying ready for the second half of the season. Next up is my home race at Donington, and hopefully I can get back to the form I had at Assen in front of the home fans!
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