Both GRT Yamaha Riders Score Top-10 Results on Final Day at Portimão

09-08-2020

Both GRT Yamaha Riders Score Top-10 Results on Final Day at Portimão

The FIM Superbike World Championship round at Portimão ended on a high note for the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team, with the work done throughout the weekend allowing the 2020 rookies to take top-10 finishes in the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2.

The third day of every WorldSBK weekend, with the two races running in succession, represents a chance for all teams to score a large sum of points and go home in high spirits. This scenario came true today for the GRT Yamaha crew, with its two riders, Federico Caricasulo and Garrett Gerloff, having a solid and largely smooth day to bring home points and a pair of top-10 finishes.

Things started looking better than yesterday during this morning’s Warm Up, in which Gerloff and Caricasulo recorded the 12th and 13th best times, thanks to the helpful adjustments made overnight.

In the Tissot Superpole Race, the riders kept improving, and American Gerloff fought through to 10th position, whereas his Italian teammate climbed from 15th on the grid to 12th place. The two young riders then added more points to their tally with another solid performance during Race 2.

Caricasulo managed to run his own pace for most of the race, and crossed the finish line a season-best ninth, whereas an even stronger performance by Gerloff was scuppered by contact with another rider, and he finished 11th.

Federico Caricasulo: P12 & P9

GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team

Good day today, after an overall positive weekend. We always improved race after race, solving the little set-up issues we had. In the Superpole Race, despite a bad start, I managed to run a pace that was better than yesterday’s and improved my position, whereas in Race 2 I chose the soft tyre, and, despite losing some pace towards the end, I again reduced my gap to the leader, so I am happy. I am also pleased to have finished in the top-10. I will use it as a good base to build upon, and I hope to do well again at Aragón, where we will have two consecutive races to keep improving.

Garrett Gerloff: P10 & P11

GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team

I was pretty happy with the Superpole Race, in which I managed to finish close to Bautista. I was expecting to take that momentum with me to the second race, but I soon found out that I was missing a little something, and I was not able to follow Bautista when he overtook me. Then, with about five laps to go, I made a pass on Forés going into Turn 1. I thought that I was in front, but all of a sudden he hit me trying to make the pass back in the next corner. He crashed, I went off the track, and that is disappointing because it would have been nice to finish in the top eight. Still, I was able to close back up to Mercado, but I ran out of time and finished behind him. I did the best that I could today, and I look forward to Aragón, a track that I really enjoy.