Heavy traffic leaves Livio Loi in 18th

Riders all around waiting and getting in each other’s way turned qualifying for the GP of San Marino in a somewhat ridiculous display. Livio Loi was stuck in the middle of the hustle and therefore couldn’t run a complete fast lap, leaving RW Racing GP’s Belgian in 18th. The outlook for the race nonetheless isn’t too bad.

Loi looked good though, in both FP3 in the morning and qualifying practice in the afternoon. He was able to build up consistent lap times and was faster in each run. Choosing to go out on track for the final run in the middle of the huge group of riders in hindsight maybe wasn’t the best choice, but it could just as well have turned out all right.

The session had a number of ludicrous situations with riders running wide on purpose to get back on track behind a fast rider, hoping to get a tow. But some of the faster riders on their part refused to do the dirty work and closed the gas, forcing their pursuers to do the same.  

Loi was improving his lap times in the first sectors of the Misano World Circuit, but ran into a bunch of slower riders in the final sector. He got past them, and improved again, but ran into traffic once more by the end of the next lap. Therefore the Belgian could not better his lap time of 1.43,348 set in his ninth lap out of fifteen. As a result he dropped from 11th to 18th.

Livio Loi - 18 (1.43,348)

“It was terribly frustrating finding someone in my way in every single lap. I felt good, I had the pace, I knew I could do it, but every time I was held up. In that final run I could not go flat out one single lap. It drove me mad! Overtaking them was easy, and then I had a clear way again, but it costs time anyway. I was really upset in the end.

It is not the position I should have but I feel confident for the race. I have a much better feeling here than I had at Silverstone. I know what I can to with the bike, I feel strong and confident. I certainly have the pace to fight in the top 10, so I will have to get there as soon as possible. I have to be really sharp and aggressive at the start and not let myself be bullied or pushed aside.”