SBK | Pata Italian Round, Race1: fifth place for Xavi Fores

Never before has Xavi Fores proved to be a truly consistent rider more than at this start of the season: the Team Barni Racing Ducati rider has in fact finished all the races, except Race 2 in Aragon, where he crashed, in the top 5.

At the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, the Spaniard finished fifth after a consistent race despite some initial difficulties which made it difficult for him to maintain his usual pace.

“At the start of the race I had a bit of difficulty with the full tank, like Marco, and I couldn't overtake until halfway through the race, so I had difficulty overtaking Rinaldi” – he states Xavi Fores – “But then when I passed him I kept my pace like all weekend. When Chaz passed me, I pushed to stay behind him, but it wasn't enough. I'm happy to be the first independent rider, but I'm a little disappointed because our goal is to be closer to the official riders. This is my second home race. The team is Italian, I have many fans who support me from Italy. It's nice to have a lot of support even if you're not at home, so I want to thank everyone for coming here to support us.”

It will be interesting to see what the Spaniard can do in Race 2 today, given that he will start from the front row: “Starting from the front row will be interesting. If I can have a good package to push, especially in the first part of the race, it will be interesting to see what happens.”