Donington Park: Sabatucci and Verdoïa claim podium win for Yamaha

Michelle Liew

July 11, 2019

Kevin Sabatucci and Andy Verdoïa managed to provide a one-two for Yamaha with their amazing performance at Donington Park.

Photo credits: WSBK

Trasimeno Yamaha’s Kevin Sabatucci just made his first-ever World Championship victory in the WorldSSp300 race at Donington Park. The young gun was joined on the podium by fellow bLU cRU rider Andy Verdoïa who came in second place. The YZF R3 GYTR kits also enjoyed a good performance to support all bLU cRU squad riders at Donington Park. BCD Yamaha MS Racing’s Beatriz Neila capped her run at 17th. On the other hand, Galang Hendra Pratama of Semakin Di Depan Biblion MotoXRacing Yamaha did not manage to finish his run at Donington Park. The Indonesian crashed out of the race when he outbraked himself into the Melbourne Hairpin.

Kevin Sabatucci (Team Trasimeno Yamaha)- As It Happened

Photo credits: Airoh

“Donington Park was a magical and unforgettable weekend. The track is amazing, and we already found a good way from the first practice on Friday. As it was my first time at this circuit, I had to work to improve some points. However, on Saturday, the rain fell during Superpole. Step-by-step I improved during the session, making no mistakes and eventually qualifying 10th on the grid. In the race, I got a good start and I was able to run with the leading group and fight for the front positions quite comfortably,” says Sabatucci as quoted from Yamaha Racing.

“Riders around me were making a lot of mistakes and there were quite a few crashes in the closing stages. Although, I managed to take the lead. After a crazy last lap and some crazy overtakes, I took my first world championship race win. It was also the first for Yamaha and the bLU cRU this season. Not to mention, it was the first-ever world championship win for my team. It was like a dream come true and I still can’t believe it. Thanks to everyone who believed in me and now we must continue to work in this way.

Andy Verdoïa (BCD Yamaha MS Racing)- As It Happened

Photo credits: Yamaha Racing

“What an incredible race at Donington Park! Two minutes before the start I was told that I would have to start not from the front row, but from P37 right at the back of the grid. I thought to myself that all I could do was keep calm and then go full gas from the start. That was exactly what I did. By the end of the first lap, I’d managed to pass a lot of riders to move up to 11th. By lap 6 I was leading the race.”

“I thought I could win on the last lap after Kevin came past me, but I was so tired from fighting my way through the field that I didn’t actually realise it was the last lap and I was surprised to see the chequered flag while lying second. Anyway, this second place was really important for my championship, as a lot of riders crashed out of the race and the 20 points meant I moved up to joint second in the standings. Thanks to Yamaha, my team, my family and my sponsors. Portimão can’t come soon enough for me!”

Beatriz Neila (BCD Yamaha MS Racing)- As It Happened

Photo credits: Yamaha Racing

“Donington was a weekend of learning for me. I started well on Friday, with a good feeling on the bike, but then the rain came on Saturday and I had two crashes in qualifying, which meant I finished outside the top 30. Luckily I managed to fight my way through to finish sixth in the Last Chance Race, learning a lot and securing a grid slot for Sunday’s race in the process. In the race on Sunday I was struggling with a lot of back pain from the crashes but racing in a big group was fun and it taught me a lot. Now it’s time to train hard to be ready to give my best in Portimão.”

Galang Hendra Pratama (Semakin Di Depan Biblion MotoXRacing Yamaha)-As It Happened

Photo credits: Yamaha Racing

“We worked really hard on the first day to find a good set-up for the dry, but then on Saturday it rained, and qualifying was held in the wet, so we had to change the plan. The team worked incredibly hard to set the bike up for the wet, so many thanks to them. In the end, I was happy with my qualifying performance, which secured me a front row start for Sunday’s race.’

“In the race, I tried to push as soon as I got to the front. We did manage to pull a bit of a gap initially, but then the second group arrived and that made for a little bit of drama. I tried to push again, to break the tow, but then I went a bit long at the hairpin, touched another rider and crashed. I’m a bit battered and bruised. But we have some time to recover before Portimão, where I hope to come back stronger.”