makes rash decisions, or crashes, or both, whilst trying to improve his position. A misjudged pass attempt on Gerloff in Race One cost him at least two places and in Race Two, he lost the front with 12 laps to go whilst sitting in 7th after he got into Turn 5 too hot and low-sided whilst trying not to run off the track. Electing the safer option to run wide on to the( extensive) concrete apron would have lost him a couple of places but left him upright and able to complete the race. Easy for me to say, I know. Bautista has said that the team is still struggling to find a baseline for settings with the new bike and whilst that is borne out by how much less stable the Barni bikes are compared to the Aruba. it machines, it’ s an argument that’ s only going to stretch so far. Life is full of what-ifs but if Montella could stay upright, he’ d probably have been in third or fourth in the championship at this point, rather than ninth( Bautista is in tenth). I’ ve always had a soft spot for Barni Spark Racing and I’ d really like to see them go the distance in races and convert their obvious potential and preparation into points but the team’ s riders can’ t carry on making mistakes if either wants to be genuine challengers for the independent rider’ s trophy. The team scored a total of 12-points from the weekend. Sam Lowes, on the same machinery, scored twice as many, on his own, with a bust hand. Remy Gardner, still suffering the effects of his shoulder injury and teammate Stefano Manzi did enough to snare a small handful of points as did Tommy Bridewell.
KIWI RIDER 89