Vannucci taken out by Torres in Sportbike: 'Where was he trying to go?

Matteo Vannucci is taken out by Antonio Torres with victory within reach in Race 2 of the Sportbike World Championship at Aragon: the reaction.

Nothing was missing in Race 2 of the Sportbike World Championship at Motorland Aragon. In a chaotic race marked by unpredictability with contacts, overtakes, and in-house battles, Xavi Artigas clinched victory ahead of Carter Thompson and Harrison Dessoy. Third across the line on the road, the MTM Kawasaki rider sealed his first win in WorldSPB, aided by the (double) penalty handed to Elia Bartolini and Antonio Torres, who finished in that order under the checkered flag, for “irresponsible riding.” The Italian dropped from first to sixth, deemed responsible for taking championship leader David Salvador out of the race. A different story for the Spaniard (from 2nd to 7th), caught in the eye of the storm for an over-the-line episode at the expense of Matteo Vannucci.

On the final lap, Antonio Torres banged fairings with Matteo Vannucci right at the entry of the chicane that feeds onto the over-1-kilometer straight opposite the pit lane. Following this contact, the REVO-M2 Racing rider, who had been leading the way since the early stages of Race 2, lost control of his Aprilia RS 660, seeing a potential second win of the season slip away. Beyond the 3-second penalty given to Torres (the equivalent of serving a Long Lap Penalty that Aragon doesn’t have), it was a move that understandably infuriated the unlucky Vannucci, who got going again and crossed the line in 23rd place. Moreover, some tempers flared after the race, complete with a middle finger from the Tuscan rider.

Vannucci, fifth yesterday in Race 1, didn’t hold back in analyzing the incident that knocked him out of the sprint for victory just when it mattered most. “I was in full management mode looking ahead to the final rush,” the native of Bagno a Ripoli told us. “The rear tire was dropping off and I could feel the chasers breathing down my neck more and more. All in all, my plan was going the right way until the mess with Torres. You can miss a braking point in such a heated moment, although I had the feeling he did nothing to avoid the hit. Was it intentional? I really hope not. I’m very disappointed, the win was right there for the taking. It would be wise for certain riders to switch their brains on before unleashing chaos...”.

Looking at the glass half full, Matteo Vannucci hasn’t lost ground in the world title race. Thanks to championship leader David Salvador’s simultaneous zero, taken out by Elia Bartolini in a not-too-dissimilar incident while he was fully in the fight for the podium, the gap to the top remains 36 points. The 2021 Italian Supersport 300 Champion will try to bounce back on June 12–14 at Misano for the midpoint of the 2026 season. A track where, historically, he flies...