Superbike, Baldassarri regains serenity with Go Eleven: 'The bike already feels like mine; in Australia things get serious'

It poured in Portimão during the Superbike World Championship tests, but in the Go Eleven garage the sun was shining—clearly in a figurative sense.

The two years with Andrea Iannone were thrilling, emotional, and stimulating, but not without emotional storms. The pressure was intense—no use denying the obvious.

With the arrival of Lorenzo Baldassarri, the red light of stress switched off and the green light of serenity came on. Serenity doesn’t mean not aiming for results, but rather not indulging in flights of fancy. Between the rider and the team it was love at first sight: an excellent feeling was established immediately.

"There was a lot of wind and rain in Portimão," Lorenzo Baldassarri tells Corsedimoto, "We took the opportunity to put in some laps without taking too many risks. I tried to understand the bike and the setup in slightly adverse conditions. Goal achieved. I feel good on the bike; it already feels quite like mine. Now we just need to start getting serious—push, look for the limit, and tailor the bike to me. We hoped to do that already in Portugal, but this work is postponed to the tests in Australia. I can’t wait to really get going. I got on very well with the Go Eleven team; there’s a good atmosphere, and I trust we’ll keep this spirit throughout the season."

Lorenzo Baldassarri returns to Superbike after two years away. Perhaps, in hindsight, he got there too soon, after just one season in Supersport. Moreover, in 2023 he did it with a Cinderella team in the championship. Now he returns to Superbike but racing for a high-level structure like Go Eleven. Neither the rider nor the team has set lofty goals other than improving and growing step by step. World Superbike now heading to Phillip Island for 2026 championship start (Feb 20-22).