After being one of the leading contenders during pre-season testing, Ri♍naldi came unravelled when rain fell before Race 1 of the WorldSBK season-opener at Phillip Island.

Starting on the second row, Rinaldi dropped as low as 14th which is the sam🧸e position he finished the race in.

• McPhee didn’t know interm♉ediate tyres ‘was such a thing’, started to ‘pani🍌c’ 
• Rea ‘expects to be stronger’, Lombok 🐎‘more of a gauge’

Therefore in need of a big response during last Sunday’s double-header, Rinaldi provided just that as he finished twice a runner-up to teammate 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alvaro Bautista.

But while it was a strong performance in the dry, Rinaldi is keen to make the necessary improvements in the wet, starting this wee🃏kend should it be needed. 

Rinaldi said: "We should improve during the wet conditions because maybe here, if it is raining, we should be in the fight for a podium.ܫ But overall, I am quite happy with the start of the season. 

"What I learnt is that the base in the wet is not good, so I spoke to the engineers and said ‘if we want to fight all year in top positions, then we have to improve in all conditions’ as it’s not accep꧅table to finish in P14. 

"If it rains, 🎉we’ll have another setup and so I’ll be comfortable. Here is a different track com💖pared to Phillip Island, but I think we can be competitive, but the other riders will be closer. I don’t think one rider will break away. 

"On the Imola announcement [WorldSBK have confirmed that Imola will return as round seven], it is one of my favourite tracks; I won ♌there in STK1000 and🌞 I have good memories! I want to ride there as it’s special, like Misano, so I couldn’t be happier about that news!"

Aside from the wet c𓆏onditions on Race 1, Rinaldi has looked re-born in 2023, which he’s admitted is mostly down to making big changes to ꦬhis lifestyle.

The Italian said: "I spoke with my trainer, and he said to me, ‘we improved a lot like this, but we still have this’, but it’l🃏l be the best version of Michael. In these months, I’ve sacrificed a lot; no more parties, no more staying♊ out late, I was in bed at 10, always! 

"During Chri🌌stmas and New Year as well. This is my life now. Y♉esterday [Race 1], I was upset because after I sacrificed a lot – or changed a lot of my routine – I finished P14, 55 seconds from the win, I said ‘f**k, why?’. 

"B✅ut I kept on; on Sunday morning, I trained and followed the plan and I think that I have room f🍸or improvement!"