My start was pretty decent and I made a couple of passes in turn four on the first lap. For a while I was enjoying the battle, dicing with a few guys and having a bit of fun and at the end of the race, with four or five laps to go I was thinking ‘you know what, I’m going to be able to steal a podium here’. But after about half race distance I was having real trouble getting through the fast right hander at turn 14. Early in the race it was my best corner, but at other parts of the track I was braking so deep to make up time that I used up the front tyre a little bit. At the end, and I know it’s a pretty weak excuse, but I just couldn’t get through that right hander. That affected my acceleration up that hill and I started losing positions. On the last lap I gave it one last go through there to try to be close on the brakes to let me try to do something down at the hairpin, but when I got in there I just pushed the front to the edge of the track and had a big moment – I barely stayed on. It’s another seventh place and I know people will still be on my case about it, but the truth is the team worked really hard this weekend and I rode as hard as I could for 22 laps. I don’t’ want to play the ‘first Michelin’ card because my tyres were pretty good. The rear was really consistent, though I had some issues with the front. I really would have loved to give the team a better result this weekend but we’ve got a test here tomorrow and we’ll look to get a few things straightened out.
