Carlos Checa feels his costly crash during the first World Superbike Championship race at the Nurburgring is a consequence of him having push his Ducati to the limit through bends to make up the ground it is losing in a straight line.
The Spaniard is on the verge of ceding his
WSBK crown following a turbulent season that has seen him crash out of five races, a tally that almost became six when he slid off his Althea Ducati on lap three at the tight first turn hairpin.
Remounting to get back up to 12th position by the chequered flag, a frustrated Checa feels he is powerless to prevent such occurrences since the 'unbalanced game' is forcing him to rush into corners to recover time since the twin-cylinder machine is notably slower on the straights.
An issue that has raised much debate in recent years, Checa, who went on to finish sixth in the second race, says all he can do now is simply focus on a positive end to the season.
“The crash is just one of those things – we were doing what we needed to do, pushing hard to stay with the frontrunners,” he admitted. “It was a shame because I had made a great start and had good pace. Once I got back on track I got back into my rhythm and was able to pass several riders throughout the race.
“It wasn't easy because I had lost my foot pedal in the crash but I think I rode a good race from last position, and in the end was able to take a few points.
“The second race went better as far as the result was concerned but we cannot fight with the others, who get away in acceleration – it's an unbalanced game right now as far as I'm concerned. We need to continue fighting and doing what we can with what we have, pushing our package to the limit and seeing what comes of it.”
Checa's sentiments are echoed by Althea Racing team manager Genesio Bevilacqua, who is reportedly considering leaving
World Superbikes if the playing field isn't levelled.
“Two difficult races for us today, especially the first. Carlos fell but we know that this has become customary in the sense that it is increasingly difficult to race against the four cylinders.
“In race two, both riders took more care and were able to make the most of what was made available to them but, as we saw in the final phase, they would reach the four cylinder bikes through the corners only to be caught again on the straight.
“It's not the fault of those who are faster than us, it's just our current problem since the start of this season. We'll try to fight to the end and make some strong races, in the hope that the situation will change in the future.”