Axel Bassani “so sorry” for Nicolo Bulega crash: “He’s fighting for something important”

Axel Bassani has apologised for the contact with Nicolo Bulega in the Misano WorldSBK Superpole Race that caused both riders to crash out.

Bassani, who started from the back of the front row in third place, drew alongside both Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega as they approached turn one in the Superpole Race.

The Italian, though, was caught out by Bulega’s deceleration rate, and folded the front when he tried to get stopped to avoid contact.

“It’s been not a really good day from this morning in the Superpole Race,” Axel Bassani told WorldSBK.com after Race 2 in Misano, in which he finished 12th.

“I crashed with Nicolo [Bulega]. I’m so sorry to crash with him, I was only trying to stay in second place, not doing something strange.

“He’s been more able than me to stop the bike and close the door. I’ve tried to stop in every way but I lost the front and we crashed.

“I’m so sorry to him, also to Ducati and his team, because they are fighting for the championship and [I’m not].

“I feel really bad because I don’t like to do the race like this, I’m not a rider that tries to put someone down – especially Nicolo because he’s fighting for something that is really important. So, I’m really sorry to him.”

Bassani added that he agreed with the double long lap penalty he was given for the incident.

“My feeling is like a normal human: I feel really bad,” he said.

“But we are professional riders so I did my race like normal, I tried to do the best.

“Sure, with a double long lap penalty you know your race is completely finished.

“I tried to push but the feeling with the bike was not really good, so I tried only to arrive at the end, to take some data, especially for the next races.

“I think the penalty is correct because if someone does [something] like this, you crash like this, you have to take a penalty.

“So, it’s a part of the game – I accept it and I will try to not repeat it in the future.”