Garrett Gerloff has “nothing against” rising WorldSBK star after intense Most battle
Garrett Gerloff says his battle with Alberto Surra in Race 2 of the Czech WorldSBK was making him “frustrated”.
One of the best battles of the entire Czech WorldSBK involved Kawasaki’s sole rider in the class, and an unexpected rising star in the shape of Alberto Surra.
The intense fight, which also highlighted the different strengths of the Kawasaki ZX-10RR and Ducati Panigale V4 R, took place in Race 2 as Garrett Gerloff eventually came out on top.
But it wasn’t before the American was repassed by Surra on several occasions, with the Italian very feisty in his defence.
Race 2 was not the first time that Surra raced his opponents hard, as he was also part of an intense fight with Sam Lowes during Race 1 which ultimately led to contact between both riders and a crash for Lowes.
But there was no such drama for Surra or Gerloff in Race 2, as both riders finished the race.
It was clear early on in the race that Gerloff was the faster rider, however, his strongest areas of the track were immediately followed by sections of tarmac where the Ducati worked very well, allowing Surra to fight back each time.
But after multiple attempts, Gerloff finally made his move stick at turn 20. Speaking after the race, Gerloff said: “I’m glad you guys liked it; I was getting frustrated!
“I’ve got nothing against him, it was a good and clean race, but I was like, ‘Just let me do a couple of laps in front of you!’.
“The big slide at turn four was the one pass where I was a bit [like], ‘come on man!’. In the last moment, he came and was right there.
“I had no space and had to pick the bike up. I was just happy I crossed the line in front of the group. I hope Manuel’s happy! It’s good for the sponsors and stuff, but we’re still pretty far behind from the win.
“I want to be closer to the front. I felt really good and that I had more pace than Surra, but I couldn’t make the pass stick or stay in front of him, he just passed me back.”
Surra also spoke about the battle and where the Kawasaki was stronger, saying: “It was a very good race for me, and I’m really happy for the whole weekend. It was a very strong battle with Garrett.
“The Kawasaki has very good grip but in Race 2, I had a different tyre; the new one. The Ducati has very good electronics and the grip is good with used tyres, but the electronics are very sensitive.
“In this situation, I was very focused on the race. I didn’t overthink too much. Garrett is a very good rider and in the last laps, he closed the corners very well.
“My target and the team’s was top ten or 15. It’s very difficult in WorldSBK. All riders are very fast. My target is top ten and it’s possible.”
