The last race of the year is always special for everyone, but this Grand Prix of Valencia was even more special for the riders of Reale Avintia Racing Team. For both Hector Barbera and Loris Baz, the weekend meant the final showdown with the Spanish team, which culminated in an intense day of racing.
Barbera was in his home race and expected to say goodbye to the team with a good result. He crossed the finish line in 15th place and scored another world championship point, just ahead of his teammate in Reale Avintia, Loris Baz. The Frenchman, who rode a big part of the race within the point rankings, enjoyed the fight with Barbera on the last laps and although he wasn’t able to beat him, he had a great time racing.
Everyone in the Reale Avintia Racing team wishes Hector and Loris the very best for the future. They are two great riders, but above all they are two great guys. We’ll be your biggest fans in Moto2 and World Superbike!
“This last race was no different to all the others this season and although the result wasn’t good once again, racing in front of the fans in Valencia is always something incredible. I’ll miss the team, but this weekend didn’t feel like a farewell or the end of something, it was the beginning of a new chapter in my career. I want to thank the team, especially Raúl (Romero), Bocha (Escobar) and the rest of the people who helped to achieve great things in the last five seasons. I also have to thank all the sponsors, especially Avintia, because they have always been there supporting us. This year wasn’t the dream season we had hoped to experience, instead it has been very hard for everyone. Now our paths separate, but I’m sure we’ll meet again in the future.”
“It was a difficult race, but it was the same for all Ducatis. I fought to the end with Hector, as we did almost all season, and I loved it because it showed the spirit of our team. It was a fun race altogether. I had a hard time to overtake Van Der Mark, but in the end and after touching several times, I did it. I got away and then fought with Hector during the last few laps. He passed me, I passed him again in the last corner, but accelerating out of the last turn he passed me again. I let him win because he was racing at home…just joking! It’s a bit sad that both riders leave the team, but we both know that next year we’ll have options to fight for the podium, which will motivate us a lot.”
