During the recent race weekend at the iconic Imola circuit, the Italian Speed Championship (CIV) witnessed a dramatic conclusion to its Superbike season. The title was up for grabs between Michele Pirro, who entered the event as the championship leader with 190 points, and his closest rival, Lorenzo Zanetti, who was trailing by just 9 points.
The weekend began on a challenging note for Pirro. The Ducati MotoGP test rider experienced a crash during the final lap of Race 1 while battling Zanetti for the lead. Despite managing to remount and secure some crucial points, Pirro lost his championship lead to Zanetti, who now led the standings by 9 points. This set the stage for a nail-biting Race 2, with Pirro needing a win to reclaim his title.
However, Race 2 ended prematurely for Pirro. While leading the race, he was taken out by Zanetti in the final chicane of Imola, the same spot where Pirro had crashed the previous day. The collision resulted in both riders crashing out, handing the race lead to Alessandro Delbianco. Although Pirro managed to rejoin the race, the damage to his bike and an injury to his leg meant he could only finish in 11th place. This result was insufficient to bridge the 9-point gap to Zanetti, who was crowned the CIV Superbike champion despite not finishing the race.
The incident left Pirro with a fractured ankle, adding to his frustration over the controversial end to the championship. He expressed his disappointment with Zanetti’s aggressive riding, stating, “Today, glory was his, and the dirt was ours.” Zanetti, in his defense, described the incident as a “racing incident.” However, Pirro disagreed, comparing the move to playing bowling and emphasizing the importance of rider safety.
The timing of Pirro’s injury is particularly unfortunate. With the ongoing MotoGP Asian tour and potential call-ups from Ducati to replace injured riders, such as Marco Bezzecchi, Pirro’s availability is now in question. Additionally, he will miss several private MotoGP tests scheduled for October and November, where he was set to develop the GP24.
You can watch the incident in the video below: