As was already known before the event, Patrick “Pax” Hobelsberger hadn’t fully recovered from his illness by the time of the second round of the EURO MOTO Superbike season. With plenty of determination and perseverance, the Honda rider scored four points in Brno. It could have been more.
Five years ago, the 29-year-old from Landau an der Isar won the IDM Supersport title. Two years later, he finished third overall in the Superbike class, earning a spot on the podium. After that, his fortunes took a turn for the worse. Nevertheless, Hobelsberger is doing everything he can to get back on track with his private team.
In Brno, Pax took advantage of an additional practice day that was offered. “I had the chance to calmly assess my physical condition and determine how much intensity we could put into the free practice sessions.” Since the 4.5403-km track is known for being hard on tires, the focus was on improving tire durability as much as possible through the setup. After the multi-part qualifying process, which included Superbike Pre-Practice and Superpole, Hobelsberger secured the seventh grid spot, right behind former Moto2 World Champion Marcel Schrötter and rising star Leon Orgis. Behind him, defending champion and season-opener winner Lukas Tulovic was hoping to limit the damage.
For Pax, qualifying was the highlight of the weekend. A dashboard glitch at the start of the race cost him several positions in the first heat. His comeback began right on the first lap. In the end, he crossed the finish line in eleventh place. The second race ended prematurely due to a sensor malfunction. Taking home just four points from Brno was a disaster. A frustrated Pax nevertheless declares: “We’ll keep fighting.” And he says it with two exclamation points.
