After two wins at Misano back in June, Aruba Ducati’s Michael Ruben Rinaldi looked set to go on to challenge for many more WorldSBK wins but until Sunday at Catalunya, that was an unrequited ambition.

He grabbed Sunday’s afternoon race by the scruff of the neck, once it got started after all the delays and scary crashes, and even outdid Toprak Razgatlioglu to add another win, making it three for the year.

“I’m so happy to be back on top,” said the Italian rider. “There have been difficult races after Misano, but I want to thank my team because they always supported me. They never complain about me.

“We always just try to understand what’s happening in the track, because sincerely I knew we can be fast, but sometimes it’s not easy in some tracks because maybe my riding style is not good in some tracks. I have to improve. Also when the bike is good, I’m good in the same tracks. When the bike is not so good in some tracks, also my riding style is not so good on these tracks.

“So, really happy to bounce back because there was a lot of criticism after Misano. This is so good to be back on top of the podium.”

When asked if he was more relaxed now that his future is fixed again with Ducati for next year, he said, “I don't care, because I don't want to continue racing - I told always my family, my parents - I don't want to be a number in this sport to just to arrive 8th, 10th. I’m here to win in the future. If I understand that I’m not able to, I’m not a rider that wants to just race.

“I am a rider that wants to win. Always in my DNA was like this, since I was a child. So, I really know that I’m able to do that in the right conditions. For sure, I’m not perfect. I’m not saying that, but if we work hard, we can be strong as everybody else.”

Rinaldi’s battling character was to the fore today, as he passed and was re-passed by Razgatlioglu. “I gave my 120% because the tyre choice was perfect, sincerely.

“Everybody was with the soft except Scott, but his choice depends because he is heavy. I could try the soft, but last year I lost a lot on the last lap and I lost the podium. I said, ‘I don't care what everybody else is doing. I go with my choice’, because the SC0 was more or less the same at the beginning. So, a lot of risk for minimum gain.

“So I decide to less risk, and we see. It was the right choice. There was a big fight at the beginning, but so happy about the race.”

Rinaldi was unaware that there was some random barrier tape wrapped round the front of his bike, although he did see it coming towards him.

“No, I didn’t feel, but I saw that, when I was behind Toprak. But I passed it, because he passed it, but maybe when he passed, it goes up in the air and I collected it, but I didn’t feel anything. Sincerely, I just saw in the Parc Fermé! Maybe it gave me luck to win!”