05-13 Italy – Imola – Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race –

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Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers at Imola: second race

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

The fifth round of the WorldSBK 2018 took place this weekend in Imola (Italy). In order to complete our almost live reports, Site provides you with the main reactions of the Superbike riders at the end of the Italian races.. Here are those of the second round … Do you speak french ?

Site readers – who, as everyone knows, are a little more fortunate than the others – have already been able to follow Saturday and Sunday, almost live, the unfolding of the 2018 World Superbike and Supersport races on the Imola circuit. For latecomers:

Below are the statements of the drivers who distinguished themselves on Sunday during the second Superbike round. Honor to the winner !

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki n ° 1), 1st:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

“We did and it was probably the best win of the season. To start from ninth on the grid was so difficult. I wasn’t so sure I could win today. Fabien Foret who convinced me. I think I was fixated on the first lap and on my position on the track: I started from outside the third row. I lost places in the first corner, but I finally managed to get them back. I wasted no time and when I got to Chaz I was able to relax behind him a bit and analyze where I could overtake him. I tried two or three times, but he was determined to strike back. On my last attempt, in the Alta Variant, it was time to put my head down, complete two clear laps and widen the gap. It was really nice to match the total record of race victories (59 successes in World Superbike, like Carl Fogarty, Editor’s note) and with the long season that awaits me, I am confident: my victory counter will go up again, which is great fun ".

Chaz Davies (Ducati n ° 7), 2nd:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

"We did our best today, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. The temperatures were higher and I didn’t have much feeling so I was having a bit of trouble both in and out. coming out of corners. I thought I could fight Rea, but I realized it was too risky. Twenty points is the best we could do today. It is very important for me to to be on the podium in Imola, the Ducati factory is very close and there are a lot of fans who support us. We would have liked to give them a better result, but we still had fun ".

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki n ° 66), 3rd:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

"It’s good to be third in the championship now, we’re coming back up. We had a bad feeling with the front end of the bike today and I couldn’t easily do what I wanted in the corner entry. , I also suffered from the rear grip on the outings, so I struggled to manage the race. I continued to attack and I could see that the guys in front of me had better speed overall but , I tried to get back to them and I got there slowly, very slowly. Michael van der Mark made a mistake, Marco Melandri and he got out of the race, which made it easier for me. It was a "bad" day, but I was able to get on the podium. I must therefore be delighted ".

Jordi Torres (MV Agusta n ° 81), 5th:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

"The day had started off rather badly with the fall in the warm-up, and I really have to thank all my mechanics because they fixed the bike in record time, which allowed me to ride in the best conditions. Regarding the race, I did my best to make a solid comeback and I have to say that fifth place is a great result which rewards us all for our hard work. ".

Alex Lowes (Yamaha # 22), 6th:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

"I am satisfied with my sixth place and my pace, especially considering my place on the grid (at the back of 4th row, Editor’s note) and my mistake on the 3rd lap. I was really frustrated yesterday because for a reason or for another, the race was very difficult for me: I didn’t have the pace that I had had during all the other practice sessions. But today it was ok. I felt really good at the start and I had the feeling that I could come back up. I was a few places behind Michael, I was coming back strong, but I got into the chicane a little too hard and I got out. So, between that and 12th place on the grid, I’m quite happy to be sixth on a track where it’s very difficult to overtake. The guys did a good job on the bike, I’m still not 100% comfortable coming out of the corners but I did my best in both races and it pays off more or less depending on the weekends. I can’t wait to be in Donington now ant. A big thank you to all the guys especially Andrew and Christophe who alongside the engineers at Yamaha have worked so hard on the bike and electronics. We just have to keep making progress because there is a lot of potential ".

Eugene Laverty (Aprilia n ° 50), 9th:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

“I didn’t expect to race at Imola. So coming back with a Top 10 in my pocket is a bonus. I have never felt so tired after a weekend of racing. But who had the brilliant idea of ​​choosing Imola as the circuit for my return from injury ?! "

Loris Baz (BMW n ° 76), 11th:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

“The lap times we set today were similar to those of the last laps of the first round. Unfortunately, it was not enough to keep up with the others. I would even say that the trend has reversed, because I felt much better at the start of the race. Having used the rear brake especially on exits to make up for the lack of grip and the wheelies, I tried to complete the race without using it. Absolutely nothing changed. I’m trying to adapt my riding style to compensate, but it didn’t work. We give up almost two seconds per lap to hope to triumph and one to make it into the Top 5. I lose almost two tenths every time I accelerate on a track like this. I manage to gain ground under braking, but it’s not enough. It’s frustrating not to find solutions. I was convinced that the electronics were going to help us help … Regarding Donington, the plots showing d u difference in height seems to suit us less well. Regardless, it’s smooth with just a few pins. The bike should therefore behave better than in Imola, but maybe not like in Assen. We will also receive new parts which, I hope, will take us a step further ".

Marco Melandri (Ducati n ° 33), fall and retirement:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

“It wasn’t our lucky day. During the warm-up however, we managed to take another step forward in terms of set-up which allowed us to be a little more consistent and quick in the race. Unfortunately we are still struggling on the brakes, especially with a full tank, which penalizes us for overtaking. The podium was within our reach, but unfortunately VD Mark hit me under braking and my race stopped there. then Donington is a track that I really like and our bike keeps improving so we can aim high as long as we are faster on new tires..

Michael van der Mark (Yamaha n ° 60), fall and retirement:

05-13 Italy - Imola - Statements by WSBK 2018 drivers in Imola: second race -

“I got off to a pretty good start, I was very good at the very start, I struggled for a while and then I found a good rhythm. Johnny and Chaz pulled away and Marco passed me. . With him we started to catch up with Fores and the pace was improving. To be honest I was having a hard time slowing the bike down as the front grip wasn’t as good as yesterday so I had a few alerts and widened. I was behind Marco on the descent of turn 18 and couldn’t stop the bike: I dived inside to try to avoid the collision but we didn’t we had no luck. I’m sorry for Marco and his team, sorry for knocking him out of his home race. We both had a good pace and we could have fought for the podium, I apologize to him . Hope we can get some great results in the next "round" at Donington Park, it’s the team’s national event. ".

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