WSBK – Statements and Analysis of Superbike in Laguna Seca – Statements from Superbike riders in the USA

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Statements and analysis of the Superbike at Laguna Seca

WSBK - Statements and analysis of Superbike in Laguna Seca - Statements of Superbike riders in the USA

The twelfth round of the World SBK 2013 took place this weekend in Laguna Seca, USA. To complete our live reports, here are the statements of the Superbike riders as well as the Site analysis of the two American races.

Statements from Superbike riders in the USA

Site readers – who, as everyone knows, are a little more fortunate than the others – have already been able to experience Saturday and Sunday, almost live, the unfolding of the World Superbike races on the Laguna Seca circuit (for latecomers , read then).

Here are the declarations of the pilots who distinguished themselves on Sunday … Honors to the two winners !

Tom Sykes, 1st then 4th:
"It was great to win yesterday (Saturday) and to lead a long time today (Sunday), but it was the first time we had been wrestling with grip all weekend. We were six or seven tenths from our best lap times in the same track conditions and we have to find out why. We knew our potential today. In the end, we are increasing our lead in the championship but it would have been nice to get on this second podium! There is still room for improvement and there are a couple of good circuits to come, so we go out confident. In less than a week we will be in France and we will have to resume everything".

Eugene Laverty, 3rd then 1st:
"It was anything but an easy race. Yesterday I struggled a bit to keep up with the leading peloton and managed to finish on the podium, overtaking two drivers on the last lap. I want to thank my team because we worked a lot on the bike and made a big step forward which allowed me to ride better despite the grip problems. I attacked from the first to the last lap. Davide (Giugliano) and Tom (Sykes) didn’t make it easy for me !

"It’s a really unexpected result which now takes me to second place in the drivers’ standings, but we have two very different meetings ahead of us. I struggled last year at Magny-Cours, but my RSV4 has evolved a lot so things could change. Jerez on the other hand is our test track, so I might have an advantage there. Anyway, I’m going to have to give 100% every session for them. next two weekends. And I would like to dedicate my victory to my engineer Marco Bertolatti, who became a father a few hours ago ".

Chaz Davies, 2nd then retirement:
"It was very frustrating because the race looked fun and I certainly could have been in tune. The bike was excellent and I think I could have tried to win today. We had a good chance. The bike has undoubtedly improved since yesterday, but unfortunately we could not provide proof of this due to a problem in the front brake system.".

"Following my fall during the warm-up, losing the front, we had to replace the braking system. During the sighting lap, I sensed that something was wrong, but on the warm-up lap and immediately after the start everything was working. The problem reappeared in the second or third round. I just had no more brakes and it was getting too dangerous, it was safer to stop. The guys will now check to see what caused the problem. We are now heading to Magny-Cours, where my goal is to fight again for victories and podiums".

Davide Giugliano, 6th then 2nd:
"I am so happy ! This race has been incredible. I fought first with Sykes, then with Laverty. I think we did a great job here at Laguna, my team and I. We have a very good result after some disappointing results in the previous races, which is very satisfying. We have shown that when everyone works together in harmony, anything is possible. I thank all my team who worked so hard this weekend and also my family and my girlfriend Claudia who is always there for me. We have to continue like this. From now until the end of the season, we hope to see more solid results. I thought it would be difficult to be in front, but now I realize that I could have won this race. An error due to my inexperience will serve me in the future".

Marco Melandri, 4th then 3rd:
"It has been a very positive day. It was not easy, and I went for the best possible result. I would like to thank my team who did a very good job. Unfortunately I struggled with the front at the start of my races so I needed a long run to catch up with the guys in front of me. It was not possible yesterday, the race was too short. Today, however, I was able to attack in the second half of the race and I got on the podium. There are still a lot of points available. It won’t be easy, but I still want more victories".

Sylvain Guintoli, 5th (x 2):
"Honestly, the second race was a disappointment. I expected a lot more and, all things considered, my start had been good. I felt I could pass Tom and Eugene, but got attacked by Melandri and Giugliano and lost the leading group. The pace was really fast and when you lost a few yards it was hard to catch them. It’s like yesterday: when I find myself in the middle of the peloton, I’m missing something. I am unable to maintain the pace I can have when riding on my own, the pace I had on the first two starts yesterday. This is something I have to work on because we haven’t made any changes to the bike compared to yesterday. I need to refocus, I’m not lacking in speed since I was able to go very quickly yesterday, alone in front. Magny-Cours is arriving in just a few days. It’s my home race and I hope to gain some important points".

Jules Cluzel, 7th then 6th:
"I got off to a good start and had a good first lap, so I was able to catch up with the leading group and that satisfies me a lot. I enjoyed the first part of the race because I was one of the faster guys then. It was only between the last corner of the layout and the first – in the pit straight – that I wasted time. It kept me from fighting for a podium, but it’s still a good race and I think it’s my best weekend on the Suzuki Fixi Crescent this season. Laguna Seca is not an easy circuit, but I learned it very quickly and really enjoyed it. I’m quite proud to have achieved this type of result and I say a big thank you to the whole team because they did a great job here. We have had solid and consistent results".

Michel Fabrizio, 13th then 10th:
"It’s another frustrating day of racing: I was turning a second slower than yesterday. I had a lot of traction control issues and lacked rear grip. I also suffered a bit from my fall yesterday. This is certainly not what we came for. My pace yesterday was good for a Top 4 or Top 5, but I was far from it. It was not good".

Ayrton Badovini, 9th then crash:
"I’m fine and I have no physical damage to complain about, luckily. I just did a straight ahead and ended up in the sand. Physically, my foot wasn’t much of a problem: I was just tired because I haven’t been able to train properly for the past few weeks. I would like to thank the Mobile Clinic for all their help and support this weekend. I’m not happy because we worked on the bike but we weren’t able to find the right setting. We will need to work more on this at Magny-Cours in order to understand in which direction we are heading.".

And now for our MNC analysis of the World Superbike in Laguna Seca !

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