WSBK – Statements and analysis of the Superbike at the Nurburgring – Statements from SBK riders in Germany

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Superbike statements and analysis at the Nurburgring

WSBK - Statements and analysis of the Superbike at the Nurburgring - Statements from SBK riders in Germany

The tenth round of the World SBK 2013 took place yesterday at the Nurburgring, Germany. To complete our live reports, here are the statements of the Superbike riders as well as the Site analysis of the two German races.

Statements by SBK pilots in Germany

Site readers – who, as everyone knows, are a little more fortunate than the others – were able to experience yesterday, almost live, the unfolding of the Mondial Superbike and Supersport races on the Nurburgring 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’s very difficult to say if I could have caught up with Marco in the last two laps of the race, but by the time he passed me I was about to pick up the pace slightly. I’m sure the three or four of us in the front group could improve our times at the very end, but the decision to stop the race worked in our favor this time around. I gladly accept it and I am very happy for the 25 points. For the first time, we dragged a little problem with the tuning of the bike all weekend. I went to bed last night thinking I would score a few more points in the second run, but it’s racing and things like that happen. It seems that we were a bit constrained in this race, which is a shame because over the distance I was convinced that the Ninja ZX-10R and I could turn in 1’54, even at the end. We proved it during testing this weekend".

"I think we know where we can improve and I’m very happy to be surrounded by such a team. It was important to keep Sylvain Guintoli behind me during this second race, because last year we saw that every point counts. It is added to the total of the season and we take the opportunity to regain the lead of the championship".

Chaz Davies, 3rd then 1st:
"The victory in the second round obviously makes me very happy! I was already happy with my podium in the first race, but I knew we could do better and so we did it. In the first race, I took the start I was hoping for from my second row of the grid and found myself in the company of the leading group with Marco and Tom. At the start, Tom printed a very good pace up front. Overall the bike was doing really well, as it has been doing all weekend. We were just struggling a bit in one or two sections, which cost me a bit on the acceleration, but we worked that out for the second race.".

"We have certainly taken a step in the right direction. I felt my RR was a bit better in parts of the circuit. It was still difficult to brake but I tried everything to open up a little gap. The battle was nice with Eugene and Marco. In the last two laps, I just dipped my head behind the bubble to see if I could isolate myself from the guys fighting behind me. I was thinking there might not be another red flag, but just in case I tried to stay ahead. In the end, the red flag came out and I was in the right place at the right time! A big thank you to my team, they did a great job this weekend and we got another double podium. I wish all the best and a speedy recovery to the guys who were injured today".

Marco Melandri, 2nd then 3rd:
"In all my life, I had never seen a red flag at the end of every race! It’s a shame, because I was leading the first race and I was third in the second race, but the last lap could have been great because there were three of us wanting to win and everyone was pushing hard. The red flag was not on my side today so I didn’t have a chance to take advantage of some opportunities and it’s frustrating but those are the rules. I’m so sorry for the guys who fell and got hurt. They were much more unlucky than me. All the best and a speedy recovery to you both !"

"Obviously I can be happy because we have shown that we are strong, but at the same time I am disappointed because I didn’t win as many points as I could. The championship is still very open and I have closed the gap on the leaders. So it was a good weekend for us overall and we are looking forward to the next events. We are now heading towards tracks that I really like and I’m sure today’s disappointment can only motivate me more".

Eugene Laverty, 4th then 2nd:
"The arrival of the red flag during the second race was a real shame because I was about to attack Chaz Davies, then first. I’m not saying I would have won, but I could at least have tried. The fall in the first round caused some confusion. I want to fight for the championship and mistakes like this can be costly. When you start so far on the grid (Eugene started from 12th place, Editor’s note), there is a lot more pressure and there is a greater risk of making mistakes. We’re definitely not going to be able to handle any other slippage for the rest of the season. All in all, we haven’t lost too much ground to the championship leaders, but a tough battle looms before us.".

Sylvain Guintoli, 4th then 5th:
"This weekend on a very physical track was difficult. In the first run, I couldn’t find my rhythm in the first laps. I let go of the leaders, I had to ride alone and repel attacks. The modifications made to my RSV4 for the second race worked really well. I attacked hard to catch up with Sykes and planned to attack him on the last lap. Unfortunately, the red flag stopped the race. My only consolation is that my shoulder reacted well. I was able to attack hard until the end of the two races without too many problems. It hurts me now, but as long as I’m on the bike, it’s okay. We’re going to Turkey now as a challenger, but it’s a track that I love and think I can do well, as well as the four or five other riders who are always fast.".

Davide Giugliano, 5th then 6th:
"The first race went quite well. Starting from the fifth row and finishing fifth or sixth is not easy in a championship as competitive as World Superbike. Towards the end of the first race I was slowed down by a few small problems so I preferred not to attack and risk a crash. In the second race I got off to a good start and did my best to stay with the leaders. I am satisfied with my performance today and it increases my morale for the next races. After the results of Silverstone (abandonment and 15th, Editor’s note), I needed to regain confidence in my abilities. I thank my team who worked so hard and provided me with a particularly capable motorcycle".

Jules Cluzel, 8th then 14th:
"The weekend was tough for us, but we learned a lot in the first race and I tried to improve even more in the second. I felt pretty good for the first four or five laps of the first run, but my tire did wear out and made the bike unstable and difficult to ride. So I was very happy to finish eighth. The second race was similar to the first, but I started in a huge high side and almost got drunk on the first lap! I realized that the grip was worse than in the first run and I tried to do my best … but it was really hard"…

"We have improved the stability a little when coming out of the corners, which is a good point and for that, we must not forget this weekend and capitalize on it. I was disappointed at the end of the race because I thought I would finish eighth or ninth, but the bike stopped due to an electronic problem. I fell back on the edge of the track and managed to restart, finishing much lower than expected. This weekend has been a bit bad, but Leon has been even less fortunate. Hope he is well and can come back soon, that we can fight together at a good pace next time".

Ayrton Badovini, 9th then 7th:
"Unfortunately, I lost too much ground in the first laps of the first run and a lot of guys got past me. I was struggling and made a few mistakes too. For the second round we made a little change on the bike and I decided to approach the race with a different mentality and to take things more calmly. It worked because I was able to be more precise, more consistent lap after lap. I’m happy because, besides the result (seventh), I was able to reduce the gap between the leaders and me. Overall the weekend has been positive: one of the best we have had so far".

Loris Baz, fall during the warm-up:
(on his personal Facebook page) "Good news for the morning: I’m leaving the hospital today! I don’t know yet if I’m going to my home or to Barcelona to see a specialist. I still don’t know the rehabilitation time, probably between 4 and 6 weeks. There you go, I’ll keep you posted! Just to explain my fall: I fell into a false neutral point when entering the last chicane and the second entered by itself, which blocked the rear wheel … it happens! Thank you all for your messages which are very important and appreciated in these moments…."

And now for our MNC analysis of the World Superbike at the Nurburgring !

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