WSBK – Statements by Superbike riders at Losail –

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Statements from Superbike riders at Losail

WSBK - Statements by Superbike riders at Losail -

The thirteenth and final round of the World SBK 2015 took place last night in Losail, Qatar. To complete the Live Site reports, here are the statements of the Superbike riders of the two Qatari races.

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 Losail circuit (for latecomers, read, then).

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

Jordi Torres, 1st then fall:
"I’m really happy to have won the first race. Not only from a personal point of view it’s fantastic, but also for my team. I found a second family at Aprilia. The guys have worked hard all season to help me grow and learn the many lessons from this championship. I knew I had a good pace, but I was sure my rivals would not give up. On the last lap I expected Rea to attack and decided to brake even harder, staying inside. It’s amazing but he braked even harder than me, but I was on a better trajectory and it allowed me to stay ahead of him".

"Winning after battling the big names in the championship is something I had always hoped for. It’s a shame for the second race. I did not have the same feeling with the front axle and I fell attacking too hard to stay with the leading group".

Leon Haslam, 6th then 1st:
"We knew the Aprilias would be quick here, although my weekend didn’t start in the best way. We worked hard to get back on track, unfortunately I had some trouble on the braking in the first run, and my arm suffered in the second part of the race.".

"The changes we made before the second race completely turned the tide. The RSV4 was running really well and it was not difficult to maintain a good pace. I continued to attack until the end, I finished my season as strong as I started it. We’ve had some ups and downs this year, but we’ve never given up. This victory is a fair reward".

Jonathan Rea, 2nd then retirement:
"I gave it 200% in the first race and I can’t thank my guys enough because they worked hard to give me a really good bike. When Torres passed I made a very big effort to stay with him".

"The second race wraps up this year in a pretty frustrating way, but we have to be smart and look back on the incredible season we have had, with all of our victories, and the title. I wanted to win again in the second heat and at the start of the race, we made sure to manage our tires better than the others. I’m just a little disgusted that I missed this second race because it looked like fun! I would have liked to take part in the battle".

Chaz Davies, 4th then 2nd:
"I am very happy. We came here with the goal of finishing second in the championship and that is what we did. In the first race I struggled to be honest but after making a few changes ahead of the second run my Panigale R’s suspension felt better and I was able to attack harder. It certainly remains one of the toughest races of the year. I’m just sorry I made a small mistake on the last corner, leaving the door open for Haslam who beat me on the last few meters. But it is okay. It has been a great season, we have always been ahead, we fought for podiums and all the Ducati guys have worked very hard to provide us with a good package. Collecting over 400 points during the season, despite retiring, is not bad at all. We can always improve, of course! We have some work to do over the winter, but I am confident and excited to start the 2016 season. !".

Tom Sykes, 3rd (x 2):
"The gap to be filled to obtain second place in the general classification had become too large following the last tests. In the first run today, the traction control was locked to the max and the power was constantly being cut off, which is why I was losing ground. I tried to compensate, but it was in the second run that we found ourselves close to where we needed to be".

"The two guys in front had an incredible race, brushing against each other while maintaining fast lap times. I have to be satisfied with third place, and only three hundredths of a second that separates me from victory, on a circuit which is not the best for me. Here is a great positive point to remember for this winter".

Michael van den Mark, 5th then 4th:
"We started this great weekend very well, on Friday. The CBR was behaving well, the pace was solid, and we were able to improve on Saturday except in the Superpole, which wasn’t great. Tonight in the first run, I didn’t have as much grip as the others in the first laps. So I had to attack hard and it wore out the tires too quickly, but I was able to finish in fifth position. For the second race we changed the bike a bit and the pace of the guys in front was not as fast as it was in the first race. I had about the same pace and was able to stay with them, but not really being able to get past. I kept pushing, but in the last laps my tires were completely worn. I’m happy with these two strong results at the end of the season and we can’t wait to start working for 2016, in the first tests next month.".

Sylvain Guintoli, 10th then 5th:
"This last weekend has been difficult but there are certainly some positives to be learned. In the middle of the second race, our pace was good, similar to the lead drivers, and it was very good. We unfortunately had some problems on the bike on Friday and Saturday which made the weekend difficult".

"At least despite a bad start in the second race, I was able to make a nice comeback and my pace was pretty good. We made a lot of changes after the first race: we selected the soft tire, changed the gear ratio and the swingarm length. But I got a bit squeezed in the first corner and had my fastest lap at the halfway point. The weekend really reflected the whole season: we had some good times and some problems too. At the end of the day, we stuck together, as a team, and the three of us worked really hard: the team, Honda and myself. That satisfies me".

Randy de Puniet, 12th then 7th:
"I’m very happy to end the year like this, because the season has been really difficult. During the first race I was still fighting for eighth place four laps before the end, but I had problems with the engine braking and the endurance of the front tire, so I finished 12th. In the second run we made a few adjustments to the engine brake and it was better, it helped me stop the bike better and saved me the front tire. My start was good and I finished seventh. It felt good, it was my best result since Phillip Island so I’m happy to end on a high note. Thanks to all the guys on the team this year, it was not easy for everyone. So finishing a race like this is good for all of us".

Christophe Ponsson, 14th then 11th:
NC.

If the 2015 season is over for the World Superbike, it is certainly not for the Journal moto du net which exceptionally ignores the analysis to go to northern Italy (in Varese, you say something?) to test the luxury version of the MV Agusta Turismo Veloce … Stay tuned !

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