WSBK – Videos, statements and analysis from SBK in Assen – Statements from Superbike riders

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Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Assen

WSBK - Videos, statements and analysis from SBK in Assen - Statements from Superbike riders

The third round of the World SBK 2011 took place yesterday in Assen. To complete our live reports, here are the statements of the SBK riders, our analyzes and the video summaries of the Superbike and Supersport races..

Superbike rider statements

Jonathan Rea, 1st then 3rd :
"First of all, I’m really proud to bring the famous Castrol Honda team their first victory since their return to the championship. We spent the whole weekend improving the bike and this strategy paid off. I got off to a good start but wasn’t sure if I should let Max pass and let him dictate the pace. In the end, I made the right decision by staying ahead to clinch the victory. I had to spit in the pognes in the second run because I was held back for a while and the guys in front had run away. I was watching their lap times but we had tire problems towards the end. I am very happy with this weekend though, and very grateful to those who helped me get there: it has been a long and difficult winter due to my injury. The team worked really well and that’s exactly the kind of confidence and momentum we need to maintain in the next races. I am happy to come back to my level, to return to the winner’s circle, and I can’t wait to try for more victories".

Carlos Checa, 3rd then 1st :
"The start of the first race was difficult: I didn’t have enough grip and some of my rivals were able to overtake me. So I had to attack a lot to catch up. I tried to stay calm, to maintain my rhythm: I was able to place myself at the head of the second group, but Max and Johnny were really out of reach. They had taken the lead when I was trying to pass Laverty. I accepted the result wholeheartedly, however, it gives us important points for the championship. Then for the second race, we decided to change the tire: with the soft one, I had more grip and I was able to drive quickly from the start. At the beginning I wanted to attack to widen the gap on Max but he stayed behind me, putting pressure on me. I made a small mistake towards the end and he passed me in front, I could see he was struggling a bit with his tires. I overtook him again and took the win, a surprising but fantastic result. At Monza, we will try to defend our position as best we can, knowing that it will be a very hard track for us.".

Max Biaggi, 2nd (x 2) :
"We got the maximum, especially considering everything we went through on Saturday. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a choice in terms of the tires on our RSV4. I couldn’t have used the soft tire that Checa chose. When I passed him in the second run, I pushed to the limit, but I didn’t have enough grip to keep the first place. The advantage of the twin, which consists in being able to use softer tires, is important on a track like this, moreover, I had a technical problem in the last 5 or 6 laps of the second race. In any case, I must thank my team: after the fall (under test, Editor’s note) and at the end of the first race, the work they did allowed me to use my # 1 bike which suits me much better. I’m happy with my second places. We still have a lot to make up for, but we won’t give up. From this point of view, Monza could be an important race".

Marco Melandri, 4th then DNF :
"I got off to a bad start in the first run and I lost the feeling of the rear end of the bike. By the time I regained my feelings and a good pace, it was too late to get on the podium. In the second heat, the bike seemed better adjusted and I was able to start from the grid better. I was able to get closer to the leading group but after the first ten laps I started to lose grip at the rear. I was keeping an eye on Rea and planning to catch up on him in the final laps but lost the front without realizing it and fell. It disappoints me a lot and I hope it won’t happen again".

Leon Camier, DNF then 4th :
"It’s the classic weekend where anything that can go wrong happens! Problems with the tires, two breakdowns, the bike that cut everything and, on top of that, my two mistakes in Superpole which ruined potentially important races. In any case, I am happy with the 4th place obtained in the second heat, during which I was also able to sign the fastest lap in the race. I knew I had a good pace, I had shown it in practice and in the warm-up. I leave Assen convinced that I can do well if I continue to improve and if luck turns on my side !".

Michel Fabrizio, 5th then 7th :
"Overall I’m pretty happy with our performance today: especially considering that I had to start from the fourth row on the grid. I didn’t get off to a good start in the first run, but managed to get into fourth on the 12th lap. Passing the others took a little while but I felt quite comfortable in 4th place until a few laps before the finish. My front tire was already moving a lot when Melandri passed me. I tried to catch him but my tire couldn’t, so I had to settle for 5th place. I used the same tires (soft front and rear) for the second race but this time they started to decline after just six laps. From there it became very hard to attack enough to get back on Haslam and Laverty, but I persisted until the end. In the end, I only finished one tenth behind Laverty, so I was very close. Even though the day was good enough for us, it would have been a lot better if I hadn’t had a problem in the Superpole yesterday. I’m sure if I had been in the first or second row today I would have reached the podium, maybe even won a race !".

Troy Corser, 6th then DNF :
"The first race was not too bad, and I’m quite happy about it. For the second run, we had just made a few small adjustments to the rear shock and I think that improved the bike. Unfortunately I lost the front by diving into a bend. I’m doing fine, without injury, but it’s a bit disappointing. Everything was going well in free practice, but during the race we had tire problems. We will now analyze and improve all this for the next race".

Noriyuki Haga, DNF then 8th :
"I am disappointed for the team and my supporters. I was hoping to get two better results. Unfortunately, I still lack experience on this bike, especially in races where we have grip problems at the end of the course. I am sure that with all this data we will aim for a better result at Monza".

Sylvain Guintoli, DNF then 10th :
"I must honestly admit that I did not expect these results: not so much in terms of final place, but especially in terms of my lap times. Despite my physical problems, I rode in times very close to those of the leading men. Unfortunately, I failed to qualify for the top row and always found myself in the middle of the field, but I’m sure that starting from a better place I could have fought for the Top 5. Tomorrow I will go and check the condition of my ankle, we will decide if an operation is necessary to solve the problem. Anyway, I’m going to work the best I can and I’m sure I will fight for the podium soon.".

Tom Sykes, 14th then 11th :
"We were unlucky in the first race because we selected a type A soft tire and we thought it would work. It didn’t pay off, in the second run we put on the harder C tire, probably the one that the majority of the field had chosen. We are only just starting out and we know our level once we have found the right settings. I feel like it’s all about balancing the bike and gaining speed, and I think we’ll have both very soon.".

Maxime Berger, DNF then 13th :
"My first run was unfortunately ruined by a clutch problem. I started to feel it from the start, but it seemed to me to subside after a few laps. Then suddenly the clutch completely stopped working and I had to go into the pits. The second race went much better as I collected my first points in World Superbike. After the problems at Donington and Phillip Island, I finally finished a race the right way. We decided to use a harder tire than in the first heat. Of course I struggled a bit at the start as I couldn’t attack as I wanted, but as soon as I realized the tire had good grip I increased my pace and finished 13th. It’s good for my morale and that of the team, I thank them for all the work done here in Holland".

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