WSBK – Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK at Magny-Cours – Statements by Superbike riders in France

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Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK at Magny-Cours

WSBK - Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK at Magny-Cours - Statements by Superbike riders in France

The fourteenth and final round of the World SBK 2012 took place yesterday at Magny-Cours. 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..

Statements by Superbike riders in France

Sylvain Guintoli, 1st then 3rd:
"This Sunday was fantastic, I experienced great things on this track, at home. I wanted to do very well because at the end of this troubled season, I found a team of professionals who believed in me and with whom I had excellent results. I am happy to have hoisted the 1098 twice on the podium, it will go down in history because it is the last time that this model runs in this championship. I dedicate the good results of this day to my group, to the technicians and to all those who believed in me".

Tom Sykes, 3rd then 1st:
"We were in pole position setting a new circuit record, got a podium and a victory and regained 30 points from Max Biaggi. Which was not easy against a driver of his level. Yes, there is obviously a huge disappointment because we were only half a point away from the world championship! But on the other hand, being realistic we are very happy and we have – by far – exceeded expectations this year. We were very strong and I think this weekend we were particularly strong, in part thanks to this helmet dedicated to Joan Lascorz. I had massive support here from my family, friends and Kawasaki fans to complete my year, it was fantastic. I really appreciate that Kawasaki, Provec, the whole team, our sponsors, Motocard, Leo Vince and all the others have given us the opportunity to fight for the world championship. Hope next year we can be consistent from the start".

Marco Melandri, 2nd then DNF:
"It felt good to finish a race on the podium after two unsuccessful last race weekends. My BMW S1000RR was working fine. I struggled to warm up the tire for the first couple of laps of the first race, but when the tire started to work I was able to turn at a fairly good pace. Anyway, the race was difficult, I didn’t want to ride too hard and take too many risks. Unfortunately the track dried up more and more which didn’t help. When I finally passed in front of Tom, the track was not really wet any more and in these conditions, I had no chance to follow Sylvain who really performed well today. The track conditions were very difficult during the second race. I pushed 100%, but couldn’t change direction quickly. I had to ride on a wet patch, lost the back of my RR and fell. My back and my leg are very sore now. Overall it was a great season for us. We can be proud of what we have accomplished. When we started the season, we were quite far from the best drivers. We closed the gap quickly and fought with them the rest of the year. We won races, but we also had some bad luck and I made mistakes. Anything was possible this year, and we can be happy. I hope to be able to resume from there next year. A big "Thank you" to the whole team, in Germany and on the track".

Jonathan Rea, 13th then 2nd:
"I would have needed wings in the first race where I got trapped by the conditions. It was frustrating because my team gave me a great bike for the wet. Everything looked good, but I felt a bit like an amateur once in the gravel. At the start of the second race I was a bit suspicious. I was able to access the outposts but Tom (Sykes) made no mistake. I am really happy to be part of this championship and I want to congratulate Max on his great job. It’s the end of a long season, I want to thank the team for their hard work. We struggled some days but there were others where we capitalized on the strengths of the bike through our work as a team. We’re going to be parting this winter and I’m going to make sure I’m in the best shape I can for the 2013 season, I’m sure the team will do the same with CBR".

Maxime Berger, 4th then 11th:
NC.

Eugene Laverty, 7th then 4th:
Not communicated by Aprilia, priority to Max !

Leon Haslam, 5th then DNF:
"I had some grip and electronics issues in the first run, and on top of that, I made a few mistakes. To finish the race in fifth position is a bit disappointing because I know that a podium was possible. I got off to a good start in race two, but struggled to get into first gear in a few corners. I also encountered a false dead point on the descent of the last section. I had to release the brakes so as not to hit Eugene Laverty and got off the track. I came back to eighth position and tried to follow the group around Max Biaggi when I rode over a wet area. I fell again. I’m a little disappointed to end the season this way, and I’m also disappointed for my squad and the team who have done an outstanding job throughout the season. Thanks to all these guys. Max Biaggi was once again "Monsieur Constance", congratulations on this new title in the world championship. Anyway, I’m a little sorry for Tom who has done some great races this year. Losing the World Championship by just half a point is hard to accept".

Max Biaggi, DNF then 5th:
"This is the fourth world champion title out of six that I won after the last race. Guess I must like tough challenges! The 2012 season was a tight one to say the least: we started off well by winning at Phillip Island after completely overhauling my team, but we also had some difficult times. We struggled to get this title and maybe that’s why the victory looks even better. I want to thank the team, Aprilia and the Piaggio Group, from President Colaninno to the last worker because my success is only the emerging part of the work of a great Italian company. I also want to thank my family, my friend Eleonora and my two children, as well as the ubiquitous Marino Laghi".

Ayrton Badovini, 6th then 9th:
"I finished both races in the top 10 today. I’m not fully satisfied but, considering how the weekend was shaping up, I’m quite happy with these results. The first run in the rain was very exciting especially on the last lap, while in the dry I had to be on the defensive because we knew we were not at our best. I would like to thank the team for the support given to me despite a season of ups and downs".

Davide Giugliano, 8th then 6th:
"We were pretty unlucky in the first run. We knew we had a good pace and I think we had the potential to finish maybe third, but a few small problems prevented me: I first had a problem with the gearbox, then I made a few small mistakes that cost me a lot of time. To be honest, I thought I could win the second race. Unfortunately, I wasted a lot of time when Melandri fell in front of me and I knew then that it was folded. However, I finished in front of my teammate (the 2011 champion Carlos Checa, Editor’s note) and I also won my first Pirelli award for doing the fastest lap in the race, so I’m happy on that point".

Carlos Checa, DNF then 7th:
"It was a strange weekend. The fall in the first run is a real shame, but the conditions were difficult and the track was very slippery, these things happen. Then in the second run, I didn’t have the same feeling as yesterday, the bike seemed different and moved a lot more. The task became more complicated and I was unable to complete the expected lap times. Either way, the season is over, it’s been a long one and we’ve had some ups and downs along the way. I’m happy to finish in fourth place because given the issues we had I don’t think the end result is bad".

Leon Camier, DNF then 10th:
"I’m really happy with our performance in the wet conditions, but the first race was neither wet nor dry which is the worst possible scenario. Everything was fine until I got out of turn 11 and went highside. I was catapulted into the air and came down heavily on my left arm and on my head, then the bike landed on me: I couldn’t move. I felt like I was waiting ages before it was taken out and I could get up. I felt pretty bad but luckily I didn’t have anything broken even though my left arm had taken a good hit".

"The Suzuki Fixi Crescent was a bit crumpled up, but the guys did a great job getting it ready in time for race two. From the start, I felt the bike was not quite square – it wasn’t really surprising after its big crash – and it was difficult to ride. The electronics didn’t seem to work quite well and I didn’t have a good start, but I was determined to get the bike back in good shape and that’s what I did. Although the season did not end as I hoped, the progress the team has made on the Suzuki makes me very optimistic about the future. The bike has evolved in leaps and bounds since the start of the season and I can’t wait to get back on it … once my left arm has rested a bit !".

Loris Baz, 10th then DNF:
"It wasn’t the kind of home weekend I wanted, but we were a bit unlucky losing track time during practice. I also got sick on Saturday so it wasn’t easy to drive, but I felt a little better today. I started out confident, I thought I would get a good result in the first run in the wet, but I didn’t have the same feeling as during the warm-up. Without going off the track, I think my pace would have allowed me to get around seventh or eighth place".

"In the second run, as I was following Max, I crossed a slippery area and went into a very big highside. I felt a nasty pain in my back and ribs but nothing was broken. Then I had a headache. We went to the hospital for some tests just to check it out, but everything is OK. We have a few tests planned on the bike soon, so it’s good not to have any injuries and although I’m not 100% at the moment, I will be for the test which will really help us to prepare. next season".

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