WSBK – Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK at Monza – Statements from Superbike riders in Italy

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Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Monza

WSBK - Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Monza - Statements by Superbike riders in Italy

The fourth round of the World SBK 2012 took place yesterday in Monza. 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 Italy

Tom Sykes, 1st:

"It’s my second victory for Kawasaki, but my first this year and it was good to be able to afford it. Too bad she only gets us half the points but we put on a good show in eight laps and I hope the Italian fans liked it. It’s my first podium at Monza, which is good. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R did a fantastic job. The conditions were mostly very bad so there was a lot of talk but my job was to stay focused. From the green light, the feeling of the bike was fantastic and I was able to work in the right direction and avoid trouble. I got off to a great start and took the lead in the race. Afterwards, as Elvis says: "It’s now or never". We went all out and the bike got better and better with the laps, as did the track conditions. I was confident in our equipment today, I knew we could hold up for a whole race ".

Leon Haslam, 2nd:

"The conditions were difficult this weekend, especially today with the track being wet and dry. I was confident I was going to be able to fight at the forefront. Starting from 14th place on the grid was not ideal because overtaking in these conditions is quite difficult: for that you have to leave the dry line. My race went very well, but by the time I got into second position and Tom was already gone. I have to thank BMW Motorrad and my team very much for doing an excellent job. I’m really happy to be back on the podium. I am now looking forward to racing at Donington which will be my home race".

Eugene Laverty, 3rd:

"We were really quick in the dry here at Monza and I thought I was doing well today. Unfortunately, after the first race, which was rightly canceled, we started the second race, not knowing if we could finish it, and that is exactly what happened. After getting off to a good start and gaining a few positions, I was happy to have Leon Haslam in my sights, an experienced rider who correctly interprets these types of difficult conditions. I’m happy with my third place – my second podium in a row – and now we’ll head to Donington where I hope to continue this good momentum".

Marco Melandri, 4th:

"Canceling the first race today was the right decision to make. It had rained a lot, and there are different surfaces on the track. While the new tarmac does not allow water to drain, the old asphalt, which is very different, dries very quickly. It would have been dangerous to go out with the rain tire in these conditions. The second race went well for me. I decided not to push too hard at the start of the race and just get into the rhythm. I started to feel really comfortable on the lap before the red flag was raised. I felt pretty good on the bike, unfortunately the rain came too early".

Max Biaggi, 5th:

"It’s hard to know what to say after a Sunday like this. Without the rain, everyone would have enjoyed a lot more: the runners first and foremost, but the fans too. On top of that, coming back to the pits after stopping the first race, I encountered a mechanical problem that most likely would have prevented me from restarting. The second round, however, was very good for us. As the track conditions improved I was able to attack and most certainly could have joined the leading pack. We are indeed ahead in the provisional, but we do not have the margin of points that we could have created on a track which is so favorable to four cylinders.".

Jonathan Rea, 6th:

"It was a goofy weekend. As they say here: it was a "big casino"! The weather took its toll and it was a bit the same story as in Assen with dry and wet. The problem is that here at Monza, we hit 330 km / h in the straight line and the center of the rain tire just breaks down. So it’s far too dangerous to ride in wet conditions and that’s why they canceled the first race. The second race was declared dry, but the Parabolica (the long straight that conditions the straight line, Editor’s note) was completely wet and even during the race we had to be very careful at the start. But I’m happy to finish sixth here: the bike is running really well and I’m really happy with our set-up. It’s only in the fast portions here at Monza that we didn’t have the speed to challenge the Aprilias and BMWs. Regardless, the team has worked hard to find a good set-up and we can’t wait to go to Donington".

Carlos Checa, 7th:

"It was a long day. The second shortened race went well for me because I had a pretty good start, I gradually gained confidence on the track and its mixed conditions, and I was able to stick to the group in front of me. Of course, I was hoping to do more here this weekend, but the very changeable conditions did not allow it. I agree with the decision of the race director, we had to at least try to run, and that is what we did in the second run, at least until the rain came. Finally we take some points for the championship and we prepare for Donington".

Maxime Berger, 13th:

NC

Leon Camier, 15th:

"It’s a bad day because I knew I could beat the guys I was riding with. I could catch them on the brakes, but when exiting the corners, they left me for dead! We all knew that there could be problems today in the event of a wet or partially wet track, because during free practice and qualifying, the rain tires were destroyed after five or six laps: there was no so no way to make them last a whole race. We were all hoping for dry track conditions, but they never got there. The organizers were aware of the rain tire problems and their two decisions today (cancel the first and stop the second, Editor’s note) were the right ones".

Sylvain Guintoli, DNS (Did Not Start):

NC

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