WSBK – Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Portimao – Statements from Superbike riders

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Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Portimao

WSBK - Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Portimao - Statements from Superbike riders

The last event of the World SBK 2011 took place on Sunday in Portimao. 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

Carlos Checa, 1st then 4th :
" "The first race was not easy at all because I had some tire problems at the start but we knew it would be better at the end of the race and our decision turned out to be good. catch up with Marco and Johnny then Sylvain and win the race with a slight lead. This victory is for the team, it really deserved it: I dedicate this victory to all its members. In the second round, I attacked hard but we had changed tires and chose the softer ones that did not allow me to do better. This weekend was very special, because before the first round it was apparently impossible for me to stay at Althea Racing in 2012 and I was very upset about that. But now it looks like Althea Racing and Ducati have come to an agreement and I’m delighted to hear that I will be reuniting with my team and my bike next year. We have built something very special and left everything it would have been heartbreaking. Beyond the race won, this day re presents a moral victory: in the space of two days, I lost and fortunately found my team".

Marco Melandri, 6th then 1st :
"It was a fantastic victory and end to the championship. The bike was running well and I really wanted to win again before I finished the season. I would have liked a double, but the first race didn’t go that well. I got off to a good start and decided to wait a few laps before attacking harder and fighting for a victory, unfortunately the rear tire was flushed at mid-race, I had very little grip and I just couldn’t push anymore. The team have worked very hard all year and I want to thank not only her but everyone at Yamaha for our amazing season and for all the help and support they have given me since making the decision. by YME (Yamaha Motor Europe, NDLR) to retire at the end of this year".

Sylvain Guintoli, 2nd then 5th : NC

Eugene Laverty, 19th then 2nd :
"Well that was a great way to end the season for Yamaha with a brace in the second run. It’s been a fantastic year and I want to thank Yamaha and the whole team for it. Obviously it would have been great to finish with one more point to get third in the championship, unfortunately I lost a lot of points in the first race. I had a problem with the bike on the third lap: when I got into the VIP tower bend, the rear of the machine came off the ground and the bike suddenly jumped up. I was lucky not to fall and managed to stay on the bike, but the brutality of the incident broke the steering damper and had to come back to the pits to change it. It’s a shame because my pace was fast and I really could have been on the podium".

Jonathan Rea, 3rd (x 2) :
"I have the feeling that I rode the first race about the best possible, but Sylvain set a terrible pace at the start, then Carlos arrived too: well done to both of them for their results. It was nice to be able to play for victory in both races, but I believe in the second the places where we let go were pretty clearly defined. I rode well it seems to me, and the bike was really great in some areas, but not in others where it was necessary. It’s been an eventful year for me with a lot of ups and downs so it’s just great to finish the season injury free and put the bike on the podium here. I would like to thank everyone who shared this adventure with me, as well as the team and all its partners for their support. I can’t wait for the 2012 season to start now".

Max Biaggi, 4th then 7th :
"It’s a shame for my start in the second race, it was much worse than in the first. During my two climbs, I obviously worn the tires quite a bit, but in any case I was able to bring in a fourth and a seventh place despite a 17th place on the grid. The lap times were good, unfortunately in the second round I started to feel my lack of physical preparation. It was a positive weekend because by taking third place in the general classification, I will be able to keep number 3 on my fairing for the 2012 season.".

Joan Lascorz, 5th then 8th :
"I lost a lot of rear grip in the first race, and it was difficult at times. On the last lap, Biaggi passed me on the acceleration. But I got a top 5 like in Donington and Aragon, which is good. In the second run we chose identical tires, but made small changes in the suspension settings. My start was again not very good and I think in the first lap I was 12th. Towards the end of the race I was a little faster, but not enough to finish higher than 8th place".

Maxime Berger, 7th then 10th :
"I gave everything I could today and ran both races to the limit. In the first round, I really enjoyed the battles against riders such as Biaggi, Haga and Haslam. This seventh place is the best result of my first season in Superbike and I am very happy with my performance. In the second round we had a problem with the "ride-by-wire" at the precise moment of setting out on the track. My technicians immediately intervened and fixed the problem, but I had to line up behind the start line and start from last place on the grid. I let go in the race and I attacked as much as possible to climb, place after place, to tenth position. I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, Danilo Soncini and all my team who have helped me this season. They believed in me and allowed me to achieve good results. I express my gratitude to them".

Leon Haslam, 9th then 15th :
"We knew the weekend was going to be tough and as expected we struggled with the bike from the first race. From the first lap we had to fight, so it was a long race. It was just about going the distance and trying to get as many points as possible. We were in the top 10, so we improved our place compared to the qualifiers. At the start of the second race, I was fighting so hard that I went off the track. It put me far behind. I was more consistent throughout the race, but lost the front quite often and the rear tire was flushed out. It was too much trouble to get a good result. I now look to the future, eagerly awaiting the 2012 season, which starts on Tuesday with our tests here".

Noriyuki Haga, 15th then 11th :
"I did not expect such a final. I suffered from the lack of grip all weekend and it led to heavy tire wear. I would like to thank the whole team for the work accomplished throughout this season".

Troy Corser, 14th then 16th :
"I am a little disappointed with the results. It wasn’t really how I wanted to end my racing career. We struggled all weekend. We were able to improve the bike by changing some settings, but we didn’t have enough grip yet. I attacked to the maximum with what I had and gave everything I had. It’s a shame because we’ve made really big progress throughout the year and I was hoping to turn that into a good result here. The guys and I tried everything, but it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t the only one suffering from the lack of grip though, a lot of guys were slipping too. It was therefore above all a matter of getting home without falling. Overall I have to say that I enjoyed every moment I spent with BMW. It was frustrating at times, but there were also a lot of great moments".

Michel Fabrizio, 12th then 14th :
"I’m disappointed to end the season like this, because today could have gone so much better. I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike this weekend and although I noticed an improvement today it was not enough. Between the warm-up and the first race, we put the bike back to the configuration we used during the second free practice session, because it was the one that worked best for me. On the first run, my right wrist ached and I struggled on the brakes and to turn the bike fast enough. It was very hard to control the bike, so I guess 11th place isn’t bad. We changed the front and rear settings a bit for the second race – just a few clicks – so I didn’t have to put too much pressure on the handlebars and it was better. However, the overall setup was still not as good as it should have been and the grip was poor. The weekend was a little frustrating for us, but sometimes the race is like that. I just wish I hadn’t finished the last race of the season like this".

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