WSBK – Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Misano – Statements by Superbike riders

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Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Misano

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

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

Superbike rider statements

Carlos Checa, 1st (x 2) :
"What a superb result today! In the first run, I didn’t get off to a very good start, I lost a bit of ground in the first corners. Max was strong at the start and it was not easy to pass him but once in front I was able to find a good rhythm and build a little advantage. I am extremely satisfied because the tire was starting to slip in the last laps and it was very hot today. We changed gum for the second run and it looks like it was the right decision. Max was strong again, he and I had a solid rhythm, more solid than the others, but I was turning maybe a few hundredths faster than him. We knew Misano would be in our favor after our test results in May, but I didn’t expect a double. It’s fantastic, maybe more than Miller because we knew we could do well there, whereas here it was far from won".

Max Biaggi, 2nd (x 2) :
"I kept attacking, even when second place was secure and despite my less than perfect physical condition. I took a few risks but never gave up. But Carlos has been very strong lately. He always rode well here. I was able to follow him but not attack him. There is a significant gap in the championship (72 points, Editor’s note), but I don’t have to think about it too much. That can’t stop me from continuing to fight. Right now that’s all we can get but I’m sure I can win again, for myself and for my team. We are still working hard, a victory would give us a great boost of enthusiasm".

Marco Melandri, 3rd then DNF :
"It was a difficult day, one to forget. Not because of the fall, but mainly because of our inability to fight. Even in the second heat I was too slow to be competitive. This morning I struggled to ride the bike and struggled to get on the podium. We made a few changes before the second race but it didn’t improve anything. From the start the bike seemed totally lacking in grip and I suddenly lost the front".

Noriyuki Haga, DNF then 3rd :
"I am very happy with the result obtained on this familiar track. It’s a burst of enthusiasm for me and the team. Despite my worn tire, I managed to take advantage of the slight gap left by Badovini. We still have to improve to try to fight regularly for the podium, but it is a satisfactory first step. I hope to be able to repeat my performance next week in Aragon".

Tom Sykes, 4th then 14th :
"We start again from one of the circuits which we appreciate the least with a pole and a 4th place. In the first run, the feeling was good. In the first part of the second heat, I lost a couple of places but I felt I had the pace to easily recover them. The race was then stopped, I do not know for what reason because it turns out that there was no oil or other on the track, certainly nothing that required the interruption. We seemed strong, there was only Haslam between the podium and me. We were moving away from the guys behind. In the "real" second race, I had a fight with a few guys and it made me lose my rhythm. It was a race in the form of a sprint, so some had bet on the soft tires. I tried to turn a little shorter to make Xaus inside in the third corner unfortunately I bit on the white line and lost the front. I left and I scored two points".

Ayrton Badovini, 8th then 4th :
NC

Eugene Laverty, 5th then 13th :
"We took a bet on the rear tire in the first run and it was good until the last four laps. The left flank was then completely flushed, which is very strange because the circuit turns on the right. I was very disappointed to lose 4th place at the very end. In the second run, once the red flag was hoisted, I changed the tire and used the same one as in the first run and immediately felt better with the bike. I thought I could fight Checa and Biaggi for the lead, but above all I wanted to get away from the peloton and settle in 3rd position. Unfortunately I lost the front and I fell. We just have to forget what happened and turn to Aragon. This is a track we’ve been training on recently and we should be strong".

Leon Haslam, DNF then 5th :
"I am quite disappointed that the race was interrupted. We had selected the hard tire to go the distance, it seemed enduring and I felt comfortable. Unfortunately the race was stopped and the number of laps was reduced so we chose the soft tire which offered more grip, and it really affected the handling of the bike. We don’t seem to be doing any better despite the gain in grip. I had big problems with the front tire and I almost fell several times. I was happy to finish the race. The fall in the first run was my fault, I was attacking too hard and went into a big highside. I broke a toe and hurt my hand, but it’s not too bad".

Michel Fabrizio, DNF then 6th :
"I’m actually a little disappointed with this weekend, and not really because of my injury. The wet weather ruined my Superpole and my chances of getting on the grid. I had the third fastest time in qualifying, then 13th in the Superpole which means that I was far on the grid and that I needed binoculars to see the lights! In the first run I took off as fast as I could because I didn’t want the leaders to drive a big gap right away, but I pushed a little too hard and went highside in the third turn , injuring my arm at the same time. I joined Clinica Mobile and was told that I had probably broken my right scaphoid, but it would take a day or two to confirm it. I thought I might as well try to start the second race and that’s what I did. I fought and passed quite a few riders and ended up in 7th I believe when the race was interrupted. So the second run came down to 14 laps and even though I tried my best, I just didn’t have the strength to keep the throttle open when I wanted to. So I lost a lot on the acceleration and that’s what kept me from progressing in the standings. That and the fact that I ran out of laps. I would have preferred a straightforward 24-lap race because it would have given me time to pass a lot. Without the injury, I think I could have played for the podium, despite my position on the grid. In the end, it was yesterday’s rain that ruined everything, and today’s fall didn’t help. I’m going to go see a specialist on Tuesday and have some more x-rays. For me, it doesn’t really matter whether I broke my scaphoid or not, because I’ll be running in Aragon next weekend for sure. If I have to wear some sort of protective cast on my arm for running, then this is what I will do. But one thing’s for sure, I’ll be on the track again next weekend".

Sylvain Guintoli, 7th (x 2) :
"We could do more, we clearly had the possibility of getting on the podium in both races. Instead, we comment on a race that cannot fully satisfy us. In the first run, we had a problem with the choice of tires, the heat and our analysis made us opt for the more enduring and with hindsight, we could probably have obtained a better result by choosing the softer. We seemed to be doing better in the second heat than in the first, but other small issues kept us from optimizing the performance of the bike. Too bad, we had worked well during the week and now we are going home with less than expected".

Maxime Berger, 10th then DNF :
"The first race went very well. I very quickly found a good feeling with my bike and brought in tenth place and six points. A good result is important for me and for my team: they have worked so hard here in Misano. The good start allowed me to integrate a group of very fast drivers. It wasn’t until the end that I slowed down a bit, when the tires were worn out and I was in danger of falling. Unfortunately, the second race was not at all positive. The choice of our tires was not quite good and, while I was struggling to move up a few places, we had a technical problem which forced me to join the box. All in all it was a positive weekend because we managed to improve the suspensions and I also competed in the Superpole, a great experience for me".

Jonathan Rea, DNS :
" Well, the weekend really went from bad to worse: I had an accident yesterday that required stitches in my arm, then crashed at 230 km / h this morning in one of the corners. faster on the calendar. Of course, I am frustrated and have a few injuries that I want to take the time to heal well. We’re going to have to miss Aragon next week unfortunately, but Brno is a month away and the doctors tell me that my broken arm normally prevents someone from working for three weeks. I will try to come back to Brno 100%, it is a circuit that suits me and suitable for the bike. I got my first world championship win there and we got 1 – 2 last year. Thanks everyone for all the supportive posts it really means a lot and I’m sure it will speed up the recovery".

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