MNC analysis of World Superbike in Germany
Beyond the points distributed, each race weekend brings its share of remarkable feats and poor performances, good and bad surprises. In its analysis, Site reviews the highlights of the WSBK at the Lausitzring.
Restless returns for the World Superbike
After two endless months of vacation, the World Superbike Championship has finally made its comeback! The return was also triple since the teams went to Germany, a country absent from the WorldSBK calendar for three seasons, and to the Lausitz circuit, not visited since 2007….
Out of the 24 pilots entered in Superbike, a handful had participated a month ago in two days of private testing, with the aim of getting to know the technical and bumpy Germanic route (read MNC of August 19, 2016: taking benchmarks for Guintoli and co).
Among them, Rea and Sykes, however, had not been able to rough the settings of their racing bikes: the German circuit not being part of their list of test tracks for 2016, the Ninjas had to train on ZX- Standard 10R – and even personal for Jonathan, specially descended from the Isle of Man !
Tom Sykes, known for his outspokenness, gave his impressions on Twitter on Friday after the first free practice session, this time at the control of his factory machine: "we are lacking a bit of rhythm this morning! I suppose it is. is what we get when we do a test on a road bike, analyzed the 2013 world champion before tagging a limpid "# paslamêmechose"…
Could it be that, contrary to what the manufacturers try – in vain – to make us believe through their pretty marketing speeches, the performance of the motorcycles (over) prepared for the World Superbike and those of the original production models did not nothing in common ?
As if taken with remorse – or advised by those around him, or even reprimanded by his employer ?! -, the official Kawasaki rider n ° 66 specified a few minutes later: "despite everything, I would be well below the 107% mark (qualifying, Editor’s note), which illustrates the level of the standard motorcycle". Phew, ZX-10R owners are reassured !
In its latest promotional video, Kawasaki features its world champion – Jonathan Rea, who else? – training this summer on a small circuit in the Isle of Man, in order to stay in the game physically, mentally, cognitively…
"The first time I rode the ZX-10R at Sepang at the press launch, I knew I wanted one, not just for my collection, but to share the same sensations as with my race bike and , especially with this long summer break, to stay sharp and get ready for the end of the season, "says the" Number One ".
Enchanted by his training bike, the ruthless "JR" was particularly upset Saturday afternoon against his competition Ninja who sent him to the mat because of a new gearbox problem … including his teammate doesn’t seem to be in pain !
Forced to retire during the last Superbike race at Laguna Seca, the championship leader thus registered a second consecutive bubble on his 2016 table and saw his lead almost halved: from 46 points to 26 against Sykes second in the race behind the unbeatable Davies.
But luck changed on Sunday within the Kawasaki Racing team: confusing speed and haste – a little too easy to say behind the screen, right ?! -, "Major Tom" crashed while braking on the approach to turn 10.
Rea on the contrary, perfectly dominated the very tricky conditions: 11 riders fell during the second heat … including the Kawasaki Pedercini rider who had already felt gravel during the second warm-up lap! In all, eight drivers did not cross the finish line…
We underline in passing that Michael van den Mark should have appeared in the list of DNF (Did Not Finish). But his astonishing tenacity led him to climb back up immediately after it fell on his wreck – sorry Soichiro, there is no other word to qualify the Fireblade # 60 after his antics – and snatch eighth place !
"I still don’t know how I finished this race", tweeted the young Dutchman on Monday morning, "but we scored important points for the championship! Without these indeed," Magic Michael "(4th tied with Giugliano arriving in Germany) would share the same number of points as his teammate Nicky Hayden…
Tom Sykes was not unworthy either, since left last after his blunder in the first round, he managed to save four points from the water. So this weekend, Tom only conceded one point to his own teammate Jonathan (’47 points difference) … But that can not satisfy him.
There are now only six races to go, 150 points to be distributed to the winners … but also 120 to the second, 96 to the third, etc. As the ruthless "JR" never finished a race outside the podium, Tom’s mission promises to be impossible. !
Chaz Davies’ goal is no less complicated to achieve: located 51 points behind Tom Sykes, the Welshman, like Jonathan Rea, wants to keep his rank. WSBK runner-up in 2015, Ducati rider n ° 7 is keen to remain so in 2016.
Able to ride both harder and more serene in the dry thanks to the progress made this summer in testing, "Chazie" was imperial in the Superpole (3rd in his career only) then in the first round on Saturday (14th). The following day, however, Davies was confused by the elements and debunked by his opponents, his great friend Leon Camier in the lead.
Because the factory Panigale is not the only one to have improved recently … The only MV Agusta F4 of the field, entered by the small Italian firm and driven by the great English driver (1.88 m!) , landed two Top 5s in very different conditions: dry track at 28 ° one day, wet track at 18 ° the other…
Whatever the weather, which is always very changeable at the end of September at Magny-Cours, should we expect to see beautiful Italians and vigorous Brits playing the stars of the French World Superbike 2016 event? Or can we hope that another duo shines? The answer on the next page…
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