WSBK – Statements by World Superbike riders in Sepang – Statements from the 2nd WSBK round

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World Superbike riders’ statements at Sepang

WSBK - Statements by World Superbike riders in Sepang - Statements from the 2nd WSBK round

The sixth round of the 2016 World SBK took place this weekend in Sepang, Malaysia. To complete our almost live reports, here are the statements of the Superbike riders at the end of their two Malaysian races.

WSBK Round 2 Statements

Nicky Hayden, 1st:
"I’m really happy to have won. Last night, I was so frustrated that my team leader asked me if I was okay, and told me not to give up. I told him he shouldn’t worry, that I was just a bit of a sore loser. This morning in the dry, we had a good pace and great potential. When it started to rain I knew I had to go for it: I’m far from fighting for the championship which means I could take a chance".

"I took some risks in the first few laps to take the lead. I didn’t want to find myself fighting in a package like in Assen. I wanted to be in front to benefit from good visibility. In the lead, the bike worked so well: the team knows it inside and out and the set-up was perfect. I tried to stay as comfortable as possible as long as I was in front as we didn’t know the tire endurance on the new asphalt at this track. I managed to widen a gap but the end was really not easy because the guys were coming back to me. I was able to maintain my lead and get my first win, which hadn’t happened for a long time. I had a few lean years, but I never gave up: to get a victory at this point in my Superbike career is really incredible".

Davide Giugliano, 2nd:
"I am very happy because our race was both fun and solid. After the first few laps we found a good tempo and in the end I wanted to try to pass Hayden to win but it would have been risky and I didn’t want to overdo it. It was very important for me to get back on the podium, after a few races below expectations. We made some progress throughout the weekend, and I think we would have been more competitive even in the dry. We must therefore stay on this path. I would like to thank the whole team who did not stop believing in me in the most difficult times".

Jonathan Rea, 3rd:
"It’s so difficult when, in a weekend, you ride in the dry during all the test sessions as in the first round, and two hours before the second, the monsoon is coming! I am proud of my team because they have been so responsive with the changing conditions. I think we didn’t fall far (best settings, Editor’s note), so that my motorbike was sending me a lot of information".

"The strategy in the wet was simply to set the pace. It was important to maintain grip when entering a curve, because this is normally the first area where you fish. Once this point was settled, we had to manage everything. Nicky was too far away for me to pull the knife between my teeth and try to get back at him. I’m happy with our performance, it was the maximum we could do. Maybe if we started the race again I would start with Nicky at the start, but third place is our result today and it allows us to reach our goal for the weekend: to increase our lead in the championship. So I’m happy with what we’ve accomplished".

Chaz Davies, 4th:
"This race was weird because with 7 laps to go I thought we could win, but the next lap I realized we were in trouble. The track conditions were fairly even, so the tires weren’t too difficult to manage. But we struggled with the grip coming out of the corners. I must have used the front tire quite a bit to compensate for that, and its performance suddenly dropped. I’m half happy with the end result. Obviously I would have liked to have done more, but we were on track for most of the race. Anything can happen during wet races, and we only lost 3 points in the championship. On to donington".

Anthony West, 5th:
"When I got off the bike I let my joy burst out, as if I had won the championship … I am very happy for my team and I can say that we can even aim even higher. The tuning of my bike could indeed have been improved. She wasn’t reacting the way I wanted to my aggressive riding style. However, I have to keep in mind that this was my first WorldSBK race, and that I have a lot to learn about this bike and its setup. I really hope to have the chance to work with this team again, it was just great".

Alex de Angelis, 7th:
"I really like racing in these wet conditions in Sepang: when I won the Moto2 race in 2012, it was already in the rain. This time too everything went very well, and I come home with my best result of the season. The only disappointment was my position on the starting grid. If I had got a better place, I wouldn’t have had to take all the risks to gain some positions early on, and maybe my race would have been even better. However, I am satisfied with this result obtained after a difficult and very long race. I want to thank the team because they spent the whole weekend looking for a good setup. We’re getting close to that, but I’m not yet riding as I would like and hope to do so soon. We had a close fight with Van Der Mark, we doubled several times. Many of the passes were tough, but very clean and correct since we didn’t touch each other. I hope to continue to provide the show during the next races"

Tom Sykes, 8th:
"It’s a shame, after the form that we have held over the whole weekend. I expected a little change for the dry conditions today, but we set off in the wet considering our weekend experience in Assen. Once the water was evacuated, the grip of the track became quite high. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the perfect setting for a grippy surface. I couldn’t rivet the tires to the ground and get the traction I needed. Other than that, I felt that with a few modifications we could have been stronger. I am disappointed not to maintain our momentum, not to capitalize on yesterday’s victory. But sometimes the race is like this".

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