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

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Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Aragon

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

The seventh round of the World SBK 2011 took place yesterday in Aragon. 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

Marco Melandri, 1st then 2nd :
"I just had a pretty amazing day. Max was very strong and consistent so it was not easy to pass him in both races, but luckily I was successful in the first. I felt good on the bike and I gained confidence which was very important. In the second heat, the track was warmer, so the tires struggled more. Towards the end I felt I was going to lose the front and trying to avoid widening my foot slipped off the footrest. It was a very good race anyway, I’m happy. I want to thank my team and Yamaha for the excellent work done this weekend".

Max Biaggi, 2nd then 1st :
"I am very happy. This is my first victory with number 1 on the fairing. I think it could have happened much earlier. Unfortunately there was always a complication to prevent it, but we deserve it and I will take advantage of it with my team. I have to thank the team. We worked really hard between the two races, we were also able to change something on my RSV4 which allowed me to attack even harder and be fast and consistent until the end. These are very close races where a simple hesitation can compromise everything. It is undoubtedly a decisive victory, led from the first to the last meter. I’m certainly not happy with the number of points collected, the fact that I haven’t overtaken anyone, or the situation in the championship. What matters to me is to have really won. Now I want to have good races and continue to win them, but we need to make the motorcycle tire set competitive. It hasn’t always been so far so hopefully from there we can change things".

Leon Camier, 3rd then 8th :
"I’m happy for myself and for Aprilia, it really went quite a bit, but I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t have a good pace from the start. I struggled until at least the seventh round and then I attacked hard, but Max and Melandri had more or less the same pace so I wasn’t able to come close. Pity!".

Carlos Checa, DNF then 3rd :
"I am disappointed because it would have been fantastic to win here in front of the Spanish crowd. We didn’t need the crash in the first race. I pushed hard to close the gap between the leader and me, and I slipped. I was slowly catching up with them, so I’m sorry because it could have been a great race. I don’t know if I would have been able to win, but I wanted to at least join them. Anyway, it’s racing and I was lucky enough to be able to line up for the second run despite some shoulder pain. It was the lesson of the day and I will learn it. We changed the tires for the second race and it was a smart decision, but I was not able to close the gap that opened between the leaders and me. Towards the end the bike started to move and I couldn’t gain any further ground. I am still satisfied. We know we are in great shape, me, the team, the bike, and we will go to Brno to continue fighting for the victory and for the championship.".

Eugene Laverty, 4th then 6th :
"In the first race, I wasn’t brave enough in the first corner, which is usually my strong point, and I got stuck. I finally came back up and I was very happy with my result. The same thing happened in the second run, but I felt the rear wheel lock up and I had to widen, which cost me several places. I know I could have been stronger if I had a better start. I had a difficult weekend, but I think we made a good step forward which will help us on every track. We will benefit from this experience and we hope to be stronger in Brno".

Michel Fabrizio, DNF then 4th :
"I’m happy with my performance in the second run, but obviously not happy to have crashed in the first. My start in the first race was not very good and I was pushing very hard, trying to catch up with the leaders, when I lost the front and fell. I managed to hit my injured arm again, but luckily I didn’t get any further damage. The crash determined me to do even better in the second run. I got off to a perfect start and ended up 4th on the fifth lap. I saw Checa ahead and came closer lap after lap. Even though I was close to him, his bike’s acceleration out of a corner was better than mine and I couldn’t pass it. It was a bit frustrating to see the way his bike was catapulting out of the corners, but I kept fighting in case he made a mistake. Unfortunately for me, he didn’t, so I finished fourth. I’m happy today because my lap times were very close to those of the leading men and that proves that I can race with the best. Without my bad grid position I’m sure I would have reached the podium today. By qualifying correctly, I can reach the podium. The next round in Brno would be a good place to do it".

Tom Sykes, 5th then DNF :
"There are positives and negatives again, but I will ignore these. The positive side is that we entered the Top 5 all weekend and in the first race. In the second I fell, but we were still in a good position. We came out of a dry weekend with good levels of performance which is another big positive. We’re going to test in Aragon to be ready for the Brno race, and we have a lot to test. Maybe too much in one day, so we’ll prioritize and break even. Brno is a fantastic circuit that I love, and I hope the new Ninja ZX-10R performs well there too".

Joan Lascorz, 7th then 5th :
" I finished fifth in the second run, which is the same position I obtained in Donington. Except that I was much closer to the outposts here. We had done a few laps in practice, but not a lot, so it was really a new circuit for me in qualifying conditions, and we did a good job. I like the trail, but it is not easy. My team manager provided me with a good set-up for the second race, and persuaded me not to use the softer rear tire, so I used the same type B tire in each race. It was a good decision in the second run. My tire was destroyed in the first race, more than Tom’s, but in the second it looked better. We were just five seconds from the podium, and not just me, Tom was very quick this weekend too.".

Noriyuki Haga, 6th then 7th :
"I had some traction issues in both runs. We are always looking for the best possible setting, especially with regard to the end of the race. In the first run, I gained places but lost some at the end due to my worn rear tire. In the second run, we changed the settings and the rubber was more balanced and enduring, but I spent a lot of time overtaking, but in the meantime the leading group was able to lengthen its stride.".

Ayrton Badovini, 8th then 10th :
"I am satisfied with my weekend because we have progressed and gradually increased in speed. We were also able to improve on our weak point at the start of the race. The first race went rather well, while in the second we made choices that did not offer what we expected. This gave us more data about the bike in these conditions, we hope this will help us in the future".

Leon Haslam, 9th (x 2) :
"It was another tough weekend for us. I didn’t have a good start in the first race and it gave me a lot of work. I felt able to keep pace with the second group of drivers who were battling for fourth place, but I made a mistake on the first lap and was unable to close the gap. However, I worked hard, gained a few places and finished the race in ninth position. In the second run, I got off to a better start, the one I was hoping for the first. Unfortunately I did not have a good feeling on the bike, we had chosen a soft tire and I did not have the same level of grip, but we had a good fight with Ayrton. Now we need to look at the data and get ready for the next event".

Troy Corser, 10th then DNF :
"I passed two drivers by braking a bit late at the end of the home straight. I missed the last corner and went out slightly. As I turned I saw Maxime Berger arrive. I could see his rear wheel above the ground under braking and he slammed right into me. I don’t blame him for anything. It was my fault, I was off track. It was bad luck, that was all. I’m glad I only suffered a broken arm after the injury I suffered a week ago. I have no bruises, nothing is painful and my neck is fine".

Sylvain Guintoli, 11th (x 2) :
"I am speechless today, I cannot explain the results we got, we have a good team that provides me with a competitive pack, but unfortunately today I just couldn’t attack. It is true that I have been involved in a pair of situations where I was unlucky and lost a few positions, but subsequently, despite my best efforts, I was not able to catch up with the delay between my opponents and me".

Maxime Berger, 13th then DNF :
"We probably didn’t make the right tire choice in the first run, and I had some difficulty the first few laps with a full tank, so I lost a bit of time. Once the tank was slightly emptied, the behavior of the bike improved, I was able to increase my pace but I had to settle for 13th place. In the second race I found myself caught in a group of drivers who made contact on the same curve. I tried to avoid the fall and got off the track, but unfortunately my bike hit Troy Corser and we fell. I am very sorry for Corser, but I am not at all responsible. Besides today’s results, we are leaving Spain knowing that we have taken a good step forward and that we have chosen the right path to configure my Ducati. Now we need to repeat the excellent performance achieved in testing during the races. Thanks to my team for their hard work, thanks to all the sponsors who support us".

Ruben Xaus, DNF (x 2) :
"It was incredibly difficult this weekend, and of course it’s very disappointing for the team and especially for me because I wanted to perform well in front of all my family, friends and fans who came to support me here this week. -end. There hasn’t really been an isolated issue this weekend, more a combination of different concerns and I can only say that we will work tirelessly to start and end Brno in a better way than we did here.".

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