WSBK – Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Aragon – Analysis of the World Superbike in Aragon

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Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Aragon

WSBK - Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Aragon - Analysis of the World Superbike in Aragon

The eighth round of the World SBK 2012 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 and Supersport races..

Analysis of the World Superbike in Aragon

Yesterday, Italy won again against Spain! Indeed, like last year (read), Max Biaggi and Marco Melandri took turns on the top step of the podium in Aragon. But if in 2011 the two Italian drivers had taken the opportunity to get back on the leader of the championship Carlos Checa, in 2012, they increased their own advances…

The championship standings at the start of the summer are similar to those of last season, except that the roles have been distributed: in the lead with around 250 points (the half-points of Monza’s only race are annoying, right? ) Biaggi is currently 48 points ahead of second Melandri, just over 65 on third Rea, and 73 on fourth Checa.

However, the Czech Republic event scheduled in three weeks on the Brno circuit should consolidate the situation: as a reminder, Marco and Max had again in turn edged Carlos on the two podiums in 2011 !

Weighted six kilograms since the start of the year, the Ducati is no longer the ultimate weapon which had enabled Carlos to win his first world title at the end of a flamboyant season: in 26 races, "El Toro" had signed 6 poles, climbed 21 podiums and won 15 victories !

Unable to keep pace in the long straight lines, the Bologna twin-cylinders – which our compatriots Sylvain Guintoli and Maxime Berger whip – push their pilots to nibble on their safety margin in curves in order to stay in contact with the 1000 cc 4-cylinders.

It is moreover by pure luck that Checa was able to climb on the third step of "his" podium in the first round: without the fall of Tom Sykes, caused by the desperate attack of Ayrton Badovini, the n ° 7 would be just entered the Top 5…

Aprilia faithful to the rendezvous

Irrefutable proof of his increased risk-taking, Checa has already made a mistake four times this first half of the season. In 2011, over the entire season, he had only dabbled in asphalt once: it was precisely at home in Aragon, on this technical track, complete but above all with the longest straight line. of the calendar: 1.7 km !

Unlike the 1198, the RSV4 adapts very well to this type of layout. But Biaggi’s victory – his fourth this season and his third in a row – in the first round is not the only indicator of this formidable match between the Aragon layout and Noale’s machine..

The return of Eugene Laverty to the forefront is another! Convinced of having put his finger on the problem that had handicapped him for several events – thanks to his brother Michael entered in British Superbike! -, the Irish rider nevertheless took advantage this weekend of a track on which the Aprilia works well. "Youdjin" will therefore have to confirm during the next meetings.

Last year, Leon Camier and Noriyuki Haga had also achieved very good results at the helm of the other two Aprilia on the grid. This 2012 edition is no exception as Chaz Davies signs in Aragon his best weekend at the controls of his private RSV4: his first podium in WSBK !

The Supersport world champion joined the official Aprilia riders at the end of the second round, thus participating very actively in an extremely entertaining battle! Motivated but always impeccable in his maneuvers, the n ° 19 even allowed himself to overtake Biaggi on the finish line, blowing the access to the podium at the "Pirate" transalpine.

Because Aprilia n ° 3 and n ° 58 were not alone in the lead! Second in the first round, Marco Melandri managed to hoist his S1000RR ahead of the RSV4s, as he managed to impose his R1 last year … Qualifying a place in front of him, his teammate Leon Haslam did not experience the same success, nor BMW Italia drivers.

We can therefore estimate in this specific case that it is the pilot, more than the machine, who made the difference! As in Donington, the vice-world champion – of Superbike last year and MotoGP in 2005 – went there to the nerve, and was rewarded.

Melandri makes her hot

Reckless but not suicidal, the Hedgehog of Ravenna surprised everyone by taking the lead of the second race on the last lap by diving under Eugene Laverty in a sequence already not easy to tackle alone !

Before that, Marco had missed the point of the hairpin three times in a row, trying to brake harder and later than his opponents! But the latter were themselves already limit … "Out of limit" even, as regards Laverty, author of an improbable catching up of a violent slide forward..

Equally incredible, the recoveries of Sylvain Guintoli and Michel Fabrizio marked the start of the first round … Very badly started – his Fireblade tends to turn – Jonathan Rea is jostled by Jakub Smrz on the first braking: the Ducati n ° 96 and Honda n ° 65 fall and drag with them Ducati n ° 50 and BMW n ° 84.

Defying the physical laws that govern our "normal" world, Guintoli and Fabrizio cling desperately to their machine, jerk their elbows and knees, and miraculously manage to stay on their two wheels! The Italian finished in an incredible 6th place, the French in an unexpected 12th place…

Breakage but no sore

Rea got up unscathed, rushed to recover his machine and left immediately in the hope of grabbing a few points. Alas, the Northern Irish pilot fails in 16th place. But these efforts are not in vain since at the end of this first round, the Ten Kate team can fine-tune the settings of the machine..

Thanks to the information gathered by the Fireblade and the precious return of the pilot, the world number one – but fourth in the WSBK constructor standings – was able to dominate the fight in the "second division" and finish within seven seconds of a leading quartet standing in the same half a second !

Smrz meanwhile had to be evacuated on a stretcher but his team – Ducati Effenbert Liberty, the same as Guintoli, Berger and McCormick still recovering – was quickly relieved: the doctors noted on the Czech "only" from "painful bruises to the wrist and ankle".

"Kuba" did not take part in the second Spanish race: there is no point in risking a further accident, for him as for his little comrades. "He must be in perfect physical condition for the Czech round, scheduled for the weekend of July 22", notes his team also from Czech Republic…

So-fou-oglu !

In Supersport, we remember Kenan Sofuoglu’s nasty blow this weekend … At Kawasaki naturally, we prefer to avoid the subject by emphasizing the presence of two ZX-6Rs on the podium and by pointing out the "Lack of luck"from their top pilot.

In SSP as in SBK we know, the fairings blows are frequent. The drivers do not spare each other and spirits can sometimes heat up, on and off the track. We remember that following a slightly cavalier overtaking, Melandri had taken two small slaps from Biaggi last year !

This time, given the dangerousness of the maneuver, Kenan’s conduct seemed, in the eyes of all including the winner of the test, Sam Lowes, unworthy of a double world champion. Beyond the rank of the Turkish pilot, moreover, such an attitude could not be tolerated, on the part of anyone.

The penalty imposed on n ° 54 appears to be insufficient for many. Even if it means repeating itself, Site finds it above all impractical: asking a pilot to allow a specific number of competitors to pass is too delicate !

Sofuoglu had the chance to take this penalty at the very end of the race. Asked him also to give up a few places during the race in Misano, Fabien Foret had ended up suffering a passage to the stand (read). No really, the FIM should work on this delicate question…

2013 in the Pirelli viewfinder

Finally, the Mondial Superbike riders were back on the Aragon track today to test the regulatory 17 inches for next year! In addition to the formidable fights in the race and the future trompe l’oeil headlights – already adopted by the Kawasaki team – the fact of fitting "commercial" aluminum rims is an excellent way to differentiate yourself from MotoGP….

Regarding lap times, the order established this weekend is not upset, far from it, since Tom Sykes is at the top of the timesheet. Unlike its two predecessors Checa (in 2011) and Spies (in 2009), the new "King of the Superpole" is less efficient in the race. Could the arrival of 17 inches be a game-changer ?

In the Top 5, we also find, unsurprisingly, Melandri, Laverty and Biaggi. Only the presence of Badovini in 3rd place is unexpected … Although, a year and a half ago the young Italian was driving the same BMW on the 17-inch Pirelli in the Superstock.

The Ducati Effenbert team did not take part in its testing. Loris Baz was therefore our only national representative during this training day. The n ° 76 rookie finished in 12th place: finally, disembarking from the Superstock is not necessarily a master asset to adapt to the new rims and tires.

The performance of "Bazooka" remains quite honorable for a pilot landed in the category in the short season. It will also have made it possible to erase minds – that of Loris in the first place – the two abandonments on breakage recorded by the French Ninja. Continuation of the adventures of the World Superbike: July 22 in Brno. Stay connected !

WSBK Aragon test time – July 2, 2012

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