WSBK – Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Brno – Statements of the SBK pilots in Rep. Czech

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Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Brno

WSBK - Videos, statements and analysis of the SBK in Brno - Statements of the SBK pilots in Rep. Czech

The ninth round of the World SBK 2012 took place yesterday in Brno. 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..

Statements by SBK pilots in Rep. Czech

Marco Melandri, 1st (x 2):
"I am living my dream today. Getting my first victory here in Brno on this track is something special for me. I’m so happy, I already have five wins this season and nobody expected it. The first round was already amazing. At the beginning, the conditions were very difficult because it was wet. As we were riding on slick tires we just tried not to lose too many places, but in the first few laps I struggled a lot. As I was trying to improve my position, I made two mistakes because I didn’t feel comfortable yet. When I saw that I was eighth, I told myself that I needed to calm down and keep my pace to catch up with the guys in front. They weren’t easy to overtake, but when I took the lead on a lap from the end I knew I just had to keep attacking as much as I could. I knew I was faster than the others. The second race was even more difficult because Tom was having a great race and I had to spend a lot of energy trying to catch him. The tire was working great today, and I was able to keep in touch. Every time I tried to pass Tom he would brake so hard it was almost impossible. Once it was over for good, I made a mistake and Tom passed me again. I struggled to catch up with him. I actually didn’t expect to win, but doing it here twice today is just fabulous. Seeing BMW lead the constructors’ championship is amazing and it makes me proud. I was also able to come back to Max in the drivers’ championship. But the season is still long, and we are managing race after race. I want to thank everyone at BMW Motorrad and the team who work so hard every day and put so much effort into the project. It was so amazing and moving to see them smiling and happy. Now all I want is to celebrate this outcome".

Tom Sykes, 2nd (x 2):
"We started very strong in the second run and the lap times were good, then the tire dropped a bit in performance, but the slight change we made at the end of the first run made the tire more consistent. I did my own run on my own up front, I think I’m pretty good at it and it seemed to work. We hit the nail on the head towards the end but I felt a bit threatened by Melandri. The lap times were affected, but it was great to fight with a driver like him. We know he’s good on the brakes, but with the help of Kawasaki and my team leader Marcel, I had some response today. I was not as easy to oust as in previous races. I hope we can continue this way. Enjoying such a good Ninja ZX-10R at the end of the race is a nice breath of fresh air. That made a lot of people lie. In the first run, I felt the blow when Jonathan Rea and I collided. Jonathan dove into an opening that unfortunately didn’t exist. I was trying to stay with Marco during the first race and when I attacked in this corner, the nose gear did not allow me to position myself, so I preferred to put aside a little to get back on my feet. In doing so, I saw Jonathan out of the corner of my eye, but it was too late".

Loris Baz, 3rd then 8th:
"I can’t believe I’m here on the podium in the first run. I didn’t even dream of it when I started Superbike just a few races ago. I got off to a good start and just tried to stay there with the other riders. We worked really well at Kawasaki, all the mechanics and so on, and we were never wrong. Due to the large size, we’ve had to make a few changes to the geometry of the bike since I started riding it, but I really feel like I’ve been riding it for a year or more. I always feel that my podium is just a dream. In the second heat, I got off to a good start again, but it took a little while to pass the two riders in front of me. I had a really good feeling on the bike. I couldn’t take the plunge to overtake a few other drivers, but I’m really happy. This is our best race in dry conditions strictly speaking and we were only 13 seconds from the outposts which is very close".

Carlos Checa, 4th then 3rd:
"We knew this track would be tough for us so I think we can be happy with our third and fourth places today. Despite the difficulties on the grid and at the start of the first race, I was able to stay in contact with the men in front of me and maintain a good pace. I admit that I had some doubts on the grid because there was no way of knowing if conditions would change during the race, but we made the right tire choice. However, it was still difficult: I had trouble catching up and passing those in front. So, all things considered, and bearing in mind that Rea fell in front of me on the last lap, finishing fourth isn’t that bad. Then, in the second run, I started to lose grip in the last laps. There was no way I could face Tom and Marco, but I’m happy because I was able to stay close and take third place. The team worked really well together and it is also thanks to the harmony in the garage that I was able to collect these results today.".

Max Biaggi, 6th then 4th:
"Unfortunately we couldn’t do better than that today. We had big chattering problems (jolts of the front axle, Editor’s note), which compromised each of my attacks. In the second race I tried not to lose contact with the peloton, but I just couldn’t keep up with their pace. I was already at the limit as it was the last lap. We still haven’t figured out what the problem is, since the bike and the settings are very close to what we used in Aragon. I just hope that we don’t have the same concern during the next trials".

Eugene Laverty, 5th (x 2):
"I’m not happy with these two fifth places, because we could have done a lot better. Unfortunately, in the first round we chose the wrong tire, and in the second, we had grip problems that we only encountered in the second qualifying session and in Superpole 1. It’s a shame because we deserved more today. . We go home with some important points, but certainly not as many as we had hoped".

Chaz Davies, 11th then 6th:
NC

Leon Haslam, 7th (x 2):
"The conditions at the start of the first run were tricky, but it was the same for everyone. However, we had some major problems. I really struggled with the grip, then from the fifth lap I had some "chatter". I managed to change my style towards the end of the race and recover the seventh position from Michel Fabrizio, but it was quite hard. During the second race the bike was fine. When Marco and I got into a fight, I went on the grass and lost a lot of places. I was happy with the bike and we should have beaten Eugene Laverty if I hadn’t had a false neutral on the last lap, losing me two places. The main thing is that overall I felt good in the second run. We are now looking forward to going to Silverstone, a track which is always good for me".

Jonathan Rea, DNF (Did Not Finish) then 12th:
"This weekend has been really frustrating because it’s one of my favorite circuits and the feeling was not the same as in previous years: it was completely different. We worked hard all weekend and weren’t far in the first run. The conditions were unpredictable at the start, but I found a rhythm, a certain pace that allowed me to fight ahead. Tom Sykes widened and I was inside when he came back and got kicked out, which is unfortunate as we were off to the podium. In the second race, I sensed from the start that something was wrong with the bike. I had no grip in the rear, but we’ll have to look at the data to confirm that it was just the tire. I suffered massive loss of grip on the angle, on acceleration, and tried a lot of different styles to see if something worked, but all I could do was hang in twelfth place. The results are not what I want and I am really disappointed with this weekend. These last few races I felt like I had a set that could win, but this weekend’s race was certainly below average".

Maxime Berger, 9th then 11th:
"It rained before the race, and I struggled to take the right direction: we had two solutions, slick, rain or intermediate (yes, that‘s three, Editor‘s note!). Before taking the start, at the end of the reconnaissance lap, I discussed with my mechanics, staying on slicks was a risky strategy. We changed the front tire and selected an intermediate. The strategy was good. After a good start, I attacked really hard for two or three laps, the knife between my teeth. It was perfect. But after a few laps the front started to move and the rear too, maybe we hadn’t made the right choice. But it’s okay, my dream was to do a few laps in the lead in a Superbike race and that’s what I did. If all goes well, I think we can have some really good races in the latter part of the season and get some good results. It’s important for my team and for me to reward all the hard work we do. It’s perfect, I’m happy with my day".

Leon Camier, 14th then 11th:
"The conditions were very tricky at the start of the first race and the track was quite wet. Because we all knew it was going to dry out, we all chose slicks, but it made the first few laps a bit difficult. After my experience at Assen, I was a bit nervous in the wet and wasn’t confident enough to attack too hard. I know I need to improve my confidence in these kinds of conditions. I had a bad start in the second run, then I started to grab places. I had to clear my way and once passed Rea and Smrz, I set off in pursuit of Fabrizio. I also passed him and went looking for the front group but ran out of laps. In the second race my Suzuki Fixi Crescent was doing well, as was me. It was very encouraging to be able to race with the fast guys and if I had had a better start I’m sure I could have fought for an op 4 or 5".

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