FIM Superbike World Championship Phillip Island, Australia February 27, 2011 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Carlos CHECA, Spain (Ducati 1098R), 22 laps, 34:15.041 2. Max BIAGGI, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -1.188 seconds 3. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R1), -1.406 4. Jonathan REA, Great Britain (Honda CBR1000RR), -10.563 5. Leon HASLAM, Great Britain (BMW S1000RR), -10.885 6. Leon CAMIER, Great Britain (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -16.914 7. Noriyuki HAGA, Japan (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -17.558 8. Michel FABRIZIO, Italy (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -17.679 9. Tom SYKES, Great Britain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -18.070 10. Ruben XAUS, Spain (Honda CBR1000RR), -19.053 11. Jakub SMRZ, Czech Republic (Ducati 1098R), -19.060 12. Roberto ROLFO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -23.771 13. Josh WATERS, Australia (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -23.956 14. James TOSELAND, Great Britain (BMW S1000RR), -28.713 15. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (Yamaha YZF-R1), -32.673, ran off track 16. Mark AITCHISON, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -33.226 17. Bryan STARING, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -42.598 18. Maxime BERGER, France (Ducati 1098R), -51.819 19. Troy CORSER, Australia (BMW S1000RR), -55.738, ran off track 20. Joan LASCORZ, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -8 laps, DNF, retired 21. Ayrton BADOVINI, Italy (BMW S1000RR), -22 laps, DNF, retired World Championship Point Standings (after 2 of 26 races): 1. Checa, 50 points 2. Biaggi, 40 3. TIE, Melandri/Haslam, 27 5. Fabrizio, 18 6. Rea, 17 7. Haga, 16 8. Sykes, 15 9. TIE, Laverty/Smrz, 14 11. Camier, 13 12. Rolfo, 9 13. TIE, Xaus/Corser, 6 15. Waters, 3 16. TIE, Toseland/Badovini, 2 18. Staring, 1 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Alstare: SUPERB SIXTH FOR MICHEL IN RACE ONE. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio took a superb sixth place in the first race of the opening round of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island today. But even more encouraging was the fact that Michel was able to battle for a podium place until his tyres started to go off, four laps from the end. The young Italian was hoping to follow up his good performance in race one with more of the same in race two, but suffered tyre chatter from the early stages of the race and had to be content with eighth place in the end. Nevertheless Michel and the team felt happy with their overall performance in the opening round and are looking forward to the next round at Donington Park at the end of March. Heavy overnight rain had soaked the 4.445 kilometre circuit and the morning warm-up was declared “a wet practice”. But by the time the twenty-two riders lined up on the grid for the first race of 2011, the track had dried and everybody was on slick tyres. Carlos Checa (Ducati) won both 22-lap races today, with Max Biaggi (Aprilia) taking a pair of runner-up spots. Leon Haslam (BMW) took third place in race one and Marco Melandri (Yamaha) took third in race two. Michel – Race 1: 6th, Race 2: 8th I am happy and I am not so happy. I am happy because I was able to fight with the top guys in both races and that is a great boost to my confidence. I am not so happy with the result in race two. I didn’t know exactly what to expect in my first race with Team Suzuki Alstare and it was good to be able to battle for the podium in the first race. Maybe if I had made a good start in that race, I might have ended up on the podium. Instead, I found myself eleventh at the end of lap one and then had to fight through the pack and that’s not easy because there are so many good riders and good bikes. It took some time, but I was up to seventh at half race distance and then up to fifth after fifteen laps. That’s when I was in a three way fight with Laverty, Melandri and Haslam and it was a lot of fun racing with them. Just when I thought I might be able to make a charge, my tyres started to go off and I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted. I kept attacking as hard as I could, but couldn’t get past any of them, so finished sixth. I used the same bike for race two and the same type of tyre and only made some small adjustments, but I started getting chattering almost right from the start. It was not an easy race by any means, but I tried to ride as hard as I could without crashing. I kept pushing wherever possible, but it wasn’t possible to push hard enough to get another top six result. I am not so happy with eighth, but overall I think we should be pleased with our performance today. We know the season is going to be very hard this year – probably more than previous years – and to begin with good results is a great start. More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Weather conditions: Rain in the morning, overcast in the afternoon. Temperature: Air: 17 – 21 °C, Track: 19 – 35 °C Number of riders participating: 22 from 13 teams Fastest lap Race 1: Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) 1:32.034 min Fastest lap Race 2: Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) 1:32.012 min It has been a good start to the 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport. In race 1, Leon Haslam (GBR) secured the team its first podium finish of the season. The team leaves Australia with 33 points in the team standings (fourth overall). Leon lies fourth in the riders’ championship (27 points), Troy Corser (AUS) lies 14th (six points). In race 1, both riders made good starts. After one lap, Leon was still defending his fourth position, while Troy had passed Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrz. After just a couple of laps, Troy suffered badly from a lack of grip and chattering. He was not able to hold his position and finished tenth. Leon had some tough battles with Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri. On lap 17 he passed Marco and was able to defend third until the chequered flag. Leon made a brilliant start in the second race and was first into turn 1. He struggled with the bike’s set-up and therefore was not able to defend this position. He finished the race fifth. Lying fourth, Troy found a false neutral on lap nine and fell back to eleventh. In the second half of the race he faced massive tyre degradation and finished the race only 19th . Leon Haslam: Result Race 1: 3rd, Gap to 1st: 00:10.719 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:32.266 min Result Race 2: 5th , Gap to 1st: 00:10.885 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:32.560 min “As a team we have made huge steps forward from two weeks ago. We still have some issues that need looking at in more detail to ensure we can become regular podium finishers, but on the whole we should be happy with the two races. The first race was great; we encountered some issues in race, two but still managed to finish in the top five, so we are definitely happy. A huge credit goes to the team for their efforts this weekend, but we now have to sit down and work out in detail how we plan to make that next step forward.” Troy Corser: Result Race 1: 10th , Gap to 1st : 00:25.822 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:32.287 min Result Race 2: 19th , Gap to 1st : 00:55.738 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:32.355 min “We started the race well, I felt good on the bike, but sadly I found a false neutral going into Honda corner and I went off the track. I rejoined down the field and then really struggled for grip. As the race progressed the tyre became really worn and I was losing traction everywhere, I simply couldn’t do the times I wanted. We have identified some points that need addressing before Donington Park, but certainly I am looking forward to the rest of the season.” Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director): “Today has been a very rewarding end of what was a tough weekend. Leon did incredibly well and took a well-deserved podium finish for our team. Troy really had to fight with the bike. We now have to analyse the data on his side. I am proud of the entire team – both the guys here at the track, and also the people in Stephanskirchen and Munich. We all fly back home tonight happy and satisfied. But we are hungry for more. These results will not be a one off. We will not have a rest. In four weeks we will race in Donington, and preparations for the first European races have already begun.” More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Checa the irresistible force takes two Phillip Island race wins Phillip Island (Australia), Sunday 27 February 2011 – Ever since his first sessions in the official IMS tests at Phillip Island earlier this week Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) made himself a force to be reckoned with in front of 63,200 spectators at Phillip Island. On the opening day of the new season the Superpole winner made himself a convincing double race winner. Checa hit the front early in each 22-lap race, and enjoyed clear air almost throughout in the dry track conditions. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia), Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad) and new SBK force Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) all joined Checa on the podium at some stage, but it was a day to remember for all in Althea. Carlos now leaves Australia with 50 points in the bag, Biaggi has 40 for his two second place finishes, and Melandri and Haslam share 27 points, as they swapped third and fifth place places. Race 1 Checa’s winning margin over Biaggi in Phillip Island race 1 was clear evidence of the Althea man’s domination. Checa took the lead from Laverty on lap 3 and steadily pulled out to an unchallenged 4-second gap at the flag. Biaggi soon realized it was not possible to keep the pace of Checa and settled for second. The podium was completed by Haslam who held off both Yamaha riders, Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri, who exchanged places right at the flag in a sprint finish. Sixth was Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare), who made a great recovery that saw him finish ahead of Jakub Smrz (Ducati Effenbert – Liberty Racing) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing). Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) was running in the top 6 but slipped down to 12th after an off-track excursion, while front row man Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati Effenbert – Liberty Racing) crashed out and did not take part in race 2, after picking up a series of injuries to his right hand, knee and shoulder-blade. Carlos Checa: “Here we have something extra, maybe the bike works really well at this track and I like it as well. We did a great job in testing, practice and qualifying but you never know, conditions can change. I started well and made a gap, controlled the race, went fast lap by lap, but it’s a fantastic winning start for me and the team.” Max Biaggi: “A very good result because the last two years at Phillip Island we were struggling and far behind. The twins are always a bit better on this track but I don’t want to take anything away from Checa, he did a fantastic race. We did our best, I came close at some stage but my wheel was spinning so I couldn’t go faster.” Leon Haslam: “A third place is like a win for me at this stage, we’ve come on a lot this last week and the boys have worked fantastic. I’m looking forward to having a look at the data because we had a few issues and still managed to get on the podium. Hopefully the team can work its magic in race 2.” Race 1: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 34’16.503; 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 4.365; 3. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 10.719; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 11.266; 5. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 11.293; 6. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 12.039; 7. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 20.294 8. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 20.742; 9. Haga N. (JPN )Aprilia RSV4 Factory 22.421; 10. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 25.822; 11. Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 29.270; 12. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 31.059; 13 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 31.721; 14. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 36.389; 15. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36.470; 16. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 41.928; etc. Race 2 Again no one was able to run with Checa and he finished a clear distance ahead of Biaggi again, 1.118 seconds at the flag. The reigning world champion battled it out for the runner-up slot in the final stages with an impressive Melandri just getting the edge at the line after some very impressive close-quarter racing from each rider. Rea emerged from a battering and bruising weekend with a fourth place that partially repaid him for his testing misfortunes when he crashed heavily more than once, and then again twice yesterday. Rea finished ahead of the two Leons, Haslam and Camier (Aprilia Alitalia), the latter making a great charge through in race two, despite suffering with illness during race weekend. Carlos Checa: “It wasn’t easy at all. I went into first position as soon as I can, but Haslam was not easy to pass at all. From there I tried to make my place on the track, but I know they were fighting behind me and two seconds lead wasn’t perfect. This is the best start for me, 50 points here in Australia.” Max Biaggi: “Two second places in Australia is a very good result. It’s good to come back here after we struggled the last two years. Thanks to my team and crew, we’ve been working very well these days. It was good battling with Marco, the Yamaha has potential and I think they can do a good race, and Haslam as well. It makes it better for the competition.” Marco Melandri: “It’s been an amazing day for me after not such a good race 1. I didn’t have a good feeling with the bike so we sat down with our team and they made a good job on the bike for race 2. I could ride so much stronger, I started more aggressive, and it felt very good to be back on the podium after such a long time, I’m just a bit disappointed not to beat Max for second place.” Race 2: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 34’15.041 (171,308 kph); 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1.188; 3. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1.406; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 10.563; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 10.885; 6. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 16.914; 7. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 17.558; 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 17.679; 9. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 18.070; 10. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 19.053 11. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 19.060; 12; Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 23.771; 13. Waters J. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 23.956; 14. Toseland J. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 28.713; 15. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 32.673; 16. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 33.226; etc. Points (after 1 round of 13): 1. Checa 50; 2. Biaggi 40; 3. Melandri 27; 4. Haslam 27; 5. Fabrizio 18; 6. Rea 17; 7. Haga 16; 8. Sykes 15; 9. Laverty 14; 10. Smrz 14; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 50; 2. Aprilia 40; 3. Yamaha 29; 4. BMW 27; 5. Suzuki 18; 6. Honda 17; 7. Kawasaki 15. More, from a press release issued by Castrol Honda: Rea defies pain for fourth place at Phillip Island Castrol Honda rider Jonathan Rea battled to fourth position in today’s second race of the opening round of the 2011 World Superbike championship at Phillip Island in Australia. His team-mate Ruben Xaus took a top ten finish in the same race as Spaniard Carlos Checa won both outings. After three heavy crashes during testing and qualifying at Phillip Island, Rea started today’s two 22-lappers at Phillip Island from the third row of the grid. A good start in the first outing saw the 24-year-old fighting for a potential podium position before he overshot turn four on lap 14, eventually taking 12th place. Rea was unable to repeat his first race start in the second outing, finishing lap one in 11th place. He passed several riders, including fellow Briton Leon Haslam on the final lap, however, to take a hard-earned fourth at the flag. Xaus endured a tough opening race, with handling and clutch issues restricting the Spaniard to 16th place. However, a major chassis change for race two enabled Xaus to match the lap times of leading riders and, barring a mistake on lap one, he might have finished higher than his eventual tenth place. Jonathan Rea 12th and 4th I’m absolutely drained but I guess pretty satisfied after everything we’ve been through over the last few days. I’m annoyed that I out-braked myself in race one but I had no power in my hands. I passed Nori (Haga) in race two but he came back on a big surge to the leading group and I couldn’t go with him. I didn’t have much strength but I knew I could be fitter than anyone at the end of the race to keep the lap times. The bike was working really well and I could stay in the 33s until I caught Fabrizio and Haslam, when I took a bit of a breather just to catch my breath and look at them. I could’ve passed Leon in a few places I think, but I’ve been doing most of my passing around turns seven and eight and decided to save all my energy to pass him there on the last lap. If you’d told me when I was lying in hospital on Wednesday that I’d come away from here sixth in the championship, I’d have laughed at you. Big t hanks to the team, who got a physio here to help me between sessions and races to help me relax, and the bike, which never missed a beat this weekend. We still need to find a little bit of speed on the straights because I struggled passing people into turn one, but overall I’m satisfied with what we got from here. Ruben Xaus 16th and 10th The first race was a disaster so we had to find something for race two and we did. I missed my braking point at turn four on the first lap and lost five places and then got caught with a slower group. I worked hard to get the places back but used up the tyres’ performance too much in the first laps. With a few laps to go they were finished but I think I could have finished higher. No complaints though I didn’t expect this position after race one, after which we changed the bike completely. We’ve had some problems on the bike this weekend but I think we’re speaking the same language now. In the end it’s been good: we finished both races with no bad consequences and learned a lot, so I’m going to Donington with a big smile on my face. Ronald ten Kate team manager Thank goodness we finished at Phillip Island on a higher note than we experienced before. We’ve had some bad luck here but race two was pretty good. Jonathan got a bad start but chipped away and did really well to finish fourth considering the state he is still in. Ruben was riding really well too, and got his first top ten finish with the team and really had a ‘clicking’ moment there with the machine. We all knew it would be a matter of time for him and it’s good that it’s happened at the first round. We’ll head back to Europe feeling positive and let Jonathan get fully fit again. We’ll check all the data for Ruben and look for another step forward for him. After everything though, without these positive points, it would have been a very, very long flight home! More, from a press release issued by Althea Ducati: CARLOS CHECA (ALTHEA RACING) SCORES HIS FIRST DOUBLE WIN OF THE SEASON AT PHILLIP ISLAND! Phillip Island (Australia), Sunday 27th February 2011: the 2011 World Superbike Championship began in the best possible way for the Althea Racing team and Carlos Checa who, after a weekend of domination, stormed to victory in both of today’s races at Phillip Island. It was a perfect weekend for Carlos and his Ducati 1198; he finished every session in front and snatched pole before running away with the double victory this afternoon. Race 1: unfortunately certain sections of the track were still damp after a shower earlier in the day. Carlos nevertheless got away fast, finding himself in second position, behind Laverty on the Yamaha, by the end of the first lap. The Spanish rider made light work of passing Laverty a couple of laps later, to take command of the race. He immediately began to build up a gap and by mid-race he had a four second advantage over Biaggi in second position. Checa made no mistakes in managing the last phase and won this first race in convincing style, ahead of Biaggi (Aprilia), second, and Haslam (BMW), third. Race 2: Carlos was once again in second place at race start; after the first corners, he was able to find a way past Haslam to take the lead, but the Englishman quickly responded. During the following lap Checa was back on the attack and this time he regained control in definitive fashion. From that point on, he ran a solitary race, managing his advantage in a near replica of race 1. He passed the chequered flag with an advantage of more than a second over Biaggi and Melandri in second and third respectively. After the first of thirteen Superbike events, Carlos Checa, with today’s points, commands the rider’s classification with 50 points while, thanks to Carlos’ performance, Ducati leads the way in the manufacturer’s standings. Carlos Checa (Race 1 – winner, Race 2 winner) “The sessions went extremely well and we knew we had good rhythm but you never know what might happen in the raecs, especially if you find a wet track on Sunday morning, as we did today. My strategy was to get ahead and keep pace as I knew my pace was stronger than that of my rivals. In Race 1, once past Laverty, I was able to find a good rhythm. It was a really great race. Every so often you have a weekend like that and we were lucky to be able to start the season in such a fantastic way. Race 2 was very similar, I managed the situation and we did it! A really great weekend in which we dominated from start to finish. We were also lucky with the weather; we couldn’t have asked for a better start. I want to thank Ducati and the team for believing in me. Next we head to Donington where we’ll continue to give 100%. Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager di Althea Racing “We completed all of the session, in fact the entire weekend, impeccably and everything went right. Carlos was extremely focused on the races and never lost concentration, not even when his rivals got closer at the end of the Superpole. We had worked on pace during the session so were in the right position at the start of the races. I want to thank the team, the boys coordinated everything perfectly, and also Carlos for his qualities both as a person and as a rider. I also thank Ducati who I believe can be satisfied with these results. Finally I thank our sponsors who continue to support us in these economically difficult times.” More, from a press release issued by Team Pata: PATA Racing Team leaves Australia with 16 points and a temporary seventh place on the world ranking. Noriyuki Haga was able to reverse the trend of a not-so-lucky weekend, but that also brought some positive news. The Japanese rider showed that the feeling with the motorbike is growing session after session, allowing to see with optimism the come-back of the caravan of the Superbike World Championship in Europe. During the race 1 he had a great start going up from a fourthteenth to a ninth position. He kept on fighting getting close to the head-group and up to the seventh place. Half-way of the round the tyres’ performance got lower. So he just tried to hold the position and manages his gap, but with only two laps left he’s been forced to give up two positions to Sykes and to Smrz, so that he ended ninth. During race 2 the Japanese rider got better, both on the final result (ending seventh) and as of improving the gap between him and the head-group, where he went from the 22 seconds in round 1 to 17 seconds in round 2. Haga had a great start once again, attacking without hesitation and able to catch up 5 positions during the first lap only. At about half-way round he continued his recovery up to a fourth place, a position held only for a few laps. During the last six laps he had to face the tyre’s issue again. But he’s been able to limit the challengers’ recovery ending the round with a seventh place. Noriyuki Haga Aprilia RSV 4R #41 “I’m happy with the result of this two races. We constantly grown and we can keep on doing it, thanks to an excellent technical package. Unfortunately we’ve been damaged during the second part of both the races due to some tyre’s problems that didn’t allow us to gain a bigger result. After some adjustments that the team did on the bike between round 1 and 2, the tyre-lasting got better and I could fight for the firsts places almost ’till the chequered flag. I’m sure that the experience gained will turn out useful to show ourselves even more strong at the start of the second round of the season.” Marco Borciani team manager “Haga fully confirmed his talent and skills, but most of all his strong attitude. He faced both the races armed to the teeth, attacking until the tyres gave up. Unfortunately we paid the bad luck we had during the winter training when we always had rainy weather that didn’t allow us to do a race simulation. We leave the less-favourite track with 16 points, a decent plunder, from which to restart within sight of the next race of the Superbike World Championship that will be hold in a month in Donington Park.” More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: A wet track greeted the riders this morning in Phillip Island for the Superbike warm up, due to early morning heavy rain. The Team Pedercini riders worked with their technicians to adapt their bike to these new racetrack conditions. Staring crashed a few minutes before the end of the warm up on the slippery track surface, fortunately without any physical consequences. The rain fortunately stopped before the start of the inaugural race of the 2011 Superbike World Championship, and the track began to dry. A fifth row start for Staring and sixth for Rolfo and Aitchison in today’s 22 laps races. In race one Roberto Rolfo scored a fantastic result when, with a very fast pace and some fearless overtaking, the Italian rider reached eleventh position. Bryan Staring reached the points zone obtaining fifteenth place while Aitchison concluded his first World Superbike race in nineteenth. In the second race another good performance for Rolfo. After a good start he was forced to brake aggressively to avoid another rider in front of him and he restarted from last position. Roberto pushed very hard over the remaining laps and made up many positions to close in an amazing twelfth place. Aitchison, after a good start and good pace during the first ten laps, experienced a lack of performance from his rear tyre. He ended in sixteenth position close to the points zone, followed by teammate Staring in seventeenth place. Phillip Island Superbike race one : 1) Checa (Ducati) 2) Biaggi (Aprilia) 3) Haslam (BMW) – 4) Laverty (Yamaha) “¦”¦.11) Rolfo (Kawasaki) “¦”¦ 15) Staring (Kawasaki) “¦”¦ 19) Aitchison (Kawasaki) Phillip Island Superbike race two : 1) Checa (Ducati) 2) Biaggi (Aprilia) 3) Melansdri (Yamaha) 4) Rea (Honda) “¦”¦. 12) Rolfo (Kawasaki) “¦”¦ 16) Aitchison (Kawasaki) 17) Staring (Kawasaki) Bryan Staring: “The first race was good as I managed to enter into the championship points. I had fun fighting with the other riders and riding for the full distance. For the second race we changed the bike a little, but even though I had a good feeling, this was the most I could do today. These races were good training for me, considering my year ahead in Superstock. Thank you very much to all my team who has worked so hard this weekend”. Roberto Rolfo :”Today I’m really very happy because in both races I reached the points zone and that was my target in these two first races of the season with the Pedercini team. Starting from Saturday’s qualifying I found a good feeling with my Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R and today my pace was really very fast. Unfortunately my second start was not so good because I was forced to brake roughly to avoid Badovini and I lost the first group of riders. I’m satisfied also with my lap times. I really want to thank my entire team because they worked very hard over the whole weekend to prepare my bike in the best possible way. They did a great job and I hope to give them some more satisfaction during the season.” Mark Aitchison : “I really enjoyed my first Superbike races today. In the first race I experienced a problem with the rear brake and as I entered into Honda corner I could not stop the bike and I ran off the circuit. Fortunately I managed to rejoin and finish. In the second race I really enjoyed myself. I found a good rhythm and feeling with the bike, but after approximately ten or twelve laps I felt a big decrease in performance from the rear tyre. In any case I’m very satisfied with the weekend our team had here. We have collected a lot of data and we’ll use these for our future races. Thank you to my team for all their hard work”. More, from a press release issued by Supersonic Racing Team: The first two races of the season for the Supersonic Team at Phillip Island A wet and slippery track for the warm-up this morning at Phillip Island due to the rain in the early hours of the morning. Maxime Berger and the technical team are adapting the Ducati 1198 for wet conditions. The rain stops to fall and the track dries completely, but the sky stays gray and cloudy. Maxime Berger takes his first race start from the fifth row with the nineteenth time. But the start from the French rider was not the best and lost some positions resulting in the last position. Maxime fight back and forced the pace down but unfortunately the track was still wet and the French rider found himself twice exit on the grass and lost several positions, Maxime ended in twentieth position. For the second race, the team mounted a softer tire to try to get the best performance. The start from Maxime was better than the first and the rider from the Supersonic Team was holding the eighteenth position, battling in a group of three riders. Unfortunately, Maxime lost after some time contact with the group but managed to maintain the eighteenth position. Phillip Island – Superbike – First race : 1) Checa (Ducati) – 2) Biaggi (Aprilia) – 3) Haslam (BMW) – 4) Laverty (Yamaha) – 5) Melandri (Yamaha) ……. 20) Berger (Ducati) Phillip Island – Superbike – Second race : 1) Checa (Ducati) – 2) Biaggi (Aprilia) – 3) Melandri (Yamaha) – 4) Rea (Honda) – 5) Haslam (BMW) ……. 18) Berger (Ducati) Danilo Sonicini (Team manager): “In race one, Maxime has done two exits in the grass due to the humid conditions on the track. In both cases returned without falling, but he lost many positions. In the second race we have dared to choose a softer tire, a choice also chosen by other teams. The lap time of Maxime was improved, but we did not win more position. Perhaps, we could win more positions with other tactics but at the present we go for experience and for solution that will allow Maxime to learn more about his Ducati. This year’s World Superbike level is even higher than last year and I think my team will be able to achieve the results that we have set only at Assen and Monza.” Maxime Berger: “It was an incredible experience. I think I learned more in these two races than in the entire Championship last year. Especially in race two, having chosen a soft rubber, I drove very fast in the first laps, but then, gradually worn the tire and I needed to work hard not to crash. In race one, unfortunately, I exit the track twice because of the humidity at some places. Luckily I did not fall. After all, I am satisfied with my first Superbike races because physically I’m feeling very well even after racing two races of 22 laps in a single day. Now we have to continue on this way and work hard with my team. I want to thank them for the great job they did here at Phillip Island. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Melandri impresses with Maiden World Superbike Podium at Phillip Island Yamaha World Superbike Team rider Marco Melandri ended his podium drought this afternoon, stepping up to take third position in the second World Superbike race, his first podium since 2009. The World Superbike rookie started well from his second row position, closing in on defending World Champion Max Biaggi and pushing him to the race finale, interchanging for second position a number of times before finally settling for third at the line, less than 1.5 seconds from double race winner Carlos Checa. The first race of the day saw both Melandri and his teammate Eugene Laverty start well, Laverty impressing by leading the first two laps of his first ever Superbike race, before dropping back to swap positions with Melandri several times. Laverty claimed fourth and Melandri fifth at the line. Both riders had struggled a bit for rear grip in the first race, and Laverty also from arm pump, problems which were rectified by team set up changes and help from Clinica Mobile prior to race two. Laverty’s second race began with the young Northern Irishman pressing on and holding sixth position until lap eight when a false neutral caused him to run wide, losing valuable time and positions. The same issue was repeated on lap 11, dropping him to 20th position by lap 15. Despite the setback Laverty fought back, pushing back up over seven laps to claim 15th at the line. As they head to Donington in the UK for the second round of the championship, they do so with Melandri sitting in third in the overall standings with 27 points, his teammate Laverty sits in ninth with 14 points, 13 behind Melandri. Marco Melandri, Yamaha World Superbike Team 5th, 3rd “I’m pretty happy with the end results of today, although I wasn’t too happy about race one. We’ve been struggling all week with a rear grip issue, which could be seen in race one. I think we made a good job before race two, changing our set up to deal with it and we were a little bit more aware of our potential afterwards. The bike was a lot better and I felt a lot more comfortable. It’s nice to be back on the podium! I wanted to challenge Biaggi for second but in the end my body was slower than my mind at the end of the race, it felt a bit dangerous to make some passes so I was happy to settle for third.” Eugene Laverty, Yamaha World Superbike Team 4th, 15th “In the first race I had problems with arm pump and had just to sit there, I had the possibility to go third but didn’t want to risk my arms. I got it fixed at Clinica, it was just really stiff after five days riding on a Superbike this week! Marco upped the pace in second race; it would have been tough to beat, but there was a definite fourth there for me. Unfortunately two false neutrals killed the race leaving me with one point. On the plus side I’m very positive for Donington, we’ve clearly got a very competitive package and under race conditions we can see that our competitors aren’t as fast as the practice sessions suggested.” Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager – Andrea Dosoli “Today we got confirmation that all the work we have done is in the right direction. We struggled a bit in race one, both riders complained about a lack of rear grip and we could see we where slow in the last sector. With just a few adjustments we improved the bike for race two, so Marco could follow Max and, at the end, the gap to Carlos Checa was not as big as in race one so he kept a good race pace. Eugene did a great job in race one and he was doing in the same in race two. He really impressed us with a fantastic start he showed he could work under pressure and ride in a tough race. He put in the same performance in race two, unfortunately getting a couple of false neutrals and running off, losing ten seconds each time. If not for this he could have been on the podium. We showed this weekend that the performance of the team is high with both riders so we should be proud, especially considering this is the first time they have run a two race event on a Sunday. Thank you to all the team for a good job done so far and we will try to be even more competitive at Donington.” More, from a press release issued by Alitalia Aprilia: SECOND IN RACE 1 AND SECOND IN RACE 2. POSITIVE BEGINNING FOR WORLD CHAMPION MAX BIAGGI AND APRILIA IN WORLD SBK 2011. Phillip Island (Australia), 27 February 2011 Max Biaggi and Team Aprilia Alitalia started off the 2011 championship as key players defending their two championship wreaths (Rider and Manufacturer) earned in 2010. On the Australian track of Phillip Island Max Biaggi, on the Aprilia RSV4, took second place in both Race 1 and Race 2, both times following Carlos Checa who, confirming the state of grace he had demonstrated all weekend, rode two excellent races. In the first race Max did the same with his pursuers which he kept at a safe distance. However, in the second race a not-so-brilliant start forced the five-time World Champion to pursue. Seventh after a few turns, Biaggi began to mount a comeback, the highlight of which was a spectacular move to overtake Haslam on the outside in the battle for third place during the sixth lap. From the ninth lap Biaggi settled into second place, overtaking Marco Melandri, but he then had to fight off attacks by the rider from Ravenna for the entire rest of the race. The two duelled fiercely, changing places often. But Biaggi more than his adversary was always ready to respond, moving out front and earning a precious second place. Both in Race 1 and in Race 2, Biaggi dignified his performance making the fast lap. “The results today were truly beautiful commented Max Biaggi especially if we think about how we were last year and the year before. It has been no secret that this track has always put us in a difficult place, but this time we worked hard to prepare as best as possible and I can truly say that we succeeded, also considering the fast lap that we earned in both races. I must thank my team for this, which was quick to analyse my observations. The two cylinders on this track still maintain a certain advantage, without taking anything away from the extraordinary performance by Carlos Checa. For the first race of the year, I’d say that we’ve gotten off on the right foot. Now we need to keep on working as we are accustomed to” Leon Camier, debilitated for the entire Australian weekend by the flu and relegated to a fifth row start, raced to minimise damage. In Race 1 he took thirteenth place, staying far from the best the entire time, but in Race 2 he was a player in an exciting performance which earned him sixth place. “I am truly surprised by the results today admitted Camier especially in Race 2, considering the difficulties this weekend. Before the second race we change the rear tyre and at the start I tried to ride calmly, looking for my pace and avoiding errors. Lap after lap the feeling got better and I climbed my way to sixth place. To say I was tired is an understatement, but if I think about the presuppositions I can consider myself quite satisfied. Without this illness things could have gone differently, but it doesn’t matter; now I need to lower my head and get to work – there is still a long season ahead”. More, from a press release issued by Honda: REA OVERCOMES THE PAIN BARRIER TO GO FOURTH IN RACE TWO Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda CBR1000RR) rode two brave races at the opening round of the 2011 FIM Superbike Championship held at Phillip Island, battling against the cumulative effect of recent falls, as well as a field packed with potential race winners. Carlos Checa (Ducati) won both 22-lap races; from Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and Leon Haslam (BMW) in the opener, and from Biaggi and new WSBK rider Marco Melandri (Yamaha) in the second. Rea had been hospitalised twice, if only for a short time on each occasion, after two big crashes in recent Phillip Island testing. One in private sessions held between 16 and 17 February, and one in the more recent IMS tests, held shortly before race weekend. Rea suffered a further two crashes on Saturday, one in free practice and one that ensured he would only finish 12th in the second Superpole session. Rea entered race-day with a re-injured left wrist and a twice-dislocated ring finger on his left hand, plus bruising and spraining in much of his upper body. In warm and dry conditions, after significant overnight and morning rains, Rea battled hard in race one but ran straight on while lying fifth, having to settle for a 12th place at the finish. An astounding performance in race two used up all of Rea’s energies but he was rewarded with a strong fourth place, a remarkable outcome given all that had happened before. Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda CBR1000RR) had a difficult first race to 16th place, fighting a set-up that did not work as he had hoped. A significant set-up change in race two took him from his 16th place grid position to tenth and his first points of the year. Checa sits on a maximum 50-points after the first round of the year, Biaggi has 40, with Rea in sixth place overall, on 17-points. Xaus is 13th, with six points. Honda rider comments: Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda CBR1000RR) Race result: 12th / 4th. Championship position: 6th “I am kind of annoyed at myself for out-braking myself in race one, but I just had no strength in my hands. I got a really bad start in race two, and got messed up by another rider in turn two. I lost a load of places and then passed Nori, who passed me back. He had more grip than me at that point of the race. I am not strong right now but I was fitter than anyone at the end and I could keep the lap time. I was into the 1’33s until I caught Haslam and Fabrizio; then took time to catch my breath. When I got behind Leon Haslam I could have passed him but kept it for the last lap to make it count, and got fourth. After crashes in testing and everything else that has happened, I have nothing left. Physically, mentally emotionally, everything, I am finished. I just want to go home. If you had told me on Wednesday afternoon when I was lying in hospital that I would come away from here sixth in the championship, I would have laughed at you.” Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda CBR1000RR) Race result: 16th / 10th. Championship position: 13th “In race two I missed my braking at turn four and lost five positions, but after I came back I worked hard and improved my lap times. I had a fight my way past some riders but I also brought other riders through with me and they had better tyre choices than me at the last laps. I think I lost the chance of seventh or eighth. We changed the bike a lot for race two and we found a good way, it allowed us to step up a little bit. I got some points and finished two races, which is what I needed.” More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsports: Top Ten for Sykes in Australia Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team rider Tom Sykes gave the brand new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R its competitive debut and came away from the opening round of the World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island in Australia with a pair of battling top ten placings. After a good qualifying session which had him as third fastest on combined times, the Huddersfield rider eventually slotted the Paul Bird Motorsport-prepared machine onto row three of the grid for the two races following Superpole with his Spanish team mate Joan Lascorz one row further back on his World Superbike debut. With overnight rain giving way to drier conditions for Sunday’s two 22-lap races at the classic 4.445km circuit near Melbourne, Sykes was looking good in the early stages of race one and eventually crossed the line in eighth position which he followed up with a solid ninth in race two, despite handicapping himself with a poor start. As a result, the 25 year old Yorkshireman holds eighth place overall going into his and the Penrith-based team’s home round at Donington Park in four weeks time. For Lascorz, who was celebrating his 26th birthday today, it wasn’t the best start to his World Superbike career as he crashed out of race one on lap 13 and then had to retire from the second race with a tyre problem. Tom Sykes: “I’m happy to be eighth in the championship after the first round as you only have to look at the timing sheets to realise there is a real quality field out there. Less than a second covers something like the first 20 riders in qualifying, so it is quite pleasing in many ways to have been in there. I am a racer and I want to progress quickly but this is the first year with the new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R and I am sure we can make even more progress very soon. Everybody in my garage is keen to win, that is what this whole project is about, but it is early days.” Joan Lascorz: “We had different settings on the bike because the conditions changed and it proved difficult in Superpole. I used a qualifying tyre but it made no real difference to the lap time so we had to gamble in the races. It’s unfortunate to come away with no points but I hope for better luck at Donington.” Paul Bird, Team Owner: “Tom finishing in eighth and ninth is OK as it’s important to get a result and points on the board at the opening round but a top six would have been better and I think he was capable of that. Joan was unlucky to slip off in the first race but his team made a wrong tyre choice in race two and he paid the penalty for that. Hopefully, we can progress further at Donington next time out and as well as Tom and Joan; we hope to welcome Chris Vermeulen back.”