Superbike World Championship Race Two Results Losail International Circuit Doha, Qatar February 25, 2006 1. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000), 18 laps 2. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06), -1.025 second 3. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -3.462 seconds 4. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -3.463 seconds 5. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1), -4.350 seconds 6. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06), -19.610 seconds 7. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR), -20.548 seconds 8. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -21.183 seconds 9. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -23.198 seconds 10. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05), -26.533 seconds 11. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1), -26.854 seconds 12. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -28.132 seconds 13. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05), -28.135 seconds 14. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F05), -34.176 seconds 15. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R1), -35.395 seconds 16. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R), -42.158 seconds 17. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -50.906 seconds 18. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1), -51.504 seconds 19. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS), -60.943 seconds 20. Franco BATTAINI (Kaw ZX-10R), -61.456 seconds 21. Talal AL NAIMI (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 22. Pierfrancesco CHILI (Hon CBR1000RR), -8 laps, DNF, crash 23. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical 24. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS), -10 laps, DNF, crash 25. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1), -12 laps, DNF, crash 26. Lucio PEDERCINI (Duc 999RS), -14 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -16 laps, DNF, crash 28. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000), -17 laps, DNF, mechanical 29. Vittorrio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000), -17 laps, DNF, mechanical Superbike World Championship Point Standings (after 2 of 26 races): 1. Bayliss, 40 points 2. TIE, Corser/Toseland, 38 points 4. Pitt, 27 points 5. TIE, Barros/Fabrizio, 19 points 7. Haga, 16 points 8. Rolfo, 12 points 9. Muggeridge, 11 points 10. TIE, Abe/Lanzi, 10 points More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: FIRST AND FOURTH FOR TOSELAND AFTER SECOND RACE PHOTO FINISH James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) scored his first win for his new team at the very first time of asking after a closely fought contest with second place finisher, Troy Bayliss, at Losail. The 5.380km circuit, in the desert near Qatari capital Doha, was a challenge for Toseland at some points over race weekend, but the 2004 World Champion came good on raceday, after qualifying fourth on the grid. He had to fight his way up from tenth on lap one to take his victory, and did not have to battle for the win with the two-long time leaders, who crashed in front of Toseland on the last lap. A second podium finish looked probable for Toseland, who was awarded an eventual fourth in race two, but only after a photo finish with Noriyuki Haga. Toseland leaves Qatar for the next round in Australia in joint second place in the championship standings, having shared first and fourth places with race two winner, Troy Corser. After some outstanding performances in qualifying, Karl Muggeridge (Winston ten Kate Honda) could only take a 12th and ninth place finishes, after his number one machine did not respond as expected in race conditions. Residual damage from a crash in Superpole was deemed the likely cause, and Muggeridge now sits overall ninth in the championship. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “Race one was a wonderful reward for everyone involved and shows that James is a great signing for the team. The result of race two was not what we wanted it to be, and it is never going to be easy to win a race in this current Superbike field. We thought we got third so we were all almost cheering. But when we saw the photo finish picture, it seems James was beaten by about a centimetre. We took a very good result for James here, but a bit of misfortune for Karl, who showed good pace earlier in the weekend. He got into trouble with his number one bike. There has been some damage after he crashed on yesterday, but something we cannot see. For Phillip Island we will change the chassis and everything else to make sure everything is OK. If he did not have that difficulty I’m sure he would have had a couple of good top five finishes.” James Toseland SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 1st position Race 2: 4th position WSBK Position: 2nd with 38 points) “Not a bad start. It had been quiet for me this winter, with everyone talking about Barros and Bayliss and so on, so it was nice that in the middle of a change of team, bike and everything I was allowed to work away in the background. I came with an open mind and we didn’t start out being so fast but the team has worked hard and we’ve got the first reward. It was a shame to miss out on a podium in race two, but when you see the photo-finish I lost by about a centimetre. Even with this disappointment I’m still happy with our opening race day.” Karl Muggeridge SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 12th position Race 2: 9th position WSBK Position: 9th with 11 points) “It was no good really. I struggled from beginning to end. Something is wrong with the bike and we daren’t change to the second, as we hadn’t run that other one yet. So to say I am disappointed is an understatement. Every time I entered a corner, right or left, it was chattering, and I was so sideways. It has to be the bike, because James and I have such a similar race set-up, it’s just not funny. “ More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: Disappointing start for FPR in Qatar The first round of the new Superbike World Championship proved one to forget for Foggy PETRONAS Racing. Australian Steve Martin finished both races in 18th place, while new team-mate Craig Jones suffered two crashes. The battle for the honours provided two thrilling finishes: James Toseland profiting when Noriyuki Haga crashed and took out Yukio Kagayama on the final lap of the first race, and Troy Corser emerging victorious over fellow Aussie Troy Bayliss in a fairingbashing final lap of the second race. The start of each race left Steve with a mountain to climb as he battled to fight his way back through the field. Craig, who injured his knee in a fall yesterday, crashed in the early stages of both races but did not aggravate the injury. Steve said: “I was on the outside of the grid and everyone was taking an inside line so I got stuck. It would have been better to be 11th or 12th on the grid. Once I got into a rhythm I could tell we had made an improvement from the first race and I was able to lap in the 2:02s. I also got an average start in the first race and then went into neutral going into the hairpin and lost a lot of time when I ran off. I caught Battaini and then Ianuzzo but could not get past him. There is a lot of acceleration at this circuit, which is not our strongest point, but I am a lot more positive than at this point last year. However, we still need to sort the stability problems we have experienced here. At least I finished both races and I know we have good pace we just need it throughout the race and I hope we can find that in Australia next week.” Craig said: “It was a disastrous weekend for me. I didn’t have a good set-up the whole time we were here. In the second race crash I don’t think I did anything differently than any of the previous laps. I was going really steady, so that I would finish the race, and the front end still went. In the first race the bike was set-up a lot different to how I rode it in the morning warm-up, with more weight on the front and obviously more fuel. So the front tyre was more loaded up and I was unlucky to be caught out. I did consistent 2:02s in testing here when I was ill. So I’m now looking forward to finding some improvements at Phillip Island so that I can show what I can do.” Race two results, Superbike World Championship, round 1, Losail, Qatar: 1 Corser; 2 Bayliss 1.025; 3 Haga 3.462; 4 Toseland 3.463; 5 Pitt 4.350; 6 Lanzi 19.610; 7 Barros 20.548; 8 Fabrizio 21.183; 9 Muggeridge 23.198; 10 Xaus 26.533; 11 Abe 26.854; 12 Nieto 28.132; 13 Rolfo 28.135; 14 Borciani 34.176; 15 Gimbert 35.395; 18 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 51.504 Race one results: 1 Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda); 2 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 0.088; 3 Pitt (Yamaha Italia) 2.390; 4 Corser (Alstare Suuki Corona Extra) 2.599; 5 Fabrizio (DFX Treme) 6.999; 6 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 14.717; 7 Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) 15.224; 8 Chili (DFX Treme) 21.183; 9 Borciani (Sterilgarda Berik) 36.675; 10 Neukirchner 23.932; 11 Abe (Yamaha France) 24.816; 12 Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 25.643; 13 Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 29.139; 14 Gimbert (Yamaha France) 29.977; 15 Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik) 36.675; 18 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:06.594 More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: TOSELAND AND CORSER SCORE WINS IN SEASON OPENER – EXCITEMENT APLENTY AT LOSAIL After two races that provided excellent entertainment for all present at Losail, the previous two World Superbike champions, James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) scored one win apiece. The 18-lap contests were conducted at a high pace, with the previous lap records beaten on successive occasions. RACE ONE James Toseland, who had finished lap one in 10th position, scored his first win in the Winston Ten Kate Honda team at the very first attempt, after a dramatic final lap. The 2004 World Champion capitalized on a crash between likely 1-2 finishers Noriyuki Haga and Yukio Kagayama, with only half a lap remaining, and Toseland resisted sever pressure from Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) to take the win. In third place, Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) took his first career podium finish, after leading in the early stages. Fourth went to 2005 Losail race winner and eventual World Champion Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) and a raft of SBK rookies scored impressive finishes just behind. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda) was an assured fifth, Alex Barros went sixth in his first ride on the Klaffi Honda, and Roberto Rolfo recovered from a midfield start to finish seventh on his SC Caracchi Ducati. RACE TWO In the second race each rider in the front group made it to the finish, with Corser and Bayliss battling over the last two laps, and Corser taking the win by just over a second. A photo finish saw Noriyuki Haga beat Toseland across the line by 1.6 centimetres, after Toseland mounted a late challenge. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox), who crashed out in race one, scored sixth in race two, edging out Barros, with Fabrizio eighth. Haga took the new lap record, setting a 2’00.061 on lap two. CHILI EIGHTH THEN A FALLER Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda) rode strongly to eighth in race one, but almost took out Alex Barros in race two as he fell in the infield. He is beaten up, but otherwise uninjured. Marco Borciani (Sterilgarda Berik) scored a strong ninth in the opener (14th in race two), with Max Neukirchner (Pedercini Ducati) rounding out the top ten in race one. Top scoring Kawasaki rider in race one was Regis Laconi (PSG-1), 13th, as his team-mates Chris Walker and Fonsi Nieto were both forced to retire. In race two, Nieto scored 12th, with Walker out of the points in 16th and Laconi a faller. Karl Muggeridge struggled after riding a machine which appeared to hide invisible problems after a Superpole crash. He finished 12th and ninth, with his countryman Steve Martin (Petronas) down in 18th in each race. He was unable to make up ground after being boxed in during both starts. Craig Jones (Petronas) suffered two crashes. CHAMPIONSHIP RACE HEADS TO AUSTRALIA WITH BAYLISS LEADING Bayliss (40 points) will return to his native country with a mere two point championship lead over Corser and Toseland (38 each) with Pitt fourth, on 27. Fabrizio and Barros have 19 points each, in equal fifth. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BAYLISS LEADS THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM AFTER DOUBLE PODIUM FINISH ON HIS RETURN TO WORLD SUPERBIKES Losail (Qatar), Saturday 25 February: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) marked his return to the World Superbike Championship with two second places at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. It was a remarkable performance by the 36-year-old Australian, who after spending three years in MotoGP, is now leading the 2006 championship following the opening round. Race 1 saw Bayliss inherit the runner-up slot behind James Toseland (Honda) after the two front-runners Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) had crashed out on the final lap. In the second race Troy battled hard with his fellow Australian and 2005 champion Troy Corser right to the finish but had to settle for the runner-up slot again. “It was hard work today”, declared Troy. “Everyone was riding very well and their machines were also working well. The second race was a long race and I really wanted to get a better start than what I did but I found myself again in fourth and fifth in the group. I was a bit unsettled and it took me till two thirds of the race until everyone started to suffer before I could make my move. I put my head down and was trying everything to get past people. With two laps to go, I was making ground on Corser and we had a good fight in the end. But my timing was a little bit off for the last corners and he covered it well. Today the best I could do was second so I’m reasonably happy with the results. Everything is going well however and I’m looking forward to Phillip Island”. His Ducati Xerox team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi was running in sixth place in race 1 until he high-sided on lap 4. In the second race the Italian finished in a steady sixth after feeling the effects of his earlier crash. “After I had destroyed my bike in the first race incident, I felt that the bike I used in the second race didn’t entirely ‘suit’ me the way I wanted because we hadn’t used it much over the weekend and so it was more of a struggle. I paid dearly for my error in race 1 when I wanted to go and catch them at all costs but I was a bit too hasty. The crash was a nasty high-side, very dangerous, in quite a fast corner, the next to last right-hander. Physically I wasn’t 100% for the second race but I got a sixth place which is OK considering the conditions. In the early stages, I was lapping as fast as the others but then my right knee and ankle started to hurt so I had to reduce my pace. However it was a good weekend for the Ducati Xerox Team because Troy is leading the points and the bike’s potential is good. It was a pity for me because I was hoping for a couple of good races”. RACE 1: 1. Toseland (Honda); 2. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 3. Pitt (Yamaha); 4. Corser (Suzuki); 5. Fabrizio (Honda); 6. Barros (Honda); etc. RACE 2: 1. Corser; 2. Bayliss; 3. Haga (Yamaha); 4. Toseland; 5. Pitt (Yamaha); 6. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); etc. POINTS: (Riders) 1. Bayliss 40; 2. Corser & Toseland 38 ; 4. Pitt 27 ; 5. Fabrizio & Barros 19 ; etc. (Manufacturers) 1. Ducati 40 ; 2. Suzuki & Honda 38 ; 4. Yamaha 32 ; 5. Kawasaki 7. More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone 6 R1s at the chequered flag The 3 riders of the Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone finished both races in Qatar, with Abe and Gimbert earning some points. The race next week in Phillip Island, where the team did some testing (which was not the case in Qatar) looks promising. Norick Abe started the first race from the last row, after he had to switch bike because of a technical problem on his #1 motorcycle. Then he had as usual a great start and was 16th after one lap, with Sebastien Gimbert 22nd and Shinichi Nakatomi 20th. The leaders of the races were then Yamaha riders Andrew Pitt and Noriyuki Haga. At the half race mark, Abe was 13th, Gimbert 17th and Nakatomi 19th. Finally, Abe finished 11th, Gimbert 14th and Nakatomi 16th. So the Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone was happy with its 3 riders finishing the race, with two of them earning points. After lap 1 in the 2nd race, Abe was 15th, Nakatomi 20th and Gimbert 22nd. After the first half of the race, Abe was 12th, Gimbert 17th and Nakatomi 18th. On the finish line, Abe was in 11th position, Gimbert in 15th and Nakatomi in 17th. In the World Championship standings, Abe is 10th with 10 points and Gimbert 17th with 3 points. Norifumi Abe: “I had some bad luck in the 1st race when I had to switch bike because of a technical problem and start from the last row. But I had a great start and passed about 10 riders in the first lap. Then I did my best, but with shattering on my back wheel. For the 2nd race, we changed a little bit the set up to fix this shattering and it went better. That is when I did my quickest lap of the weekend. I ended up 11th like in the first race, but this time without riders crashing in front of me. I am not happy, but the level is very high so it is OK. I need a more powerful engine.” Sebastien Gimbert: “I had brake problems during both races. I did not start well in the second race because the starting system that I am developing had a little problem. With such brakes, il was difficult for me to pass other riders and my 2005 engine lacked power. I am sorry for the brake problems, but overall I am happy because I was quicker than last year.” Shinichi Nakatomi: “I am learning. I finished both races, not very far from the points. I did what was expected from me. At the next race, I shall be more aggressive.” Team manager Martial Garcia: “I am not happy but I am satisfied. Our most important job is about Abe’s chassis and Gimbert’s brakes. We will have to find a solution for our shattering problem. Our 3 bikes finished both races and we have some points. Sebastien had a bad start in the 2nd race, but after that he was very fast. Norick had to use his #2 bike which was less powerful than the first one. Nakatomi cried in his helmet after race 2 when he thought he did not do well enough. But what he did is not so bad for a beginner, considering that there are a lot of very fast riders in front of him. It is important to notice that the lap times were very consistent from start to finish, which was not the case last year. This proves that the Pirelli technicians do a very good job. About the brakes problems of Sebastien Gimbert, this situation cannot last and we will make a decision.” Race 1: 1- James Toseland (Honda), 2-Troy Bayliss (Ducati), 3-Andrew Pitt (Yamaha), 4-Troy Corser (Suzuki), 5-Michel Fabrizio (Honda) 11-Norick Abe (Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone), 14-Sebastien Gimbert (Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone), 16- Shinichi Nakatomi (Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone) Race 2: 1- Troy Corser (Suzuki), 2- Troy Bayliss (Ducati), 3- Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), 4- James Toseland (Honda), 5- Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) 11- Norick Abe (Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone), 15-Sebastien Gimbert (Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone), 17- Shinichi Nakatomi (Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone) World Championship standings: 1- Bayliss (40 points), 2-Corser et Toseland (38), 4-Pitt (27), 5-Fabrizio et Barros (19 10-Abe (10), 17-Gimbert (3) More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: World Superbike Round 1 of 13 TOSELAND TAKES RACE ONE WIN IN HONDA SUPERBIKE DEBUT James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) scored his maiden win in the Winston Ten Kate Honda team in the opening 18-lap contest at Losail. He had been fourth on the grid after scoring fourth quickest time in Superpole, but a poor start dropped him to tenth overall after one lap. He battled back through the field and was poised to score a podium behind leading duo Noriyuki Haga and Yukio Kagayama, until Haga’s crash ruled both Japanese out on the last lap. Toseland’s team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) scored 12th in race one, after a crash in Superpole had put him eighth on the grid. Troy Bayliss, the Superpole winner on Ducati, was second, with Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) third. In the second race, Toseland was deprived of a third place finish by only 1.6 centimetres, after a photo finish with Haga. His win and fourth places nonetheless tie him on points with Corser for overall second in the championship. Each has 38 points, with Bayliss the leader on 40. Muggeridge was ninth in race two, with his team now certain that the machine he crashed in Superpole had suffered some unseen internal chassis damage, despite extensive repairs before raceday. Muggeridge goes home to Australia for round two in ninth place. An outstanding Superbike debut for Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) saw him finish fifth in race one, less than seven seconds from the winner, having started from 15th on the grid. Embroiled in a multi-rider fight in the second running, he scored eighth, for overall fifth in the series. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR100RR) made his first World Superbike experience a rewarding one, taking sixth in the opener, after finishing Superpole in tenth place. In the second event, he secured seventh, for an overall sixth. Fabrizio’s experienced team-mate, Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) rode from 14th to eighth in race one, but crashed hard right in front of Barros in race two. He was battered and bruised and broke his left ring finger, but he will race at Phillip Island next week. Toseland’s joy at his first race win was tempered by disappointment at missing the podium in race two, but ever the cool-headed competitor, he knows his first meeting in Winston Ten Kate colours was as good as he could have realistically expected. “Not a bad start,” said Toseland of his opening race. “It had been a quiet time for me this winter, with everyone talking about Barros and Bayliss and so on, so it was nice that in the middle of a change of team, bike, everything, I was allowed to work away in the background. I came into this race with an open mind and we didn’t start out so fast but the team has worked hard and we’ve got the first reward. It’s very disappointing to miss the podium in race two but I only missed it by a centimetre or so.” Barros enjoyed his first taste of World Superbike competition, and despite slow starts and the odd heart-stopping moment, he was satisfied with two fine finishes. “Two tough races and in race two I almost hit Chili when he fell,” said Barros. “I regained the lap again and had a really good fight with Fabrizio and many other guys. But it was all fun, even if my starts were not so good, and I got edged out in the first corner of the first race. Now I understand how the machine and tyres work we should be better at the next races.” Fabrizio found two races per day a tough challenge after his recent Supersport experiences, but was elated with his race performances. “I changed my bike after the warm up and the one I used in the races was much better than the one I had in Superpole and warm-up,” said the young Italian. “I felt very strong in race one, and was very pleased to have made such a good result in my first race. The problem was race two, because I was very tired towards the end. But to have two good finishes was a dream.” Muggeridge was disappointed that his weekend ended in the way it did, especially after such a fine start. “It was no good really,” said Muggeridge. “I struggled from beginning to end. Something is wrong with the bike and we daren’t change to the second, as we hadn’t run that other one yet. So to say I am disappointed is an understatement. Every time I entered a corner, right or left, it was chattering, and I was so sideways. It has to be the bike, because James and I have such a similar race set-up, it’s just not funny.” For Chili, race two was a poor reward for a good first race weekend in his new team. “I was very frustrated because I could not pass Muggeridge and when I changed my line to try and get past I made a mistake and fell,” said Chili. “Race one was not so bad, but I have broken my finger and have lots of bruises on my elbow, shoulder and hip, and I twisted my knee. But I will be ready for the Phillip Island race.” Round Two takes place on 5 March, at the Phillip Island Circuit in Australia. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Troy Corser put his Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSX-R1000 on the top of the podium in today’s second race at Qatar the opening round of the 2006 World Superbike Championship, despite suffering a hot clutch. The reigning World Champion who finished fourth in the opening race led from the fifth lap of the 18-lapper and fended off several last-minute challenges by fellow Australian Troy Bayliss (Ducati). The lead swapped several times on the final lap, but Corser held the advantage coming out of the final corner. It was a disappointing day for Corser’s team mates Yukio Kagayama and Fabien Foret: Kagayama was leading the first race on the last lap, but was taken out by Noriyuki Haga at the hairpin. Haga lost the front end and crashed, his bike then hitting Kagayama’s which knocked him off. And in race two, clutch problems forced his early retirement. Fabien Foret had a debut to forget – though not of his own fault. A broken sensor sidelined him in the first race and a problem with electronics caused an early stoppage in race two. Corser and Suzuki now lie second in the rider and manufacturer standings, two points adrift of Bayliss and Ducati. Troy Corser (Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 1st): “It’s possible that I may have over-revved the bike at the start of race one and worked the clutch too hard. It was ok at first, but after six or seven laps, I had a problem with it going into the hairpin. It jumped and was completely out, so I had to wait until a straight and try and dial it back in a bit. It made life difficult entering the turns and so I had to brake harder on the entry and that probably worked the front tyre too hard. I think I was lucky to finish the first race because the clutch was very hot. “I also had some problems with the clutch in the second race, but not as bad as the first. Towards the end of the race I could hear a Ducati nearby and I knew it was probably Troy Bayliss. The tyres were more or less finished on the last couple of laps and I almost overcooked it on the last corner, but I managed to keep it upright and take the chequered flag. “Both races were really hard – certainly much harder than the races here last year – and I think everybody knows that this is going to be one long, hard season for sure.” Yukio Kagayama (Race 1: DNF, Race 2: DNF): “I am not sure if I could’ve won the first race because Nori Haga was very strong. For sure I had a good chance, but when his bike hit me on the very last lap it was all over – for both of us. I was ahead of him at the time and I think he must have just lost the front going into the turn and the bike went down and then struck me. Of course it was a disappointment – but that is racing. We both just wanted to win. “I had clutch problems more or less from the start of the second race. I could feel straightaway that it wasn’t working properly and so I tried to wind the adjuster back for the first few laps. Then I had a problem with Fabrizio in turn one when he overdid it and nearly hit me. To avoid him, I had to go off the track and I lost a lot of positions. After that it was a lost cause.” Fabien Foret (Race 1: DNF, Race 2: DNF): “I had a few problems in the first race right from the very beginning when I had to take a different line to avoid Alex Barros. Then, just three corners later, Craig Jones crashed right behind me and I had to change my line to avoid being skittled by his bike. I then began to relax a little but a few laps later I began to experience chattering from the front end. Finally, the bike just suddenly stopped after six laps because of a broken speed sensor. “I’m not sure what the problem was in race two. The bike was stuttering and misfiring and then stopped completely. It’s not the kind of start I had hoped for, but here and Australia are really tests for me and the team so it’s not a big disaster.” Qatar WSB Results: Race 1: Toseland (GB-Honda), 2 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 3 Pitt (Aus-Yamaha), 4 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 5 Fabrizio (I-Honda), 6 Barros (Bra-Honda), 7 Rolfo (I-Ducati), 8 Chili (I-Honda), 9 Borciani (I-Ducati), 10 Neukirchner (D-Ducati). Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNF. Fabien Foret (F-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNF. Race 2: 1 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 2 Bayliss, 3 Haga, 4 Toseland, 5 Pitt, 6 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 7 Barros, 8 Fabrizio, 9 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda), 10 Xaus (E-Ducati). Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNF. Fabien Foret (F-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNF. Championship Points: 1: 1 Bayliss 40, 2 Corser 38, 3 Toseland 38, 4 Pitt 27, 5 Fabrizio 19, 6 Barros 19, 7 Haga 16, 8 Rolfo 12, 9 Muggeridge 11, 10 Lanzi 10. Manufacturer Points: 1 Ducati 40, 2 Suzuki 38, 3 Honda 38, 4 Yamaha 32, 5 Kawasaki 7. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: WSB : Podium for Haga and Pitt in Qatar thriller Round: 1 – Qatar Circuit: Losail Circuit Date: 25 February 2006 Crowd: 1000 Temp: 30ºC Weather: Sunny Yamaha Motor Italia riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt took a podium finish apiece as the 2006 Superbike World Championship fired into life with two sensational races at the Losail circuit in Qatar. The duo each took a third place finish, although Haga could well have stood on the top step of the podium had he not crashed on the final lap of the opening race. The Japanese star led for most of the race, hotly pursued by fellow countryman Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki). Kagayama took the lead going into the last lap but typically the Yamaha man would not settle for second. Haga tried to repass Kagayama at the left handed turn six but asked too much of the front end of his machine and slid into the gravel. Kagayama was the unfortunate victim of Haga’s crash, allowing James Toseland (Honda) to take the win, with Pitt promoted to third behind Troy Bayliss (Ducati). Race two was similar to the first, with the two red Yamahas racing into the lead. Haga set a new lap record on lap two, but both he and Pitt slipped back when their front tyres wore later in the race. That allowed Australians Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Troy Bayliss (Ducati) to fight out a dramatic last few laps, world champion Corser taking the flag after a slight error from his countryman. Haga held onto third by the narrowest of margins, crossing the line one thousandth of a second ahead of Toseland, with Pitt in fifth. Yamaha Motor France trio Norick Abe, Sebastien Gimbert and Shinichi Nakatomi had a tough start to the season but were able to record valuable points. Abe was forced to switch bikes for race one after finding a technical fault on the sighting lap. He came from dead last to finish 11th place, a performance he repeated in race two. Frenchman Gimbert scored three points for 14th and 15th places, while Nakatomi took 16th and 17th places in what were his first races outside his native Japan. After today’s two exciting races, Bayliss leads the championship with 40 points to Corser and Toseland’s 38. Pitt is fourth on 27 points, with Haga’s 16 points in race two putting him seventh in the overall standings. Round two takes place at Australia’s Phillip Island circuit next Sunday and if the racing proves half as good as that in Qatar then the fans are in for a treat. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “The second race was very close with Toseland. He passed me going into the chicane but I could not close the door as my tyres were gone. I was able to get into his slipstream though and thankfully my bike was quicker than his. The first race crash was 100 percent my fault. On the last lap every rider pushes hard and I just braked harder than before and I lose the front end. I crashed and I am sorry that my bike hit Yukio and made him crash too. I saw the 600 race and our friend Katsuaki Fujiwara also crashed there. Maybe it is special unlucky corner for Japanese riders!” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “I’m delighted to get that first podium and I can go to Australia a lot more relaxed now that I’ve reached that target. The overall package is just so much easier to ride this year and there’s still a lot more potential in the bike. We’ve still got a bit of work to do in making our tyres last a bit longer because you could see both Nori and I were sliding around a bit at the end when the others still had a bit left. I went for a different front tyre in the second race, the same as the other guys had, and it definitely allowed me to run a lot more consistent lap times. We used the same rear though and I still lacked some side grip, so we will work on that and hopefully find some improvements in the coming races.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “I had a broken bike in the warm up lap (of race one) so I had to use the spare machine and start form the back of the grid, so I had to work hard to get through. I changed my setting from first to second race, and the lap time was a bit better, better than qualifying. At this point I am happy but it was difficult to pass the top riders.” Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “It was much better than last year, because I made many laps faster than before. Unfortunately I lost time at the start so my main work is to learn how to start well, because my lap times were not so bad.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “Compared to where we were this time last year we have improved a lot. Our riders led 21 of the 36 laps here this weekend and although we were not able to lead at the flag we were able to take a lot of confidence from the performances. I believe that our performances prove that the direction we are taking with the bike development is the right one and I am sure that we will see the benefits of this in the coming season. The whole team has done a fantastic job this weekend and the riders have repaid them with good results.” Martial Garcia (Team Manager – Yamaha Motor France) “Some points, so not so bad for the first race of the year. Everyone came home OK in the races and we had only two sessions of dry set-up on a track we do not know so well. It was also more difficult for our beginner (Nakatomi) because of this.” More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: Pirelli Presents the new Pirelli Diablo Superbike As the 2006 World Superbike Championship gets underway in Doha, Qatar, Pirelli will be the official tyre supplier for the third year in succession. The development in this class is continuous and endless, because performance is a never-ending quest for Pirelli, pushing the level of excellence of its tyres. The SBK Championship is a particularly strong motivating factor for Pirelli technicians, as tyres are developed for the needs of professional riders, each with their individual riding styles and different machines. From the mightiest 1000cc Superbike to the near-standard 600cc Superstock machine, from standard to tuned bikes, the common goal is to provide state-of-the-art tyres for any kind of street-derived 2, 3, or 4-cylinder machine. A tyre to fit and perform well on different bikes, for different riding styles, but always offering the same astonishing performance. Only if the performance is improved, only if the stopwatch and riders all give a nod of approval to our technician’s efforts, do the tyres pass the test. No rider pays more attention to laptimes than one who’s very way of making a living depends on them, and it’s with professional riders – and most of all for them – that Pirelli develops its tyres. Competition has always represented a big challenge for tyre design, with the necessity to offer absolute performance that was once the domain of pure prototypes: extremely high performance products, hand made at great expense, with each one therefore subtly different from the next. Pirelli, in its role of official tyre supplier, has changed this preconception dramatically: absolute performance is not the sole preserve of prototypes anymore. As supplier for the whole grid Pirelli has introduced industrial production for the manufacturer of racing tyres. Using industrial production techniques has eliminated the intrinsic lack of repeatability involved in prototyping, simultaneously reducing costs and allowing the SBK championship to come back to its original philosophy; reasonable cost allied to true competition. Pirelli tyres have proved to be exceptional products, able to achieve a level of performance which is unbelievable compared to standard production, yet with an absolute reliability that has seen two seasons pass without any major problems for the riders. Having created this product with standard production techniques means we have the opportunity to theoretically produce it in unlimited numbers. From this process, born on the racetrack but realized in industrial quantities, comes a new Pirelli slick tyre. It’s called Diablo Superbike and it makes a debut on the Losail circuit, in the first round of the 2006 championship, after proving itself on the stopwatch and in the view of the riders in winter testing. Whether it was Qatar, Australia, Malaysia, Spain – the times recorded were always impressive, and improved on the previous best figures. Diablo is a well-known product line for motorcycle enthusiasts with a penchant for fast riding, both on the road and on the track, and it’s the symbol of a long history of ultimate performance for Pirelli. Now, for the first time in racing, the distinction between standard product and racing product has narrowed, and for the first time a normal rider with a love of track-riding can buy and use the same material available on the full world championship stage. Diablo Superbike is an extreme performance tyre, but designed to be user-friendly. The secret is on its development, based on different bikes and different riders. Its versatility allows it to provide high and repeatable performance, in order to concentrate on the stopwatch, not on the bike’s setup. Thus if SBK has been a great impetus for development, and provided a continuous improvement for the end users in their experiences between the kerbs, the accumulated knowledge of racing in World Superbike has provided Pirelli with a guarantee of their products’ abilities. The equal treatment in rider supply and the high performance level of Pirelli products has helped provide an exciting Championship, providing two incredibly competitive and exciting seasons, with more to come. From today riders worldwide can count on this same treatment, with the same product, to improve their riding experience and their track performances. More, from another press release issued by Pirelli: 25 February 2006, Doha, (Qatar) The WSBK Championship is back, and in unbelievable style. Poor weather affected the weekend at some points, but the Doha races will go down in the history books. Troy Bayliss, back in SBK with Ducati after wining the 2001 World Championship was constantly the fastest in practice and also the Superpole winner. Behind him, his team mate Lanzi (with the other Ducati 999F06 of the Xerox team) made the same tyre choice. The impressive quality of the new Pirelli Diablo Superbike tyre told them to go for race specification rubber, instead of a qualifying tyre. It proved to be a good choice, with Bayliss able to score a 1’59.696 vs the 2’01.593 set by Ducati pilot Laconi last season. Pitt (Yamaha) and Toseland (Honda) completed the first row, each with qualifying tyres on the rims. Race 1 AIR HUMIDITY 50% AIR TEMPERATURE 23°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 39° At the first time of asking the fastest start went to the R1s of Yamaha Motor Italia team, as Yamaha pilots batted for the first two places. Immediately another fight began with Suzuki, Honda and Ducati attacking in force. With only 1 lap to go Haga’s front-end slide took out the other Japanese Kagayama, leaving the way to the podium to Toseland, Bayliss e Pitt (respectively first, second and third). “Only” fourth came World Champion Troy C with his Suzuki. Reading the time sheets the first data of significance is the total race time: 40 seconds faster than last season. Even more important was the performance of the new Diablo Superbike on the stopwatch: better lap times lap after lap. After the rain and the wind that made the track dirty, concern for the riders would have been understandable, but any concern was unfounded. Thus Troy Bayliss scored his best lap on the second last tour. He lauded the Pirellis in the post race press conference, for their great performance on raceday. Race 2 AIR HUMIDITY 48% AIR TEMPERATURE 30°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 46° Race 2 was almost as exciting. 18 laps at an incredible rhythm, fought like it was a title decider, making for a great show. During the practice sessions riders didn’t have the time to do real race simulations, thus the real test was Race 1. Due the perfect behavior of the tyres for the whole race they decided to push harder from the first lap to the very last lap of race two. And thus it was 36’20″395 of pure fun. Times were again improved: Noriyuki Haga scored a 2’00.061, a pace which finally deleted the fastest lap from 2005, that of Gimbert, (2’01.852). The top riders could hold 2’00-2’01 pace for the whole race. Final Result, race two was 11″ faster than Race 1. To inflame the public the great battle between the two Troys, was a masterpiece of bravery and riding, and the third position went to a photo finish, taken by Haga over Toseland, by butterfly wing: 0.2 thousandths of a second. The World Champion again celebrated on the highest step of the podium, but the next race, in Australia, will be a great challenge again. There were 4 different manufacturers in the top 4 positions: Suzuki, Ducati, Yamaha, and Honda. Once more Pirelli;s monmotyre solutions, developed laongside all the main participating manufacturers, have delivered positive results and offer top class performance to all. More, from a press release issued by Klaffi Honda: Superbike I What a race! Alex Barros 10th in the grid had a perfect start. The Brazilian was 6th when turned into the first bend. But then there was Lanzi. The Italian pushed him away. After this attack Alex was just in the mix on position 21 – far away from the leading riders Haga, Pitt, Corser and Bayliss. But Alex kept cool and showed his strengths. Already some laps later he was on 12th position. Alex opened the throttle. After passing Walker and Neukirchner he was 10th. Muggeridge and Chili were his next victims. Now Alex was riding on 8th position behind Fabrizio. Haga and Kagayama were fighting for victory. A battle with a dramatic finish. The two Japanese riders touched each other in the last round. Both riders crashed and Toseland took the win in front of Bayliss and Pitt. Alex Barros finished 6th in his first Superbike race at Losail. Alex Barros: “After the attack of Lanzi I was absolutely not amused. I did a good start and was on my way to chase the other riders in front. But never mind it was an experience more. – The choice of the tyres was okay and the Klaffi Honda Fireblade is one of the fastest bikes in the competition. Without a performance like this I would never had a chance to finish 6thin the first heat.” Superbike II Only 2,5 hours after the first race the riders started for the second heat today. A great job under severe conditions with track temperatures of 46 oC. For the first Alex Barros had to attend two races within one afternoon. But no problem for Alex and his Brazilian coloured Klaffi Honda Fireblade. Alex came back from his first lap on position 16. Then he passed amongst some other riders Abe, Borciani and Rolfo and was soon riding on 9th position. Now Alex was hunting Frankie Chili. In the mid of the race Alex was so close to the Italian that he just started to overtake him. But just in this moment Chili made a mistake. The Italian was on the gravel and Alex was busy to avoid a crash. Fabrizio took his chance and passed Alex. But the Brazilian took revenge. He passed Fabrizio and Muggeridge in the lap before last. Alex finished 7th. Winner of the race was Troy Corser in front of Bayliss and Haga. Team Manager Klaus Klaffenböck: “Two top ten positions at the first round of the championship this is real good result! Don’t forget that Alex nearly had no time for testing. All things considered I’m sure he has a solid chance for the up-coming races at Phillip Island!” Results Superbike I 1 Toseland (Honda) 2 Bayliss(Ducati)0.088 3 Pitt (Yamaha) 2.390 6 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 14.717 Laps: 18 Weather conditions: sunny and dry Results Superbike II 1 Corser (Suzuki) 2 Bayliss(Ducati) 1,025 3 Haga (Yamaha) 3.462 7 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 20.548 Laps: 18Weather conditions: sunny and dry Championship Standings 1 Bayliss 40 2 Corser 38 3 Toseland 38 4 Pitt 27 5 Fabrizio 19 6 Barros 19 7 Haga 16 8 Rolfo 12 9 Muggeridge 11 10 Lanzi 10 More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: A WIN FOR TROY! TROY Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 1st Phew that was a hard day’s work! If the whole season is like today, there are going to be an awful lot of tired riders out there at the end. Considering how well the winter tests went in Phillip Island, it was strange to have any problems here – but that’s what happened. We’re using a new clutch this year and it worked perfectly in the tests, but today it gave us problems in both races. It was worse in the first race and I actually think I was lucky to finish the race – that’s how bad it was! It’s possible that I may have over-revved the bike on the start and that cooked it, but we practised some starts in Phillip Island and it was OK. I had to try and wind back the adjuster in race one and then had to brake harder to keep with the guys up front. That probably worked the front tyre too hard as well, making a podium impossible. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Haga and Kagayama crashing out, I would’ve ended sixth! I had some more clutch problems in race two, but I dealt with it earlier and kept my momentum up. It was good being back at the front of the pack again and I kept pushing hard for as long as I could. Towards the end, I could hear this noise and knew it was probably Bayliss on the Ducati. I overdid it a bit at the last turn and nearly let him through, but I managed to keep the thing upright and then blast my way to the line and the chequered flag. It felt sweet. I think we all knew that this year is going to be tough – maybe the toughest ever. There are a lot of good riders and the level has definitely gone up. It’s important to win races for sure, but it’s more important to be consistently in the points and high up as possible for as many races as possible. See ya.