FIM Superbike World Championship Santamonica Circuit Misano, San Marino June 29, 2008 Race Two Results: 1. Ruben XAUS (Ducati 1098 RS08), 24 laps, 39:19.710 2. Max BIAGGI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -1.035 seconds 3. Troy BAYLISS (Ducati 1098 F08), -4.158 4. Noriyuki HAGA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -5.466 5. Troy CORSER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -6.759, ran off track 6. Lorenzo LANZI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -13.468 7. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -15.221 8. Carlos CHECA (Honda CBR1000RR), -16.687 9. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098 RS08), -17.030 10. Fonsi NIETO (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -17.681 11. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098 F08), -21.356 12. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -28.676 13. Ryuichi KIYONARI (Honda CBR1000RR), -31.304 14. Gregorio LAVILLA (Honda CBR1000RR), -32.339 15. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yamaha YZF-R1), -33.716 16. David CHECA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -34.171 17. Ayrton BADOVINI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -40.638 18. Roberto ROLFO (Honda CBR1000RR), -41.136 19. Shuhei AOYAMA (Honda CBR1000RR), -49.699 20. Jason PRIDMORE (Honda CBR1000RR), -1 lap, DNF, mechanical 21. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yamaha YZF-R1), -10 laps, DNF, retired 22. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -16 laps, DNF, retired 23. Regis LACONI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 24. Makoto TAMADA (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -22 laps, DNF, crash 25. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Honda CBR1000RR), -22 laps, DNF, retired 26. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Honda CBR1000RR), -24 laps, DNF, crash FIM Superbike World Championship Point Standings (After 16 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 259 points 2. Neukirchner, 210 3. Carlos Checa, 207 4. Haga, 191 5. Corser, 185 6. Nieto, 151 7. Xaus, 148 8. Biaggi, 117 9. Fabrizio, 111 10. Kiyonari, 94 11. Kagayama, 82 12. Lanzi, 80 13. Lavilla, 75 14. Smrz, 72 15. Muggeridge, 59 16. Tamada, 41 17. Laconi, 36 18. Sofuoglu, 32 19. Nakatomi, 24 20. Rolfo, 20 21. TIE, Badovini/Russel Holland, 14 23. TIE, Gimbert/David Checa, 7 25. Aoyama, 3 26. Michael Beck, 1 More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Corser on the podium in San Marino Pole position starter Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) looked set for his first win of the 2008 season on two occasions at Misano but he had to settle for a second in race one and a good points score of fifth in race two after running off track and ultimately avoiding a crash. He also set a new lap record, 1’37.580, on lap two of race two, which he led for 10 laps. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) struggled hard in qualifying and the first race, finding himself only 19th after one lap. He recovered to gain six points for tenth. In race two Haga felt he had a better technical package and he made real progress from his grid position of 14th, to hold off his team-mate by just over a second. In the opening 24-lap race Corser looked on for his first win of the year in race until Max Neukirchner surprised the whole paddock by turning a tenth place in qualifying into a race win. Haga was struggling through the race and finished just behind Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) who had two great races in the points, ninth and then 15th. Race two was taken by Ruben Xaus, from Max Biaggi. In the championship itself, Haga is now fourth, on 191 points to championship leader Troy Bayliss’s 259, while Corser is fifth, only six points from Haga. David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) was 15th in race one and 16th in race two, while Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) just missed a point in race one and retired in race two. Troy Corser (2nd and 5th – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Race one was looking really good until Max Neukirchner appeared and our whole weekend hasn’t been bad in general. Our rear tyre moved about a bit more in the second race than the first, especially under braking. We had made a couple of little changes to the front suspension for the second one, but not enough to affect the rear in any way. I ran on when the bike jumped out of gear in the second and lost some time, and the chance of a second podium.” Noriyuki Haga (10th and 4th – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “We got caught in race one when Laconi crashed and I had to avoid him so to come from so far back was not easy. Race two was better and I got good points, but it has been a very hard weekend for me. I have not been able to do the same running training I would do normally, because of my injury. In this heat it made a difference and I didn’t have my normal strength.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “We saw definitely that Troy is back. He had a good weekend. He worked hard and was rewarded with a Superpole win, and a good podium finish for his efforts. Nori didn’t find the set up he was looking for until the 2nd race where he showed us that even when it wasn’t possible to win he rode to get the best result, had he started further up the grid, the result would possibly have been more points. He is still always competitive. With six races still to run everything is still possible. Shinichi Nakatomi (9th and 15th – Team YZF Yamaha) “On Friday, we could not find the right setting, even if we tried many different possibilities. I did not have enough feeling. On Saturday, we had a much better set up. I had a good start on race and I could follow Lavilla, but I made some small mistakes. I pushed really hard. I am happy with race one. In race two, the temperature was hotter. It was difficult for me to follow the riders who have traction control, because I don’t have any and I had to accelerate later than them. The tyres started to move a lot after 10 laps, front and rear. I am happy with race one because I had a lot of stress because of previous not-so-good results. Today, it was better.” Martial Garcia (Team YZF Yamaha Team Manager) “After difficult practice sessions, we found a good set up during the warm up. This result is fantastic! Shinichi finishes ninth only 19 seconds behind the winner, and in front of Noriyuki Haga. This is the opportunity to score seven points and to make a progression of one position in the championship. Shinichi had a good start in race two, but unfortunately it was black flagged because of Muggeridge’s crash. At the restart, Nakatomi was blocked and it was difficult to pass. He still finished 15th, with one championship point. I am happy because everybody could see the progression we made this weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha: Best result of the year for Nakatomi With a very brilliant 9th position in the first race, Shinichi Nakatomi achieves his best performance so far this year. Last season, he finished 9th in Brno, and then twice 9th in Vallelunga. His best career result was in Brno in 2008 when he finished 8th. After an excellent start, Nakatomi jumped from the 20th position on the grid to the 14th in the first curve. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) was the leader in front of Ruben Xaus (Ducati), Max Biaggi (Ducati), Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) et Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki). Xaus took the lead later, and then Troy Corser. After an average start, Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) passed everybody and grabbed the lead to keep it until the checkered flag. He won brilliantly in front of Corser and Bayliss. Nakatomi did a very beautiful race, with fast and consistent lap times. This superb achievement gave him the 9th position and he gained one place in the World Championship standings. In the second race, Nakatomi started well (15th) but the event was red flagged because of an oil patch from a crash. The restart was more difficult as Shinichi was blocked in 19th position in a group of riders. He progressed and finished 15th, while Ducati earned the top 3 positions with Xaus, Biaggi and Bayliss, in front of the Yamahas of Haga and Corser. Shinichi Nakatomi: “On Friday, we could not find the right setting, even if we tried many different possibilities. I did not have enough feeling. On Saturday, we had a much better set up. I had a good start on race 1. I could follow Lavilla, but I made some small mistakes. I pushed really hard. I am happy with race 1. In race 2, the temperature was hotter. It was difficult for me to follow the riders who have traction control, because I don’t have any and I had to accelerate later than them. The tyres started to move a lot after 10 laps, front and rear. I am happy with race 1 because I had a lot of stress because of not so good results before. Today, it was coming better.” Team-manager Martial Garcia: “After difficult practice sessions, we found a good set up during the warm up. This result is fantastic! Shinichi finishes 9th only 19 seconds behind the winner, in front of Noriyuki Haga. This is the opportunity to score 7 points and to make a progression of one position in the championship. Shinichi had a good start in race 2, but unfortunately it was black flagged because of Muggeridge’s crash. At the restart, Nakatomi was blocked and it was difficult to pass. He still finished 15th, with one championship point. I am happy because everybody could see the progression.” More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Difficult race weekend in Misano for Superbike team The hard conditions at Misano continued for the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Superbike team today where, after two days of poor qualifying, the team still struggled to optimise the performance of the Honda CBR1000RR and find the right pace in the Superbike races. Carlos Checa qualified eleventh on the grid after issues with the grip of his bike played havoc throughout the qualifying session. His qualifying spot put him in a difficult position to make passes on his frontrunners in the strong field. However, some crashes at the front enabled Checa to make up some ground and he finished the first race in fifth position. The second race was ended prematurely after a crash left an oil spill on the track. Checa had another imperfect start in the second leg of the session and came through the first lap in 18th position which made it almost impossible for him to turn his loss into a top 5 finish. Checa finished 8th in the second race. Team mates Kiyonari and Sofuoglu also focused at the difficult task at hand to push the pace of their bikes but were not able to set satisfactory results. After finishing the first race in eighteenth position, Sofuoglu ended his second race prematurely after he crashed out in the first lap. Kiyonari made a jump start in the first race and lost valuable places after a hesitant start in the second race. He was able to recover some ground and ended the race in 13th position. Carlos Checa, race 1-5th, race 2-8th; “It was not easy at all today. We had a lot of chattering and lost precious time in some sections of the track. It was different to be on the pace and keep it consistent In the second race we made some small adjustments to the bike but it didn’t increase our pace.” “We knew it would be difficult racing here after yesterday’s results and were pleased to at least set a top 5 result in the first race. It’s hard to start from the back of the field and my pace was too slow to make much ground. Some riders at the front crashed out so the damage was not too bad. In the second race it was impossible for me to improve my position after a bad start.” “We leave this track with a lot of new information on the CBR1000RR. We’ll look at the data to find out why we cannot be fast here. We still continue to grow up and hopefully will be able to catch up on the loss in the next round.” Ryuichi Kiyonari, Race 1-14, Race 2-13; “I want to thank my mechanics for the hard work they put into The races have been very difficult. My pace in race one was not too bad but after the jumpstart and the ride through I just wasn’t able to move up to the front. I had a bad start in race two and couldn’t make as much progression as I wanted. I couldn’t ride a good lap and keep my pace consistent. We’ve used my standard base setting for both races and the feeling was definitely better then it was at the last race, but unfortunately I failed to finish the races with some good results. Kenan Sofuoglu, Race 1-18th, Race 2 -DNF; “After the poor results in qualifying I wasn’t expecting much progression in the races. My 18th place in the second race is far from satisfactory for me. In the second race I lost my rear brake and crashed out. I just hope we can improve things for the next round.” Ronald ten Kate, Team manager; “It didn’t take and expert’s opinion to see it was going to be difficult today to set some good results after the poor qualifying. In the first race we got away with a fifth place after some of the faster guys in the field crashed out.” “In the second race Carlos had a difficult situation after an imperfect start. At the end of the day the damage is not as bad as I thought it would be after qualifying.” “We are now going for a test in Vallelunga and will obviously have some work to do to get our bikes on the pace again. We don’t go out racing to make the numbers and want to be up front again for the next round in Brno.” “Sofuoglu and Kiyonari were both in difficult situation from their places on the grid. It was almost impossible for them to bring some good results back home. Let’s see if we can turn this around and come back strongly at Brno.” More, from a press release issued by PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse: After sparkling performances in some periods of qualifying, Makoto Tamada and Régis Laconi had a disappointing raceday on their Ninja ZX-10R machines. Neither rider managed to finish a race, as each crashed out in race one and then experienced technical problems in race two, one of which caused Tamada to fall again at the entrance to the first chicane. The team now looks to the next round at Brno to get back to points scoring form, particularly as each rider is happy with the latest chassis developments. They will have a further chance to test them at Mugello, on July 2 and 3, before they head to Brno. Makoto Tamada: “It was a very disappointing day for us and particularly as I wanted to make a good show at my team’s own San Marino round. We had some technical problems in race two and that contributed to my crash. We will move on from here and I know the Brno circuit well.” More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: No-points round for Team Pedercini at Misano Adriatico. Superstock1000 race opened the race-day: Aldrovandi and Tiberio were not able to reverse the qualifying trend, failing to found more feeling with their bike. In WSBK race-1 Iannuzzo got crashed after few laps, while Badovini took the way of the pits 5 laps to the end, after having got back to the track as a consequence of an error when he was 13th. In race-2 both the riders took to the track with revenge will but they were not able to make a good start and they finished in the back-lines. Thanks to a quicker pace Badovini started his recovery on the pack made by Aoyama, Rolfo, David Checa, Nakatomi, Lavilla and Kyonari who were fighting for the positions between the 13th and 19th place. Unfortunatley, three laps to the end, the rider from Biella did another mistake while he was trying to finish into the top-15, losing definitely the chance to get some points. AYRTON BADOVINI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | Retired and 17th classified: “I was sure to be able to run two good race, on the contrary I got a lot of difficulties and I was not able to finish into the points although I came close to it in both the race. On this track we have been not able to find the right setting for a comfortable riding, I hope to take my redeem at Brno in three weeks”. VITTORIO IANNUZZO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | Retired and Retired: “It has been a bad week-end. I have never found the feeling with the bike. That was better here than on another track: Misano doesn’t suit the feature of our machine at all. The only good thing is my physical form: now I feel good and I hope to take a good result at Brno”. YOANN TIBERIO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 17th classified: “I did my best but on this track we have suffered of balancing problems. I finished out of the points, a result really under my expectations. I hope to get my revenge in Brno; that track seems to be more suitable for our bike”. ALESSIO ALDROVANDI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 19th classified: “I was not able to make a good start but, anyway, this track has been the less suitable for our machine so far. The wrong start influenced my first laps then I got back the concentration and I recovered some positions. Anyhow at Brno I hope to finish the race a lot more forward. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: DOUBLE PODIUM FOR BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) IN EXTREMELY HOT CONDITIONS AT MISANO Misano (Italy) Sunday 29th June: Both Race 1 and 2 at the Misano World Circuito saw a hard fought battle between several of the Ducatis, both factory and privateer, the two factory Yamahas and the Suzuki of Neukirchner, with Ducati Xerox factory rider Troy Bayliss eventually taking two third places on the podium. Bayliss and Corser dominated the first half of Race 1 until Neukirchner managed caught them both to ultimate pass and take the win ahead of the two Australians. A run-in during lap eleven of the same race between Fabrizio and Max Biaggi saw the premature end to Fabrizio’s race, an unfortunate finish after making such a strong start. In Race 2 Fabrizio suffered a technical problem on the second lap but the race was then almost immediately red-flagged due a technical problem for Muggeridge also, which left oil on the track, and led to a restart of the race, a fortunate outcome for Fabrizio allowing him to make the restart too. Bayliss made a flying start to the restart and the first nineteen laps saw him and Corser swapping between first and second positions, before Xaus and then Biaggi too picked up the pace to overtake, with Bayliss struggling to keep up due to his soft tyre choice. Ducati took all three podium places as a result, with the two Ducati Sterilgarda Go Eleven riders eventually finishing ahead of Troy Bayliss. Michel rode in seventh place for most of the race before tyre wear meant he lost a few places to finish in eventual eleventh place. Troy Bayliss now holds 259 championship points, while Neukirchner moves into second place with 210 points ahead of Carlos Checa (207). Michel Fabrizio lies in eighth place with 111 points. After a very positive weekend, Ducati continues to lead the manufacturers championship with 323 points ahead of Yamaha (284 points). Troy Bayliss (Race 1 – 3rd, Race 2 – 3rd) “It was really hot here today like every year. I had been feeling good all weekend and was feeling confident before race 1. We had chosen a hard tyre which we thought would be good but then I struggled throughout the race. I can’t take anything away from Neukirchner and Corser though as they rode a great race. After Race 1 we changed the tyre for the second race, thinking that was the problem, and that was as a bit better but it was still difficult and towards the end I was losing grip with the rear. Again I take my hat off to the guys ahead of me, Ruben and Max (Biaggi), who did a fantastic job. I can say that the day has been one of the hardest of my career, but in the end we’ve gained more points. I’d have liked to have done better today but there you go.” Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 – DNF, Race 2 – 11th) “In Race 1 unfortunately I touched Max right at the start during the second lap and I came off, there’s nothing else to say. I went to apologise to Max immediately. Then in race 2 we had a technical problem with a cable and so we had to go out with the second bike for the restart. This meant that we had exactly the same set-up as in Race 1 – as we didn’t finish the first race we couldn’t know exactly how good the set-up was or whether we would finish the race with the tyre choice we made. We chose a softer tyre but unfortunately it wasn’t the best decision. I’m sorry for today’s results as, after a positive Friday and Saturday I hoped we could go better, I was hoping for a different result.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: SO CLOSE TO FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON! Troy led both 24-lap races at a blisteringly hot Misano today, but ended the day without that first elusive win of the season. He led race one, with seven laps remaining, but was then passed by Max Neukirchner (Suzuki). He kept in touch with the German, but could not find a way past and had to settle for a comfortable second. Series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) took third spot. In race two, Troy passed his fellow countryman Troy Bayliss after three laps and led the race for ten laps. But, at the 15 lap mark, his rear tyre started going off and he was forced to ease the pace. In the end, he finished fifth, behind Ruben Xaus (Ducati), Max Biaggi (Ducati), Troy Bayliss, and team mate Noriyuki Haga. Troy – Race 1: 2nd, Race 2: 5th The heat out there today was unbelievable and it was hard to catch your breath sometimes. It was so hot on the track, especially in the second race because we had to sit around in our leathers waiting for the restart and that mean we didn’t really cool down at all. I’d say that was probably one of the hardest race days I’ve ever experienced. When I was in the lead in race one, I was comfortable and I really thought this would be my day and I would win. The tyres kept fairly consistent throughout the race and I felt I was riding well. Max came past and although I tried to keep up with him, it just wasn’t possible. If I had tried any harder, I would’ve crashed for sure. But it felt good to be leading a race and I was confident that I could win race two or get another podium at least. I made a good start to race two, but then it was red-flagged and we had to do it all over again. We put a fresh tyre on for the restart, but this time I didn’t get such a good start. The rear tyre was OK up to about fifteen laps, but then it became a bit of a struggle and I had to ride for the best finish I could get. It’s possible that the second tyre had already had two heat cycles and normally that means that the performance drops. We couldn’t think of another explanation for the difference in behaviour. I’m really happy with the way I’m riding at the moment and I’m giving everything I’ve got, but somehow a win eludes me. What do I have to do to win! More, from a press release issued by Honda: HONDA RIDERS WORK HARD FOR POINTS MISANO Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) was the top finishing Honda rider in each 24-lap race at Misano, scoring fifth in race one and eighth in race two, taking him to third in the championship rankings. The entire race weekend at Misano had been conducted in conditions of high humidity and extreme temperatures, which did not help any of the Honda runners find good grid spots after qualifying and Superpole, and the circuit proved difficult to optimise set-up for in general. In the first race of the day, held in temperatures of just over 30°C, the surprise winner was Max Neukirchner, with Checa fifth after qualifying 11th on the grid. The next best Honda rider was Gregorio Lavilla (Vent-Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) in eighth after both Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) and Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) suffered ride through penalties for jump-starting. Kiyonari recovered to 14th and Rolfo took 17th. Shuhei Aoyama (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) had a strong first race finishing 13th in the middle of a battle with Fonsi Nieto and Kiyonari. Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was forced to retire on lap 17, after he had been the only Honda rider except Checa to qualify for Superpole, starting from 15th grid position. The second race was stopped after two laps, when Muggeridge’s machine suffered a technical problem and the track had to be cleaned of fluid on the entry to the first chicane. The complete 24-lap re-run went to Ruben Xaus, with Checa eighth, Kiyonari 13th and Lavilla 14th. Rolfo was 18th, eight seconds up on Aoyama. Muggeridge had to pull out of the restarted race two, and Jason Pridmore finished neither race at this round, missing a race two finish by only one single lap. Pre race, Rolfo had been 17th in qualifying, Lavilla 19th, Kiyonari 22nd, Aoyama 23rd, and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Jr) who was 18th and last in race one, was 24th. Kenan crashed out on lap one of the restarted race, and is now 18th overall. At the top of the championship fight Checa holds third place with 207 points, behind series leader Bayliss on 259, from race one winner Neukirchner, on 210. Kiyonari is tenth on 94, Lavilla 13th on 75 and Muggeridge 15th on 59. Checa said: “It was not easy at all today. We had a lot of chattering and lost precious time in some sections of the track. It was difficult to be on the pace and keep it consistent. In the second race we made some small adjustments to the bike but it didn’t increase our pace. We knew it would be difficult racing here after yesterday’s results and were pleased to at least take a top five result in the first race. It’s hard to start from the back of the field and my pace was too slow to make much ground. Some riders at the front crashed out so the damage was not too bad. In the second race it was impossible for me to improve my position after a bad start.” Kiyonari said: “I want to thank my mechanics for the hard work they put in. The races have been very difficult. My pace in race one was not too bad but after the jumpstart and the ride through I just wasn’t able to move up to the front. I had a bad start in race two and couldn’t make as much progress as I wanted. I couldn’t ride a good lap and keep my pace consistent. We’ve used my standard base setting for both races and the feeling was definitely better than it was at the last race, but unfortunately I failed to finish the races with good results.” Sofuoglu said: “After the poor results in qualifying I wasn’t expecting much in the races. My 18th place is far from satisfactory for me. In the second race I lost my rear brake and crashed out. I just hope we can improve things for the next round.” Rolfo said: “Between the two races we modified something on the bike but unfortunately it was not in the right direction. During the second race, after an excellent start, I felt the same problem we had in the first race and I was not able to exit the curves properly. I lost a lot of positions when my rear tyre started to lose grip and it was difficult for me finish the race.” Lavilla said: “I got a decent start in race one and made up some ground to score points in eighth place. After the restarted race two getting off the line was not great and I had to work hard to score some points.” Muggeridge said: “We were fast in each race and made it into Superpole so things are good when they are going right. But we have been having some problems in the heat and that is why we couldn’t finish the races.” Aoyama said: “I am happy to score my first points it was a good moment for us all. In race one I had a bad start and I tried to catch up the lead riders, but from the start to the end I fought with Fonsi Nieto. I just couldn’t pass him. It was not so bad. In race two I had a good start but I made some mistakes and I ran too wide sometimes.” The ninth round of the World Superbike Championship will take place at Brno, on 20th July 2008. More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki: MAX GOES INTO SECOND IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP! Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took a superb win in the first race at Misano today and seventh in race two, to move into second place in the championship behind Troy Bayliss (Ducati). After his tremendous performance in race one, when he charged from the third row of the grid to take the chequered flag, another good result was on the cards for race two. But the second race was red-flagged after one lap and Max, like most riders, changed his rear tyre. Despite the bike having the same set-up and the same type of tyre, Max had problems exiting the corners and lost time trying to catch the lead group. Nevertheless, he was happy to take his second ever World Superbike win today and leave Misano second in the championship. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Fonsi Nieto did not have such a good day. He crashed in the first race, but remounted to finish 12th. He used a harder tyre in race two, but the much higher temperature meant the tyre didn’t work well. He then got caught up in a group and ended tenth. It was always going to be a difficult day for Fonsi’s team mate Yukio Kagayama. Although he had pain-killing injections in his injured left hand, the heat and two long 24-lappers meant he had to dig very deep just to finish the races. Despite the pain, he managed a superb 11th in race one and 12th in race two. Max – Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 7th I am very happy to win my second race and the feeling was very good – especially as I had started from the third row of the grid. I was patient and just worked my way up though the field and once I was in front, I knew I could win. We didn’t change anything for race two, so I am a bit surprised why I couldn’t do as well. The tyre was the same, but it didn’t work the same way. I didn’t make a good start, so there was always going to be some work to do, but I was losing time exiting the turns and it was hard to pass some of the other riders. But, at the end of the day, I am happy because I am second in the championship and not so many points behind the leader. Fonsi – Race 1: 12th, Race 2: 10th At the moment, I am not happy and also I have no luck. Starting from row three of the grid always makes problems and you have to push hard to catch the front runners if you are to have any chance of a good result. Maybe I was pushing too hard in the first race, trying to catch the leading group, and that’s why I lost the front and crashed. It was only a small crash and I got back on the bike straightaway, but it ruined any chance of a good result. We used a harder tyre in race two, but the higher temperature meant it didn’t work so well. The high temperature also meant that my bike’s engine was running too hot when I was in the slipstream trying to catch the other riders. The engine wasn’t getting enough cool air and its temperature went up, and when that happens you lose power. So I couldn’t catch the front guys and ended 10th. The lack of air coming into my helmet made it difficult to breathe at times, so today was very exhausting. But forget the heat, I am not happy today, because I know it should’ve been much better. Yukio – Race 1: 11th, Race 2: 12th Today the bike was good, but the rider’s performance was not! I had pain-killing injections before both races and both times they worked for some laps, but nowhere close to the race distance. It was a big problem getting the bike to change direction and sometimes on the brakes. The broken bones heal quickly, but the ligaments take longer and they were causing me the problems today. After six or seven laps in both races, I began suffering with the pain, so I tried to use my right hand and arm more. But when the bike was shaking a bit, I found it difficult to hold the left side and it was not easy to push hard. Today, my left side performance was not as good as it should be and I am sorry because the bike has the potential to be on the podium. My team did a great job this weekend and I am just sorry I was not able to give them better results.