FIM Superbike World Championship Official Test Parkalgar Circuit Portimao, Portugal January 28, 2011 Combined Superbike Session Results (wet conditions, all on Pirelli tires): 1. Ruben XAUS, ESP (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:47.065 2. Michel FABRIZIO, ITA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:48.267 3. Noriyuki HAGA, JPN (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:53.414 4. Eugene LAVERTY, IRL (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:54.130 5. Marco MELANDRI, ITA (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:54.348 6. Sylvain GUINTOLI, FRA (Ducati 1098R), 1:54.516 7. Maxime BERGER, FRA (Ducati 1098R), 1:55.633 8. Carlos CHECA, ESP (Ducati 1098R), 1:56.276 9. Tom SYKES, GBR (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:56.328 10. Joan LASCORZ, ESP (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:56.361 11. Jonathan REA, GBR (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:56.378 12. Jakub SMRZ, CZE (Ducati 1098R), 1:56.571 13. Ayrton BADOVINI, ITA (BMW S1000RR), 1:57.759 14. James TOSELAND, GBR (BMW S1000RR), 1:58.234 15. Leon CAMIER, GBR (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:58.703 Best Overall Superbike Test Times (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Jakub SMRZ, CZE (Ducati 1098R), 1:43.503 2. Jonathan REA, GBR (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:43.676 3. Eugene LAVERTY, IRL (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:43.707 4. Tom SYKES, GBR (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:43.770 5. Carlos CHECA, ESP (Ducati 1098R), 1:43.789 6. Max BIAGGI, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:43.840 7. Michel FABRIZIO, ITA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:43.879 8. Sylvain GUINTOLI, FRA (Ducati 1098R), 1:44.369 9. Leon CAMIER, GBR (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:44.446 10. Joan LASCORZ, ESP (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:44.752 11. James TOSELAND, GBR (BMW S1000RR), 1:44.764 12. Noriyuki HAGA, JPN (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 1:44.857 13. Ruben XAUS, ESP (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:44.885 14. Maxime BERGER, FRA (Ducati 1098R), 1:44.886 15. Marco MELANDRI, ITA (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:45.461 16. Ayrton BADOVINI, ITA (BMW S1000RR), 1:45.678 More, from a press release issued by Castrol Honda: Castrol Honda team frustrated by winter testing weather The Castrol Honda World Superbike Team is heading back to its Netherlands workshop following another frustrating pre-season test at Portimao in Portugal. Changeable weather conditions at the 4.6km circuit in the Algarve have meant the team’s two riders, Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus, have been unable to test new parts for their Castrol Honda CBR1000RR machines, with Wednesday being the only fully dry day of the test. It follows two very cold days at Motorland Aragon in Spain last week, when it was low temperatures that prevented much testing work. Fortunately, the team is testing twice at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia before the 2011 World Superbike championship kicks off there on 27 February. Jonathan Rea – #4 Yeah, it’s been good here at Portimao. We didn’t get the best testing weather we wanted dry days, really, to try and progress the bike. We had some new things to try and, to be honest, I think we got two sessions, but we were pretty much at the sharp end in both of them. In the wet we were really fast as well, so I’m really happy with where we are. I always worry that you might lose some speed or talent over the winter but it hasn’t been the case and we’ve reconfirmed that my wrist is perfect and my shoulder’s good. It’s exactly what I needed before I head off to Australia on Tuesday where my trainer’s meeting me to get some sunshine and get me properly prepared. Ruben Xaus – #111 The weather’s been strange here rain then stop, rain then stop so it’s been difficult for us to work. It’s hard to concentrate and the conditions haven’t really been like a race weekend. But at least we got 50 or 60 dry laps so I’ve learned a lot from the bike and from the guys. They’ve taught me how to do some things and Johnny (Rea) also taught me some steps. Slowly, we made some progress and overall I’m quite satisfied because although conditions were very difficult here, I’ve seen something of the bike and I can go home, relax and think about where I need to put in the effort from my side. Despite all this, I think it’s one of my best starts to a season from a physical and motivational point of view. As a package, the team looks really great, everybody works together on both sides of the garage, so let’s go to Australia and enjoy ourselves with the kangaroos! Ronald ten Kate team manager Well, our winter testing has given us either a lot of rain or very cold weather. Luckily enough we have two extra days for testing at Phillip Island before the official test there. It might be too much to say it’s crucial, but it’s certainly really important because here we haven’t really stepped forward from what we were running at the end of last year. We haven’t really tested anything new on the bike yet, so at Phillip Island we’ll know if we’ve made some progress. Despite the conditions being cold and wet for our European tests, we’ve still run at the front of the field, which at least gives us a bit of confidence, but we’ll see in Australia where we really are. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Alstare: MICHEL UPBEAT DESPITE LACK OF TRACK TIME DUE TO BAD WEATHER. The first official WSBK tests of the 2011 season at the Autodromo do Algarve, in Portimao, were blighted by poor weather throughout the three days. And so Suzuki Alstare and the rest of the teams present were unable to carry out as much work as expected. The cold temperatures meant that once the rain had fallen the track never fully dried out and so all the fast times were set on day one – the only dry track time of the three days. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio started the tests with his GSX-R1000 more or less as it was in the previous tests in November and he and the team continued to work on getting a good feeling with the bike before pushing hard. In difficult conditions, on the final day, he was second quickest, but ended seventh quickest over the three days due to the times set on day one. Jakub Smrz (Ducati) put in a lap of 1:43.503 on day one – a time that remained unbeaten thereafter. Second quickest was Jonathan Rea (Honda), with Eugene Laverty (Yamaha) third and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) fourth. Michel Generally I am very happy how the tests have gone, though obviously I am disappointed with the weather throughout the three days. This area is supposed to be the sunniest part of Europe, but we’ve seen a lot of rain and cloud. When conditions are so bad for so much of the time, it is very difficult to get through all the work that has to be done. I think my team have done a very good job these three days in conditions which changed so many times and also very quickly. I may have only ended seventh on the timesheets, but I was only three tenths of a second behind the fastest guy and so I feel very positive about these tests. I had two crashes on the second day. Both were highsides, but I managed to escape without any injury, though it made extra work for my mechanics and for that, I am sorry. At the moment, I think that the engine is OK and we have been working a lot on the suspension and set-up of the bike. I am still learning this bike, after years on a twin, and the characteristics are very different. The Suzuki is very nimble in the turns, but getting out of them quickly is where we suffer a little. So, that’s another area that we are working on. I think if we can progress in that area, we’ll be very happy. We’ve got two tests before the first race in Phillip Island and it’s very important that we arrive at the first race in the best possible condition. I like Phillip Island a lot because it is a fantastic track to race on and the whole setting and ambience is great. It is a great shame that we were unable to get more work done here, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Considering that I have not been on a racebike since November, I am happy with what we managed to achieve and feel upbeat about the next tests and race one. Let’s hope for good weather though! More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Day 1 time gives Smrz (Effenbert-Liberty Ducati) the top slot in Portimao test Portimao (Portugal), Friday 28 January 2011 – Jakub Smrz proved to be the fastest rider in official Infront Motor Sports pre-season testing at Portimao. After three days of changeable weather conditions, the Effenbert-Liberty man’s time of 1’43.503 remained unbeaten throughout, giving the Czech-based Ducati team a great start to life in WSBK racing. Jakub Smrz: “We brought two bikes here, one with almost the set-up as the one I used for a while last year and one set up like the factory team of last year. That had some different things with geometry, gearing, swingarm and so on and I was fastest on that one on the first day. The other two days there was not so much do, because the conditions were not fully dry, not fully wet, most of the time. The team worked perfectly and it is great for them to start the season being fastest in this test.” Few riders ventured out in today’s final two sessions, and it was Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) who was fastest in the afternoon with Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) quickest in the morning as the rains came and went with great frequency, if little force. In the overall three day rankings, Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) is second, and WSBK rookie Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) third, with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) a confident fourth. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) filled the top five places, with World Champion Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) sixth, despite only taking to the track on the dry first day. Michel Fabrizio (Team Suzuki Alstare) headed off Smrz’s team-mate Sylvain Guintoli for seventh, despite crashing twice in the middle day. Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) was ninth and new WSBK rider Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) beat some established names to go tenth quickest. Overall Times: 1. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1’43.503; 2. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’43.676; 3. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1’43.707; 4. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’43.770; 5. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’43.789; 6. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’43.840; 7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’43.879; 8. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1’44.369; 9. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’44.446; 10. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’44.752; etc. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Sykes Top Four In Portimao Tests The official IMS test sessions at Portimao gave Tom Sykes and Joan Lascorz the first chance to measure the progress of the all-new Ninja ZX-10R against its peers, with more than encouraging results. These tests also hosted the official launch of the 2011 World Superbike Championship, with Kawasaki one of seven competing manufacturers again this year. Tom took the opportunity to speak to the assembled media and IMS management about his expectations for a successful season. Despite having only one dry day of track action, after sporadic rains led to everchanging track conditions on days two and three, Sykes was fourth fastest in the final rankings and only 0.267 seconds from the quickest rider. Like all the riders at Portugal, Tom had hoped for two more dry days to dial the bike into this racetrack and make final preparations before the whole team heads to Australia for the final IMS tests and then the first race of the year, on February 27. His hopes of consistent trck conditions were in vain but the team still managed to get through a good workload and find even more areas to exploit more fully next time out. Lascorz is not quite back to full fitness after his big crash during the 2010 Supersport World Championship season, but the Superbike rookie was still well in contention with some big names, finishing 10th on the timesheets in a test that featured 16 top quality riders. Joan felt he could have made an even better early impression but was balked by other riders when trying to go for a faster time on day one. To minimise the risk of a fall, Joan elected not to ride in many of the sessions which proved to be not fully wet, nor really dry, but he did ride in a fully wet condition and was pleased with the positive outcome. Tom Sykes: “Overall, not too bad in the dry. We were just two tenths off, which I am not saying is fantastic, but at the end of the day we were doing decent times. In the wet we still have some work to do, but it was still positive in the wet. Overall I am pleased with test if not the weather conditions, but we confirmed the general direction we have been going in with set-up, so we can now go to Phillip Island with more parts that will help us in a few areas. We will do the two official test days in Australia and then we go racing.” Joan Lascorz: “I only wanted to ride in dry conditions so the first day was a good one to test in, and check how the bike and I were going. The bike was good and I was surprised that I was also good. Not 100% yet, but better. I worked well with Pere and we found a good dry set-up on the first day but I got held up by a couple of other riders when trying to improve my lap time. Looking at my ideal times I could have been about 0.6 seconds better. The Kawasaki team staff have been explaining very clearly to me where I can improve and I really appreciate that. In the wet I did not want to risk things too much, but we made some good laps when it was fully wet. I stopped when the track surface became inconsistent as I really is not want to risk a fall.” More, from a press release issued by Supersonic Racing Team: Limited work due to the weather conditions for the Supersonic Team at Portimao. The final day of testing in Portimao was again disturbed by rain forcing the team and Maxime Berger to wait for a long time in the garage. Unfortunately, when it seemed that the track would dry out, the rain came back to fall and this was repeated in both the morning and afternoon session. In the morning Maxime was able to do 11 laps, best time 1’58 “478. In the afternoon, 20 laps and Maxime improved his best time in 1’55 “633, which brings him to the third time at the ranking of the second and final session of the day. Now, the team will travel to Spain and make two more days of testing on the Motorland Aragon track. Another important event, not only in preparation for the start from the championship at Phillip Island, but also because it will allow Maxime Berger to become confident and used to the track for the race in June. DANILO SONCINI: “Today the weather was certainly not favourable; it confirms the fact that it is difficult to find the track in good condition in these period. We tried the wet setup and we hope that this will be useful in future. The first day was the best day. We worked well and the results were very good. The second day was not so bad, it was a bit more difficult because of the timing. Now we move to Spain and hope to find a better climate at Aragon. Of course we will not find high temperatures, but hopefully a dry track, so we can try a different tire and continue working on the electronics.” MAXIME BERGER: “Today the weather was really weird. It was raining and then the sun appeared, just when we hoped that the track would dry the rain started again. Unbelievable! We have worked less today but I am getting comfortable with the ride-by-wire and with the traction control. I was able to ride about thirty laps today. I’ve also been able to increase my feeling with the bike especially on the wet track. These were three important days for us and I hope to do even better at Aragon during the two days of testing. Don’t forget we still have two more days of testing in Australia so we will start the first race at Phillip Island in the best conditions and already able to exploit the potential of my Ducati 1198. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Successful start in Portimao for Melandri and Laverty Yamaha World Superbike Team riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty today wrapped up the first World Superbike test of the 2011 season. Run over three days at the Portimao circuit in Portugal, Melandri and Laverty experienced mixed and challenging weather conditions as they put their 2011 YZF-R1 race bike through its paces. Very limited dry track time made it impossible for the team to simulate any race distance runs to find a perfect set up for the Portimao circuit however they were able to successfully test and evaluate the updates and developments of the 2011 R1 and came away from the test confirming there were no issues and achieving positive results. Successful evaluations included confirming the different weight distribution of the bike, updated electronics and performance running with the new 2011 FIM regulations that include standard fuel injectors, standard fuel regulator and standard fuel pump. The 2011 bike also features a small increase in horsepower. Having only had shoulder surgery before Christmas with a recommended recovery time of two months, Melandri came to Portimao with the sole focus of learning the track and gaining valuable seat time on his new R1. Despite this the Italian rider impressed, without pushing he was able to challenge for some of the fastest times in the wet sessions (2nd in Wednesday’s wet session and 3rd in Thursday’s wet session), whilst keeping something in reserve for when fully fit in Australia next month. Laverty continued to impress, the young rider continuing to adapt quickly to Superbike riding. He tested a few things with the team over the three days, again being unable to run race distance due to weather the time was spent focusing on development work. The final combined times saw him in third position just two tenths off the number one spot. Eugene Laverty Yamaha World Superbike Team 3rd, 1’43.707 83laps “Despite the weather it has been really beneficial for me to get some more laps on the bike. I hadn’t had any time on the R1 in the wet before this test so if race one at Phillip Island is wet now it’ll be fine! I’m really happy with the bike, in the wet and the dry. It was a slow start on the first day but then we made a big breakthrough with the front setting and I jumped up to third which is at least where I should be. It shows we can be strong so I’m confident we can be on the pace wherever we go. When I walk into the garage I feel at home. We came here and picked up where we left off from last year’s Phillip Island test really smoothly. I’m looking forward to getting back to Australia now for the two day test and then getting stuck into some racing!” Marco Melandri Yamaha World Superbike Team 15th, 1’45.461 82laps “I’m very happy with the results of this test. It was very important for me so soon after my shoulder operation to be careful and take it easy on the bike. I came here to focus on seeing the track and learning it along with some more time on the bike. We haven’t pushed very hard at all but I’m feeling very comfortable on it despite the discomfort of the shoulder. We seemed to find a very good wet set up very easily and I was surprised how easy it was to go fast. I’m looking forward now to getting to Australia, I’ve been training really hard to get back to full fitness so I am looking forward to being fully fit and really going for it and pushing.” Andrea Dosoli – Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager “This test was very important as we had full spec of the 2011 race bike so we had to verify that everything was right. It was also quite important for Melandri to test his shoulder after the operation before Christmas. I must say I’m impressed with the job he did. He was able to ride well. The first day he had a lot of pain but he adjusted quickly to the track and the second day in the wet where the riding style is not so aggressive he had more mobility. Eugene was also improving consistently. He worked hard on the set up on the Wednesday, the results were confirmed later in the afternoon with some fast laps. Unfortunately the weather did not help. I think for the future we should look elsewhere for less unpredictable weather. We leave Portimao with a good feeling and a competitive package. We have another two days of testing to work on the set up for the first Philip island race, I am confident Marco will be back in shape and fully fit.”