wSBK-IMOLA

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Imola A Happy Hunting Ground For Both Sykes And Rea

For KRT riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes the prospect of heading to Imola for the fifth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship this coming weekend brings back memories of recent race success at the Italian parkland venue.

Sykes took his 2013 spec Ninja ZX-10R to a double win at Imola in the same year he won the championship outright while Rea has three Imola race victories in total. His Imola wins last season formed a double that meant he took over the championship lead for a period.

Rea is the convincing championship leader right now, having won six races out of eight starts on his Ninja ZX-10R and finishing second in the other two. His current total of 190 points is only ten from a perfect beginning to his Kawasaki career and his next closest challenger is some 50 points adrift already. Jonathan is tied as the second most successful winning rider in terms of WSB race victories at Imola, thanks to his three previous successes.

For Sykes, well versed in the ways of the previous spec of WSB Ninja ZX-10R, the recent change in the technical regulations has made the 2015 early season more challenging than in most recent years. Showing his typical grit and determination he has still scored two podiums already and bounced back from a crash at Motorland Aragon that was not of his own making.

Tom is fourth in the championship after four rounds. With nine rounds and 18 races still to go, including Imola, he has lots of opportunities to make up points on those ahead of him.

Right now Sykes has 22 career race wins in WSB and Rea took his total to 21 after his recent double win at Assen.

After the completely flat Assen circuit that the KRT riders experienced at the previous round, Imola provides an undulating layout, with chicanes added over the years since its first use as a permanent racetrack in the 1950s.

Imola begins a rhythmical run of four European-based meetings that will occur on alternate weekends - Imola May 10th, Donington May 24th, Portimao June 7th and Misano June 21st.

Jonathan Rea: ?I am looking forward to Imola because it is a track I really enjoy; a really technical track. It requires a lot of thought to be put into the lap and there are many areas where you can make up time by using quite different techniques, especially in the Piratella and Aqua Minerali sections. I enjoy going to Italy in general and it is good to go somewhere where I went really well last year and in the past. It is the first time in Italy this year and I am just excited to go there. I have not been working with my crew chief Pere Riba for that long but we have a really good understanding of each other. We will be working through a few plans this weekend to make sure are strong for the next few races. It is going to be another tough weekend because Imola always provides some good racing.?

Tom Sykes: ?I do not look at Imola any differently from any other circuit just because we have had some success there in the past, but for whatever reason we have had some good results there, even on the previous model of Ninja ZX-10R. I have two main limitations on the bike right now but when we cross those bridges I feel confident that I will be back to myself. And back to where we have been in the past three years, which is challenging and at the sharp end of the timing sheets. I am going to Imola like always, expecting to be fighting. I just want a package that lets me challenge the other guys at the end of the race. We have not had that yet but it is something we have had in the past and I do believe we are knocking on the door now, gradually getting that balance right for me now. I am hoping that this weekend, in front of a really fantastic and enthusiastic Italian crowd, we can hit the nail on the head. That is what I am gunning for.?

Guim Roda, Team Manager KRT: "We arrive at the fifth round in Imola with our two riders going through a strong period and the Ninja ZX-10R is on a very good level to fight for victory this weekend. Rea has demonstrated his style and motivation, and for sure his talent has adapted quite well to the ZX-10R under the new rules and inside a new team. The year will be hard, so we cannot allow any distractions because Ducati and Aprilia are working hard and Suzuki and Honda have still not said their last word. Tom didn?t start the season in a lucky way but from the Australian race, on a track we all know is not his best, he had a direction to go in to adapt to the new engine and bike strategy dictated by the 2015 rules. Even in Motorland, when he crashed trying to pass Leon Haslam, it was because a technical problem. We thought it was his first mistake in three and a half years in a race but no, it was a problem with a part of cooling system that made water go on the rear tyre. We really expect a big and very nice fight at Imola with Tom and Jonathan. We hope we can make our own show a small distance from all the other manufactures, so let?s see.?

Other top Kawasaki entries at Imola include David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) with the 2014 SBK Evo Champion currently 14th in the championship, one place and 10 points ahead of his fellow Spaniard Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki).

 

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Team Althea Racing heads to Imola for the first of two Italian rounds in the 2015 Superbike World Championship.

Team Althea Racing travels to the 'Enzo e Dino Ferrari' circuit in Imola, after a season-start that has seen continual growth for the squad. The team will strive to bring home some important results in front of the Italian crowd, which should be strong considering the track?s proximity to the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale.

The team is forced to do without Nico Terol this coming weekend, as he continues to recuperate after his accident at Assen on 19 April which left him with a fractured right radius. The Spaniard, as already announced, will be substituted by Michel Fabrizio, who has previously won at this historic track, in 2009 on board the Ducati. The Roman rider will get on the 2015 Panigale R with the aim of completing two great races and confirming his talent, having already achieved a lot of success during his career.

Michel Fabrizio: ?I?m pleased to be able to race at a track at which I?ve won in the past and I?m proud to be a part - even if only for one race ? of a team that has already achieved so much success, as well as a world title. Together with the team, that has so much experience and the will to win, I know that I?ll be able to complete two good races, finally having the highest quality materials and bike at my disposal. I only have to concentrate on twisting the throttle. I want to thank Genesio Bevilacqua who has shown how much faith he has in me.?

Matteo Baiocco must meanwhile demonstrate that the constant progress seen up to the Thai round can be confirmed in the upcoming races. During the Assen weekend, in which he started the races a little further back, Matteo was nevertheless able to score some important points for the championship and will strive to show off his full potential at Imola and improve his position in the standings.

Matteo Baiocco: ?I?m pleased to race in Italy in front of our fans. We closed the Assen weekend positively, finding the right set-up, though starting a bit further back compromised results, which could have been better. The potential of the team is very high and at the home round I?ll try to do everything that I?ve not managed to do up until now, that is start near the front and give 110% in the races. I hope to see all of the fans there.?

Team Althea also has big ambitions in the hard-fought Superstock 1000 category, where Raffaele De Rosa, having just missed out on a podium at Aragon before finishing second in Assen, will now aim for victory, something that is well within his reach. Luca Salvadori has almost recovered after suffering a crash on the Dutch track, where he nevertheless proved that he is capable of scoring good results despite his young age and the fact that this is his first experience in such a competitive, high-level category. Both riders arrive at Imola in high spirits and with the desire to make all of the fans in attendance, whether ducatisti or not, very proud.

Raffaele De Rosa: ?I?m pleased with the work completed during these first two races and the second place finish at Assen. We?re working well as a team and now I want to aim for first place, having just missed out on that in Holland. At Imola, although it?s a track I?ve rarely raced at, we must try to reduce the gap in the standings and I can?t wait to get on the bike at this track, so full of history, and in front of our fans.?

Luca Salvadori: ?I was unlucky in Holland because I hurt myself as a result of the crash during qualifying, compromising my race. But now I?m getting back to full fitness and am ready for Imola, where I?ll try hard to obtain results in line with the work we are doing. I hope there is a big crowd there to welcome us because the passion and atmosphere when racing at home always gives us that extra push.?

The ?Enzo e Dino Ferrari' circuit is suited to both cars and motorcycle racing and is located in the city of Imola, 40km east of Bologna. The circuit and all of its facilities have been completely renovated and improved, thanks to works begun in November 2006 and completed in September 2007. The restructuring work was carried out under the supervision of renowned German architect Hermann Tilke. The circuit has borne the names of Enzo and Dino Ferrari since the founder and his son passed away. Contrary to many other tracks, Imola runs in an anti-clockwise direction. The closest airport is Guglielmo Marconi in Bologna.

 

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Pata Honda riders ready for Italian challenge

Sylvain Guintoli and Michael van der Mark are preparing with their Pata Honda team for this weekend?s (8-10 May) fifth-round World Superbike championship event at Imola in Italy and aiming to continue the forward strides made last time out.

Van der Mark took a brace of third-place rostrum finishes in his home round at Assen in the Netherlands three weeks ago, his maiden visit to the World Superbike podium with the Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP in his rookie season.

The 22-year-old Dutch rider, who won last season?s World Supersport championship, had already shown his potential by leading in the opening round in Australia but demonstrated in abundance his individual talent and the undoubted potential of his CBR?s performance package at Assen.

His Pata Honda team-mate, Sylvain Guintoli, has spent the opening rounds adjusting to a machine with very different characteristics to that which took him to the 2015 World Superbike title.

However, the experienced 32-year-old French ace, left Assen in a confident mindset having made a number of positive adjustments to his CBR set-up and his own riding style that allowed him to match lap times of the leading riders in both outings.

Both riders claim a particular fondness for the iconic 4.936km Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, close to the centre of Imola, which is steeped in motorsport history. Both Guintoli and van der Mark have visited the Imola podium in previous races but none has thus far climbed the stop step.

2015 World Superbike championship, round five
Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari ? Imola, Italy
Event schedule (local times GMT +2):

Friday 8 May
11.15-12.00 ? Free practice 1
15.00-15.45 ? Free practice 2

Saturday 9 May
09.45-10.30 ? Free practice 3
12.30-13.00 ? Free practice 4
15.00-15.15 ? Superpole 1
15.25-15.40 ? Superpole 2

Sunday 10 May
08.40-08.55 ? Warm-up
10.30 ? Race 1 (19 Laps, 93.784km)
13.10 ? Race 2 (19 Laps, 93.784km)

Sylvain Guintoli
Assen started as quite a difficult weekend for us but we ended up closer than we have been to the guys at the front. It was another important stepping stone to getting up there, and at least I can see what?s going on now! It was a mixture of changes to the CBR, my own riding style and the Assen circuit suiting the package but it was definitely a boost that we were able to catch the leaders in the first part of both races. It seems like Imola also suits the CBR because Johnny (Rea) had such a strong weekend there last season. It?s very technical and physical, and tough on both riders and bikes, so I?ve been training hard since Assen But it?s a great track with its own personality and it certainly gives us, as riders, an extra adrenalin shot.

Michael van der Mark
I actually got to Italy a few days early so I?ve been relaxing and driving around and enjoyed a visit to San Marino. It was fairly quiet after the busy weekend at Assen, but it was good to meet some fans at the Ten Kate Pitstop Day the following Saturday, even though the weather wasn?t very kind. I?m really looking forward to getting back into action at Imola though. I really like the circuit but I know it will be very different on a Superbike than it was on my CBR600RR from last year. I hope we can make the Fireblade work as well here as Jonathan Rea made it work last season, but we have quite different settings, so it won?t be easy. But we definitely found something really positive at Assen, working together as a team and analyzing the data, so we?ll be looking for more this weekend in Italy.

 

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VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI READY FOR IMOLA WSB

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki makes its way to the legendary Italian Enzo e Dino Ferrari Imola racetrack this week for the fifth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship sponsored by team partners Acerbis.

Alex Lowes is determined his impressive pace and resilience shown aboard his Yoshimura-powered machine last time out at Assen?s ?Cathedral of Speed?, added to the developments made with the GSX-R?s new ECU utilising his invaluable race data, will provide the catalyst to reignite his 2015 season at the iconic Autodromo. Randy de Puniet?s last appearance at the Imola circuit came in 1999 as part of the 125GP class. However, the Frenchman is looking forward to reacquainting himself with the technical Emilia-Romagna track on-board his Suzuki GSX-R1000.

The classic 4,936m circuit is located on the south-side of the town of Imola ? encompassing the ?Acque Minerali? public park ? and 45kms from the region?s capital of Bologna. The high-speed, hard-braking layout runs anti-clockwise incorporating elevation changes, short straights and plentiful corners to provide a demanding lap for rider and motorcycle alike.

The Italian adventure begins on Friday May 8th with the first of two qualifying free practice sessions scheduled at 11:15hrs local time (10:15BST). Saturday morning?s final qualifying session secures the top-20 WSBK riders? entry into the afternoon?s two Superpole sessions which in turn will decide the grid for Sunday?s two 19-lap races.

Alex Lowes:

?After the three week break I?m looking forward to Imola, getting back on the GSX-R and trying to get closer to the front. I like the track as it?s so technical, it can be quite hard to set the bike up there but I enjoy the challenge! The atmosphere of the race event and Imola itself, with its racing history, are cool and the fans are so passionate, so it?s a great place for the Championship to visit.?

Randy de Puniet:

?For me Imola is almost like a new track, having not ridden there for 16 years and the last time was on such a small bike so it will be very different. It?s an interesting track as it moves up and downhill so it will be great to ride and after three difficult race events I am really hoping for a good weekend. The team has been working really hard to develop the electronics since Assen and it looks like we have found a solution which is good news for me and for the whole team. I really hope we can come out at Imola and perform the way we all know we are capable. I?m confident because the team is dedicated to pushing the GSX-R?s performance forward and I will give my best over the weekend, work hard and stay focused.?

 

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Work in progress for Pata Honda in Italy

Pata Honda riders Sylvain Guintoli and Michael van der Mark found things far from easy in today?s opening two Free Practice sessions for round five of the World Superbike championship at Imola in Italy.

The Honda CBR1000RR-mounted pair ended the day in 10th and 13th places respectively following the two 45-minute sessions at the historic 4.936km Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, 45km south-west of Bologna.

The results mean that each side of the Pata Honda World Superbike garage has plenty of data analysis to go through this evening in order to allow each rider to improve his lap time.

Only the fastest ten combined times following tomorrow morning?s third Free Practice session will qualify automatically for the afternoon?s Superpole 2 that will determine final grid positions on the front four rows for Sunday?s two 19-lap races.

Sylvain Guintoli - P10, 1m49.296s
I?m a little disappointed with our position to be honest because we made some positive steps towards the end of the Assen weekend but we haven?t been able to translate them to the Imola track. I?m not getting the right feeling and I?m finding it quite hard to turn the bike. I can feel the front tyre compressing as I brake for the turns but I can?t get the right feeling with bike. We made some changes after this morning?s session and that helped a little, but we are still a long way off the front so there?s a lot of work to be done.

Michael van der Mark - P13, 1m49.651s
It?s been a difficult day today because the bike is not yet working exactly how I want. I really like the track here and it feels like I?m fast but I?m having some problems in the braking area. We tried a lot of things to fix this because it is the main issue that we have but none of them really worked well. We will have to study everything very carefully tonight and try to find a new direction for tomorrow.

Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator
We really expected to be a little closer to the front than we actually are and with Michael we ended up in 13th place which is for sure not where he is supposed to be. We have some problems stopping the machine and the changes we made helped on the exit but not so much on corner entry. We need to make a big step tomorrow and it?s a little bit the same with Sylvain. We moved towards last year?s setting, knowing that we were fast then, but that?s not really working; we need to work hard on coming up with a specific setting for him.

 

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Imola (Italy) ? 8 May 2015

The fifth round of the 2015 Superbike World Championship is taking place this weekend in Italy, at the historic 'Enzo e Dino Ferrari' circuit of Imola. The weekend got underway in warm and sunny conditions and with what was already today a large crowd here, just a few kilometres from the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale.

Michel Fabrizio, substituting here for Nico Terol, has worked incessantly with his team to find the right set-up of his Ducati Panigale R. The talented Roman rider returns to the world championship after a long break, and today tried to find the feeling that he?s still missing. Work inside the garage was efficient and precise, allowing Michel to dramatically lower his lap time between the morning and afternoon?s sessions. He thus closed day one in twelfth position overall, very close to the top ten with good chances of setting a strong time during tomorrow?s qualifying, valid for entry to the Superpole. Michel here has been welcomed back by the many fans who hadn?t forgotten him and his previous successes on the Ducati and this has served to spur him on.

Italian rider Matteo Baiocco arrived at his home round set on repeating the positive results obtained in previous races and the team is giving its all to help him find the right set-up ahead of Sunday?s races. In this morning?s sessions various electronic solutions were tested on Matteo?s Panigale and in afternoon qualifying he was able to lower his time by almost a second, closing day one with a best of 1?49.402, in eleventh position. Tomorrow morning, in the session that starts at 9.45am, Matteo will try to enter Superpole 2 in order to start Sunday?s races with a good grid position, in order to complete two solid races and fight for the top positions.

The two Superstock 1000 riders also completed a positive day?s work, with Raffaele De Rosa closing the sessions fourth (1'50.929), and Luca Salvadori 12th (1'52.461).

Raffaele De Rosa, after the fourth place finish at Aragon and second at the Dutch round, comes to Imola aiming for the win. A positive day for him, on a track that he has raced at only twice, and at which some of his rivals were able to test last week.

Luca Salvadori, back to full fitness after a crash in Holland, closed the day?s sessions positively after a difficult start, with a crash during the opening session, fortunately without physical consequences for the rider. A solid twelfth place per Luca, who continues to gain confidence in this category, new for him but that already sees him getting ever nearer to the positions that count.

 

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TOP-SIX FOR LOWES AT IMOLA WSB

Alex Lowes put his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki into the top-six on the opening day of World Superbike action at Imola?s Enzo e Dino Ferrari racetrack this afternoon after continued developments to the new ECU system began to bear fruit.

Improving on his time from the morning?s first free practice session by a second and a half, Lowes completed the day?s 90 minutes on-track with a 1?48.660 on his final revolution having completed 26 laps aboard his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki throughout the two sessions. The detailed electronics analysis continued both on and off-the-track with the team feeling confident for the weekend?s progression.

A reoccurring throttle connection issue and an unfortunate early high-side at turn 3 with 15 minutes remaining of the morning practice had initially hampered Randy de Puniet?s first day at the Italian circuit on his GSX-R1000. However, with the issue detected and rectified the afternoon proved more promising: On the timesheets the set-back leaves the Frenchman currently sitting in 18th position but his crew remain confident that improvement can come quickly as the weekend continues.

Track temperatures hit 41?C for the mid-afternoon session as the Italian sunshine bathed the fans at the iconic Imola circuit. Kawasaki dominated the combined times as Jonathan Rea bettered team-mate Tom Sykes with a 1?47.344 heading into tomorrow?s final qualifying practice.

Action returns to Imola at 09:45hrs local time (08:45BST) tomorrow as Alex Lowes and Randy de Puniet bid to secure qualification for the afternoon?s Superpole. Grid places for Sunday?s 19-lap races will be decided from 15:00hrs (14:00BST).

Alex Lowes:

?We?ve had some niggling issues today but the lads are working really hard and we?re making big steps over time. We haven?t been able to do as many laps as I would have wanted but we?ll work on the data tonight, chip away at it, and hopefully we can make another big-step with the consistency and get a bit closer to the front guys tomorrow. It?s really nice to be back in Imola, I?m enjoying riding the GSX-R and I?m looking forward to the rest of the weekend.?

Randy de Puniet:

?This morning the bike was not perfect so I pulled in after five laps and the rear tyre was completely destroyed, we tried with a new one but I crashed on my out-lap so my session was finished. This afternoon we tried to start with some adjustments but unfortunately the bike was not receiving the map so I was making no improvements and we lost most of the session. We have started to make progress at the end but we have lost a lot of time so it is not easy, but we will see what we can do tomorrow.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?Despite successful electronics developments last week, Imola ? as expected ? has thrown-up some significant challenges today in terms of getting the setting right and providing the riders with predictable performance. Even with some issues we?ve made good progress on Alex?s side and to be in the top-six and only just-over a second off P1, considering some of the improvements that still need to be made, is very encouraging and gives the team a decent base to continue developments tomorrow.

?Imola is effectively new to Randy ? having only ever ridden a 125cc bike round here 16 years ago ? and that, combined with some continued electronics-setting issues this afternoon and a very unlucky high-side accident on an out-lap this morning, haven?t created the best platform for him to move forward. I?m sure we will start tomorrow with the same setting for both riders as Alex?s? bike is getting closer to the mark, step-by-step; and hopefully that will help Randy to move forward.?

Imola ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Free Practice Combined Times: 1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1?47.344: 2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +0.173: 3. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) +0.238: 4. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +0.342: 5. Leon Haslam (Aprilia) +0.710: 6. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +1.316. 18. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +4.788.

 

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Both KRT WSB Riders On The Imola Front Row

Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea scored front row qualifying positions after Superpole 2 at the classic Imola circuit, with Sykes second and Rea third on the grid.

Regular qualifying for the top few riders was close all through the weekend but in Superpole that competitiveness notched up another level as Sykes was only 0.084 seconds from pole and Rea only 0.121 seconds behind the fastest lap.

Sykes? Superpole lap of 1?46.466 was only half a second from the track best despite a host of technical regulation changes brought in for the 2015 season, designed to reduce top end performance.

Superpole was won at Imola by local rider Davide Giugliano, taking part in his first WSB race weekend since fracturing two vertebrae in a testing crash in Australia in mid-February.

Imola has been experiencing a warm and dry period, allowing Sykes and Rea to make their preparations for Sunday?s two 19-lap races with a relatively consistent track surface to work on.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R has a positive recent race record at this undulating 4.936km circuit and both Sykes and Rea are now well placed to take advantage of their strong starting positions.

The first race will get underway at 10.30 on Sunday and race two is scheduled to begin at 13.10.

Tom Sykes: ?I was relatively happy with my Superpole lap but it was a shame to miss out on the pole position. Pole does not give me 25 points, however. For me our main target was the front row and it was really nice to see Davide Giugliano come back from such a potentially serious injury to take Superpole. Marcel, my crew chief, has been cracking the whip again this weekend trying to get information for us to use on raceday. It has been so unusual for us to drop our pace after 12 laps or so in the previous two events. That is something we are not used to so it is something we have worked on this weekend.?

Jonathan Rea: ?My best Superpole lap was good but not perfect. I made a little mistake in the first sectors and that carried on through for a few corners. I was happy with my lap in general, especially the second half, which I felt was really good and strong. To qualify on the outside of row one is a little bit of a handicap as you almost start on a corner. The Ninja ZX-10R has been giving me some good starts recently, so I hope I can make a clean getaway and settle into my pace. Hopefully I can stay in the 1?47s in the races because in the sessions today that is where I have been able to put my bike, but there are some other strong guys in there as well. It will be a tough 19-laps in each race and the temperatures are high. I think in the afternoon, when the temperature is hotter, our bike works a bit better.?

David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) was tenth in Superpole 2 and is therefore tenth on the grid for Sunday?s races, while Roman Ramos (Go Eleven Kawasaki) was 16th in Superpole.

 

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DEMANDING SUPERPOLE FOR VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Alex Lowes secured a fourth-row start for Sunday?s Italian World Superbike races at the Imola circuit after a demanding Superpole saw him place 11th this afternoon.

The early progress shown with his Yoshimura-powered Superbike as the weekend began had buoyed the British rider. However, the complexity of the new system combined with the legendary technical track and the rising Italian temperatures created obstacles as the second day of action developed. Qualifying directly into Superpole 2 after the morning?s final timed free practice session, Lowes? best lap of 1?48.730 on the qualifying rubber this afternoon sees him line-up in the middle of the fourth row for tomorrow?s contests.

Randy de Puniet continued his development with the Suzuki GSX-R1000 by improving on his weekend?s best as his familiarity with the Imola circuit progressed after his 16-year absence. The Frenchman, still battling with underlying engine brake issues, set a 1?50.378 in the opening Superpole session, placing him 17th on Sunday?s grid.

The jubilant crowd watched as returning ?Roman? Davide Giugliano secured pole position for Ducati?s home race ? after his pre-season accident had seen him sit out the opening four weekends ? with the Kawasaki pairing of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea rounding out the front row.

Tomorrow?s main event will see Lowes and de Puniet take to the grid at 10:30hrs local time (09:30BST) and 13:10hrs (12:10BST) respectively for the two 19 lap races around the iconic Imola circuit.

Alex Lowes:

?We came in to the weekend thinking we had broken the back of the development work, but disappointingly it seems that it has not translated to the Imola Circuit. We have suffered with big inconsistencies in the engine braking strategy and as a result the bike was tough to ride today, as Imola is a really technical track with lots of critical braking areas. It is frustrating as I know we have the potential to challenge but we will continue to work hard, step-by-step and come out fighting as always on Sunday.?

Randy de Puniet:

?Another difficult day for me as we are struggling to find the solution I need with the GSX-R?s new electronics. The team is working hard to resolve the problem and we will continue to focus on this overnight, push hard and see what we can achieve in the races tomorrow. Imola is also a new track for me and this doesn?t help, but we need some steps tomorrow to be more confident.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?There is no hiding from the facts and today?s qualifying result, combined with the continued struggle to find the right solutions with the Marelli ECU and new hardware, is of course very disappointing.

?The base yesterday was better than today, but the team has now hopefully uncovered a problem which has been masking the required setting changes. There is also a greater sense of frustration, as the development work completed since Assen appeared to be very successful. The lack of performance at this track means that we have to revisit every area of that work and effectively start again. However, there is no chance of us ?giving up? and we will keep working to achieve our goals.?

Imola ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Superpole: 1. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) 1?46.382: 2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +0.084: 3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) +0.121: 4. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +0.290: 5. Leon Haslam (Aprilia) +0.472. 11. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +2.348. 17. Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) - SP1.

 

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Imola (Italy) 10 May2015

The Althea Racing Team riders will line up on the fifth row of the grid for tomorrow?s World Superbike races taking place at the 'Enzo e Dino Ferrari' circuit of Imola.

At a circuit at which he has already won in 2009, Michel Fabrizio, riding here as a substitute for Nico Terol, had a positive qualifying day and although he just missed out on entry to Superpole 2, he continues to show progress on the Ducati Panigale R, a bike that he is riding after a long break and that he still needs time to learn. Despite this, he has worked well with the team, managing to drop his lap times dramatically and, although he will start thirteenth in tomorrow?s races, he has a strong chance of being able to score two great results.

Michel Fabrizio: ?I?m sorry because looking at the times of the first seven, we only just missed out on top ten. Tomorrow morning during the warm-up we?ll carry out some final checks to see if everything?s set for the races. I really want to do well and though the top guys have stronger pace, I?m sure that I can fight for the positions that count. I would like to drop my time of today by at least another half second and complete two top-level races.?

Matteo Baiocco and the team worked hard during every session, reaching the Superpole in ideal conditions to be able to score an important results. Baiocco made a solid lap with the qualifier that put him into second position with a chance to enter the second phase of the Superpole but while he was attempting to further improve on his time, he was momentarily distracted by a pit board signaling a technical problem for another rider and made a small error as a result in the final section of the track. This prevented him from improving further and he missed the chance to work towards a better grid position. The progress made between the first session and now nevertheless bodes well for tomorrow?s races.

Matteo Baiocco: ?I don?t like to talk about bad luck, but today?s episode where I saw the board signaling a problem for another rider, and thought it was referring to me, was bad luck. As a result I lost focus right while I was making my best lap which would probably have put me into Superpole 2. I had the potential to start inside the top eight and due to an unlucky episode I was unable to do so. Starting further back will be a big disadvantage but I?ll do my best because I know I can do it.?

The qualifying session closed positively for the Superstock 1000 riders, with Raffaele de Rosa scoring second place on the grid while Luca Salvadori will start from row three, in ninth position.

Raffaele De Rosa was able to find the feeling that he was missing in previous sessions. On pole until the final lap, he unfortunately crashed while pushing to improve on his time, preventing him from fighting for first place. Fortunately he was unhurt in the crash and will start tomorrow?s race from the front row. His aim tomorrow, and one that is well within his reach, is to go for the win.

Luca Salvadori, after an unlucky Assen race, is not only back to full fitness but is also more sure of himself, something he was perhaps lacking. He closed the final qualifying session very positively, in ninth place. Third row for him, having proved that despite his young age and limited experience in this category he can score important results for himself and for the team.

Raffaele De Rosa: ?I?m quite pleased because after the first practices I wasn?t very comfortable on the bike, but gradually lap after lap I built confidence and continued to improve. I held pole almost until the end and then during what would have been my fast lap I met a slower rider, made a small mistake and crashed. These things happen but I?m sure I?ll be able to complete a great race tomorrow.?

Luca Salvadori: ?I?d say qualifying went well, being only the third of the season. We?re making great progress and after the Assen crash we needed a good result. I was able to duck under 1?51 and am quite pleased. Tomorrow I?ll start from the third row and if I can make a good start and stick with those in front I think I can complete a great race.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Third row for van der Mark in Italy

Michael van der Mark will start tomorrow?s two fifth-round World Superbike championship races from the third row of the grid after setting the ninth fastest time in this afternoon?s Superpole at Imola in Italy, where local rider Davide Guigliano took pole position.

The 22-year-old Dutch ace qualified fastest from Superpole 1 after finding a much-improved setting on his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machine. However, lower grip levels in Superpole 2 did not allow van der Mark to match his SP1 time or take a higher grid position for tomorrow?s two 19-lappers at the 4.936km Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

Before this afternoon?s Superpole qualifying, van der Mark?s Pata Honda team-mate Sylvain Guintoli had not found the ideal setting for his own CBR at Imola, and had been working hard with his crew on corner-entry and the rapid direction changes that are required for Imola?s three chicanes.

Despite more positive lap times on race rubber in Superpole 1, however, Guintoli suffered a sensor problem after he went out on his qualifier, which affected the electronics systems on his machine and restricted him to 15th place on tomorrow?s grid.

Michael van der Mark - P9, 1m48.225s
I?m quite happy with today because we found a big improvement this morning and then another in FP4. It?s good that we were able to make this progress but, to be honest, we are still too far off the front guys. But we found more than a second from yesterday so that?s very positive. Superpole 1 for me was pretty good and I had a strong feeling with the qualifier to get through to Superpole 2. Unfortunately, the second Q tyre just did not work like the first one and that was quite disappointing. But compared to yesterday I?m happy and looking forward to tomorrow?s races.

Sylvain Guintoli - P15, 1m48.567s
You don?t need me to tell you that the position is really not where I want to be but we?ve had some problems in getting the bike stopped and turning this weekend. We?ve tried a lot of different solutions but none of them gives me a better feeling with the bike so we were struggling before we went into the first Superpole. Things were a little better on the race tyre but, when we put the qualifier in the bike we had a small technical problem which caused some electronics issues.

Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator
We?ve been changing the bike a lot for Sylvain but we didn?t really find a direction that made him more comfortable. For Superpole we changed it again and he was able to improve his laptime. But when he was on his qualifying tyre, a sensor popped off and that disturbed the electronics and left him 15th. We are sorry for that and not happy about it of course because everyone in the team, including Sylvain, is working really hard to improve things. With Michael we made some good steps today and we improved the lap times which brought us a lot closer to the top five. In Superpole 1 he did a 47.7, which was faster than he could manage in Superpole 2. When we checked the data we saw that the second qualifier had a little less grip than the first and left us with ninth place. But race pace has improved a lot and I& rsquo;m quite confident that he can find a good rhythm in warm-up tomorrow and, I believe, still fight for a top five in the race.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Double Win For Rea As Sykes Takes Two Second Places

Jonathan Rea (KRT) scored two convincing WSB wins at Imola today and in a strong performance from the Kawasaki Racing Team in general his team-mate Tom Sykes was second in each contest. Rea has now won eight of the ten races run so far in 2015.

Rea?s phenomenal Imola performance means he has scored eight wins from ten starts in the FIM Superbike Championship this year, and he now enjoys a huge championship points advantage of 87 points over his nearest challenger.

For Sykes, two second places were his best results of the season putting him up to third in the championship. He is now only 25 points from second place rider Leon Haslam.

The first race was shaping up to be a fight between the top Kawasaki riders until it was stopped at just over half distance. The championship rules demanded a restart, which was only six laps long, but counted for full points. Rea and Sykes once more disputed the lead in this race, with early leader Sykes deposed by Rea on lap three. Rea was to go on to win by 0.482 seconds.

In race two, with marginally warmer track temperatures, again the KRT riders proved the fastest this weekend, with Rea easing away from Sykes in the later stages of the full 19-lap race to make it a double success for himself. With Sykes second again it was a double 1-2 for the KRT squad.

In the championship standings Rea has an almost perfect 240 points, Haslam is second with 153 and Sykes is now third on 128.

The next round takes place at the home round of each rider, Donington Park in the UK, with raceday on May 24th.

Jonathan Rea: ?It has been incredible this weekend and I do not know what to say because this kind of run has never happened to me before. I am just enjoying the moment. The key to the weekend was working hard with Pere and Paolo Friday and Saturday to make sure we had a package we could fight with. I was honestly a little bit worried about the six lap first race because we were not really set up to be so strong in the beginning of the race but we were able to win. In race two I watched the gap behind and Arturo was giving me great signals from pitlane. When the gap got to one second I thought ?keep going and no mistakes?.?

Tom Sykes: ?We made some improvements at this round and I am very happy. Jonathan rode a strong race in race two and we had a big gap to the guys behind. In the end I just had to accept that this was our limit today. Jonathan was really strong in some areas and could take an advantage, then I would take some back, but finally it was his day today. The good thing is we have improved from previous events, and from last year, so I think we are heading in the right direction. Still there are some minor things to change but on the whole we have addressed some of our limitations and in Donington at the next round we will keep working. We improved some small things this weekend but small things at this level make an incredible difference. To take the wins would have been better, but I am happy.?

2014 WSB Evo champion David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) suffered a left radius injury after falling in the red flagged first race and as a result missed race two. Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki) was 11th in the short race one and then a high scoring seventh in race two, moving him to 13th in the championship standings.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Fifth-placed Guintoli takes positives from Imola

Pata Honda rider Sylvain Guintoli and his team were able to take a number of positives away from an eventful raceday in round five of the 2015 World Superbike championship today at Imola in Italy where both races were won by Jonathan Rea.

The 32-year-old French rider endured problems in getting his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP set up for the technically demanding 4.936km Imola circuit and consequently started today’s races from 15th on the grid.

The first race was stopped following a crash on lap 11 after Guintoli had fought his way up to seventh place, and he was able to improve to fifth in the six-lap restart after showing a better pace than earlier in the weekend. However, he crashed out unhurt on the opening lap of race two after being forced wide on to a dirtier part of the track.

Guintoli’s Pata Honda team-mate Michael van der Mark had an equally dramatic day, fighting his way back to ninth place in race one – which matched his grid position – after a difficult start had left the 22-year-old Dutch rider languishing in 17th place.

A better start in the incident-packed second outing allowed van der Mark to battle for sixth place with the factory machines of Jordi Torres and Leon Haslam but a coming together with Halsam on lap eight forced van der Mark off the track, resulting in a crash which also put him out of the race.

Sylvain Guintoli - 5th and DNF
Race one was much better than we expected and I was able to race hard and get up to fifth from fifteenth on the grid. The bike felt better than it had done all weekend and we found some good data that allowed us to make some positive changes for the second race. I was really looking forward to race two and with the hotter weather we could use the softer tyre. I was in the pack on the first lap but I had to leave some room for, I think, Leon Camier who dived in to overtake me at turn nine. I had to go wide on to a dirty part of the track and just lost the front. It was one of those first lap racing incidents but it’s a shame because I think we could have recovered well again. But we’ll take the positives and the fighting spirit from race one and move forward at Donington Park which is like a home race for me.

Michael van der Mark - 9th and DNF
It’s been quite a difficult weekend throughout all the sessions but we improved in each session from Saturday morning. In race one I had a problem with the launch control system so that’s why I lost so many places at the start. In the end I rode step-by-step and made up around ten places and, although the pace wasn’t great, it was an improvement again. Then we had the six lap sprint after the red flag when I tried another tyre but I didn’t get any grip, which was quite disappointing. The start of race two was not too bad and I was able to make up some places in the first corner. I moved forward and passed Leon [Haslam] and had a nice fight with Torres. Leon wanted to pass but he hit me and I crashed. I was really disappointed with that because if you look at the end Torres got to the podium and, for sure, a fourth or even a third place might have been possible.

Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator
In race one Michael did not have a good start and he had to come all the way from the back. Sylvain did get a good start and was lying in seventh place, when Michael had come up to eighth, but then there was a red flag. In the six lap race that followed, Michael struggled with the start but Sylvain managed to bring the CBR home in fifth which was a good result considering the weekend we had. It was good to see him fighting and enjoying himself a little. Michael was on the other end of that group and finished ninth. In race two, Sylvain had another good start and got in the middle of the pack. He had to pick another line because another rider was coming through and he just ended up on the dirt. Michael had a decent start and was fighting for fifth but crashed out of the battle. I think he could have finished fourth, or third even, and that gives us some positives to take to Donington.

Event results - Round 5- Race 1
1 Jonathan Rea 10'43.252 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Tom Sykes 0.482 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
3 Davide Giugliano 3.945 ITA DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
4 Leon Haslam 7.455 GBR APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
5 Sylvain Guintoli 11.925 FRA HONDA Pata Honda
6 Ayrton Badovini 12.074 ITA BMW JR Racing Team
7 Leandro Mercado 12.789 DUCATI BARNI Racing Team
8 Matteo Baiocco 13.712 DUCATI Althea Racing
9 Michael van der Mark 13.863 NED HONDA Pata Honda
10 Michel Fabrizio 14.637 ITA DUCATI Althea Racing
11 Roman Ramos 16.990 ESP KAWASAKI Team Go Eleven
12 Alex Lowes 21.123 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
13 Santiago Barragan 32.443 KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
14 Christophe Ponsson 32.977 KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
15 Imre Toth 39.711 HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
16 Gabor Rizmayer 40.821 HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
17 Leon Camier DNF GBR MV AGUSTA MV Agusta Repart Corse
Event results - Round 5- Race 2
1 Jonathan Rea 34'06.825 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Tom Sykes 4.399 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
3 Jordi Torres 26.020 ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
4 Davide Giugliano 30.853 ITA DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
5 Ayrton Badovini 35.379 ITA BMW JR Racing Team
6 Matteo Baiocco 38.818 DUCATI Althea Racing
7 Roman Ramos 40.663 ESP KAWASAKI Team Go Eleven
8 Leandro Mercado 42.067 DUCATI BARNI Racing Team
9 Michel Fabrizio 55.722 ITA DUCATI Althea Racing
10 Alex Lowes 56.990 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
11 Santiago Barragan 1'29.613 KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
12 Imre Toth 1 Lap HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
13 Gabor Rizmayer 1 Lap HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
14 Chaz Davies DNF GBR DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
15 Leon Haslam DNF GBR APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
16 Michael van der Mark DNF NED HONDA Pata Honda
17 Leon Camier DNF GBR MV AGUSTA MV Agusta Repart Corse
18 Randy de Puniet DNF FRA SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
19 Christophe Ponsson DNF KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
20 Sylvain Guintoli DNF FRA HONDA Pata Honda
Championship standings
1 Jonathan Rea 240 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
2 Leon Haslam 153 pts GBR APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
3 Tom Sykes 128 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
4 Chaz Davies 123 pts GBR DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
5 Jordi Torres 99 pts ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils
6 Sylvain Guintoli 76 pts FRA HONDA Pata Honda
7 Michael van der Mark 67 pts NED HONDA Pata Honda
8 Matteo Baiocco 65 pts DUCATI Althea Racing
9 Leandro Mercado 62 pts DUCATI BARNI Racing Team
10 Alex Lowes 52 pts GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
11 Nicolas Terol 48 pts ESP DUCATI Althea Racing
12 Xavi Fores 38 pts DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
13 Roman Ramos 34 pts ESP KAWASAKI Team Go Eleven
14 Leon Camier 33 pts GBR MV AGUSTA MV Agusta Repart Corse
15 Ayrton Badovini 32 pts ITA BMW JR Racing Team
16 David Salom 29 pts ESP KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
17 Davide Giugliano 29 pts ITA DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
18 Santiago Barragan 16 pts KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
19 Troy Bayliss 16 pts DUCATI Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team
20 Randy de Puniet 15 pts FRA SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
21 Michel Fabrizio 13 pts ITA DUCATI Althea Racing
22 Sylvain Barrier 10 pts FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team
23 Christophe Ponsson 5 pts KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
24 Imre Toth 5 pts HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
25 Gabor Rizmayer 3 pts HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
26 Jed Metcher 2 pts KAWASAKI Race Center - Demolition Plus
27 Niccolo Canepa 2 pts ITA KAWASAKI Grillini SBK Team
28 Larry Pegram 2 pts EBR Team Hero EBR
29 Anucha Nakcharoensri 0 pts HONDA YSS TS Racing
30 Javier Alviz 0 pts KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
31 Ireneusz Sikora 0 pts BMW BMW Team Toth
32 Greg Gildenhuys 0 pts KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
33 Chanon Chumjai 0 pts BMW RAC Oil Racing Team

 

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Superbike: Imola Sunday Races

The World Superbike weekend at Imola has concluded positively for Team Althea Racing. Matteo Baiocco finishes the two races eighth and sixth, while Michel Fabrizio crosses the line in tenth and ninth place, not far behind his teammate.

Matteo Baiocco completed two great races at the historic Imola track, confirming the continuous progress made between the start of the championship and now. Unlucky yesterday during the Superpole, Baiocco today started further back on the grid but in race 1 he made up positions lap after lap and was lying tenth when the race was brought to a stop with a red flag. In the restarted 6-lap sprint, Matteo never lost focus and crossed the line eighth. In race 2, with track temperatures of roughly 46?C, he was able to manage tyre wear and maintain a constant rhythm to the line, securing a sixth place finish and important championship points.

Matteo Baiocco: ?I?m really pleased with today?s two races, which went to making up for yesterday unlucky Superpole episode. I was able to see that if we?d started a little further ahead on the grid I would have been able to make a great race. A solid result in terms of the championship anyway, two good positions and consistency throughout the races. The team has worked really well and these results give us confidence for the next races. I would like to thank everyone who was here, Genesio Bevilacqua and all my staff, who never set a foot wrong and who have helped me complete two strong races. I will continue to try and repay them with results that are equal to or better than these.?

Michel Fabrizio?s return to a championship that he hasn?t competed in for a year was a positive one. The Italian was able to complete two good races, not far off the results obtained by his teammate. In only three days he has had to deal with a new bike, after a long break, and trying to find the right feeling with his Ducati Panigale R. The work completed together with his team was efficient, and meant that Michel was well prepared. In race 1 he was able to finish inside the top ten but was unlucky in race 2, losing precious time after making contact with another rider and almost losing his boot in the process. This set back forced him to push hard to make up for lost time and he eventually finished in ninth position.

Michel Fabrizio: ?This was a good weekend for me and the best thing is that I felt like a rider again. I thank the entire team for having given me so much over these three days. I would have liked to repay them with a great result and it was a pity about the contact with Mercado which literally pulled my boot off. I almost had to stop to put it back on because it was sliding off my foot. I lost precious seconds and so seeing as how the race went I think ninth was the best I could do. Ninth which wouldn?t normally be positive for a rider but after a year?s break I think it?s a great result. I?m particularly disappointed for the team.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

TOP-10 FOR LOWES & VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI

Alex Lowes fought a determined race to take 10th on his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki in the second outing at the Imola Circuit today for the eni FIM Superbike World Championship Acerbis round in Italy.

A good start looked to have given Lowes what he needed to battle his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R in the top-10, before he was caught in the crash of Honda's Sylvain Guintoli, relegating him to the back of the field. His determination was as resolute as ever and the British racer began his comeback, fighting his way through to 11th by lap nine to join the top-10 for the final five laps.

The morning race had seen a similarly good start from Lowes, keeping him in the mid-pack before running wide at turn six on the first lap. Regrouping in 16th to continue the fight, the red flag came out on the ninth lap after a turn 15 crash from Kawasaki's David Salom. A six-lap sprint race concluded the morning's action as Lowes, taking to the grid in 13th, crossed the line in 12th, collecting 10 points from the day?s two races.

Continuing to struggle with confidence in the new electronic control systems, Randy de Puniet retired his Suzuki GSX-R1000 from both races having completed four laps of each, leaving him in 19th place in the Championship.

The weekend's 65,000 strong Italian crowd witnessed the British domination of the WSBK Championship continue under cloudless skies, as Kawasaki's Jonathan Rea took victory in both races from his team-mate Tom Sykes, the two riders each collecting a fastest-lap award in the process.

The home race, for both Voltcom Crescent Suzuki and Alex Lowes, now beckons as the team returns to the UK in preparation for Donington Park in just two weeks? time on Sunday May 24th.

Alex Lowes:

?A difficult day but I tried my best in both races. It?s frustrating that we haven?t made more improvements but we?re that far into it now that we just have to keep going, keep our heads down, work as hard as we can and see if we can go better at Donington. Obviously I will have the advantage that I know the track and I think it will be less critical on the electronics so I?m looking forward to Donington already. You have two choices when things aren?t going your way, you either give in or you keep working, keep doing your best, keep trying to improve the bike and see what happens, so that?s what we?re doing!?

Randy de Puniet:

?I?m very disappointed as Imola was another bad weekend for me. We are still struggling to find the correct base-setting for the electronics system and it has now affected three race weekends. I really hope we can find the solution at Donington so we can start building our season from there.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?A very challenging day at the office. The whole Voltcom Crescent Suzuki team could not be working harder to find the correct solutions ? from tyre technicians to crew chiefs, everybody is giving 100%. The biggest frustration is that the very clear results of our testing after Assen did not translate at all to the Imola Circuit. If a bike has issues with throttle connection, driveability and engine brake control, these issues will be multiplied at Imola due to the very technical layout of the track and that?s exactly what happened. Equally, when the focus is on these fundamental problems, normal chassis setting work takes a back seat and the overall bike performance doesn?t progress as it should.

?Again, Alex simply did all we could ask of him and rode really well to score good points. He has continued to apply himself in a difficult situation, and to set his best lap time of the day on the final lap of race two shows his commitment to the very end. His efforts and natural speed indicate that we will be straight back into a stronger position when the fundamental problems are solved.?