WSBK-Misano

[KUCIAR666]

KRT Enters Second Half Of The Season 1-2 In The Points Table

After the first half of the FIM Superbike World Championship season has provided great success for the Kawasaki Racing Team pairing of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes the second half begins with even greater optimism inside the KRT camp. The next round of the championship at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli takes place between 17th and 19th June, with Rea leading the championship and Sykes in overall second place.

The recent record of Sykes and Rea at the Italian track located close to the Adriatic coast is enviable. Sykes and Rea split race wins between them for KRT last season, while Sykes scored a double win in 2014. The Misano circuit was also the scene of Rea?s first ever WorldSBK race win, while riding for his previous team during the 2009 season.

Rea, the reigning world champion for KRT, has a career total of 34 wins and has scored a podium finish in every round so far in 2016. He has five race wins to his credit this year ? more than any other single rider. Jonathan leads the current championship by 56 points from Tom after demonstrating an uncanny ability to take at least a top three finish when a race win has proved elusive.

Sykes, the 2013 World Champion, has scored 30 career race wins, with a stunning double at Donington Park taking place at the most recent round. Those were his third and fourth victories in 2016 and took him to second place in the championship rankings. Sykes has taken pole position during his two most recent visits to the 4.226km long Misano layout.

In addition to Sykes? wins and Rea?s podiums at the most recent round in the UK the entire KRT squad tested for two days at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain recently, with strong results for both riders. These tests should be a major help to both Rea and Sykes as they head to Misano for the start of a long run-in to the final round at Losail in Qatar at the end of October.

Jonathan Rea stated: ?Misano is a circuit that I really enjoy and it has special memories for me because I won my first ever WorldSBK race there, and last year we were able to make a 1-2. I am also excited to race there because it seems like in the last rounds we have been doing a very good job. Although we did not get a race win at Donington I feel like I rode really strongly. We had a productive two-day test in Jerez after that in which we were able to test some things for the future but also confirmed that the direction we have been going in at Sepang and Donington with bike set-up seems to be the right way. I think we can be confident that we have found a good base with the 2016 Ninja ZX-10R. I am going to Misano to try to win both races because it has been a few rounds now since I have stood on the top step of the podium.?

Tom Sykes stated: ?I am looking forward to Misano because we have some great fans there. The circuit is tight and twisty which always lends itself to good racing. To top it off we have been successful there in the past. I also feel that I have found a little bit of harmony with the Ninja ZX-10R in recent races. I am very motivated and relaxed. We won a race at Sepang in extreme conditions and won both races at Donington despite some issues in the races, which make those wins even more rewarding. We are now carrying all that momentum forward. We also had a good test at Jerez recently, learned a lot of things and evaluated quite a lot. Some other teams have tested at Misano recently but I intend to make up for that when I get there. I am very much looking forward to Misano.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

The Althea BMW Racing Team returns home for SBK Round 8 at the Misano World Circuit

The Althea BMW Racing Team is ready for round 8 of the 2016 Superbike World Championship, and its second home round, which will take place this coming weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

The Superbike riders, Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger, return to Italy after a rather tough seventh round at Donington Park in the UK. Spaniard Jordi obtained a best result of seventh over the British race weekend, while German rider Markus closed race 1 in eleventh position. Both are confident that they will be able to perform better at the team?s home track this weekend.

The Misano racetrack is 4226 m long and is composed of 10 right-hand turns and 6 left-handers. A ?mixed? track in that it offers a combination of fast sections and tight turns, all three of the Althea BMW riders enjoy racing on it. Having said that, Torres didn?t have the easiest time of it last year, finishing seventh in race 2. Reiterberger got a first taste of Superbikes at Misano last year, when he competed as a wildcard with the BMW, scoring a race best of 13th.

Speaking of the Stock1000 category, it is Althea BMW rider Raffaele De Rosa who currently leads the way in this year?s championship, after the first four of eight scheduled rounds. In 2015, De Rosa finished the Misano race in second place and, after his recent win at Donington, the Italian will be hoping to repeat the feat in front of his home crowd come Sunday.

Jordi Torres

?We arrive at Misano with a real desire to do well, also because this is an important track for the team. It?s a good track, in the sense that it was resurfaced not long back and so offers good grip. We?re still developing the bike, working to continue to improve our performance. The Misano circuit could be a good one for the BMW, but we need to focus on the tight turns where we struggle more and also on the engine brake. We?ll see what happens, we need to really make the most of what we have to do as well as possible.?

Markus Reiterberger

?I?m feeling fit and have been doing a lot of training with MX and speedway in recent days, and now I?m really looking forward to Misano. Last year was my first experience of riding at Misano in SBK. I have really good memories as in the very first session, I finished fourth. But it wasn?t easy to maintain that form of course, as the world championship is so competitive, but I think I was about 13th in the race. Anyway, I hope we can complete good races this coming weekend, starting with a solid performance right from Friday?s sessions in order to find a good setting and be well prepared for the two races.?

Raffaele De Rosa

?I?m pleased to head back to Misano, a home race is always fun, there?s a great atmosphere and many of my friends will be there. There's a reason why Romagna is known as the ?motor region? so I?m looking forward to a fantastic event, it?s always unique. We head there with a five-point lead in the championship after the Donington round, so we need to continue with that level of intensity??


Track Information:

Country: Italy
Name: Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
Length: 4.226 km
Pole position: left
Race distance: 21 laps/88.746 km


SBK RECORDS: Best lap ? Rea (Kawasaki) 1'34.720 (2015). Superpole ? Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'34.214 (2015).

2015 RESULTS: Race 1 - 1. Sykes (Kawasaki); 2. Rea (Kawasaki); 3. Davies (Ducati). Race 2 ? 1. Rea (Kawasaki); 2. Giugliano (Ducati); 3. Haslam (Aprilia)


Weekend schedule (CET):

Friday
9.15 ? 10.00 ? STK1000 Free Practice
10.15 ? 11.15 ? SBK Timed Practice 1
13.30 ? 14.30 ? SBK Timed Practice 2
16.00 ? 16.45 ? STK1000 Free Practice

Saturday
08.45 ? 9.00 ? SBK Free Practice
10.30 ? 10.45 ? Superpole 1
10.55 ? 11.10 ? Superpole 2
13.00 ? SBK Race 1
14.15 ? 14.45 ? STK1000 Qualifying

Sunday
9.25 ? 9.40 ? SBK Warm-up
9.50 ? 10.05 ? STK1000 Warm-up
13.00 ? SBK Race 2
14.20 ? STK1000 Race

 

[KUCIAR666]

Pata Yamaha Ready to Race at Riviera di Rimini with Home Talent

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team heads to its title sponsor Pata's second home race of the season this week as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returns to Italy. Past the half-way stage of the 2016 season, round eight sees Alex Lowes visit the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, on the Adriatic coast, from 17-19th June with local rider Niccol? Canepa as his teammate.

Successfully testing his YZF-R1 around the 4,226m circuit at the beginning of June, Lowes is confident of the improvements made and is looking forward to returning as the real contest begins on Friday morning. The Briton has spent the ensuing days continuing to focus on his rehabilitation from recent shoulder surgery in a bid to be as fit as possible ready for the first 21-lap race on Saturday afternoon. An event he always looks forward to, Lowes is eager to put on a good show for the passionate Italian fans and reward Pata for their support over the recent weeks.

Fresh from his UK STK1000 podium at Donington Park and stunning victory in the Portuguese 12h Endurance World Championship event in recent weeks, Canepa is bubbling with enthusiasm to get back on the YZF-R1, having tested the WorldSBK-spec machine here with the team just two weeks before. Quick from the off at the last round of competition with the sister STK1000 team, the 28-year-old rider hopes to replicate his form at the circuit he knows so well, and continue to build on his momentum and success. The Italian will take to the track at 10:15 local time for the opening free practice session in front of his home support and will be looking to put on a show for the adoring fans as he returns to the top class.

Nestled in the picturesque coastline of the Rimini Riviera, the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli sits just 2kms from Misano Adriatico and its bustling beaches. The location, good weather and influx of passionate fans lend the entire event its festival-like atmosphere, while the circuit's 16-corner clockwise layout provides countless overtaking opportunities thanks to its fast and flowing nature.

Friday presents two, hour-long sessions of free practice action as Lowes and Canepa bid to secure their places for Saturday's Superpole qualifying - which will be on track at 10:30 local time - while lights go out at 13:00 for a race a-piece on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Alex Lowes
Championship: 10th / 70 points

"I'm really looking forward to Misano as our bike has been making a lot of progress recently. It's also a track where I believe we can be competitive. The biggest question mark at the moment is me, not the bike, so I am working as hard as possible to be close to full fitness and aim to get the results we all deserve. It's a great track and a great part of the world so I can't wait to get there and get started!"
Niccol? Canepa
"I'm really happy to be back in WorldSBK and with the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team. After the STK1000 podium and the victory in the Endurance World Championship this is a very good present! It is also great to have this opportunity in Italy and to race in front of the Italian fans. After completing the test with the Pata Yamaha team ten days ago I feel ready to ride the WorldSBK-spec YZF-R1. For sure the level in the championship is very high but I will fight as usual to do my best. I'm sorry for Sylvain but it is good that he will be joining the team for the event and I wish him a fast recovery."

 

[KUCIAR666]

Hayden and van der Mark charged up for Misano

The Honda WorldSBK Team has returned to Italy to take part in the eighth round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend. Hosting the event this time is the Misano World Circuit ?Marco Simoncelli?: the same venue where, at the start of the month of June, Nicky Hayden, Michael van der Mark and the Netherlands-based squad performed a successful one-day private test not only to fully prepare for the weekend itself, but also for getting a good set-up for the remainder of the season.

Nicky Hayden is ready for his official WorldSBK debut at Misano, a circuit where the ?Kentucky Kid? has raced eight times already during his MotoGP career. The 34-year-old American is looking forward to improving on his current best result at this track ? a seventh-place finish scored in 2012 ? before heading to his much-anticipated home round at Laguna Seca in early July.

In his maiden World Superbike season last year, Michael van der Mark left Misano with a couple of top 10 finishes, while in 2014 he was second at the line in the WorldSSP race after a good battle with Jules Cluzel. The Misano test proved very useful for the 23-year-old from Rotterdam in the Netherlands, who has got back the good feeling he had with his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machine earlier in the season. With some renewed confidence on hand, ?Magic Mike? now aims to get back in the mix at the sharp end of the field.

Nicky Hayden 69

It?s time for Misano! Looking forward to it, as I spent the last weekend watching my brother racing ? and winning ? in Alabama for MotoAmerica. Being a spectator is nice but surely makes you want to get back in the saddle as soon as possible! Misano is in a great area, in a part of Italy where I base myself a lot in the summer, so I have a lot of friends there. The track has never been too kind to me and never been one where I have been able to make my own luck. The second part of the track with the fast right corners is where you really make the lap-time, although the first tight-and-slow section is where we need to improve the most. Hopefully we can start on the right foot and put up a good fight.

Michael van der Mark 60

After the test in Misano I found a good feeling with my Fireblade again. We definitely needed that test and I want to thank the team and Honda for setting it up. It?s time for us to put a good weekend together and get back where we belong, as we have been missing the podium for a few rounds now. It?s the second half of the season now so every race is crucial for the final classification and we cannot afford ourselves just OK results anymore. I?m really looking forward to the weekend now and hopefully we?ll be able to get what we?re here for.

Pieter Breddels -Technical Manager

I think the one-day test at the start of the month could be really crucial for the outcome of the round. We now have a lot of information in terms of base suspension settings, gearing and so on. We know now where we are and where we need to go regarding set-ups and this is very important for both riders. We will have some small upgrades in terms of electronics to test, regarding more the overall functionality of the system rather than the performance itself, and we still have some items to try. Friday will be key to the whole weekend, so we will start with the settings we have and build up from there.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Reiterberger and the Althea BMW Racing Team second in Misano SBK practice; De Rosa on top in the Stock1000

The eighth World Superbike round got underway today at the Misano World Circuit with the Althea BMW team making a very positive start to proceedings; the Italian squad?s Superbike riders Markus Reiterberger and Jordi Torres closed the timed practice sessions in second and fifth place, while in the Stock1000 category, Raffaele De Rosa dominated to close today?s sessions at the front of the pack.

This morning, in good conditions, the Althea BMW riders and technicians began work to adapt their BMW S 1000 RR bikes to the Italian track. In the first timed practice, both Jordi and Markus were able to make good progress during the sixty minute session, which saw Reiterberger close in sixth place thanks to a best of 1?35.926 and Torres eleventh (1?36.718).

Later in the day, in the second timed practice session, both picked up the pace to improve on their best times of the morning, making small modifications to their BMWs to find those extra tenths. Reiterberger?s quickest time, a 1?35.385 set in the final minutes, put him up into second position overall, meaning he will participate in tomorrow?s Superpole 2 together with teammate Torres who closed fifth thanks to a fastest time of 1?35.447.

De Rosa, the current Superstock 1000 championship leader, made his presence felt in both of today?s Stock1000 free practices, continuing to lower his times throughout the day to finish with the overall fastest time, an impressive 1?37.082, set in the afternoon session.

Markus Reiterberger
?Today was a really good day, we have a good base set-up and only really made one adjustment in terms of electronics. We also spent time testing the tyres, which all went well, and in the final stages I was able to put together some really fast laps. I?m feeling good on the bike and have good grip. Misano?s a special track for me after I wildcarded here last year so I?m excited to do well this weekend, and I?m pleased to have qualified directly for tomorrow?s Superpole 2. We?ll see what we can do.?

Jordi Torres

?Today ended well, and we did a good job. Having said this, even though we?ve been able to complete a good flying lap, we still need to improve in terms of race pace, and work to reduce the bike movement. We?ve already made a good step forward, between this morning and this afternoon, and the bike has calmed down a little but we need to make another step. I don?t want to make any predictions ahead of tomorrow, as the race will be very long? but we?ll do our best as ever.?

Raffaele De Rosa

?This afternoon went quite well, even with the used tyre from the morning with which we were able to complete many laps, so that?s positive. Once we changed the tyre this afternoon we were faster of course, even though conditions weren?t perfect as there was a lot of wind. We still need to make improvement in some small areas, though I already got on better with the new parts we?ve brought here. I?m pleased with how we?re working and hope we can continue on in this way.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Hayden tops timesheets on opening day at Misano

Nicky Hayden was the fastest rider at the end of today?s two free practice sessions for the eighth round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship, which is currently underway at the Misano World Circuit ?Marco Simoncelli? in Italy. His Honda WorldSBK teammate Michael van der Mark was ninth at the chequered flag this afternoon. This means that both riders are seeded directly into Superpole 2.

After finishing second in the morning?s first free practice session, Hayden managed to stay in the top 5. But as the session was drawing to a close and with a set of new tyres fitted on his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, the 34-year-old from Owensboro, Kentucky, was able to put together a 1?35.263 time to come out on top of what was an ultra-close hour of afternoon track-action at Misano.

Michael van der Mark made an important step forward between FP1 and FP2 to improve his quickest lap-time by six tenths of a second, as the young Dutchman was gradually building speed onboard his Honda machine. His final time of 1?35.643 was only 0.380 seconds shy of the top and only 183 thousandths of a second away from fifth place.

World Superbike action will resume tomorrow morning for the 15-minute free practice 3 at 8.45, while Superpole 2 and race 1 will get underway at 10:55 and 13:00 local time (GMT+2), respectively.

Nicky Hayden 69-1st

It was nice to be fastest today! In the end, we put a new tyre on and I was able to drop my time quite a bit. The track was definitely dirtier than in testing and there was not as much rubber down, so it took a little bit of time for the grip to improve. I have to admit that I?m not particularly happy with my pace; this morning things went quite smoothly but this afternoon we had a few issues with the electronics: they were showing me the wrong lap-times and split-times. In the end we were able to recover and put together a good lap and that?s good, but we need to work on our rhythm a bit more tomorrow morning.

Michael van der Mark 60-9th

This morning, when we went out on track, the grip was nowhere near like in testing two weeks ago. We had a few small issues with the bike that surely didn?t help, but with the changes made this afternoon the bike felt much much better, although for some reason the quick lap-time wasn?t forthcoming. We kept making small changes that gave us some more small improvements and in the end, with my last outing, I was finally happy with how the bike felt. Ninth place is better than how it looks on paper, as we?re all so close in the top 10. I?m happy to be in Superpole 2 and cannot wait for tomorrow.
Pieter Breddels -Technical Manager

Nicky was able to be quick right from the get go, then in the afternoon he ran into a few issues with electronics which sort of upset his momentum a little. In the last attempt he was able to put together one really quick lap-time that catapulted him into first place. We are of course happy with his position but we need to work a little more on the problems we encountered today and on finding a good race race pace. Michael didn?t enjoy the same good start and it took a bit more to find the right set-up with the new conditions. He struggled a bit in getting the bike stopped but after some changes everything was better, although I think there is still room for improvement. He is not too far from the top so, all in all, things look pretty positive for tomorrow.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Sykes And Rea Start Strongly On Day One At Misano

A close first day of practice and qualifying in the FIM Superbike World Championship race weekend at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli saw KRT?s Tom Sykes third fastest and his team-mate Jonathan Rea eighth on their Ninja ZX-10Rs. Rea was only 0.269 seconds from the leading rider in the combined opening day times.

In warm conditions and on a dry track surface the official KRT pairing worked towards a race set-up for race one on Saturday and race two on Sunday, with Sykes achieving his position as third fastest rider at the end of play, even after a slow speed fall early in the afternoon.

Neither Sykes nor Rea had tested at Misano after the recent Donington round which gave many of their rivals an early advantage at this track. The KRT riders did, however, make use of their own testing days at Jerez de la Frontera to find their best possible early set-ups at Misano.

With the top ten riders just over half a second from the pre-Superpole best time, and the top eight just over a quarter of a second apart, it was a particularly tight opening day at the flat and largely flowing Misano circuit.

Sykes posted a best lap time of 1?35.388 today; just over a second from the outright WorldSBK record. Rea posted a 1?35.532.

In sometimes high winds Rea was still well on the single lap pace despite his eighth place ranking overall, working through tyre options and completing a positive long run to evaluate tyres and real race pace.

Now both Tom and Jonathan will complete a 15-minute third practice session on Saturday, and then head directly into Superpole 2 to challenge for their final grid positions in readiness for race one on Saturday and race two on Sunday.

Tom Sykes, stated, ?I am surprised with our pace because we did not test here, unlike some of our rivals. At the start of the afternoon session I felt really good and then we changed a few things to get more information. We did not finish as strongly as we wanted but this was just because needed to check what we were doing and where we were going with bike set-up. We did those checks and now we know what to do tomorrow. This is all positive. The focus for Saturday is to improve on the last small details for the race itself. I think our set-up is relatively good in general. Misano is quite a different track from the previous one at Donington but we are not far away at this circuit already. I feel tomorrow we have the chance to make some small modifications, which I hope will be improvements.?

Jonathan Rea, stated: ?We are not far away and we made a good step in between FP1 and FP2, just to make it a little bit more easy. I suffered with a bit too much pitching at the beginning but in the afternoon it was OK. We managed to do a long run, a race simulation, and we have good information from that now. The track is behaving a lot differently to last year, when the asphalt was new. It seems the track is using the tyre more than it did last year. Some split times are very constant whether we use a new or old tyre, and some are going away. It also got quite windy out there in the middle of the session, especially going through the really fast corner. We were lucky today because the weather was super hot and we managed to evaluate a new rear tyre that Pirelli brought, which seems to be working well. I am quite satisfied with the opening day.?

After the official KRT runners Anthony West (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was the fastest of the Kawasaki privateer entrants, in 12th place, with Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) 13th. Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) completed the top 20, as Gianluca Vizziello (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) went 23rd and Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) placed 24th.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Positive Free Practice Progress for Pata Yamaha at Misano

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team began round eight - Riviera di Rimini - at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli today with a strong start from both Alex Lowes and Niccol? Canepa. Building on his recovery and fitness, Lowes worked consistently to regain his rhythm with the YZF-R1, promoting himself to Saturday's Superpole 2 by securing seventh in the overall times, while Canepa focused on setting the Yamaha to his riding style, concluding the final session in 14th.

Having spent the past fortnight concentrating on rehabilitating his shoulder in preparation for the weekend, Lowes got straight down to work and safely inside the top ten from Friday morning. Utilising the two, one-hour practice sessions to hone his YZF-R1's settings to the 4,226m Italian circuit, the British rider continued to test his strength and fitness, completing 40 laps and setting a best time of 1'35.493 by the close of the afternoon. Qualifying directly for Superpole 2 - on track at 10:55 local time - Lowes will continue to improve on his base setting as he returns for the final free practice at 08:45 tomorrow morning.

Developing on the knowledge gained from the private test a fortnight ago, Canepa reacquainted himself with the WorldSBK-spec YZF-R1 quickly at his native circuit. Focusing on setting the machine up ready for Saturday's race, the Italian used Friday morning to work through the electronics strategies. Developing a wider plan during the afternoon practice, to allow the team to evaluate overnight, Canepa is confident they have found the correct direction to make further steps through tomorrow's early morning practice, ahead of his first WorldSBK Superpole qualifying of 2016 at 10:30.

Alex Lowes
7th / 1’35.493 / 40 laps

"I'm feeling quite good on the bike and it's getting better all the time. We've been working on a bit of everything today and still have plenty of work to do ready for tomorrow but not a bad first day. We need to try to get a bit of a better feeling on the front, keep working on the settings and on getting my confidence back up and see how we get on tomorrow!"
Niccol? Canepa
14th / 1’36.412 / 39 laps

"The first day is complete and for sure the position is not what I had expected but I have seen that the times are very close, only one second from pole is not too far considering it is the first day on the bike. We spent this morning working to find the best setting for me, especially with the electronics, but after that I was feeling good and the bike is working better. I needed to set the bike up for me and my style, and we have only had two hours on track, now we know what we need to do, so I am confident for tomorrow that we can make a good step ready for a good race tomorrow afternoon."
Paul Denning Paul Denning – Team Principal
"The lap times are extremely close between all the top contenders here in Misano and it's a tricky circuit to find the optimum balance and performance in the bike. The YZF-R1 is excelling in the fast, flowing sections of the track but we need to improve the corner entry and efficiency of the bike in the slower sections.

"Alex's consistency has been excellent today, of course his fitness is not close to 100% but it is looking a lot more positive than it was at Donington Park so we will do what we can to improve the bike further in the short time available to us tomorrow morning and aim for a solid first race tomorrow afternoon.

"It's Niccol?'s first race weekend with the team, he's done a good job, with a gap of only one second to the fastest rider so to be in 14th place is a bit unfair, but that's the nature of World Superbike. His feedback is excellent, he is clear on where the bike can be improved and we are looking forward to solid points in his first race with Pata Yamaha tomorrow."

 

[KUCIAR666]

Rea And Sykes Put On A 1-2 Show For The Ninja ZX-10R

Kawasaki Racing Team Rider Jonathan Rea took his first race win since Assen in the opening 21-lap FIM Superbike World Championship race at Misano today, holding off his race long companion and team-mate Tom Sykes by only 0.090 seconds over the line. The sixth KRT 1-2 finish of the season keeps Rea and Sykes out in front in the championship, with Rea extending his overall lead once more.


From the start, and after some of their main rivals had run off track into the first chicane, Rea and Sykes made an escape from their peer group as they kept up a pace that none of their rivals could match.

At halfway distance Rea slowed to allow Sykes to take the leading duties but Sykes refused the offer and maintained his track position right behind Rea for all 21 laps, looking for a way past in the final two laps. Unable to find a gap, despite a strong attempt into the penultimate right hand corner, Sykes drew himself from behind Rea?s slipstream to close up to within 0.090 seconds for a class leading 1-2 finish.

Rea has a 61-point lead over his team-mate Sykes and with Chaz Davies finishing fourth today Sykes extended his advantage down to third place in the table to 13 points.

Earlier on Saturday morning Sykes had taken his sixth Superpole win of the year and the 36th of his career. He has won all of the last five pole position qualifying contests at Misano. Sykes set a new best lap of 1'34.037 to win Superpole, with Rea just behind in second place on the grid.

With the first race of the weekend completed in front running fashion for the lead Kawasaki duo they now head into race two on Sunday full of confidence.

Jonathan Rea, stated: ?Getting back on the top step was the clear target here, and to get both race wins, so we are halfway to accomplishing that. To be honest it was a little bit surprising how much we struggled towards the end because yesterday our pace was so strong at the end of my long run, staying in the low 1?36 laps. I am not sure how much the track temperature increase has affected us today, because it seems to be a lot. We need to sit down tonight and understand how we need to improve. Tom was strong in some areas of the track, we were strong in some areas of the track, but overall our lap times were quite similar. I am really happy to win again.?

Tom Sykes, stated, ?Nearly there, but not quite. Overall I am relatively happy with our performance, and consistency, but I am just a little bit disappointed that I did not win because I certainly feel that Marcel and Danilo and the boys have worked hard. We lost a little bit of time yesterday but we made up for it today and felt we had a good set-up - so I have to be happy. It was just not able to make a clean pass in the last couple of laps. I know on the last two laps when I tried I was not able to put the nose of the bike in a good position. We were less than one tenth of a second from the win and we have to take some positives. We have been fast and consistent in recent rounds and we have come to another completely different circuit, where Jonathan has been really strong and winning in the past, and we had a good potential to win the race. We just were not able to get into the right track position on the last lap.?

Behind the podium places the top Kawasaki rider proved to be the consistent and determined Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki), in ninth place after strong-starting Anthony West (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) lost pace as his rear grip started to drop. ?Westie? finished tenth. Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) finished 17th, Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was 19th and Gianluca Vizziello (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) 20th.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Podium for van der Mark as Hayden crashes out of opening race at Misano

Michael van der Mark has returned to podium ways by taking third place at the end of the 21-lap opening race of the weekend at Misano World Circuit ?Marco Simoncelli? in Italy, where the eighth round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship is currently underway. His Honda WorldSBK Team mate Nicky Hayden crashed out of third place in the early stages of the race.

In what was an ultra-close Superpole 2, Nicky Hayden claimed sixth place on the grid despite being only 0.084secs away from third place. Michael van der Mark impoved on his FP2 lap time by half a second to take the tenth slot on the grid.

Both Hayden and van der Mark enjoyed a great start to the race and were running fourth and fifth on the opening lap. They were promoted to third and fourth when Giugliano crashed out but shortly afterwards, it was Hayden who low-sided at the last turn before the completion of lap two. Once in third place, van der Mark rode a superb race and maintained a competitive pace up to the chequered flag, claiming his fifth podium of the season despite a strong comeback by fourth-placed Chaz Davies.

Race two will be contested tomorrow from 13:00 local time (GMT +2) and will be preceded by the traditional 15-minute morning warm-up at 9:25.

Michael van der Mark 60 -3rd

This is the result we needed and I?m so happy to be back on the podium! We have been quite fast throughout the weekend but definitely not enough, but yesterday afternoon I was finally happy with the set-up of the bike. Superpole 2 didn?t go as planned but I was really lucky in turn two after the race start: I played a little bit safe so, when the guys in front of me crashed out, I could make up some places. Davide (Giugliano) and Nicky?s crashes were like a warning for me, because definitely the feeling with the front was not the best. Jonathan (Rea) and Tom (Sykes) pulled away but I kept my head down and, towards the end, I could see that Chaz was coming up really strong but my pace was really good in the final laps. I take this podium with both hands and I look forward to tomorrow: if we manage to improve the feeling with the front, then we?ll be up for another great race.

Nicky Hayden 69-DNF

I had a good start and was closing up on the Kawasakis, when Giugliano lost the front and I had to wait a little before opening the gas. At the last turn I ended up on those couple of bumps just because I was simply one and a half km/h faster than the lap before. I went through that corner quicker yesterday, but this time I push too hard to stay with Rea and Sykes. It was just a rider error but It?s a shame, because we had the pace to be on the podium. This is how it goes sometimes but I?m happy there?s another race tomorrow.

- Honda WorldSBK



Pieter Breddels -Technical Manager

We worked well this morning and made some changes to both bikes: Nicky continued on his good form and missed a front-row start for less than a tenth of a second, while Michael had a bit of a harder time but definitely improved his feeling with the bike especially with engine braking. Things were really looking good for us at the beginning of the race. Nicky and Michael had a great start ad were running in the top-5, although then Nicky had the most common of crashes at the last turn after losing the front. He was pushing a lot to close the gap with the Kawasaki riders ahead. Michael rode a spectacular race, especially in the second part of the race as he managed not only to keep a fast pace, but also to reduce the gap with the leaders. Well done to him and to the team and now we focus on race two. If we keep going this way we?ll have a chance for another great result.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Fifth and sixth for Torres and Reiterberger in SBK Race 1 at Misano; De Rosa qualifies second for the STK1000 race

Today at the Misano World Circuit in Italy, the Althea BMW Racing team riders, Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger, completed today?s Superbike race making up round 8 of the championship in fifth and sixth place respectively. Raffaele De Rosa qualified in second position for tomorrow?s Stock1000 race.

STK1000 - qualifying: current championship leader and Althea BMW man Raffaele De Rosa made the most of today?s qualifying session to make the final adjustments to his BMW S 1000 RR ahead of tomorrow's race. Already very fast yesterday, De Rosa was once again able to put together some quick laps, which saw him qualify for the race in second place, thanks to a best time of 1?37.464.

Superpole 2: thanks to their second and fifth place finish yesterday, both Reiterberger and Torres qualified directly for Superpole 2. Reiterberger set a 1?35.605 with the race tyre and was lying fifth as the team mounted the qualifier. Despite a small crash during his fast lap, the German was subsequently able to drop his time by half a second to finish eleventh. Torres lost some valuable minutes at the start of the session due to a technical problem. Back on track, he was only able to complete one fast lap (1?36.014) to close in twelfth place. The two Althea BMW men thus qualified on row four of the grid.

SBK - Race 1: hot and sunny conditions for today?s race. A good start saw Torres position eighth through the first laps, while Reiterberger was lying twelfth. Both avoided the crashes of other riders and made up several position over the course of the first five laps to position fourth (Jordi) and eighth (Markus) at the mid-race point. The Althea BMW pair continued to push all the way to the line, with the Spaniard finishing fifth, followed immediately by his German teammate in sixth.

Jordi Torres

?This morning we worked well in practice, confirming our good pace. In the Superpole we had a small issue that caused me to lose a lot of time unfortunately. In the race, I was there in the midst of the accident but luckily I was able to avoid the chaos. After that I made a good recovery, concentrating on my own performance. I?m a little disappointed that we don?t yet have the pace we want, or that we deserve, but the data collected today can help us to improve for tomorrow. The bike is working quite well, there are just a couple of things to work on, to reduce the bike movement and improve tyre performance over race distance.?

Markus Reiterberger

?In Superpole we went back to yesterday?s set-up and I was feeling good. On the race tyre I was in fifth but on the qualifier I had a small crash which conditioned my fast lap of course. I had time to make one more lap, but I wasn?t very confident with the front. In the race I was caught up in the traffic when riders crashed early on, so I lost a lot of time there. After that I was able to put together some good lap times but I know we can be faster. Sixth is good, considering what happened, but we should do better. I?m losing a lot of time from the race leaders because I?m not yet confident with the front of the bike. I nevertheless want to thank the team as they are doing a really great job this weekend.?

Raffaele De Rosa

?Considering how we were doing yesterday with the used tyres, I hoped to do a little more in qualifying today. I crashed at the start unfortunately but I came straight back to the garage and the team quickly sorted the bike but after this it wasn?t quite 100% compared to before, which is normal after a crash. I?m just sorry for the team as they worked so hard to get the bike ready. I know we have good pace, and I?m pleased about that, though I?d have liked to be on pole, as I know it was within our reach. The important thing is the race of course, it?ll be the usual suspects fighting for the podium I guess and I?m feeling confident.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Canepa Delights at Home with Strong Seventh in Debut Misano Race

Home talent Niccol? Canepa secured a top ten finish on his debut race with the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli this afternoon as he claimed seventh in the 21-lap battle. Alex Lowes rode a strong opening race, holding an excellent fourth position until half distance before his shoulder injury restricted his pace, crossing the line in 13th.

Canepa immediately fought hard as race one began, building on the weekend's momentum and frustrated by his qualifying session - after a red flag situation called time early on the opening Superpole, preventing him from setting a lap on the optimum tyres. Jumping five places, to tenth, as the lights went out the Italian continued to push, circulating in eighth from the second lap before his pace improved further in the closing laps. Taking a sensational seventh place on his debut race on the YZF-R1 Canepa claimed nine championship points for himself and his Pata Yamaha team.

A stunning qualifying performance on Saturday morning, setting a 1'34.641 time, gave Lowes a fourth place start as the grid lined up for the opening contest. Strong off the lights, the British rider managed to avoid the second corner incident and was running sixth as he crossed the line for the first lap. Continuing to progress on the riders around him he claimed fourth by the next revolution, holding the position for the next eight laps until his strength, due to the recent injury, began to wane. Determined to continue to fight and battling hard to regain his rhythm, Lowes eventually took 13th position at the flag but is eager for more in Sunday's return, at 13:00 local time.

Niccol? Canepa
Race: 7th / +19.385 / 21 laps. Championship: 20th / 9 points

"I was really frustrated after the Superpole because I had bad luck with the red flag and was unable to set a lap on the qualifying tyres. Starting in 15th position did not help us, for sure, but I tried to push from the very beginning and got a very good start. From the first lap I was tenth and had a very consistent pace, the bike felt good until the end and for the last five or six laps it was very fast compared to the others. I am very satisfied with the results today and for sure with a better position in qualifying we could have been fighting nearer the front. It's very good to be seventh in my first race and to be the top Italian at the home round and good to get this result for Yamaha on my debut."
Alex Lowes
Race: 13th / +38.181 / 21 laps. Championship: 10th / 73 points

"I'm really frustrated with today as I feel I lost out on what could have been a strong finish. The main issue was my physical condition as I haven't done a full race since Saturday in Sepang. I was only able to manage a few laps at Donington after the operation on my shoulder. I came here determined to race and realistically I could only do 10-12 laps today. Misano is a physically demanding circuit and today was a bit of a strange race. I could see van der Mark in front of me and the chance of a podium so I was pushing too hard for my condition which resulted in a mistake, running off the track. I was lucky not to crash and re-joined, but had lost a lot of my rhythm so it was a frustrating way to finish as I feel it was a good opportunity for a top-five finish."
Paul Denning – Team Principal
"First of all, congratulations to Niccol? on his debut ride with the team and his first World Superbike race since Qatar last season. He was unlucky in qualifying with the red flag not allowing him to improve his lap time on new tyres, but from 15th on the grid he avoided the lap one carnage, and smoothly and consistently increased his pace over the course of the race and seventh place was a great result - with an average speed less than one second a lap from the leader. I think with the experience of this race under his belt, I believe there are more improvements that can be made for tomorrow and we will try to repeat today's excellent showing.

"Alex also rode a brilliant race, but unfortunately was only able to take that performance to half distance. Athletes can often believe that more is possible with their recoveries than normal people but in the end a combination of weakness in the shoulder, particularly in the heavy braking zones, and the physical changes of direction here started to take their toll. It was extremely disappointing for Alex that he wasn't able to maintain his excellent pace and his safe fourth position. With the help of the Clinica Mobile and perhaps some changes to the bike to make it easier to ride, Alex will put himself through it again tomorrow and hopefully this time try to put a consistent race together as much as his physical condition will allow."

 

[KUCIAR666]

Honda WorldSBK riders battle through misfortune in race two at Misano

The Honda WorldSBK Team has completed the Riviera di Rimini round of the World Superbike Championship by taking part in today?s race two at the Misano World Circuit ?Marco Simoncelli? in Italy. Nicky Hayden and Michael van der Mark finished the second encounter of the weekend in sixth and tenth places, respectively.

Hayden did not enjoy the best of starts from sixth place on the grid and was running in ninth in the early stages. As the laps went by, the experienced American gradually found a better feeling with his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP to join the five-way battle for fifth. In the latter part of the race, he was able to make his way up to sixth and ultimately missed a fifth-place finish by only 0.124secs at the line.

Michael van der Mark got a great launch from row four and was sixth on the opening lap of the encounter. Unfortunately for the young Dutchman, there was nothing he could do to avoid the sliding Ducati of Chaz Davies on lap three, when the Welshman fell in front of him at turn 14. Van der Mark was able to re-join the race in twenty-second place and did his utmost up to recover as many positions as possible before the chequered flag, eventually crossing the line in tenth. Despite the setback, the 2014 World Supersport Champion displayed a very competitive pace throughout race, which was on par with the leaders.

Round nine of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at Laguna Seca in the United States of America in three weeks? time.

Nicky Hayden 69-6th

After yesterday?s disappointment I was hoping to bounce back with a better performance. I got an OK start but in turns one, two, three and four I ended up being out of place and not aggressive enough so I got shuffled back through the field. But then I started to feel better on the bike despite running off-track at turn one at one stage. From then on my pace improved a little and, if I want to take a positive out of the race, I did my fastest time on lap 19. It was a little too late: I closed down on Savadori on the last lap after I got past Torres. Sixth is surely not a disaster but definitely not something to be too pumped about either. I?m a little bit disappointed with my performance today and I?ll try to make up for it in Laguna.

Michael van der Mark 60-10th

This morning we tried some different things with the set-up but due to the cold temperatures we couldn?t really get any real information on it so we decided to revert back to yesterday?s settings, with some little tweaks here and there. I got a good start, although I got held up a little in the first two turns after what happened yesterday and that cost me some places. I then took them all back in the following turns and settled into a nice rhythm, until Chaz crashed in front of me. It was a weird one, because it was really early in the race. I picked my bike up immediately because I knew there were a lot of laps left and then just went as fast as I could. Considering the circumstances, tenth is a good result but a frustrating one, too, because I had a great pace. Without that setback, I think it would have been another podium for us.

Pieter Breddels -Technical Manager

Nicky was quite fast in warm up and his set-up looked good for the race, but unfortunately his start was not as quick as yesterday?s. He eventually found the pace and felt comfortable with the bike. It wasn?t easy for him to overtake but in the end he was the most competitive of the riders battling from fifth to eighth places. He couldn?t quite make it to P5 in the end, but I think with a better first half he could have been fighting for a higher position. We worked on some different damper settings with Michael but the cold warm up didn?t give us any clear indication. Tyre choice for both riders has been a bit of a gamble, too, because we knew the track was warming up but nobody really knew how warm it was going to be. It's a shame for Michael?s result, especially because there was nothing he could do to avoid someone else?s accident. He was great in not losing concentration and his pace was simply amazing, and certainly as fast as the front-runners. With today?s performance, he has definitely proved that he is back where he belongs. Despite what could have been, we must be happy with the work done this weekend. In 2015 we were fighting for the top ten, and now we have managed to get on the podium. Hopefully we will carry some of this momentum into the next round.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Rea Doubles Up As KRT Riders Take Another 1-2

Reigning FIM Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea and 2013 champion Tom Sykes once more came out on top during the Misano race weekend, with Rea and Sykes replicating Saturday?s race result of Jonathan first and Tom second, albeit in a different kind of race. Rea?s latest win puts him 66 points ahead of his official Ninja ZX-10R team-mate in the championship table, with just one more round at Laguna Seca to come before the long summer break begins.

The lead Ninja ZX-10R pairing had the field to themselves almost from the start once again after taking a clear 1-2 on Saturday but this time it was Sykes who did the front running. His lead lasted until lap 17, when Rea put in a pass entering the first corner and held the line on the way out of the chicane.

Rea pushed on to create a gap that ended up being 2.963 seconds at the end of the 21-lap contest around the 2.226km circuit on Italy?s Adriatic coast. Realising he would not catch his team-mate before the end, Sykes had eased off slightly to make sure of his strong second place finish.

Misano was Rea?s seventh win of the year, and the 36th of his career. He remains the fourth most successful WorldSBK rider in history in terms of race wins.

The second race was held in cooler conditions than Saturday?s opening event, with Rea making a tyre option change that he later said was an important part of his race two winning strategy - particularly when added to chassis set-up modifications that also helped his Sunday cause.

Although Sykes? push at the front could not quite be maintained to the end of the race he still scored another 20 valuable points as he and his team-mate moved further away from their other competitors in the championship standings. Kawasaki leads the Manufacturers? Standings by 74 points after Misano.

Rea has now scored seven wins this year, and has a total of 343 points to Sykes? 277. Five rounds and ten individual races remain, starting at Laguna Seca between 8th and 10th July 2016. Before then, the KRT squad will undertake a day of testing at Misano tomorrow, Monday 20th June.

Jonathan Rea, stated: ?My pre-race target was achieved so I am super-happy. For many reasons I really wanted to win here and to make it a double is incredible. I love racing here; it is where I had my first career WorldSBK race win. Approaching the mid part of the season I had said many times just how important the next two races would be before the summer break, so to make it count this weekend is really good. Race two was a little bit of a different strategy. I set off so fast yesterday but today we used the 377 rear tyre and I think that made the difference. I want to say big thanks to Pirelli because they also brought the 375 tyre, the one we used in race one for the first time this weekend - and the 377, which we won race two with. That was the same tyre we used in Donington, so it is working in cooler and hotter conditions, which is big credit to them. Also credit to my crew because compared to race one we changed the bike quite a lot and we were able to conserve our tyre a little bit better.?

Tom Sykes, stated, ?I think today I was not as strong as I intended to be but probably Jonathan also found something extra, because that is how it looked. Two times second, and pole position, normally that would be an acceptable weekend so I am grateful for those things, but Jonathan is the one who we are challenging in the championship and we lost some ground. There are still five whole rounds to go, so we have a long time remaining. But my focus is not on that yet. We will test at Misano tomorrow and I hope we have clear conditions because I am very interested to find a solution for something. It is basically about turning and it was very clear in sector one of the track today. We will keep working to improve things because I want to win races.?

Behind the top two KRT riders Anthony West (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) placed 11th today, three seconds up on Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki). Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) just missed out on a point in 16th place and Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was 19th. Gianluca Vizziello (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) did not complete the race. In the championship Ramos is 15th and West 17th.

 

[KUCIAR666]

7th for Torres and the Althea BMW Racing Team, crashes for Reiterberger and De Rosa

Round 8 of the Superbike World Championship came to a close at the Misano World Circuit in Italy this afternoon, with two very tough races for the Althea BMW Racing Team. In the second SBK race, Jordi Torres finished seventh, while Markus Reiterberger suffered a crash which left him with a compression fracture of the D12 vertebra.
Raffaele De Rosa was leading the Stock1000 race until the final lap when a collision with Mercado prevented him from securing the win.

Superstock 1000 ? Race ? De Rosa, second on the grid today, was lying fifth through the opening laps. In a hard fought race, the Althea BMW man pushed hard to pass both Razgatlioglu and Mahias and move into third on lap four. He also set a new lap record on that same lap, recording a 1?36.725. Having reached Mercado, De Rosa passed the Argentinian on lap seven, after which the pair continue to fight hard until the final lap when contact between the pair caused them both to crash. Raffaele was able to rejoin the race but closed in 19th place.
With both De Rosa and Mercado scoring zero points today, the championship standings remain unchanged, with De Rosa holding his five point lead over the Argentinian.

Superbike - Race 2 ? cloudy skies and cooler conditions for today?s second SBK race. Torres suffered a small crash in the morning warm-up, meaning that his technicians had to work hard to get the bike ready for the race. Torres, fortunately unhurt and able to start the race from twelfth on the grid, was up into tenth through the first corners, eighth by lap four and hot on Hayden?s heels. Once past the American, the Spaniard was part of a group of riders all lapping with similar times to each other. In the final phase, he fought with both Hayden and Lowes, crossing the line in final seventh place.
Unfortunately for Reiterberger, eleventh on the grid, his race was over as soon as it began. A crash at turn 8 on the opening lap prevented the German from continuing. Having been checked over by doctors at the Clinica Mobile, the German was transferred to Riccione hospital and has sustained a compression fracture of the D12 vertebra. Markus will be unable to participate in the Laguna Seca round in two weeks? time.

After eight events, Jordi Torres lies seventh in the general standings with 137 points, Reiterberger moves up to twelfth with 68 points. BMW is fourth in the manufacturer's classification with 147 points, while Althea BMW also lies fourth in the team rankings (205 points).

Jordi Torres

?Honestly I?m happier today than I was yesterday. I?m sorry about the crash in warm-up, which was unexpected, but luckily it wasn?t anything serious. In the warm-up we tried a different tyre which appeared to offer more support, so we went with two totally different tyres for race 2 in the end. We took this risk but it paid off I think. I made quite a good start but soon saw, when I almost risked a crash, that while the tyre offered more support it also provided slightly less grip, but there?s always a compromise I guess. All in all, despite the final position, I?m satisfied because we took a calculated risk, and the path we took proved to be the right one.?

Markus Reiterberger

?What can I say? I?m sorry that today's race ended due to a contact between me and Mercado. I?m very disappointed and angry, because the win was ours for the taking and we?d been working so well all weekend. Despite everything, I thank my team as they all worked so hard this weekend, as ever. We?ll come back stronger than ever after the summer break.?

Raffaele De Rosa

?A weekend that started positively but that ended with two race incidents, one for Reiti and one for De Rosa. Torres ran his race, bringing home important points for the championship. Unfortunately, Markus has been injured, fracturing the D12 vertebra, and will not be able to take part at the Laguna Seca round. As for De Rosa, the win was within his reach and he battled right to the end, until contact between the two riders eliminated them both. The important thing is that there were no physical consequences in his case. A very difficult day for the Althea BMW team.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Fastest Lap and Strong Performances in Misano Race Two

Alex Lowes put on a stand-out performance at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli this afternoon as he came out fighting despite his injury to avenge his race one frustrations on the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK YZF-R1. Challenging in the top five for the majority of the 21-laps and setting the fastest lap of the race, his strength ultimately gave out just a lap before the end as he crossed the line in eighth, one place ahead of teammate Niccol? Canepa.

A stunning start saw the British rider immediately challenge the front, grabbing second into the first corner before fighting for, and holding third for the opening laps - and setting the fastest lap of the race in the process with a 1'35.165. Briefly dropping to fifth he quickly regrouped, catching the rider in front, but an attempted pass for fourth on the sixth lap was blocked. The British rider continued to push on hard for the closing stages, his pace a second faster than the riders behind as he comfortably held his top-five position. However, his physical condition made it impossible to resist a challenge on the penultimate lap and the closely-packed group seized the advantage. Lowes took the chequered flag with a hard fought eighth place, concluding the weekend with 81 points and sitting tenth in the championship standings.

Forced to take avoiding action by a first lap crash, stand-in rider Canepa dropped back from a good start, recovering quickly from 22nd to 12th in two laps. With consistently better pace than the riders in front, the Italian struggled to find the perfect opportunity to make his move before finding the solution on lap 14 and entering the top ten. Continuing his advance he concluded his second home race with a solid ninth place - having regained 13 positions throughout the race - and 16 points from his debut weekend on the Pata Yamaha YZF-R1.

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team remains at the Misano Circuit for a further day as it participates in the official test organised by the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in preparation for round nine, at Laguna Seca in the United States, on 8th-10th July.

Alex Lowes
Race: 8th / +17.276 / 21 laps. Championship: 10th / 81 points

"Today was a much better race. The position was not great, obviously to lose three positions in the last lap and a half of the race was a shame, but I was struggling with my condition a bit at the end. However, there are many positives to take as I did a better job than yesterday, kept pushing, and the bike felt good. We finished eighth, and I am quite frustrated that I still can't ride the YZF-R1 the way I want to for the whole race duration but I'm looking forward to getting fully fit and showing what the bike can do in the next couple of races!"
Niccol? Canepa
Race: 9th / +20.082 / 21 laps. Championship: 19th / 16 points

"I'm not very satisfied with the position in today's race but I'm really happy about my performance across the weekend! My pace was very consistent and I didn't make any mistakes. Unfortunately I was involved in Reiterberger's crash in the opening lap and I dropped to 22nd position. I was able to finish ninth, so the pace was really good, but without the incident it could have been much better! I want to say thanks to the Pata Yamaha team for making this weekend possible."
Paul Denning Paul Denning – Team Principal
"The numbers themselves are not so exciting, but the whole team and both riders should be happy with today's race, considering the challenges faced. Alex is clearly far from fit and the recuperation from the injury and subsequent operation is taking its normal course, we can't expect miracles! However, compared to yesterday he was able to manage much better, set the fastest lap of the race and hold a very good rhythm to the end despite the lack of strength. This cost him some places, but when you have nothing left to fight with there is nothing more we can expect. The YZF-R1 and a fit Alex Lowes clearly had the potential to fight for the podium today, and this is the positive point we must build upon.

"It has been a pleasure to have Niccol? with us this weekend, and what a great job he has done! Despite bad luck in qualifying and on lap one today, he really rode well and moved forward strongly, with a pace towards the end that was fully competitive with the top riders. Nick's technical understanding is excellent, this is also a big help, and we are looking forward to his further development assistance in the test tomorrow.

"Finally, many congratulations to Lucas Mahias and his team, achieving the first win for "Pata Yamaha" in the STK1000 Championship today - chapeau, monsieur!"