WSBK-Thailand

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Pata Yamaha Prepares to Travel to Thailand-Setup

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team heads east again this week for the second round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Buriram's Chang International Circuit in Thailand. Fresh from his season opening top-five race finish, Sylvain Guintoli is eager to replicate his Phillip Island form and develop the progress made so-far with his YZF-R1. Looking to bounce back from a challenging weekend in Australia, Alex Lowes is feeling confident about his return to the Thai track. The scene of a podium celebration for the 25-year-old at last year's inaugural visit, Lowes is excited about going to the 4,554m circuit and is determined to build on the potential shown during his opening weekend.

A purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility situated 400kms to the northeast of Thailand's capital Bangkok, the Herman Tilke designed Chang International Circuit opened in late 2014. Reaching the highest FIM criteria, the track's layout combines long straights with 7 right and 5 left-hand corners with its nine-turn technical complex being viewed easily from the main 50,000 seater grandstand. Buriram ('the pleasant city') is a largely agricultural region with a population of approximately 30,000. The province also retains numerous ancient sanctuaries and ruins as an important reminder of its long and varied history.

Track action commences for Guintoli and Lowes at 10:15hrs local time in the first of the weekend's two hour-long free practice sessions on Friday 11th March before the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team's wheels turn in anger for race one at 16:00hrs local time on Saturday 12th March.
Sylvain Guintoli

"My first visit to the Buriram circuit in 2015 was a very good surprise as I loved the track! It has a good variety of corners, stop and go at the start and more flowing to finish, and with the consistent temperatures in Thailand it's a very hot race so it's very challenging for the riders. Last year the public came in big numbers, even though it was our very first event there, so there was a great atmosphere and it was one of the noisiest rounds of the year! This year I'm hoping to continue the good work already produced over the winter, and shown at Phillip Island, with the YZF-R1. Chang is a very different layout to PI but we'll work hard to match the bike to the track and see what we can do for the races."

Alex Lowes


"Chang has good memories for me from last year's race. It's a relatively new circuit on the calendar this year, being only the second time WorldSBK are visiting Thailand, and I can't wait to get started. I don't really have much to say from Phillip Island so I'm looking to make a proper start to my 2016 campaign at round two. I feel chilled and relaxed this week and really looking forward to it. It will be a tough weekend with the heat and a brand new circuit for the YZF-R1 therefore we already have a lot of work to do from Friday's first free practice but it's going to be great. The people are all very welcoming and the support is great in Thailand so I'm sure everyone is as excited as me to get going!"

 

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Round Two Approaches For KRT WorldSBK Duo

KRT?s FIM Superbike World Championship challengers Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes had their first race experiences on the all-new Ninja ZX-10R at round one last month, with Rea winning both races and Sykes securing the Superpole trophy in qualifying. In a few days time the second round of the 2016 championship gets underway with anticipation of another strong showing for Rea and Sykes, at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand.

With Rea on a maximum 50 points after round one in Australia he approaches the Thai round with a high level of confidence. He won both inaugural WorldSBK races for KRT at the 4.554km circuit in Thailand in 2015 and then went on to win the title by a near record points haul at season end. In 2015 ?JR? scored the fastest lap in each race at Chang, in addition to winning Superpole.

The combined efforts of Rea and Sykes helped make Kawasaki champions in the manufacturers? title chase and Sykes will be hoping for a repeat of last year?s Chang experiences in one regard. He took his first podium finish of the season in race one in Thailand in 2015 and he aims to earn his first 2016 podium finishes this coming weekend. On the new Ninja he ran out front in each Australian race last month but dropped out of the final top three positions to finish fifth and then sixth.

Rea made a new step up in his career statistics at Phillip Island. His first race win took him to a total of 30 and his Sunday success raised that figure to 31 ? equal with double WSBK champion Colin Edwards. They now share fifth overall in terms of total race victories. Sykes is eighth overall in this ranking, with 26 race wins. Tom is additionally the second most successful qualifier in the history of the category with 31 Superpoles.

The new-look 2016 race weekends in WorldSBK consist of two free practice sessions on Friday, Superpole qualifying and race one on Saturday and the second race ? alongside the FIM Supersport World Championship contest - on Sunday.

With a stadium style design philosophy and a giant grandstand for the enthusiastic local fans to occupy, the Chang International Circuit is an exemplar of modern circuit design. It features three long straights allied to more technical sections, making it a difficult venue to find a truly ideal machine set-up for.

After the Thai race weekend is completed the championship heads to Europe and the home base of the logistical base of the KRT team, in Spain. The Motorland Aragon round will be the third of the year and will feature races on the 2nd and 3rd of April.

Tom Sykes stated: ?Chang International Circuit, on paper, is a circuit that could really suit us so I am excited to go there again. I got a podium finish although it was not that good to us in one of the races last year, but it is a different prospect this year. I remember in 2015 that we had great spectators in the circuit and it was a layout that I enjoyed riding around. This year we have an even better ZX-10R so I am hopeful heading to Thailand.?

Jonathan Rea stated: ?Going to Thailand off the back of an incredible start to the season, with a double win in Australia, just gives me a lot of satisfaction ? and motivation as well. Motivation to keep the bike at the front.

?Friday is the most important day to understand set-up because on Saturday we are already racing. With the new schedule we have a little bit of a different strategy for our race weekends. We were quite lucky in Phillip Island with our pre-event tests so in Thailand we need to make sure we can plan the weekend carefully. Hopefully, come Saturday and Sunday, we can have two good results again.?

After what is always a tough first weekend in the championship Pedercini Racing Kawasaki pairing Saeed Al Sulaiti and Frenchman Sylvain Barrier will be back out in force in Thailand, alongside potent Kawasaki runner, Go Eleven?s Roman Ramos. Dominic Schmitter will take to the field on his Grillini Kawasaki machine, while Aussie rider Josh Hook (Grillini Racing Team) was injured in testing for his home event.

 

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It?s Thai time for the Honda WorldSBK Team

The Honda WorldSBK Team is ready to tackle the second round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship, taking place this weekend at the Chang International Circuit near Buri Ram in Thailand. After a solid start to the new season, Michael van der Mark and Nicky Hayden are looking forward to doing their very best again aboard their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines.

Twice on the podium at Phillip Island, van der Mark is now aiming to keep the momentum going and to maintain his second position in the standings. Last year, the 23-year-old from Rotterdam finished the second Thai race in seventh place, after being forced into early retirement in the first encounter due to a small technical problem.

The Chang Interational Circuit is one of the five tracks on the WorldSBK calendar Nicky Hayden has yet to ride on. The 34-year-old American is eager to get back to action following an encouraging debut in Australia, which was partially hampered by grip issues. Unlike the opening event of the season, which was preceded by a two-day official test, in Thailand Nicky will have multiple challenges to face. He will need to quickly learn his way around the track on Friday while trying to find a good set-up for his Fireblade and make sure he stays in the top 10, in order to qualify directly for Superpole 2.

Four hours and twenty minutes by car from Thailand?s capital city Bangkok, Chang International circuit opened on October 2014. Last year?s edition of the Thai WorldSBK round marked the first World Championship event to take place at this venue. The track consists of five left turns and seven right-handers, all visible by the spectators watching the race from the imposing 50-thousand-seat main grandstand, built over the pit garages.

Michael van der Mark 60

I can?t wait to be on track again. Phillip Island was an incredible start to the season, but we know this round will be completely different for us, as there won?t be any test before the race weekend. Last year things didn?t go too well for us but with the data we have now and the improvements made during the winter to our CBR1000RR, things will surely be better for us.

Nicky Hayden 69

I?m looking forward to the race weekend. I have been to Thailand a couple of times before due to sponsor obligations and I always had a great reception; it is clear that people here are really passionate about the sport and hungry to know more about it. I?ve had a look at the track with some videos and it looks quite nice, I will have a proper look at it on my Fireblade on Friday morning. This is going to be a good learning weekend for me as I will get a better idea of our potential, given the lack of testing before the round.

Pieter Breddels-Technical Manager

After the good results we?ve had in Australia we hope to be at the sharp end of the pack again. The Chang International Circuit is a completely different track than Phillip Island, with long straights and a lot of twisty, second gear corners. In the past this type of layout did not suit our bike very well, but we?re confident that with the improvements made to the Fireblade we will be able better our performance compared to last year. Both riders are on great form and very motivated to do well, so this will be an important test for us.


Rider Standings
Sunday, 28 Feb 2016 - Open world standings grid
# Rider Num Nat. Points Team Constructor
1 Jonathan REA 65 GBR 50 Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki
2 Michael VAN DER MARK 60 NDL 36 Honda WorldSBK Honda
3 Davide GIUGLIANO 34 ITA 29 Aruba.it Racing Ducati
4 Chaz DAVIES 7 GBR 26 Aruba.it Racing Ducati
5 Sylvain GUINTOLI 50 FRA 21 Pata Yamaha Yamaha
6 Tom SYKES 66 GBR 21 Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki
7 Nicky HAYDEN 69 USA 20 Honda WorldSBK Honda
8 Jordi TORRES 81 SPA 17 Althea BMW Racing Team BMW
9 Joshua BROOKES 25 AUS 13 Milwaukee BMW BMW
10 Leon CAMIER 2 GBR 9 MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta
11 Rom?n RAMOS 40 SPA 9 Team Go Eleven Kawasaki
12 Markus REITERBERGER 21 GER 8 Althea BMW Racing Team BMW
13 Karel ABRAHAM 17 CZE 8 Milwaukee BMW BMW
14 Lorenzo SAVADORI 32 ITA 4 IodaRacing Team Aprilia
15 Alex DE ANGELIS 15 RSM 3 IodaRacing Team Aprilia
16 Alex LOWES 22 GBR 2 Pata Yamaha Yamaha
17 Mike JONES 46 AUS 2 Desmo Sport Ducati Ducati
18 Sylvain BARRIER 11 QAT 2 Team Pedercini Kawasaki

 

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The Althea BMW Racing Team is greeted by fans in Thailand

A humid heat (39?C) welcomed the Althea BMW Racing Team to Buri Ram, a town located several hours north-east of Bangkok, and where the second round of WorldSBK is taking place this coming weekend.

It is the second year that the Superbikes will race at the Buri Ram International Circuit (also known as the BRIC or Chang, after its sponsor), after the track was inaugurated in 2014, the most recent addition to the list of tracks visited by the production-derived world series.

The track, 4554 metres in length and boasting 12 turns, offers spacious grandstands for the many passionate fans who literally invaded the circuit last year. The Thai people are big fans of the racing and so it comes as no surprise that the Althea BMW riders will also welcome a group of 200 BMW Thailand customers who have arranged an autograph and photo session with their heroes on pit-lane.

Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger are both back to full fitness and are focused and motivated, ready to get to grips with this circuit on board their BMW S 1000 RR.

Jordi Torres, after completing two positive races in Phillip Island where he proved to be competitive, is training at the gym and in the pool, in preparation for the extreme heat.

Despite his physical condition in Australia, the Spaniard was able to complete the two races in 8th and 7th position, making up many positions particularly in the second race.

Markus Reiterberger, the youngest WorldSBK rider at present, yesterday celebrated his 22nd birthday, first visiting the Silk Village where the many fans joined the festivities with cakes, birthday singing and gifts and then at the track, with a cake and toast together with his team.

At the Australian track, the German rider closed race 1 in eleventh place before making significant improvement in race 2, finishing eighth. His goal for the upcoming weekend is to continue to climb the top ten.

The weekend schedule is as follows (CET +6):

Friday 11
10:15 ? 11:15 Timed Practice 1 (valid for qualifying)
13:30 ? 14:30 Timed Practice 2 (valid for qualifying)

Saturday 12
10:45 ? 11:00 free practice (not valid for qualifying)
13:30 ? 13:45 Superpole 1
13:55 ? 14:10 Superpole 2
16:00 Race 1 (20 laps, 91.080 km)

Sunday 13
11:00 ? 11:15 warm-up
16:00 Race 2 (20 laps, 91.080 km)

 

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Rea And Sykes Fifth And Seventh After First Day In Thailand

FIM Superbike World Championship riders for KRT, Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, made their first laps around the Chang International Circuit in Buriram today aboard their new Ninja ZX-10R machines. On a track surface which proved inconsistent in places they placed fifth and seventh respectively after the first two qualifying sessions, being more concerned with race preparations in hot conditions than going for a fast time.

Under the new rules for the 2016 season they now have just one more 15-minute session before Superpole 2 qualifying starts, and then race one is scheduled at 16.00 hrs local time on Saturday 12th March.

With this new schedule in mind all preparations were on evaluating tyre choices and machine set-up, to face the first of two 20-lap WSBK races in what should again be high track and air temperatures.

After track resurfacing work had been carried our recently there were three patched sections of track that proved to be more slippery than the rest, making for a reduction in pace relative to last year for all riders and modifying some aspects of pre-race planning.

Rea concentrated his efforts on building for the races in three long stints. He even sat out the first 40 minutes or so of the first session as track conditions were so inconsistent.

Sykes used some of his two hours of track time evaluate a few set-up items in preparation for the first race on Saturday and declared himself pleased with the outcome of this strategy.

Jonathan Rea stated: ?I made three long runs today and no in-outs. The difficult part about today is that the tarmac is so dirty in some areas. I am happy we did almost a full race simulation but I had to come back to the pits with four laps to go, which was not ideal. Aside from the grip level I am enjoying riding here, the circuit layout and just being back here. Last year the bike set up we brought from Phillip Island we did not have to change so much in Thailand. It seems that although the track is completely different here, the Phillip Island settings work quite well again. We have gone a little softer today to try and find grip in the slippy conditions but as more rubber goes down on the track it is going to get faster and faster. It is easy to get lost so we will be patient and check the conditions again in the first practice session tomorrow.?

Tom Sykes stated: ?We have quite a good set-up. We were just trying two or three things in the last part of the second session and sacrificed lap time for this. Now our questions have been answered for tomorrow so we know where to go on the set-up and then we need to focus on pace. In the last ten minutes we kept the same tyre on the bike and tried some new things. We can go to sleep and know with 98% certainty what bike set-up we will go with in the race tomorrow.?

Sylvain Barrier (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was next best Kawasaki qualifier, in 15th place. Go Eleven Kawasaki rider Roman Ramos was 17th with Pedercini Racing Kawasaki rider Saeed Al Sulaiti 21st from 25 riders.

 

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Althea Racing?s BMW S 1000 RR bikes power into Superpole 2 at the Chang track

The second round of WorldSBK got underway today in Buri Ram, at the Chang circuit, with the first two timed practice sessions, each an hour in length, valid for qualifying.
The riders of the Althea BMW Racing Team first had to deal with the oppressive heat (29?C) that, despite a light wind and with an air temperature 10?C lower than yesterday, never let up.

The track proved tricky with certain sections having been resurfaced in recent days, causing all riders to suffer from a lack of grip.
During the morning?s session, Markus Reiterberger completed 25 laps, working on the setting of his BMW S 1000 RR and recording a best of 1?37.197 that placed him eleventh.

Jordi Torres was unable to make the most of the hour as he suffered a crash when he hit the kerb at turn 1 in the first part of the session. Completing only 16 laps as a result, the Spaniard closed the session in eighteenth place but was, luckily, unhurt in the incident. The plucky rider was quick to react in the afternoon session and, once the engineers and technicians had worked hard on the bike, the BMW S 1000 RR with no. 81 projected itself into third place (1?35.217, just 588 thousandths of a second from the leader), gaining entry into Superpole 2 as a result.

In the second session, Markus Reiterberger improved on his morning?s best time by almost two tenths, closing with a satisfactory tenth position. The German will also compete in tomorrow?s Superpole 2 alongside his teammate, as they strive to set the fastest possible time and climb the grid.
Jordi Torres

?This morning the track was very dirty, as if no-one?s ridden it for a long while. I touched the outside kerb at turn 1 and crashed on the third lap, something I didn?t expect and, although I didn?t hurt myself it meant I lost some time. The mechanics worked hard and did a perfect job, in fact in the second session we were able to record the third fastest time. I?m pleased, although this is not a clear reference because the two new sections of asphalt are preventing me from keeping a constant pace and from being precise. We?re on the right track thanks to my mechanics? hard work, but we have more to do.?

Markus Reitenberger
?The two sessions didn?t go badly, we?ve qualified for Superpole 2 and this is good but I?m not pleased with tenth place and would have preferred to be higher up. At the start of the session I was in fourth and then fifth and this would have been a better result. We?re only about 8 tenths from the front however, which means we?re fairly close. I felt good on the bike today but it?s the first time I?m riding in hot conditions like this and I?m not used to it.?

Genesio Beviliacqua - General Manager
?I have to say that, after round 1 at Phillip Island where we took steps to prepare as well as possible, here we have started to see a glimmer. Both riders have behaved very naturally, deepening their knowledge of the bike by completing long runs. The bike was not in the best condition but the initial indications have proved positive. With both Torres and Reiterberger we immediately tried to keep pace with the frontrunners. Torres was able to do so, but I?m very pleased with both of them. The team has really worked well, but there is still a great deal to do; we?ll see what happens tomorrow in Superpole but I have a feeling we?re on the right track.?

 

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Van der Mark heads WorldSBK field on day one in Thailand

The first day of action for round two of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship has drawn to a close at Chang International Circuit in Thailand for the Honda WorldSBK Team. At the end of Friday?s two free practice sessions, Michael van der Mark sat on top of the timesheets, while Nicky Hayden claimed a very encouraging sixth place in what was his very first day of riding at the Thai venue. Both riders will spearhead Honda?s attack for pole position tomorrow directly from Superpole 2.

Michael van der Mark took a safe approach to the morning session, given the less-than-ideal conditions of the track. As free practice one progressed and the asphalt gained more grip and cleaned up, the 23-year-old Dutchman got up to speed aboard his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, eventually ending up fourth. In the afternoon, the 2014 WorldSSP Champion and his crew managed to make an important step forward in terms of bike setup, which translated in the first place in the combined times courtesy of an impressive 1?34.629s lap-time.

Nicky Hayden spent most of the first part of the morning session learning his way around the circuit. He and the team were able to immediately find a good base set-up for his Fireblade machine as the American elevated himself to second place; a result that could have been even better without a small mistake at the last turn, during his final attempt before the chequered flag. Despite a small technical problem encountered in free practice two, Hayden was able to bounce back in the final stages of the session to claim sixth place.

After a 15-minute third free practice session scheduled at 10:45 local time (GMT+7), the second round Superpole 2 and race one will get underway at 13:55 and 16:00, respectively.

Michael van der Mark 60
1st / 1'34.629

I?m very happy with how today has been. In the morning, the track was quite dirty so I decided not to take any unnecessary risks at the beginning. It was almost impossible to be consistent given the conditions, but obviously it was the same for everyone. In the end I was able to make up some positions, although the result was not exactly what I was looking for. We made a lot of changes to the bike before the afternoon and from the first moment I felt much more comfortable. Later on, we made another big change that turned out to be a good one and then the fast laps started to come. With some small further adjustments, we were able to move up to first place on the final lap and that was it. As I said I?m really happy and looking forward to tomorrow morning; we will use this little time to focus more on our race pace.

Nicky Hayden 69
6th / 1'35.344

This morning, the track was a bit dirty but it is something that happens at venues where there isn?t constant racing going on throughout the year. We got up to speed fairly quick and kept improving throughout the session but a small mistake on the last lap did not allow me to take first place. In the afternoon we kept the used tyres from the previous session on, trying to get a few laps in and see how I?d feel. As the session went on we went for new tyres. Obviously I?m a little disappointed for that small mistake in the morning and even this afternoon I?d have hoped to make an even bigger step forward, but things were generally pretty smooth. We just had a small problem with a sensor on the bike that cost us a little bit of time, but overall to be sixth at a brand new track cannot be considered a poor result. We got what we wanted, we?re in Superpole 2 and now it?s all about keeping on improving, qualifying well and to be ready for the races.


Pieter Breddels
Technical Manager

Michael had an impressive day today, especially in the second session. In the morning he did not really push because of track conditions, but as the asphalt cleaned up and got more grip he started to get up to speed. We didn?t do anything too clever with the bike setup, just normal adjustments that proved to be very effective. He was very quick, especially in the last sector and that is a very good sign, if we think of the difficulties we encountered here a year ago. Nicky had a great start this morning and in the afternoon we managed to work on the bike a bit more, in terms of gearing and geometries. A sixth place is definitely a positive result and we have some good ideas to improve more tomorrow. We will also compare the data coming from Michael?s side, which surely will help. It has been a great start to the weekend; now we need to build upon these performances and get ready for race action.

PRACTICE FP2 - STANDINGS

Sunny / 29
Friday 11 Mar 2016, 11:02 UTC

Air Temp: 29?C Humidity: 40% Ground Temp: 45?C

# Rider Num Nat. Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 Michael van der Mark 60 NDL Honda WorldSBK Honda 1'34.629
2 Sylvain Guintoli 50 FRA Pata Yamaha Yamaha +0.182
3 Jordi Torres 81 SPA Althea BMW Racing Team BMW +0.588
4 Alex Lowes 22 GBR Pata Yamaha Yamaha +0.595
5 Jonathan Rea 65 GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki +0.685
6 Nicky Hayden 69 USA Honda WorldSBK Honda +0.715
7 Tom Sykes 66 GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki +0.777
8 Chaz Davies 7 GBR Aruba.it Racing Ducati +0.832
9 Davide Giugliano 34 ITA Aruba.it Racing Ducati +0.850
10 Markus Reiterberger 21 GER Althea BMW Racing Team BMW +0.869
11 Joshua Brookes 25 AUS Milwaukee BMW BMW +0.875
12 Leon Camier 2 GBR MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta +0.975
13 Matteo Baiocco 15 ITA Althea Racing Ducati +1.015
14 Karel Abraham 17 CZE Milwaukee BMW BMW +1.572
15 Sylvain Barrier 11 QAT Team Pedercini Kawasaki +1.747
16 Xavi Fores 12 SPA BARNI Racing Team Ducati +1.913
17 Rom?n Ramos 40 SPA Team Go Eleven Kawasaki +1.932
18 Alex De Angelis 15 RSM IodaRacing Team Aprilia +2.574
19 Lorenzo Savadori 32 ITA IodaRacing Team Aprilia +2.698
20 Anucha Nakcharoensri 14 THA Yamaha Thailand Racing Team Yamaha +2.681
21 Saeed Al Sulaiti 11 QAT Team Pedercini Kawasaki +3.976
22 Peter Sebestyen 56 HUN Team Toth Yamaha +4.406
23 Imre Toth 10 HUN Team Toth Yamaha +5.337

 

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Guintoli and Lowes Turn Up the Heat for Pata Yamaha in Thailand
Free practice

Sylvain Guintoli and Alex Lowes claimed second and fourth positions respectively for the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team at a hot and humid Chang International Circuit this afternoon. Securing their direct qualification into tomorrow's Superpole 2, Guintoli and Lowes put on a confident display as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned to Buriram for round two's opening free practice action.

With the track newly resurfaced, both Yamaha riders began the first session carefully, evaluating the conditions on their respective YZF-R1's. The Frenchman completed the morning in seventh, his best lap a 1'36.884, while his British teammate's 1'36.994 followed closely behind in ninth.

As the track temperatures soared to 45?C, the afternoon's times tumbled. Lowes hit the mark early in the second session jumping to second with his first fast lap and holding fifth for the opening 20 minutes. At the half way point Guintoli advanced his time to 1'36.0 to take a top-five position. The final minutes of the afternoon proved even more fruitful for the Yamaha riders; Lowes' fastest lap - 1'35.224 - saw him eventually close the session in fourth, while Guintoli became one of only two riders to break the 1'35 barrier, securing second with a 1'34.811 on his final quick lap.

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team returns to Buriram at 10:45hrs local time tomorrow for the final 15 minutes of free practice ahead of Superpole qualifying and the first race of the weekend at 16:00hrs local time.

Sylvain Guintoli
2nd / 1'34.811 / 35 laps

"It's been a good first day here at Chang International! We progressed a lot from this morning, so to progress so much in so little time is really positive. The race rhythm is good, as is the pace on one lap, so we will just carry on working as we are this weekend. To be P2 straight away, for us on a new track where we have only had two sessions, is very positive. We will take the base point from there and just continue having fun, as I really love this track!"

Alex Lowes
4th / 1'35.224 / 43 laps

"The grip on the track was really low this morning, and it feels a lot different from last year, so today was really about learning a new circuit with the new bike. We've completed plenty of laps without really needing to change the YZF-R1 that much, so after the two sessions it feels pretty good. I'm hoping to make a good step forward tomorrow, mainly with the feeling in the front, but we're already in Superpole 2 so we'll see what we can do tomorrow to qualify well for the afternoon's race."

Paul Denning – Team Principal

"It's been a very interesting day's work here at the Chang International Circuit and despite the sweltering temperatures it's a real pleasure to be back at such a well organised event and at a great facility. Some sections of the circuit have been resurfaced since last year and, I imagine through lack of use, were like ice in FP1 this morning. Gradually though the grip has come back in to the surface and the riders could start to get through a normal programme.

"With Sylvain and Alex in second and fourth places respectively going in to Superpole, we've probably been more competitive than expected but it's great to see that the YZF-R1 can work well in this temperature, and at a completely different character of race track compared to Phillip Island. Lap time is one thing, racing is another but it's been a solid start to the weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can achieve tomorrow."

 

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Rea And Sykes Dominate The First Thai Race

KRT challengers Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes shared the lead for all 20 laps of the first FIM Superbike World Championship race at Buriram in Thailand between them, with Rea finally running out the winner by only 0.222 seconds from his team-mate. A strong showing from the new Ninja ZX-10R saw championship leader Rea and now third ranked Sykes finish over nine seconds from the next closest rider.


With high air temperatures of 34?C evident during the contest at the 4.554km long Chang International Circuit the race was hard work for all, but it was the KRT pairing who held the advantage after all the laps had been completed.

Despite the slippery track surface in some areas, causing the riders to take unusual lines at those points, Rea?s race time was better than his equivalent 2015 season win. He set the fastest lap of the race on lap 14, as he chased down Sykes and then passed him.

This was Rea?s third win in succession on the new Ninja, giving him a perfect 75 points after three races, with one more 20-lap race in Thailand to go tomorrow, Sunday 13th.

There was a glimmer of a chance for Sykes to pull back and pass Rea on the final laps today, particularly when a backmarker impeded Jonathan. Despite Tom drawing close to Rea on an inside line into the final corner Jonathan had done enough to make sure the race victory would be his.

Sykes led for 14 laps as he and his machine showed a marked level of race-long improvement in pace compared to the opening round in Australia last month. This was Tom?s first podium of the year and the 20 points he earned today put him third in the overnight championship order, with 41.

Both Kawasaki riders feel that there are even more improvements to come from their Ninja ZX-10R machines over race distance for race two tomorrow, based on their positive experiences today.

Jonathan Rea stated: ?The pace was fast; I did not expect it to be so fast as all weekend we have been slower than last year. So it was a good, fast race. I put my head down and with four laps to go I got a small gap of about 0.7 or 0.8 seconds on Tom. On the final laps I got caught out in the first turn by another rider but it was not so much. I had done all my work by then as I had completely emptied my tank with about four laps to go to try and get away. I am a little bit tired now because I went full gas in those last four laps. We were able to capitalise on that work and I feel like I rode for a stronger win than I have had for a long time. Tomorrow, I expect my bike set-up will be much stronger.?

Tom Sykes stated: ?I am quite happy with that because compared to last year we made a much stronger race. Unfortunately I was struggling in two or three corners, which gave away a lot of advantage. Jonathan was riding very well and on the last laps he was strong but we were also strong at that stage compared to previous races. This is a positive and the gap was not so big to the winner. We have a much better feeling, so this is a good step. The Ninja ZX-10R was working consistently and we had some great lap times, so we?ll see how it goes next race. We need to try and improve for tomorrow but as a start that was quite acceptable. I am disappointed not to win on one hand but we have had a big improvement on the other hand. We are working in the right direction.?

Roman Ramos (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) placed 12th in race one, while Pedercini Team Kawasaki riders Sylvain barrier and Saeed Al Sulaiti were 16th and 17th respectively, just missing out on championship points. Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Team) was 19th.

 

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Pole and race-one podium for van der Mark and the Honda WorldSBK

Michael van der Mark and the Honda WorldSBK Team claimed pole position and a third place finish in race one at the Chang International Circuit today. After a third-row start, Nicky Hayden was forced to an early retirement due to a technical problem.

It has been a historical day for van der Mark, who aboard his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP was able to take his maiden pole-positon start in WorldSBK after an intense 15-minute Superpole 2, which saw the 23-year-old battling out with Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea. As the race got underway though, van der Mark didn?t get the best start from pole and was sixth at the exit of turn one.

The young Dutchman quickly recovered to third and set his sights on Rea?s second place on lap 5, before making a small mistake on the following lap at the exit of turn eight, which cost him one and a half seconds. After that, Michael tried all he could to fill the gap with the front-runners, eventually deciding to settle for third as the race entered its final part. Thanks to his third podium finish out of three races, van der Mark keeps his and Honda?s second places in the riders? and manufacturers? standings, respectively.

After qualifying on the third row of the grid with the eighth fastest time, Hayden got a great launch off the grid and ran as high as fifth, before starting to experience some issues due to a faulty sensor on his #69 bike, which eventually led to an early withdrawal from the race on the tenth lap.

Race two is scheduled tomorrow at 16:00 local time (GMT+7).

Michael van der Mark 60
3rd

I?m so happy about my first WorldSBK pole position. I wasn?t really expecting it but once I got out on track, I had such a good feeling and just went for it. The Kawasakis are usually very competitive over a single lap but today we managed to be quicker. I made a mistake at the start of the race, I was probably a bit too excited to be on pole position. I then had a problem with downshifting and went wide at turn 1, losing a couple of more places. Step by step I was able to close the gap on Tom and Jonathan. When I got really close, I had a big moment at turn eight which cost me some time and after that, their pace did not allow me to make up ground. Anyway, I was able to be consistently quick and we just need a couple of adjustments in order to be even more competitive tomorrow.

Nicky Hayden 69
DNF

It has been a difficult day at the office. In Superpole I wasn?t able to get the most out of the qualifying tyre, I hardly improved on my FP3 lap-time. It?s clear that we still have some work to do on that side. There?s not much I can say about the race, we had a problem with a sensor and the bike was not running smoothly, up to the point that it stopped. It?s a shame we were unable to complete the race but there is still a lot we can do before tomorrow?s second race.

Pieter Breddels
Technical Manager

We have been waiting for a pole position for quite some time and finally it came! Michael did an outstanding job in being so competitive on a race tyre first, then with the qualifier. It looks like we have found a way to make the bike perform very well over a single lap. Michael didn?t have the best of starts, but he was able to close the gap quickly to the front-runners. After he ran wide on lap six, he simply had to let them go but he managed his third place up to the finish line. Three podiums out of three races is definitely a great string of results. Nicky had a good start, but he had this small issue that ultimately prevented him from finishing the race. Now it?s time to have a look at the data in order to be ready for tomorrow.

 

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Sizzling Sixth and Seventh for Pata Yamaha at Chang Race One
Race

Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK riders Alex Lowes and Sylvain Guintoli battled the heat at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand today to take sixth and seventh respectively in the first race of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship's second round.

The morning brought a positive start for the two Pata Yamaha riders, concluding the final 15 minute free practice session in fourth and sixth, having worked on a number of settings improvements between them. With air temperatures already hotter than those seen for the previous day - peaking at 34?C - the early afternoon saw Guintoli and Lowes set about the task of Superpole, having both secured direct promotion to the second session thanks to Friday's free practice performance. The British rider showed immediately impressive pace, setting a 1'34.371 on race rubber for his first timed lap, and while prevented from utilising his run on the qualifying tyre by a technical issue, the 25-year-old's original time was enough to take seventh. Guintoli continued his performance development with the YZF-R1 as shown throughout the weekend, claiming a top-five spot on the grid with a 1'33.866 lap time placing him on the second row.

A great start by Lowes saw him jump to fifth position off the lights as race one began before circulating in seventh for the opening laps. Closing on countryman Chaz Davies and the front group by lap nine with determined 1'34.6 pace, the British rider looked to be about to make his move before running wide at turn three leaving him in ninth place. An impressive comeback saw Lowes again dig deep, regaining ground and three positions to take sixth at the flag and 10 valuable championship points.

Guintoli had a fight on his hands for the early laps after losing time at the start. Crossing the line in 12th after the opening revolution the Frenchman quickly began to regroup, making up time and places to hold eighth then sixth by the mid-race point. Fighting with his teammate for position at three-quarters distance he eventually consolidated seventh position, adding nine points to his already healthy total and leaving him fifth in the standings heading into tomorrow's final battle.

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team return to Chang International Circuit on Sunday for the second 20-lap race scheduled at 16:00hrs local time.

Alex Lowes
Race: 6th / +20.754 / 20 Laps. Championship: 13th / 12 points

"A difficult day for me overall, but the race was quite positive with a sixth place finish so I'm quite happy with that even though we know the potential of the YZF-R1 and the package is a lot more. It's my first proper full race of the year and I feel good with the direction we are going. I'm looking forward to making some more improvements for tomorrow and seeing what we can do in race two."

Sylvain Guintoli
Race: 7th / +24.221 / 20 Laps. Championship: 5th / 30 points

"It was a difficult race for us in the end and we had difficulties in the braking zones meaning I ran straight, on three separate occasions. The first half of the race was really good - after recovering from the first run on - I had a good pace and was catching the Ducati's but in the second half I started to struggle with rear-tyre-life so I couldn't keep up that pace as I wanted. It was a tough race, which we were expecting but we will just have to keep working on the development of the YZF-R1 ready for tomorrow."

Paul Denning – Team Principal

"It's difficult to understand whether the team should be disappointed or extremely positive with today's results. Disappointed perhaps because sixth and seventh, despite the very early stage of development of the YZF-R1 in WorldSBK trim, is slightly below our target and also because a technical issue stopped Alex from using his qualifying tyre and starting as high up the grid as he could have done.

"The positive aspect is that both riders came away with solid results despite suffering with some restrictions during the race which made a significant difference to their potential. This is only our second WorldSBK event as Pata Yamaha and we are already not so far away; we can look forward to time and experience allowing the YZF-R1 to make very significant steps forward in race distance performance."

 

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1-2 For KRT Again As Sykes Wins From Rea In Thailand

Another electrifying 20-lap race between KRT?s Superbike World Championship competitors Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea saw Sykes win his first race of the year on the all-new Ninja ZX-10R, with Rea just 0.190 seconds behind at the flag. Rea leaves Thailand with 95 points and the series lead while Sykes moved up to second overall today, with 66 points to his credit.


The weekend at the Chang International Circuit will go down as a double 1-2 event for Kawasaki with Rea winning race one on Saturday from Sykes, and that order being overturned after a combative contest around the 4.554km circuit in the heat of the afternoon on Sunday 13th March.

Rea set the fastest lap of the Sunday race, on lap five, as he chased early leader Sykes. Rea was to lead for a time, and then pass Sykes again at some points, only to be re-passed on the way out.

Sykes and Rea looked to have the race between them for most of the race distance but Chaz Davies arrived towards the end and made the battle for the podium places even more complicated.

There was more than one attempt from Jonathan to pass Tom at the end but Sykes defended his position and ended up winning the short run to the finish line from the final right hand corner, with a small advantage of 0.190 seconds to his credit. With Rea second Davies was third, by only 0.314 seconds from Tom, in another thrilling WorldSBK contest for the fans trackside and at home on TV to enjoy.

The second 1-2 in two days for Kawasaki?s official entrants also gives the KRT riders a 1-2 in the championship, with Rea in the lead by 29 points and Sykes a point clear of Michael van Der Mark after four races.

Kawasaki riders have won all of the 2016 season races so far, making a perfect total of 100 points in the Manufacturers? Championship. Yesterday Jonathan Rea moved to a lone fifth in the all-time race winners? tally, with 32 career wins. Today Tom drew himself seventh equal in the same ranking, with 27 career victories.

The KRT squad?s European home base in Spain is where the championship will relocate for the next round, at the magnificent Motorland Aragon circuit. Race weekend will be held between 1st and 3rd April.

Tom Sykes stated: ?The first win of the year for me and I really had to fight for it. I am happy because Jonathan is at an incredible level in this circuit and we have much such a big step from last year - so I really have to thank all of the boys. They have worked really hard in the winter and even now we are still learning. It was a great race, a great battle. It makes it more satisfying because from about lap six I was struggling with understeer from the front so my corner speed was lower than I wanted. I saw on the big screens at one stage that there were some great riders behind, giving me great pressure, so I had to re-think how to manage the race. To hold on to the win after so-so long is such a great feeling.?

Jonathan Rea stated: ?We made a small improvement today in the bike set-up and from ten laps to go I feel I had a much higher pace than Tom. I really wanted to win and I tried two or three times but to win a race against Tom when he is strong, and defending very well, you have to go really deep. Massive credit to him; he did a good job today and beat us flat out. It is good for Kawasaki to have a 1-2 although I would prefer to be the guy in front. Fair play to Tom because I was over my head to win the race yesterday but today I tried my best and got beat. I am sure it was a nice show to watch. We increased our championship lead from Phillip Island and it has been a good day, but I just wanted to win the race. To get beaten is really great for my motivation.?

Roman Ramos (GOELEVEN Kawasaki) placed himself 12th in today?s race and also in the championship points standings. Sylvain Barrier (Pedercini Kawasaki) was 17th in race two and Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Team) 19th. Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Kawasaki) retired.

 

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Van der Mark and Hayden complete Thai round with top 5 finishes in race two

The Honda WorldSBK Team concluded the second round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand with Michael van der Mark and Nicky Hayden crossing the line at the end of race two in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Pole-setter van der Mark got a much better start to race two aboard his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP and entered turn one in second place, before running slightly wide at the following corner and having a small collision with Chaz Davies. He tried to stay with the leading duo and kept third place up to the tenth lap, before being overtaken by his Welsh opponent. After a small moment on lap 13, the 23-year-old Dutchman decided to ride his own race to a fourth place finish.

Nicky Hayden had a decent launch from eighth on the grid and battled with the Yamaha duo of Guintoli and Lowes in the first half of the race. As soon as he elevated himself to fifth place and with clear track ahead, the 34-year-old American was able to ride at a far quicker pace, consolidating his position and ending the race on a high note.

The team will now return to its headquarters in The Netherlands to get ready for the first European round of the season, taking place at Spain?s MotorLand Arag?n next April 1-3.


Michael van der Mark 60
4th

It was not an easy race but I have to be happy with the result. Pole position, third place in race one and now a fourth place definitely surpass the expectations we had before the round, given the difficulties encountered last year. I?m really happy about the bike and my own pace. We decided not to change the front tyre type for race two and, although we knew it was a bit of a gamble, it turned out not to be best choice. I did not have the same feeling as in the previous encounter, but it was a risk we had to take and after all, we have 13 more points to add to our tally.

Nicky Hayden 69
5th

I must say that the bike felt a lot better today. We made a lot of changes overnight and I simply just felt more comfortable, maybe not perfect but surely the improvement was there and was quite a good one. I was able to ride without making mistakes and the bike was perfectly smooth. I didn?t get the best of starts and was not fast enough in the first laps to be aggressive and make passes. As the laps went by I felt more and more comfortable; towards the end I started to set my fastest laps of the race and this is very positive. I would lie if I didn?t say that after the warm up I thought I could have put up a better fight, but nonetheless I learned a lot again and overall it was a good weekend.

Pieter Breddels
Technical Manager

Michael had a good first half of the race, then had a moment on lap 13 and the guys ahead were able to gap him a little bit. He had to settle for fourth, because our front tyre choice turned out not to be the best one given today?s hotter temperatures. We knew the risks and we can only be happy about how the weekend has gone for him. We made some adjustments to Nicky?s bike settings during the warm up and, given the good results, we decided to keep them for the race. He had a fairly good start and rode comfortably behind the Yamahas in the opening laps. When he got past them he was able to lap considerably faster, and towards the end of the race he was really strong. His fifth place has to be considered as a positive result, he is learning more and more about the bike and how to set it up.

 

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Encouraging Performance for Pata Yamaha in Thai WorldSBK
race2

A strong second race at the Chang International Circuit saw Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team's Sylvain Guintoli take a sixth place finish as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship completed its weekend in Thailand, while his teammate Alex Lowes experienced an unfortunate retirement.

The majority of the weekend's healthy 81,346 attendance witnessed the hottest day felt so far at the Chang International Circuit as air temperatures of 36?C heated the asphalt to the mid-40's as the final WorldSBK race began. Sixth off the lights, the initial laps saw Guintoli fighting for position with his teammate as they both pushed towards the front group, the 34-year-old advancing a place on the younger Yamaha rider on lap three. Maintaining his rhythm despite an attack from Nicky Hayden, the Frenchman's pace kept his YZF-R1 in the fight for fifth - holding Torres behind while retaining his focus on Hayden in front. Keeping his cool, Guintoli concluded his second Thai WorldSBK race in sixth position, bringing his rider total to 40 points and retaining fifth in the standings.

Another great start saw Lowes jump two positions from his seventh place grid spot as Sunday's contest got underway. His determination pushing him towards the front, he diced with Chaz Davies for fourth as they crossed the line for the second time, before the subsequent battle for fifth in the following lap lost him ground and position to his teammate. Continuing to race consistently in the hunt for the front group, lap 10 witnessed an early exit for the British rider, retiring his YZF-R1 at turn five with an untimely technical issue.

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team now returns to Europe in preparation for the championship's first race in Spain, at Motorland Aragon, on Saturday 2nd April.

Sylvain Guintoli
Race: 6th / +13.068 / 20 Laps. Championship: 5th / 40 points

"We've had some up's and down's this weekend. To be honest I said after Phillip Island that I thought we would struggle more here, and we did, but saying that we've shown some really good pace on pure lap time and pure performance, so that's a good sign. We've also progressed a lot during the weekend and in between the races - with a lot of work and a very late night working on data with the guys, so thanks to them for that. I appreciate it, staying up late to try to make the right choices! We've improved the performance - we've gone from 25 seconds from the winner in the first race to 13 in race two! I was able to put up the fight at the second part of the race as we kept the tyre much better today, so the differences we applied worked. It's another good learning weekend for us so now we have to carry on pushing hard, pushing to the maximum, so we can get the best feedback and help the developments to move forward in Aragon."

Alex Lowes
Race: DNF / -11 Laps. Championship: 14th / 12 points

"I'm really disappointed with today as I felt great on the YZF-R1 and had a decent start to run fifth. Sylvain passed me on the third lap - we came together and ran off track - so I sat behind him, pacing myself for the next few laps - because I knew from yesterday's race that I had good pace near the end and could aim at fifth position. I was probably riding the best I have done all year, so it's even more disappointing that I couldn't finish the race. I'm pretty devastated, but I felt like I was riding really well and starting to understand how to get the best from this bike, so I need to go back, regroup and come back strong in Aragon."


Paul Denning ? Team Principal

"This fourth race day of the 2016 season has seen further positives for the new Pata Yamaha WorldSBK project, but also some unexpected and unfortunate challenges. Both riders made very aggressive starts and without question the team's hard work last night to improve the performance of the YZF-R1 for the race today looked to be paying dividends, given the significant decrease in gap to the winner. Sylvain did another very solid job and fought hard for more good points, but we are extremely sorry for Alex that he was unable to finish the race - particularly as his understanding of the YZF-R1 and riding style has taken such big steps forward, and it looked like the top-five was on the cards. The team, and the Yamaha Racing group, will react to all the information we've gathered this weekend, and look to arrive ready to race in Aragon and take more steps forward."