Motourage

BMW’s Leon Haslam battled to 12th and fifth place finishes respectively in the two races of round three of the World Superbike Championship at Assen in Holland on Sunday.

Haslam, starting both 22-lap races from 12th place on the grid, moved into eighth place by the first corner of the opening race and was into seventh by lap three when he crashed out. He suffered back and knee injuries after being hit by another rider in the crash.

However, the tough 27-year-old remounted and rejoined the race in 20th place. He was in 14th place by the start of the final lap before passing two riders in the dash to the finish line to ensure 12th place and four World Championship points.

In the second race of the day Haslam held fifth or sixth place for much of the race, eventually holding off a five-rider chasing pack to cross the finish line in fifth.

“We’ve had another tough weekend,” said Haslam. “I suppose it remains early days in terms of getting the BMW into race-winning shape but I’m pretty desperate to get back on the podium at present.

“We struggled a bit through qualifying and then in Superpole I could lap faster on the rear race tire than the softer qualifying tire so we need to focus on that before the next round at Monza in three weeks.

“The races were hard going and we again need to look to the technical developments in certain areas of the machine before I am in a position to win. But the BMW guys have proven that they can quickly produce what we need so I’m optimistic that we will soon be in a position to win our first race together.”

World Superbike Championship, round three, Assen, Holland.

Race results (both races 22 laps – 99.924km / 62.053 miles):

Race one: 1 Jonathan Rea, GB (Honda) 35m 46.486s – 167.589kmh / 104.073mph, 2 Max Biaggi, Italy (Aprilia) +0.739s, 3 Carlo Checa, Spain (Ducati) +3.572s, 4 Marco Melandri (Yamaha) +9.508s, 5 Michel Fabrizio, Italy (Suzuki) +9.892s, 6 Troy Corser, Australia (BMW) +11.120s, 7 Eugene Laverty, GB (Yamaha) +15.235s, 8 Ruben Xaus, Spain (Honda) +30.081s, 9 Ayrton Badovini, Italy (BMW) +32.071s, 10 Mark Aitchison, Australia (Kawasaki) +35.000s. 12 Leon Haslam, GB (BMW) +45.289s.

Race two: 1 Carlos Checa, Spain (Ducati) 35m 38.693s – 168.199kmh / 104.452mph, 2 Max Biaggi, Italy (Aprilia) +0.524s, 3 Jonathan Rea, GB (Honda) +3.584s, 4 Leon Camier, GB (Aprilia) +5.913s, 5 Leon Haslam, GB (BMW) +16.916s, 6 Eugene Laverty, GB (Yamaha) +17.375s, 7 Michel Fabrizio, Italy (Suzuki) +17.740s, 8 Noriyuki Haga, Japan (Aprilia) +18.329s, 9 Jakub Smrz, Czech Rep. (Ducati) +18.378s, 10 Sylvain Guintoli, France (Ducati) +18.404s.

World Championship points after three of 13 rounds: 1 Checa 132, 2 Biaggi 89, 3 Melandri 85, 4 Rea 79, 5 Haslam 68, 6 Camier 50, 7 Smrz 49, 8 Fabrizio 27, 9 Laverty 35, 10 Haga 34.

Manufacturers points: 1 Ducati 136, 2 Aprilia 106, 3 Yamaha 97, 4 Honda 79, 5 BMW 74, 6 Suzuki 47, 7 Kawasaki 43.

Next round: Monza, Italy – May 8-10 2011

The 10th round of this year’s Superbike World Championship is a home race for both Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli, and one they are both looking forward to this weekend.

The Silverstone Circuit is a home track for Haslam because he is a Briton and lives in Derbyshire, but it is also a home race for Guintoli as the Frenchman has lived in the UK for some time and is married to an English girl. He will be making the short trip from his home near Melton Mowbray, while Haslam will have a slightly further journey.

Both have raced in the British Superbike Championship and have been to Silverstone before, but this will be their first time on the new circuit. The historic Silverstone circuit has undergone major reconstruction this year and the new layout is very different to that which was used when World Superbikes were last there in 2007.

Leon Haslam:
“I was at the launch of the new track at Silverstone earlier this year and it’s very different to what it was before. It seems to be a fast and flowing high-speed track and I’m sure the racing is going to be very close. I am looking forward to the weekend and although some might say that there is extra pressure on me to do well in front of my home fans, I do not see it that way.  I want to do well at all tracks, and although I’d obviously like to do well at Silverstone, my main concern will be to finish in front of Max Biaggi in both races. The ideal situation would be for me to win both races and the other six Brits to finish ahead of Max”

Sylvain Guintoli:
“It’s always good to race at home and because I have been in England so long, I feel like it is my home, which in fact it is because I live here. I have raced at Silverstone before, but now the track is very different and all of us will have to learn the track before we can really charge. Normally, I am quite good at learning tracks, so hopefully things will go well for me in practice and qualifying, so that I can do a good Superpole and end up with a good grid position. If I do that, I have a very good chance of giving my ‘home’ fans and friends something to shout about.”

Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli are looking forward to continuing their World Superbike Championship battles at the Automotodrom Brno for this weekend’s WSBK ninth round in the Czech Republic.

The 5.403-kilometer circuit is a favorite among riders due to its flowing nature and elevation variations, but, as usual, a good setup is necessary for a fast lap.

It has been a busy time for the riders recently, particularly Haslam, who managed to fit a visit to the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend, but he and Guintoli will be chasing podiums at the Czech Republic circuit.

Leon Haslam:
“I like Brno circuit because it has a bit of everything really. There are a lot of ups and downs and it is a challenging track to ride and one that requires a good bike set-up. Max Biaggi is obviously the rider to beat at the moment because he and his bike are working really well together. But, I’m going to fight all the way this weekend and hopefully claw some of the points back.

“It has been very hectic recently because after the San Marino race, we had a two-day test in Imola and then the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Unfortunately I had a couple of get-offs at Imola and bashed a delicate area of my body, but it will not affect me on the bike. I’m fit and ready to battle Brno and Max and I want to start my summer holiday with some more podiums.”

Sylvain Guintoli:
“Fortunately I have been to Brno before, so at least I will not have to start the weekend wondering which way the track goes! It’s a good track and I enjoy racing there and am hoping to be on the pace right from the start of practice and be in a good position come race day. Recently, I feel I have begun to have a better understanding of what World Superbikes is all about and how strong you have to be right from the first moments of day one.

“This is a tough old series and very competitive, so you really cannot hang about at all. The racing is hard and a real battle and I like that a lot. After Brno, we have quite a break, so my goal is to get two very good results this weekend and then enjoy my holiday.”

2009 results:

Race 1: 1 Max Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 2 Carlos Checa (ESP-Honda), 3 Jonathan Rea (GBR-Honda). 7 Leon Haslam (GBR-Honda). Sylvain Guintoli DNS.

Race 2: 1 Ben Spies (USA-Yamaha), 2 Max Biaggi, 3 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati). 12 Leon Haslam. Sylvain Guintoli DNS.

The MotoGP World Championship travels to the Czech Republic in August. For more information about that event, visit the Brno Grand Prix website.

Leon Haslam maintained his run of podiums at every World Superbike round this year with a second place in yesterday’s World Superbike Championship eighth round at Misano.

The Suzuki Alstare rider struggled with problems in race one but carried on fighting hard and took eighth place. The team came up with some ideas to improve his GSX-R1000s settings for race two; they worked; and he battled from seventh on the grid to second place and his 11th podium of the season in front of 69,000 race fans.

Teammate Sylvain Guintoli had his best result of the year since the opening round in Australia in February: The French rider took fifth in race one and sixth in race two.

Local favorite Max Biaggi (Aprilia) won both races: In race one, he narrowly beat Carlos Checa (Ducati) with Troy Corser (BMW) third, but race two was much more comfortable. He took his second checkered flag of the day, over four seconds ahead of Haslam, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) third.

Leon Haslam – Race 1: 8th, Race 2: 2nd:
“After the issues we’ve had this weekend to do with the clutch and electronics, I thought that 8th in race one was probably the best we’d get this weekend. But, all credit to the team – because they went back to a setting that we used in USA and South Africa – the bike was much better in the second race. Race two felt like normal and the bike felt a million times better than race one, but I’ve got so many blisters on my hands because I was trying so hard. I took a lap or two too long to pass Troy Corser and Michel Fabrizio in the second race and by then Max was too far ahead to catch. Max is riding well, and the Aprilia is currently the package to beat, but I’m confident that – as long as we all work hard – we can beat him. We do all our own development work and it’s because of all the hard work that we are competitive. I’m going to keeping fighting for more podiums; that was my aim before the season began, and it’s still the same now.

Sylvain Guintoli – Race 1: 5th, Race 2: 6th:
“Well this has been a pretty good weekend for me and I feel I am now becoming a better Superbike rider. This Championship is so competitive that you have to be right on your game in every practice, qualifying and race and it’s not something that comes easily – it requires a lot of work, from me and the team. That’s not say that we have not been working hard up to now, because we have been working hard. It’s just that WSBK is different to BSB and I have to work in a different way. Today, I had a better feeling with the bike in race one, but funnily enough my lap times were better in race two! The good news though, is that today I had the podium-pace and I really enjoyed my racing. Now, I just need to keep this feeling up and be even more competitive next time. Next up is Brno. It is a track I know and like a lot, so I am expecting a lot.”

Misano Results:

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After almost a month away from racing, Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli will line up at the Misano Circuit this weekend for round eight of the Superbike World Championship.

Leon Haslam gets a ride to the paddock after a lowside crash in race 2 ended his weekend in Utah

Leon Haslam:
“The Misano tests went pretty well even though we did lose some time due to rain on one of the days. We still managed to get through a lot of stuff – new forks, different clutch settings and we were all happy enough at the end. I like Misano and although it is a tough track, I’m sure that we’re in for a lot of hard battles – but I like that! Everybody has tested there recently, so I’m expecting all the riders to be quick off the mark right from the start of first practice.
I had the stitches taken out of my left elbow just before the recent tests and I’ve got full movement in the arm, so I don’t think there’ll be any problems in that area. There’s a little bit of discomfort because of where the stitches rub against my leathers, bit it’s definitely not going to be a problem. Max Biaggi will want to do well in his home country, but I’ll be going all out to give him a tough time of it and spoil his party.”

Sylvain Guintoli:
“At least, I have raced at Misano before, so I will not have to start the first practice learning a new track, as has been the case so many times this year. Also we tested here recently and that has given me more track information and knowledge. I’m hoping that all of this means that I will not be chasing the rest of the riders on the first day of practice and I will be more competitive right from the start. I want to get back to the way I was at the start of the season and be on it right from day one and qualify well. Poor qualifying has held me up quite a few times this season, so it’s about time I did the business on Friday and Saturday and got myself in a good position on the grid on race day.”

2009 results:
Race 1: 1 Ben Spies (USA-Yamaha), 2 Shane Byrne (GBR-Ducati), 3 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati). 12 Leon Haslam (GBR-Honda). Sylvain Guintoli DNS.
Race 2: 1 Jonathan Rea (GBR-Honda), 2 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 3 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Ducati). 8 Leon Haslam (GBR-Honda). Sylvain Guintoli DNS.

Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli have their own reasons for wanting to do well in the seventh round of this year’s Superbike World Championship at the Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City, Utah.

After his superb performance in the last round in Kyalami, Haslam is fired up and ready to claim another pair of podiums and make up for last year’s result at the circuit when he finished 10th in race one and scored a DNF in race two.

Guintoli campaigned in BSB last year and therefore didn’t race at Miller, so once again he will have to learn a new circuit and try and get down to competitive business right from day one. It’s a task that has caused a few problems for the Frenchman this season, but Miller is a more straightforward track than Kyalami, and Guintoli is looking for a big improvement in qualifying and on race day. Like Kyalami in the last round, the similarly high altitude will affect the performance of all the bikes, so a good set-up will be crucial.

The race in Miller on May 31st will be unique because it will be the first time in WSBK history that a race takes place on a Monday. Monday is Memorial Day in America and commemorates the United States men and women who died in military service.

Leon Haslam:
“Kyalami was a tough one and I’m looking forward to Miller because it is an easier circuit to deal with. Having said that, the altitude will make our bikes feel slow and we need to get them dialed in as soon as we can for the track and then push hard. Last year Miller was not such a good event for me, so I am really looking forward to showing what I and the Suzuki can do and hopefully get another couple of podiums. Max Biaggi is a threat and I want to make sure I either beat him or at least leave USA still in the championship lead. May is a busy month for us, with three races on three different continents, so it will be good to end it on top of the standings – with a good lead maybe? – and have a good break before the next round.”

Sylvain Guintoli:
“Obviously I need to improve, especially in practice and qualifying and be in a better position on race day. I have never been to Miller before, so it will be another new track for me to learn. But it looks less difficult than Kyalami in the last round, so I think I will be able to get on with it much better on the first two days of practice and qualifying and then be on the first two rows of the grid on race day. As I said before, this Championship is so competitive that the smallest of errors in qualifying can make a big difference to your grid position come. Starting from way down the gird is never easy, but with so many good riders and good bikes it is almost impossible to get a good result if you begin from the third or fourth row. Hopefully, this time I will not be in that position!”

2009 Miller Motorsport Park results:

Race 1: 1 Spies (USA-Yamaha), 2 Checa (ESP-Honda)), 3 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati). 10 Leon Haslam (GBR-Honda). Sylvain Guintoli DNS.

Race 2: 1 Spies, 2 Fabrizio, 3 Rea (GBR-Honda). Leon Haslam DNF. Sylvain Guintoli DNS.

Haslam passes fellow Englishman Jonny Rea for the win in race two

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam extended his World Superbike Championship lead to 15 points after a thrilling victory in the second race at Kyalami in South Africa this past weekend.

After racing to third place in the opening race in front of 54,000 spectators, race two was particularly dramatic and action-packed; and one of the best battles of the season so far. Throughout the race the Briton fought tooth and nail with fellow countryman, Ten Kate Honda’s Jonathan Rea, with Haslam taking the lead several times only to get overtaken again. The battle went right down to the wire; Haslam making an audacious passing move one lap from the end. This time he made it stick and went on to take the checkered flag by half a second put Suzuki back at the top of the Manufacturer Standings. It was his third win and ninth podium of the season and one of hardest victories of his career.

Teammate Sylvain Guintoli endured another average day at the office and ended with 10th in race one and 15th in race two. It was the Frenchman’s first visit to Kyalami and one that he will not remember with much fondness.

Leon Haslam – Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 1st:
“What an amazing day! The second race was one of the best races I’ve ever been involved in and definitely one of the hardest. Jonny and I had a real ding-dong and it was bar-to-bar stuff for almost the whole race. I passed him a few times, but he always got me back and the longer the race went on I could feel him working out where I’d pass and how he’d stop me. In the end, I had to pass at a different place and this time I made it stick and held on to the flag. To win a race like that is quite an emotional thing and I have to give a big thank you to the whole team for all their work this weekend.
The bike in the second race was an improvement over race one. We had a few issues in race one, so changed the balance by making a bit lower in the front and higher in the rear. I still had some issues with it, but it was better and allowed me to fight for the win. After the drama of race two, it’s hard to remember what happened in race one. I didn’t get a good start and had to make up a lot of ground as best I could. I wasn’t completely confident in the front end, so could not push hard enough to catch Michel Fabrizio and Carlos Checa, but I was happy to get on the podium. Today was a tough day, but I’m very happy to have extended my Championship lead and I’m looking forward to the next round in America.”

Sylvain Guintoli – Race 1: 10th, Race 2: 15th:
“Well today should’ve been a lot better than it turned out and I am very disappointed. The first race was not so bad, except that I lost a lot of time in two particular corners and could not catch the front guys. Ok, this is new track for me, but I think I should’ve been able to cope with it better. The second race was a disaster! I had no grip and no feeling in the brakes. I had made a good start, but Sykes touched me and I lost position. Then I started having problems with the brakes. It felt as if they had no power and that’s not a good feeling to have when you racing at high speed at a track like this. It’s been a weekend to forget and I hope that I will be able to get on the pace at the next race, though it will once again be a new track for me.”

WSB Results:

Race 1: 1 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 2 Checa (ESP-Ducati), 3 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 4 Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 5 Rea (GBR-Honda), 6 Camier (GBR-Aprilia). 10 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare).

Race 2: Race 2: 1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 2 Rea, 3 Biaggi, 4 Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha), 5 Checa, 6 Toseland (GBR-Yamaha). 15 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare).

Championship Points: 1 Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) 222, 2 Biaggi 207, 3 Rea 141, 4 Checa 141, 5 Toseland 125, 6 Haga 106. 11 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) 77.

Manufacturers Standings: 1 Suzuki 222, 2 Aprilia 213, 3 Ducati 185, 4 Honda 150, 5 Yamaha 135, 6 BMW 108, 7 Kawasaki 39.

There were mixed fortunes for Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli on the opening day of the sixth round of the Superbike World Championship in Kyalami: Haslam finished a comfortable fifth, but Guintoli could only manage 17th.

But this is the Frenchman’s first visit to this technically and physically-demanding track, so he has a big chance of improvement tomorrow.

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) set the day’s best lap with a time of 1:38.477. Second was Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) with Jonathan Rea (Honda) third and Troy Corser (BMW) fourth. Haslam’s fifth meant that five different manufacturers filled the first five places today.

Leon Haslam – 5th, 1:38.951:
“I’m pretty happy with what we did today and satisfied with the number of laps I put in. The tires felt pretty consistent and I was able to go quite quickly on a tire that was old, so that bodes well for the races. The track is very bumpy and it’s important to get a good bike set-up and one that works with the bumps. We’ve been working on getting a good bike balance and once you have that, it is easier to push hard.  After the end of a session my left wrist aches a bit, but there is no problem with it when I am on the bike. Because this circuit is so physical, if I get a slide, I certainly know about it in my wrist, but I don’t see it been a problem in Sunday’s races.  I am sure that Superpole is going to be frantic tomorrow. In the past, I haven’t made big improvements on qualifying tires, but I have always managed good grid positions and last week was the first time this season I have been off the front row. I am more concerned with the balance of the bike and the set-up than grid positions and as long as I am on the first two rows I will be happy.”

Sylvain Guintoli – 17th, 1:39.834:
“It’s my first time here and I spent most of the day learning the track and trying to work out where all the bumps are – and there a lot of them! I like this track; it’s very technical and very demanding and you don’t really get a chance to have a rest anywhere. It’s a shame that there are so many bumps and changes of tarmac because it is such a good track to ride.  We started today with the Monza bike set-up and then made changes. But most of the changes made the bike worse and I went slower, so we will have to go back to the Monza set-up and then work from there. My position in the ranking today was rubbish, but I’m actually quite pleased with my lap times and we are not so far away. I just need to put it all together and do well in Superpole.”

Friday WSB qualifying:
1 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati) 1:38.477, 2 Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha) 1:38.529, 3 Rea (GBR-Honda) 1:38.687, 4 Corser (AUS-BMW) 1:38.896, 5 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare) 1:38.951, 6 Checa (ESP-Ducati) 1:8.954. 17 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) 1:39.834.

The sixth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the Kyalami Race Circuit in South Africa this weekend and promises to be yet another close-fought affair for Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli.

The season so far is proving to be the most competitive since the series began in 1988 and every practice, qualifying and race has been closely contested.

After taking fourth and second last weekend in Monza, Haslam tops the series by three points and will be looking to extend that lead at the demanding 4.263-kilometer Kyalami circuit. The track is one of the most undulating circuits on the calendar and features many changes of elevation and bike set-up and a good grid position will be crucial.

In Monza, last weekend, Haslam hurt his left wrist when he had a big moment in the first race. He spectacularly high-sided but somehow managed to stay on the bike. In the process of keeping hold of his GSX-R1000 Suzuki, he tweaked an old scaphoid and ligament injury, but still managed to get on the podium in race two.

Leon Haslam:
“Kyalami is a physically-demanding track and it is going to give my left wrist a good workout, but I don’t think it’s going to be too much of a problem. It was well strapped-up in the afternoon and I didn’t feel much pain. Of course, it would’ve been good to have a bit more of a gap between Monza and Kyalami, but I shall just have to put up with it. That’s assuming of course that the volcanic ash situation doesn’t prevent us from getting there! It’s funny to think that we are all dependant on some stuff outside of our control, but hopefully we’ll all be able to get there and back! Max Biaggi went well in Monza, so I will have to do my best to make sure I beat him and maintain my series lead. In Kyalami last year, I qualified 10th, DNF’d in the first race and finished fourth in the second, so I will be aiming to do a lot better than that this weekend.”

Sylvain Guintoli:
“It’s going to be new territory for me riding the Suzuki in Kyalami and I will have to learn the track quickly and do well in qualifying. That’s something I have been struggling with recently, but I know that I have to improve my results on Friday and Saturday or else it’s very difficult to do well on raceday. At the moment, I have been finding a bit hard getting into a good rhythm in practice and qualifying and that’s preventing me from doing what I should be doing in the races. Kyalami has many ups and downs and it’s a tough circuit at the best of times. I have to crack it early on and be in a good grid position and that’s what I will be trying my best to achieve.”

2009 results:
Race 1: Haga (JPN-Ducati), 2 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 3 Spies (USA-Yamaha). Leon Haslam (GBR-Honda) DNF. Sylvain Guintoli DNS.
Race 2: 1 Haga, 2 Fabrizio, 3 Rea (GBR-Honda), 4 Leon Haslam. Sylvain Guintoli DNS.