Motourage

Romain Lanusse (MRS Yamaha Racing France) put on a spectacular display of racing under the Italian sunshine in Monza yesterday to take the first victory of his Superstock 600 European Championship career. The young Frenchman got off to a perfect start from pole position and continued to impress throughout the 10-lap race before powering his Yamaha R6 to victory. Lanusse was shortly followed by the Italian Dino Lombardi (Martini Corse Racing Team), also riding a Yamaha YZF-R6, crossing the finish line to take second place on the podium.
 
Lanusse heads to round three in Misano leading the Championship standings with 45 points, Lombardi is in second place with 33 points.
 
The Yamaha protagonists of the Superstock 600 category are riding Yamaha YZF-R6s which are almost identical to the R6 “off the shelf” production series version. The above mentioned impressive Superstock 600 performances clearly demonstrate, yet again, the strength of the bike that has dominated the category in the previous years, with Jeremy Guarnoni taking the championship title in 2010.

Alstare Suzuki’s Michel Fabrizio raced to his first World Superbike Championship podium with his new team in the second race at the Monza fourth round in Italy on Sunday.

Monza Race 2 podium: Marco Melandri (L) Eugene Laverty and Michel Fabrizio

It was just reward for all the hard work the Italian and Alstare Suzuki have been putting in since the start of the season and his third place in Race 2 – in front of a partisan crowd of 116,500 – followed a hard-fought-for fifth in Race 1, when he set the fastest lap.

Briton Eugene Laverty (Yamaha) opened his World Superbike account by winning the first race with Max Biaggi (Aprilia) second and Leon Haslam (BMW) third. Laverty then followed it up by winning race two, after leader Biaggi was forced to take a ride-through penalty after failing to take the correct line after cutting the first chicane. This time Marco Melandri (Yamaha) was second with Fabrizio, on his GSX-R1000, close behind.

Michel Fabrizio – Race 1: 5th, Race 2: 3rd:
“I am very happy with my podium this afternoon, especially as I was in fourth for a long time at the end and that’s where I thought I’d end up. When Biaggi had to do a ride-through penalty that moved the two Yamahas and me up a place. Racing is like that – sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

“It was a bit of a shame that I didn’t make better starts in the two races today and that’s something that I will have to work on. At the moment I am probably giving myself too much work to do in the first part of the race and this series is so competitive that once you give way an advantage, it’s very hard to get it back.

“Even though I didn’t get on the podium in Race 1, I am happy that I set the fastest lap of the race – especially as Biaggi’s bike was nearly seven kph faster. I think our team is working really well and I am very pleased with how things are going. I am very happy to get my first podium of the season and hopefully there will be more to come.”

Monza WSB Results:

Race 1: 1 Eugene Laverty (GBR-Yamaha), 2 Max Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 3 Leon Haslam (GBR-BMW), 4 Marco Melandri (ITA-Yamaha), 5 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki), 6 Jonathan Rea (GBR-Honda).

Race 2: 1 Laverty, 2 Melandri, 3 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki), 4 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Aprilia), 5 Troy Corser (AUS-BMW), 6 Ayrton Badovini (ITA-BMW).

Championship Points (after 4 rounds): 1 Checa 145, 2 Melandri 118, 3 Biaggi 117, 4 Rea 89, 5 Laverty 85, 6 Haslam 84, 7 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki) 74.

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Michel Fabrizio just missed out on a top-10 finish on the first day of World Superbike Championship qualifying at Monza in Italy today despite a small crash in the first session.

He spent the two sessions working on his GSX-R1000′s set-up and also tried some new Ohlins forks, so didn’t push hard on the unfamiliar material. Whereas many of his rivals used slipstreaming to set their fastest laps, Fabrizio’s lap of 1:43.762 was completed without any assistance.

Leon Haslam (BMW) posted the quickest lap with a time of 1:42.934. Second is Max Biaggi (Aprilia) with Eugene Laverty (Yamaha) third and Ayrton Badovini (BMW) fourth.

Michel Fabrizio – 11th, 1:43.762:

“I am not happy, but I am not unhappy with how things went today. The first chicane’s profile has changed and now we enter and exit it much faster than before. Because of that, we have to find new braking points for the entrance. When I crashed this morning, it was because I was going about six kilometres per hour faster than my previous lap and just lost the front end going in. I didn’t hurt myself at all, and the damage to the bike was mainly cosmetic – fairing, handlebars and footpegs, so there wasn’t too much work for my mechanics.

“This afternoon, we tried some new Ohlins forks and at the end my feeling about them is so-so: I need more time to understand them and get comfortable but, at the moment, I can’t say if they are better or not. Tomorrow morning we will put the new forks on one bike and the old forks on the other and run back-to-back tests. Then we’ll decide which ones to continue to work with.

“Although I am 11th, the times are pretty close and things will definitely change tomorrow. I am always happy to race in my home country and hope that tomorrow’s Qualifying and Superpole go well and I get on the first two rows of the grid.”

Friday WSB Qualifying: 1 Leon Haslam (GBR-BMW) 1:42.934, 2 Max Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia) 1:42.953, 3 Eugene Laverty (GBR-Yamaha) 1:43.265, 4 Ayrton Badovini (ITA-BMW) 1:43.276, 5 Jonathan Rea (GBR-Honda) 1:43.321, 6 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Aprilia) 1:43.531. 11 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki) 1:43.762.

Very warm conditions (77˚F air temperature, 113˚F track) for World Superbikes at Italy’s historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza today. In the first part of the morning’s free practice session, Althea Racing’s Carlos Checa was immediately making some very fast lap times, which took him to the top of the timesheets. Choosing to keep the same rear tire for the entire session to better understand its lifespan, his lap times suffered in the later stages due to tire wear. His fastest time remained that recorded early on the practice which left him in ninth position overall at the close of this initial session.

Later in the day in first qualifying, Checa and his technicians decided to lap with the softer tire solution. Seeing that the times were not improving, they understood that if conditions for the race are like they are today then the harder solution would be the way forward. Checa therefore made one final exit with the harder rubber and the times confirmed the theory. The Spanish rider closed today’s first qualifying session in fourteenth position.

Carlos Checa:
“We clearly have some limitations with regard to top speed but there are also sections of the track where I am not riding at 100%. We need to understand why this is and work to resolve it tomorrow. Personally I would like to improve on last year’s Monza race results. I hope this is possible but it remains to be seen as to whether we can stick with the four cylinder bikes. To tell the truth I’m calm, I’m not thinking about what the others are doing, I just want to do my best.”

TIMES:
1. Haslam (BMW) 1’42.3;
2. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1’42.9;
3. Laverty (Yamaha) 1’43.2;
4. Badovini (BMW) 1’43.2;
5. Rea (Honda) 1’43.3;
6. Haga (Aprilia) 1’43.5;
7. Melandri (Yamaha) 1’43.5;
8. Corser (BMW) 1’43.6…
14. Checa (Ducati) 1’44.0

On the back of three very successful rounds, the Althea Racing Team now heads to Monza for the first of three Italian events to feature on the 2011 World Superbike calendar.

As he heads into Round four of the championship, Althea Racing flagbearer Carlos Checa holds a 43-point advantage over Aprilia Alitalia’s Max Biaggi, the second-place rider. Having clocked up four race wins and two third-place finishes, Checa’s results also help place Ducati at the top of the manufacturer’s standings. Aware that the Monza track may present the biggest challenges of the season thus far, the Althea Racing squad is determined to throw everything they have at the track and defend its championship lead.

In the Superstock 1000 category Althea men Davide Giugliano and Lorenzo Baroni will be looking to consolidate their positions in the standings. At the first STK event which took place in Assen, it was Giugliano who dominated proceedings, snatching his first win of the season, while teammate Baroni just missed out on a podium place, closing in fourth.

Carlos Checa:
“I will face Monza just as I have the other races. Up until now we have had great results and so we won’t be changing much technically speaking. This is of course a different kind of track and we will have to work hard to not lose too much ground on the straights. There are some difficult sections of track and so we must interpret the circuit well and concentrate on the tough parts. I feel in great shape and am ready to give my all. My team is extremely motivated and with their help I think we can make two great races.”

Checa’s Superbike form at Monza:
2010: Race 1- 14th, Race 2 – 11th
2009: Race 1 – 9th, Race 2 – 10th
2008: Race 1 – 8th, Race 2 – DNF

MONZA:
Country: Italy
Name: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Length of circuit: 5.793 km
Pole Position: left|
Length of straight: 1195 m
Race distance: 18 laps = 103.986 km

LAP RECORDS:
Best lap: Crutchlow (Yamaha), 1’42.937 (2010).
Superpole: Biaggi (Aprilia), 1’42.121 (2010).2010
|
RESULTS:
Race 1: 1. Biaggi (Aprilia); 2. Toseland (Yamaha); 3. Crutchlow (Yamaha).
Race 2: 1. Biaggi (Aprilia); 2. Haslam (Suzuki); 3. Corser (BMW)

Yamaha World Superbike Team's Marco Melandri

Next stop on the 2011 World Superbike calendar is Monza, located northeast of Milan. After the historic track of Assen, the Yamaha World Superbike Team are preparing for the first of the three Italian rounds on the calendar with the racing taking place this coming Sunday 8th May. This is in fact the team’s home race with the Yamaha World Superbike factory situated just a stone’s throw from the track’s infamous “Lesmo Curve.”

The previous round in Assen did not bring the results Melandri and Laverty were hoping for but was essential in that the weekend provided vital insight for development in their YZF- R1’s. The team have since been working hard and can now hit their home track intent on capitalizing on their recent progress, confident of their potential for success and motivated to provide a spectacular display of skillful racing for their numerous local fans.

Monza will host the WSBK Championship for the 18th time since the track first welcomed the superbikes in 1990.The autodrome was originally built track in 1922 and is the oldest fixed European race circuit. Following a series of accidents in the early days as a Formula One track, it has undergone several changes and modifications, mainly to improve safety by introducing several tight curves where speed is reduced sensibly, complying with the FIA security regulations.

The classic Monza race track is unique for several reasons, but mainly because it’s the fastest track to appear on the World Superbike calendar, with riders often reaching speeds of over 320kph on the start/finish straight. The legendary high speed track is now 5.973KM in length and combines flat out straights, fast corners, a variety of chicanes and intense braking.

Marco Melandri, Yamaha World Superbike Team
“I’m not really familiar with Monza, it’s a new track to me and I’m really curious to try it out on my R1 and see how it goes. I rode the track once in 1996 but I can’t even remember it now! It’s a very fast flowing track with some tight corners and I’m really looking forward to riding it this weekend. The team have been working hard on the data we picked up in Assen and let’s hope that we’ve found an improved set up. I’m sure I can be as competitive as anyone and can be back on the podium again this weekend.”

Eugene Laverty, Yamaha World Superbike Team
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend in Monza. In 2010 I won the World Supersport race and I’m now curious to try it on the Superbike. It’s the fastest track on the calendar and I’m excited about the thought of reaching speeds of even up to 330km/h. Assen went well in so far as we made progress on the set up of the bike and the team have since made further progress. I’m pretty sure we can show our true potential in Monza and I’m confident that the package is worthy of a podium at the team’s home race. I’m looking forward to a good weekend.”

Monza technically speaking according to Silvano Galbusera, Marco Melandri’s Crew Chief
“Monza is the fastest track on the calendar where the set up of the bike is very important and we intend competing at the front of the bunch. We are planning on using the soft tires. Ducati normally has an advantage here as a 2 cylinder engine character in general adapts better to soft tires, but with our crossplane crankshaft engine we also have a strong weapon for that. Marco doesn’t know the track, even if I think he rode here many years ago with a 125cc. We will make the most of the first free practice session to get acquainted with the circuit and test the set up of the bike and the tire resistance. Monza requires a stable bike to take the fast curves and an agile bike that reacts well to the change of direction the track frequently offers as well, particularly in the first corner, the “Roggia” and “Ascari”, three very important areas.”

Monza technically speaking according to Frankie Carchedi, Eugene Laverty’s Crew Chief
“Assen was a very positive result for Eugene, qualifying front row and topping a number of the sectors in the race. Unfortunately we suffered when the rear tire spun on the rim mid way through the race causing chatter in the bike. For Monza we will be trying a different handlebar position to help Eugene change direction a little quicker. Monza is the fastest race on the calendar with some very hard braking and a number of chicanes. It also requires good rear set-up as the last corner can wear the tire very quickly. We will modify our set-up from Assen a little, to take this into consideration.”

Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“This is a very important race for the team which has experienced both highs and lows on the historic track in the past. The change of direction and speed are fundamental and make all the difference. Rider’s race behavior and concentration is vital, the technique of slipstreaming can present surprises, particularly on this track in Monza. We are super prepared for this uniquely characteristic track and are capable of being extremely competitive. Further motivated by the fact that this is our home race, we want to guarantee a memorable weekend to our numerous fans. Monza is one of many tracks on the calendar that Marco is unfamiliar with but he is perfectly capable of quickly adapting to new circumstances. Eugene has learned a lot in the last two races in Assen and is very motivated. I expect he will also be on top form and in a position to show his true potential this weekend.”

After having won race 1 astride his Aprilia Alitalia RSV4, Max Biaggi doubles the festivities and joy of the 115,000 Monza enthusiasts by winning – this time by a large margin – race 2 as well.

Launching out of the pole position he earned on Saturday, Max held the lead for almost the entire race. Cal Crutchlow was the closest adversary to the Italian champion, but a crash in the 12th lap put the Yamaha color-bearer out of the race. At that point Max’s opponents, Haslam on the Suzuki and Corser on his BMW, were too far behind to worry Biaggi who, controlling the race, ended with an advantage of 4.547 seconds.

With this victory Biaggi (who is the rider who has won the most races this season with this double and with the two victories at Portimao) earns another 5 points on Haslam and now is only 3 points behind the English rider (178 vs 181) who is leading the championship rankings.

The Aprilia Racing festivities are completed by Aprilia’s first place in the world manufacturer rankings. The Italian factory is now in the lead with 3 points over Suzuki and 35 over Ducati.

For Leon Camier yet another great race which he ended in fourth place confirming his big improvements.

“A great Sunday, all Italian: from the track, to the rider, to the bike, to the tires, to the petrol and the three colored plumage of the sponsor: It is Italy flying”. This was how Roberto Colaninno, president and CEO of the Piaggio Group who followed the race from the Aprilia Alitalia Team box commented on the double success achieved today at Monza. “Max Biaggi’s double victory at Monza is proof of Aprilia’s technological superiority and of its key product, the RSV4, ridden by an extraordinary champion” added Roberto Colaninno.

A radiating Max Biaggi commented: “Race 2 was the fantastic conclusion of an exceptional weekend. If anyone had ever asked me to think of the perfect race, the result would be very similar to what happened today. I must thank the team, there is great understanding and affection with the guys, everything functions wonderfully and we work well. After race 1 I wanted to gain a little more feeling. A risk, because usually you don’t change the winning bike. Instead, we found that we were right and the modifications allowed me to make the difference. My compliments also to Leon Haslam and Troy Corser who also contributed to the great show here at Monza”

Leon Camier leaves Monza satisfied: “The weekend was positive. I started well in race 2 as well; too bad for the contact on the first variant which made me lose some time against the leading group. I recovered, but a few too many mistakes kept me from closing the gap even though I gave it my all down to the end. I’m happy with the fourth place. I’m growing, I can feel it, and I know that we’re ready to achieve important results. My compliments to Max for the two brilliant races”.

MRS Racing rider Jeremy Guarnoni took his second race victory of the year today at Monza on his Yamaha YZF-R6. The legendary Monza circuit provided an action packed race for the European Superstock 600 class, of the 20 riders who started on the grid only nine made it to the finish line. Guarnoni spent the eight lap race in close battle for a podium position until a last minute crash from his closest rivals on the final corner put him in front through Parabolica and across the line to claim the checkered flag. Teammate Romain Lanusse didn’t fair so well, crashing out after five laps, he was uninjured in the fall.

Guarnoni now heads to the next round in Misano having stretched his lead in the championship to 88 points, 20 ahead of second placed rider Florian Marino. Teammate Lanusse sits in sixth, on 30 points.

After a fourth place in the first race, Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam fought tooth-and-nail to take a podium in the second race at the Monza World Superbike Championship fifth round in Italy to keep his series lead intact.
Haslam was charging after Cal Crutchlow in second place, but then inherited runner-up spot when Crutchlow slid off at the first chicane. Troy Corser (BMW) was in Haslam’s wheeltracks for the last few laps, but the GSX-R1000-mounted Briton held him off to take his seventh podium of the season.
Haslam’s team mate Sylvain Guintoli finished 10th in race one, but then improved in race two: He was on course for a terrific sixth place, but the smallest of mistakes in the last turn allowed Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) through.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia) won both races today with Yamaha teammates James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow taking second and third in race one.

Leon Haslam – Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 2nd:
“Today was a hard day and I’m happy to leave Monza still leading the title race. Max was strong here and I knew it was going to be tough pair of races. The podium in race two was very hard work, but I didn’t want to miss out on a podium today and kept battling away. I had a really big ‘moment’ in race two and was way out of the saddle twice in the space of a fraction of a second. Somehow I stayed on the bike, but it was a very close thing! After Cal crashed, Troy kept me on my toes, but Max was too far in front for me to catch so I just made sure of runner-up spot. I did something to my wrist when I had my ‘moment’ and it felt pretty sore, but I managed to carry one to the end. In race one, I lost contact with the leaders and then had a bit of a grip problem for the last four or five laps and couldn’t get out of the corners as fast as I wanted. We made some little suspension changes- just a few clicks here and there – for race two and the bike was definitely better to ride.”

Sylvain Guintoli – Race 1: 10th, Race 2: 7th:
“Generally the weekend has ended not so badly. I enjoyed the second race because I was involved in a really good fight with Nori Haga and Tom Sykes. I managed to pass Nori right towards the end, but then I made a very small mistake in the last turn and he got me back. Seventh is not so bad after how the weekend began, but I have learnt that I – or me and my team – have to manage practice and qualifying better and get into a good, consistent rhythm as soon as we can. Not doing that means a low grid position and this Championship has so many good riders and bikes that you cannot afford to be way down the grid if you want to be a contender. I think I probably could’ve got fifth today if it hadn’t been for a crash right in front of me on the opening lap. I had to take avoiding action and go straight on at the first chicane and lost time in the process. But I fought hard and caught up the guys ahead, before my good battle with Tom and Nori. I am happy with my performance in race two and now I want to build on that and be much better at the start of a race weekend.”

Monza WSB Results:

Race 1: 1 Max Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 2 James Toseland (GBR-Yamaha), 3 Cal Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha), 4 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 5 Leon Camier (GBR-Aprilia), 6 Ruben Xaus (ESP-BMW). 10 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare).

Race 2: 1 Biaggi, 2 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 3 Corser (AUS-BMW), 4 Camier, 5 Tom Sykes (GBR-Kawasaki), 6 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Ducati), 7 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare).

Championship points: 1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare) 181, 2 Biaggi 178, 3 Rea 110, 4 Checa 110, 5 Toseland 106, 6 Haga 100. 9 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) 70.