Motourage

Randy De Puniet finished the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring, site of the ninth stop in the MotoGP world championship, in 13th place. After a positive weekend for the Frenchman, who was one of the fastest and most solid Ducati riders, the race didn’t go as the Pramac Racing Team had hoped. A mistake on the first lap cost De Puniet precious seconds, and several positions as a result. His teammate, Sylvain Guintoli, riding the Ducati Desmosedici in place of Loris Capirossi, finished at the rear, in 17th place.

Marco Rigamonti, Randy De Puniet’s rack engineer
“Randy had a race pace that was pretty similar to that of the second group, composed of Bautista, Hayden and Rossi. Unfortunately, the first lap affected the rest of his grand prix; he didn’t want to risk crashing and was a little cautious, mostly when cornering. Lap by lap, he wasn’t able to maintain the rhythm of the others, especially because of some problems with the front that showed up midway through the race. As he wasn’t able to push very hard, he decided to finish the race as well as he could. We could have done better if we hadn’t lost the group ahead in the opening laps.”

Randy De Puniet, 13th in race, 17th in MotoGP standings
“I’m not satisfied about my thirteenth place. I was able to start from the third row, having lost all those seconds in the first lap has affected the whole race. I have lost the group in front of me, the one composed by Hayden, Rossi, Edwards and Barbera, and I was no longer able to shorten the distance. Halfway through the race, then, I had problems with the front; I could not close the gap, and I lost more positions. I tried to finish the race, I could not do better. We will try to improve in next weekend.”

Sylvai Guintoli, 17th in race
“It was a great experience for me. In these two days my goal was to understand the bike. I’ve done it; today, lap after lap, I improved my bests lap times, and the best one has arrived at the end of the race. I would like to thank Pramac Racing Team for giving me this opportunity and, of course, my Superbike team which allowed me to be here. MotoGP is always a good test.”

The starting grid for the MotoGP German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring was determined in this afternoon’s qualifying session. Pramac Ducati’s Randy De Puniet registered the ninth-best time (1:22.503), just behind Nicky Hayden, the only Ducati rider to finish in the top 10. DePuniet will start from the fifth row tomorrow, while Sylvain Guintoli, who, prior to this morning, had only ridden Loris Capirossi’s Desmosedici here in yesterday’s afternoon session, ended qualifying in 18th place with a time of 1:24.707.

Marco Rigamonti, Randy De Puniet Track Engineer
“Today went rather well. This morning Randy was complaining about the rear, so this afternoon we tried two different solutions. One was pretty effective, and we’ll use it again tomorrow. If the temperature is similar to today’s, I think we’ll start with the hard tires, which give our rider more consistency and stability. In the Warm-Up, we’ll do a little experiment with the front and see what happens, but we’re more likely to not change much on the bike’s setup, considering the good results we’ve had these two days.”

Randy De Puniet, Pramac Racing, 9th, 1:22.503
“I’m pretty pleased with the work carried out over these two days, and as I said yesterday, it’s been a long time since I last left the garage happy. At the moment, everything is going according to our plans. I’m able to go fast with both the hard and soft tires. We’ll try some things tomorrow morning, specifically with the front. I’m pleased with my ninth place, which a good start going into the race.”

Sylvain Guintoli, Pramac Racing, 17th 1:24.707
“We’re a little far from the other riders, but anyway my feeling with the bike has improved compared to this morning. My tires were ruined when I came back to the garage, and that could present a problem for the race. I did my best, and tomorrow I’ll have to try to have a good race.”

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.

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.

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.