Fiat Yamaha complete important day of testing in Brno

Fiat Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi completed a one-day test at Brno yesterday alongside the rest of the MotoGP grid to set themselves up for the final eight races of the season. The test was cut short when it began to rain in the mid afternoon but not before both Fiat Yamaha men had the chance to do some important work on their M1s.

Lorenzo picked up from where he left off yesterday, the race winner once again topping the time sheets nearly half a second ahead of Casey Stoner. The championship leader tried a new engine upgrade and a new suspension setting for his M1 and also completed some laps on Yamaha’s 2011 prototype YZR-M1.

Valentino Rossi's test days with Yamaha are numbered

After struggling in yesterday’s race Rossi and his crew were keen to understand what had happened so they worked closely on their setting to do just that today, with the Italian completing more laps than nearly anyone else. Rossi also had the chance to try the new 2010 engine upgrade and finished the day fourth fastest.

The team now has a weekend off before flying to Indianapolis next week for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Jorge Lorenzo – Position: 1st Time: 1′56.269 Laps: 44
“This was an important and interesting test for us, both for the rest of the season and looking towards next year. We had a lot to do but unfortunately the rain forced us to stop early. As well as the ‘new’ prototype machine for next year we also tried an engine upgrade and a new Ohlins suspension, but it’s too early to know if they will be better for our M1, which is already very competitive. We got quite a lot of information though so hopefully it will help the engineers to improve things even more.”

Valentino Rossi – Position: 4th Time: 1′57.129 Laps: 50
“I’m happier today because we worked hard to understand what happened during yesterday’s race and at the end we have a clearer picture. We worked a lot on the setting and we found out some things, which we hope will be useful over the rest of the season and help us to have some more good races. I tried a new engine for the 2010 bike and it’s not so different but there are some small things about it which I think can help; I hope we can use it soon.”

Positive test for Spies and Edwards in Brno

Rossi isn't the only MotoGP rider trading in his Yamaha leathers for Ducati red. American Colin Edwards has signed on with the Xerox World Superbike squad for 2011

Less than 24 hours after a strong performance in the Czech Republic MotoGP race, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team was back hard at work for a one-day test session at the Brno circuit today.

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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.”

Toseland and Crutchlow prepare for their home race at Silverstone

Yamaha Sterilgarda riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow are geared up and determined to give it their all this weekend for their home race in front of the British fans at Silverstone for round 10 of the World Superbike Championship. The Silverstone circuit, which has gone undergone major restructuring this year, was last visited by the World Superbike paddock in 2007. With the changes this year, the circuit will be new to all riders who will be riding on its 5.9km (3.7 Mile) track for the first time on Friday.

Seven British riders - including Toseland and his teammate, Cal Crutchlow - will be on the Superbike grid to help baptize the new Silverstone Circuit this weekend

“The home race is no different to any other race,” said Cal Crutchlow. “I always want to do well and give it my best shot. Last year in World Supersport at Donington I did the same. I especially hope that we put on a good show for all the fans that turn out to see the seven Brits in action. We had some tire issues at Brno; hopefully these won’t be repeated this round and we can focus on being fastest all weekend and delivering two race wins.”

“We had a decent second race coming from last to finish fourth at Brno which wasn’t a bad result although fourth isn’t where I want to be,” commented James Toseland. “All the little problems we’ve had this year has meant the championship has gone away a little bit. I’m going to Silverstone with nothing to lose; the icing on the cake would be to win at home. The track looks really good; I did a PR event to launch it last week and had a look round. With seven British riders there’s every chance the podium will be all British which would be great. It should be a great event for the UK.”

Marcus Eschenbacher, Cal Crutchlow’s Crew Chief:
“Silverstone is a completely new track for us so we have to evaluate a new gearbox, chassis and electronic setup. The track has all kinds of character, a fast part and also a very tight infield. The challenge will be to find the best compromise in a very short timeframe. We will start the weekend with our base setup that we’ve developed bit by bit. We also have some new chassis setups to try; this will be introduced in the spare bike. So we hope to find the best gearbox and base setup on Friday and start fine tuning on Saturday.”

Frankie Carchedi, James Toseland’s Crew Chief:
“Silverstone could be one of the most exiting races of the year with James eager to carry on from Brno where he battled through from last to fourth in extreme track temperatures. We had good race pace in Brno but our problem area was both race starts. We have some new parts and strategies to improve this and we will be testing before the race weekend. The factory MotoGP team have provided us with some valuable information so we can get a head start on a good gearing, as this is a new track for all teams. The track looks a little bumpy in places, but with plenty of overtaking opportunities. During the weekend we will work hard on the set-up to suit the new Pirelli tires which will be used for the first time at Silverstone.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager:
“It’s the only ‘new’ track we visit on the 2010 World Superbike calendar so we don’t have any data at all to prepare ourselves. With the exception of the information from the GP team everything has to be discovered by us on Friday in the first session. We are going to Cal and James’s home country so we are really motivated because it’s like a home race for us. We are looking forward to Sunday and believe we can give a good performance for the British fans.”

Yamaha Sterilgarda riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland ended the first World Superbike qualifying session at Brno today satisfied with a good base setup. Despite suffering earlier in the day with a severe lack of grip on the track, the afternoon’s qualifying saw both improve their times as they fine tuned the set up. Starting qualifying with a setup that didn’t suit the track so well, Crutchlow spent some time in the session waiting in the pit while it was changed. Despite the lack of track time he came out in the dying minutes to take second fastest on the board, less than three tenths off the lead.

Teammate James Toseland was also looking comfortable in the session despite suffering from a chest infection. The first 20 minutes saw Toseland lapping comfortably and consistently inside the top four, only dropping to ninth towards the end and finishing just three tenths off fourth.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (2nd, 1′59.571)
“It wasn’t too bad today considering we all struggled for grip at the start of the sessions, it came a bit better later on. From my point of view we’ve got a lot of work to do chassis set up wise. We tried the set up we had in Imola but it didn’t work here, so we didn’t get many laps in the qualifying session as we were changing the bike. We’ve gone back to our old base set up and it seems to be working better here. We’re struggling for side grip a bit but the lap times towards the end of the fifteen laps I did weren’t so bad. We’ll see for tomorrow, and I hope Troy Corser is OK and back with us tomorrow.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (9th, 2′00.451)
“I’m not feeling very well at the moment, I’ve got a chest infection so it’s been a tough day today. Consistency wise I think we’re there and I’m quite pleased with the way the bike has been round the track today. I like the circuit a lot and we seem to be working pretty well. I just hope I’m feeling a bit better tomorrow.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team
“For the first day it was ok today. Pirelli bought some new tires that we tested in Imola to run here as well. For sure the bike set up for both riders is pretty much there now so the main job we have is to find the right race tire for both James and Cal. We also need to fix some small details as both riders have some things they want to improve. Overall we are quite satisfied.”

The Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team arrive in the Czech Republic this week in preparation for round nine of the 2010 championship at the Brno circuit. British riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland will be looking to build on their current point standings in advance of their home race at Silverstone at the beginning of August.

The 5.403km Automotodrom Brno circuit features constant elevation changes and an incredibly steep 7.5% gradient towards the last chicane of the track. The track also features one of the fastest chicanes on the WSB calendar. Both Yamaha Sterilgarda riders know the circuit well, Crutchlow taking pole in qualifying in World Supersport last year, an incredible eight tenths of a second faster than his closest rival. Team mate Toseland enjoyed great success on his last World Superbike outing to Brno, taking a first and a second place finish in 2007.

“I’ve got unfinished business at Brno,” said Cal Crutchlow. “I had a really strong qualifying there in Supersport last year and was only two laps from winning the race when an unfortunate mechanical issue forced retirement. I love the track; it’s fast and flowing and should suit our bike really well.”

“I’m looking forward to the weekend,” said James Toseland. “Brno is a track I’ve always had good results on. Everyone knows its Max Biaggi’s favorite circuit so it’s going to be difficult for everyone here as it’s probably going to be a strong weekend for Aprilia. Having said that, we worked hard at last week’s test in Imola so I’m looking forward to getting out on the track on Friday to see where we stand.”

Marcus Eschenbacher, Cal Crutchlow’s Crew Chief
“Brno is a traditional old-style track with a lot of character, it’s more or less like a rollercoaster with fast flowing corners. It’s really important to have a good flow with the bike, the gearbox has to work very smoothly with the track. Gear changes have to be perfect or you have to change gear in a lean angle which isn’t as efficient for the rider. The Chassis has to be set up to cope with braking hard downhill as a lot of overtaking places are on downhill braking spots, so stability is the key on the chassis. Grip level is not too bad at Brno so we shouldn’t have an issue there. Tire wear can sometimes be abrasive if there’s a lot of rain but usually it’s ok. The track is pretty wide so the riders can have some really different lines through some areas, especially the fast chicane. We will try to have one bike as it was in the Misano race and one bike with the changes we made at the Imola test to start on Friday and see how Cal gets on.”

Frankie Carchedi, James Toseland’s Crew Chief
“Brno is a track with constant elevation changes, wide corners, and a smooth surface. There is an equal number of left and right turns and plenty of overtaking opportunities. During the recent test at Imola we tested numerous different settings mainly in making the Yamaha more absorbent over the bumps with the new Pirelli tires, especially in high temperatures, as this has been the weak point this year. The team are looking forward to Brno as the smooth surface and fast flow of the track should suit the bike well.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“We are ready as always. James has proven he is good here previously in Superbike and Cal was very impressive last year in Supersport. We will start on Friday with the set up we found at the Imola test, and will make some changes depending on how the riders find the circuit. The test went pretty well overall so we are optimistic that we can use the new Pirelli tire at the weekend and chase some good results.”

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.

The Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team headed straight off to Imola following last weekend’s race at Misano, and today completed a two day test in the sweltering Italian sunshine. The team spent the two days testing further areas of electronics, including traction control, wheelie control and launch control. They also worked to find improvements in the chassis, in particular the balance of the bike.

At the end of the test it was Cal Crutchlow who came out fastest of the World Superbike riders, recording a time nearly half a second faster than closest rivals.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (1st, 1’47.478, 125laps):
“I’m happy with result of the test but we’ve got to win the races as well. We’ve tried a lot of different settings here, finally the best are close to how we started at the beginning. Hopefully over the summer break we’ll get some new parts and make more of a difference. We’re going to Brno with good confidence and we’ll take away from this test some good positives.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (11th, 1’49.031, 127laps):
“It’s been a bit of a frustrating test for me. We’ve been concentrating over the two days on trying various different settings to try and maximize the grip on the bike as opposed to focusing on getting the fastest lap time. At the end of it I don’t feel I’ve managed to get closer so I’ve been struggling a bit.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team:
“We tested quite a lot of different things here at Imola, including various areas of electronics, we’ve also looked at the chassis to see what we can do to improve the balance. Both riders also spent some time testing some new tires that Pirelli bought to the test. Cal finished fastest at the end and put in an impressive performance. James was not as fast so we need to look at our data and see what we can do to improve this.”

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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MRS Racing’s Jeremy Guarnoni took another step towards winning the Superstock 600 European Championship on his Yamaha YZF R6 this weekend. Guarnoni was on top form all weekend, scoring his fifth consecutive pole position start of the season to start from the front of the grid. The young French rider battled closely with championship rival Florian Marino, repeatedly touching fairings on the last lap, before gaining a half second advantage to the line to claim his third win of the season. Guarnoni was one of two Yamaha R6s on the podium and one of sixteen of Yamaha’s Supersport machines that made up the grid start.

The championship is now at the halfway mark, with five races completed and five to run. The riders now move to Brno in two weeks for round six. Guarnoni leads with 111 points, 25 points ahead of closest rival Marino.

The European Superstock 600 Championship is a support class to the Superbike World Championship at the European rounds. The championship uses 600 cc production motorcycles and is reserved for riders between 15 and 20 years of age

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.