Motourage

After a season full of successes, race wins, podiums, fastest laps and pole positions, Carlos Checa and the Althea Ducati Racing Team received the ultimate prize at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in Nevers, France, as the Spanish racing veteran was crowned 2011 World Superbike Champion at the penultimate round of the championship. This was not all, as, thanks to Checa’s brilliant results throughout the 2011 season, Ducati was today celebrating its 17th win in the manufacturer’s championship at the end of Race 2.

In Race 1, and starting from third position on the grid, Checa was in third by the end of lap one, behind Alitalia Aprilia’s Camier and Factory Yamaha’s Eugene Laverty. Within a couple of laps he had reached and passed Camier, recording the fastest lap of the race (1:38.643) on lap 4. Pushing hard, Checa began to close the gap between himself and race leader Laverty and on the ninth lap he was able to get ahead and take control of the race. By the end of the fifteenth lap he had a two-second advantage over the Irishman and, wanting to clinch the title in the best possible way, he did not slow up even for a second, crossing the line in first place and claiming the World Championship title as his own.

Despite the fact that emotions were already running high, Carlos got straight back to work in the second race of the day. Fourth at the end of lap one, he got past first Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes and then Camier, making the fastest lap of the race on lap two, a 1:39.136. With this fast lap, his tenth fastest lap of the 2011 season, he also picked up the Pirelli best lap award. A few laps later, Checa made a small error while trying to pass Laverty and lost a couple of positions as a result. He soon made up for this however, and by the eighth lap he was back up to third and only one second from race leader Laverty. On lap 12 he got in front of Honda’s Jonathan Rea, and on the very next lap he was leading the race. Extremely fast all the way to the line, Carlos managed his race to perfection, closing in first place once again, to secure his 14th win of the season.

Having led the 2011 championship right from the opening round, Carlos Checa’s win is extremely well deserved. He brought home the 2011 World SBK title ahead of schedule, with three races still to run. Highlights (and lowlights) of the season have included double wins at Phillip Island, Salt Lake City, Misano, Silverstone and Magny-Cours, a crash at home track Aragon and the stunning win at Ducati’s home track of Imola last weekend.

The season has brought huge success, with the team clocking up 14 race wins and a total of 20 podium finishes over the 12 events held so far. At Silverstone, Carlos also reached the milestone of 100 WSBK race starts while simultaneously scoring the 300th race win for Ducati. Carlos has thus far attained 39 podiums from 106 SBK race starts.

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Team Alstare Suzuki rider Michel Fabrizio endured a frustrating race at this weekend’s 12th round of the World Superbike Championship at the Magny Cours Circuit in Nevers, France.

In race one, he attempted a pass on Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) on lap 17, but clipped the rear end of the Briton’s bike and crashed, remounting to eventually finish 12th. Fabrizio’s second race lasted just two laps, as he fell off at turn seven and was unable to continue.

It was a disappointing end to a weekend that had seen Fabrizio and the team struggle to find a good setup throughout the three days.

Carlos Checa (Ducati) won both races in style, and also took the 2011 World Superbike title. Marco Melandri (Yamaha) took second in the first race, with Leon Haslam (BMW) third. Melandri also took runner-up spot in race two with his teammate Eugene Laverty in third.

Michel Fabrizio – Race 1: 12th, Race 2: DNF:
“Frustrating and disappointing – that’s what the whole weekend has been for me really. We did manage to improve the bike a bit during this morning’s warm-up, but getting good results starting from the fourth-row-of-the grid was always going to be hard. The grip was definitely a bit better – thanks to the changes the team made – and I felt more-comfortable than yesterday or Friday.

“I didn’t make a particularly-good start and found myself battling with Sykes after the halfway mark. I could see that he was having some tire problems and thought I could pass him. I made my move to pass him going into Chateau D’Eau, but he went in a bit slow and I just clipped his rear end and crashed. I got back on the bike and carried on, but it was a pretty lonely ride.

“I was hoping for better luck in race two, but I didn’t get it. After two laps, I lost the front at turn seven and down I went. It happened so quickly I couldn’t do anything about it. This time, I couldn’t rejoin the race.

“I feel frustrated and disappointed. The last four rounds have not been good for me and that’s a big shame because things had gone reasonably well before then. My podium in May now seems a long time ago, but the funny thing is that I believe that I can get on the podium again. But first I have to qualify well in Superpole and give myself a chance. There is only one round – and two races – remaining and I do not want to end the season continuing this recent run of poor results. I will do everything I can to do better in Portimao and end the season on an up.”

Magny Cours WSB Results:

Race 1: 1 Carlos Checa (ESP-Ducati), 2 Marco Melandri (ITA-Yamaha), 3 Leon Haslam (GBR-BMW), 4 Leon Camier (GBR-Aprilia), 5 Eugene Laverty (GBR-Yamaha), 6 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Ducati). 12 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki).

Race 2: 1 Checa, 2 Melandri, 3 Laverty, 4 Haslam, 5 Guintoli, 6 Joan Lascorz (ESP-Kawasaki). Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki) DNF.

World Championship Points: 1 Checa 467, 2 Melandri 360, 3 Laverty 283, 4 Biaggi 281, 5 Haslam 216, 6 Camier 194. 10 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki) 145.

After his recent scoreless streak, Team Alstare Suzuki rider Michel Fabrizio is more determined than ever to secure good results at Magny-Cours in France this weekend at the 12th round of the World Superbike Championship.

The Italian finished third in the second race at the 2010 event and is hoping that he can repeat that performance this year aboard his GSX-R1000.

The 2.74-mile circuit features a mixture of fast and slow corners, and, like most tracks, it requires a good bike setup. The ‘Adelaide’ hairpin is one of the slowest corners in the World Superbike calendar, with the bike going from close to 175mph down to 30mph. With a little crest in the track just after the exit, the bike wants to wheelie, and it’s difficult to keep the front wheel on the tarmac. Although the surface is generally pretty smooth, it gets slippery when it rain,s and good track knowledge is vital.

Michel Fabrizio:
“The last time I raced in Magny-Cours I finished on the podium, so it would be really good to do that again – especially after my recent poor results. Not finishing the last four races has not been good for me, nor the team, and I really need a couple of positive results this coming weekend.

“The frustrating thing is that I know that my race pace is good and so I should be finishing races and getting top-six results or better. Maybe I have been a bit too aggressive at the start of both the first races in the last two rounds, but that’s probably because I was not high enough up the grid and knew I had to make very good starts. It’s easy to get a bit carried away at the start of a race because so much is happening and I want to be a part of the lead group, not battling for 10th position.

“I need to get a better grid position in Superpole and then not have to charge so hard at the beginning of the races. But, as you know, Superpole has been a bit of a problem for me and I have not managed a front-row grid place all year so far: That in itself is frustrating and so once again I will try and do my best in Qualifying and Superpole and give myself a good chance come race day. Time is running out for some good results, so Magny-Cours would be a good place to start and that’s what I aim to do.”

2010 results:

Race 1: 1 Cal Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha), 2 Leon Haslam (GBR-Alstare Suzuki), 3 Carlos Checa (ESP-Ducati), 4 Max Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 5 Jakub Smrz (CZE-Aprilia), 6 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati).

Race 2: 1 Biaggi, 2 Crutchlow, 3 Michel Fabrizio, 4 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Alstare Suzuki), 5 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Ducati), 6 Smrz.

Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa came extremely close to securing the World Superbike title this weekend at the Autodromo di Imola. Thanks to a third place finish in race 1, followed by a memorable win in the second race, Checa now has a 97-point advantage, with only 100 points still to play for.

In Race 1 Carlos, starting from pole, was in second position through the first corners. Over the first laps he fought first with Jonny Rea and then Eugene Laverty, holding fourth position for the best part of the 21-lap race. In the final stages, positioned right behind Tom Sykes, Checa decided to make a break for third, choosing the best moment to do so and getting past the English rider on the penultimate lap. The Spaniard thus closed race 1 in third position.

Federico Sandi, riding as a wildcard with the Althea Racing team this weekend, was lying in fifteenth position at the end of the first lap. Over the course of just a couple of laps, and thanks to a strong race pace, he was able to make up four positions to find himself eleventh by the third lap. He fought against Marc Aitchison for tenth position, but, losing a little grip in the final stages of the race, he lost a couple of positions and crossed the line in thirteenth place, earning his first championship points.

Fifth in race 2 after the first corners, Carlos was hot on the heels of Sykes in fourth. Sandi was once again fifteenth at the end of the first lap. During the first few laps Checa passed Sykes and then Aprilia’s Leon Camier to take third on the seventh lap, behind Noriyuki Haga and Rea. During the following laps the Althea Racing rider gave it all he had to close the gap that had built up between him and Haga. On the thirteenth lap he made the fastest lap of the race, 1:47.934 (giving him his eighth Pirelli fast lap award of the season) and two laps later he got past Haga for second. Just a few laps from the end of the race Rea stopped due to technical problems and Carlos took the lead. He built up a 4.6-second lead over Haga to take his twelfth win of the season in spectacular style.

Sandi made up some positions in the first half of the race, to then fight hard with a tight group of riders until the finish line. He made another step up in the final stages of the race and closed in twelfth, gaining another three points for the standings.

At the conclusion of the eleventh round of the championship, Carlos now holds 417 points and leads with an advantage of 97 points over Melandri in second position. Ducati continues to lead the manufacturer’s championship with 441 points to Aprilia’s 376.

Carlos Checa:
“Race 1 was really exciting, I battled hard with Sykes and it was a clean, fun race. In the end I was perhaps a little faster than him and I closed in third, an already very satisfactory result. Then Race 2 was even more thrilling. I’m sorry for Rea who had the pace to win, and for Melandri who was perhaps a little unlucky this weekend but of course I’m extremely happy to have won here at Imola. The championship is not yet over but we are very close to the title. We go on to the next round and what will be, will be. It’s been a perfect weekend, I’m over the moon and want to thank the entire team, Ducati, the sponsors and of course all of the fans.”

Federico Sandi:
“I enjoyed myself today and would say that I made two good races. I’m happy to have finished in the points zone in both races although it would have been nice to say I had finished inside the top ten. Anyway, this was a great experience, to ride in the World championship at Imola, and I thank my team and of course Genesio for providing me with this important opportunity.”

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Michel Fabrizio ready to race at this weekend’s 11th round of the World Superbike Championship in Imola.

The Italian is no stranger to the podium at the Autodromo Internationale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, having won race two there in 2009 after a third place in race one. He also won the penultimate round of the 2003 Superstock Championship at the Italian circuit, and then went on to take the title by just three points. That was on an Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000, so Fabrizio would like nothing better to be on the podium again on another Alstare bike.

This year will be the third year in a row that the World Superbike Championship has visited the popular 4.936 kilometer (3.07 mile) circuit. The track features a variety of ups and downs, a couple of blind corners and is regarded as technically challenging. While it is not that difficult to learn, it is quite hard to shave off those last fractions of a second chasing a quick lap in qualifying.

Superpole, however, has not been a favorite time for him this year but once again he will attack it with his usual determination and try and get on the front row of the grid.

Michel Fabrizio:
“Imola is one of my favorite tracks; not just because I have had some successes there but also because it is a great track to ride. Technically it is challenging because there are lots of changes of elevation and also because there are some blind corners and so you need a good bike setup and know where and when to brake. It is a track where it easy to make up time and very easy to lose time; especially if you get held-up at the start. If that happens, it is very difficult to make up the time. It is very important to be on the first two rows of the grid and then make a good start for the approach to the first couple of turns.

“It’s no secret that Superpole has caused us a few problems this year. By not qualifying well, it means that I have a lot of work to do catch the leaders and if I push too hard, the tires get worn out more quickly. My aim, as usual, is to try and qualify well and give myself a chance at the start of the race. I know that my race-pace is good, but that’s no good if I am down in eighth, ninth or 10th or so at the start. I need to be in the top four or five at the beginning and be fighting with the leaders.

“My last podium was in Monza, in May, so I think it’s about time I was there again; especially as I failed to score any points in the last round. There are just three rounds left this year and I want to do the very best I can in all of them and finish the last part of the season on a high.”

2010 results:

Race 1: 1 Carlos Checa (ESP-Ducati), 2 Lorenzo Lanzi (ITA-Ducati), 3 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Ducati) 7 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati).

Race 2: 1 Checa, 2 Haga, 3 Cal Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha). Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati) DNF.

 

MIST Suzuki will race in the final round of the World Superbike Championship in Portimao, Portugal next month.

After a year of hard work building their Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike to the highest possible standard, the team are all set to begin testing this month in preparation for their first International Superbike event.

With more than two years experience developing and successfully racing Superbikes, the team are eager to use Portimao as the stepping stone to their 2012 race season. Having previously spent three years competing in the support classes at World Superbikes, the team are well respected in the paddock and are looking forward to showing what a small professional team can achieve on a tight budget.

“We are delighted to have been offered wild card places at Magny Cours in France and Portimao in Portugal, said Team Manager Mike Edwards. “Due to time constraints we have chosen to focus our attention on the later round in Portugal and are hoping to bring a new title sponsor on board to help with the running costs for the event.”

“We have had excellent support from Motec Europe, the world leader in the design and manufacture of engine management and data acquisition systems. MIST Suzuki are one of the few top level teams to be supplied with their latest electronics package. It is the same system that took former MotoGP rider [and current British Superbike points leader] John Hopkins to pole position at the Silverstone round of the championship earlier this year so we are feeling quite positive about things.”

He added “We have several projects under development for the 2012 season and hope to make an announcement on those soon. We are keen to push new technology in racing so are very much committed to seeking the widest possible audience to showcase our talents.”

With the bike build nearing completion, the team need just a little more help to reach 20,000£ target needed to cover the costs of competing. In return, the team is offering title sponsorship for the event plus exclusive access to the circuit, team garage and hospitality over the race weekend for selected guests. There is even the opportunity to work alongside the team if the hands-on approach appeals.

Having qualified sixth at the Nürburgring, Team Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes secured a brilliant debut win in a wet race two, which was finally red-flagged after 13 soaking laps. Today’s victory marked Kawasaki’s first World Superbike Championship race win since 2006, when Chris Walker took full points at Assen. This was also Tom’s first career WSBK race win, and his success in Germany puts him 11th overall in the championship, just one point from the top 10.

Tom had a dramatic day, running well in the early laps of a dry Race 1 before slipping back to 11th as he lost rear grip. His right ankle was still not feeling 100 percent after his Silverstone crash, but in a wet Race 2 he rode with composure and controlled aggression in ever-changing track conditions, capitalizing when race leader Noriyuki Haga fell from the lead. Sykes also repelled occasional pressure from second place finisher Sylvain Guintoli to win by four seconds.

Joan Lascorz had a strong Race 1, going seventh after starting from the fourth row as he pulled through the pack in impressive fashion. He did not have the same kind of feel in the rain as Sykes did in Race 2 and finished 11th. He is 13th in the championship, only three points behind Sykes.

Pedercini Team rider Mark Aitchison was 12th in Race 1 then a faller in Race 2 after running in high positions for much of the time. His teammate Roberto Rolfo secured points in each race; 13th in Race 1 then 14th in Race 2.

Tom Sykes: “To get a first World Superbike win under my belt is fantastic, also with the new Kawasaki. Everybody in the team knows every time I put my leg over the bike it is all or nothing; that is the way I ride, and fortunately today that commitment paid off in Race 2. I got a gap behind me in the worst conditions, but as the track had less water on it for a time, unfortunately our times seemed to tail off and I came under pressure from Sylvain. But as the standing water increased again we found our pace. In Race 1 everything went to plan at the start, but both the wrong tire choice and my physical condition did not help, so when it started raining I had a bit of a grin to myself. We changed the bike quite a lot from the last time in Misano when we got pole position, so obviously it was a little bit of a gamble in wet conditions. The guys gave me a great package today.”

Joan Lascorz: “Race 1 was not so bad, especially given our starting position. I made good pace to come forward. I chose the soft tire options in Race 1, and I was going to change the some things on the bike for the second race, but it proved to be wet anyway. In Race 2 it was difficult in the wet conditions, but I am happy for Tom and Kawasaki as this was the best result for the team.”

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Michel Fabrizio left the 10th round of the World Superbike Championship at the Nurburgring in Germany with no points after being struck on the arm on the opening lap of race one.

He made a good start to race one from the third row of the grid but was hit on the opening lap: At first, the impact didn’t bother him, and he was able to charge through the field and take fifth place by half-race distance. But then his arm began to swell and he was unable to control the throttle properly. As the pain increased, the Italian dropped down the order and finished just outside the points in 16th place. Carlos Checa (Ducati) won the race comfortably with Marco Melandri (Yamaha) second and Noriyuki Haga (Aprilia) in third.

After the race, Fabrizio went to the Clinica Mobile where he had his right arm X-rayed. Fortunately, nothing was broken, but the swelling indicated some damage to a tendon or muscle. He had some pain killers before going out on the grid for race two – which was delayed as the organizers waited to see if the rain would ease. When it did, all riders changed to wet tires and went out for their inspection laps. The rain got harder and soon there were rivulets of water running across the track and deep puddles throughout the 5.137-kilometer circuit.

Fabrizio and the rest of the field started the race cautiously, but it soon became clear that the conditions were worsening. He struggled for five laps before he and the Alstare Suzuki Team decided that it would be better to pull in than risk a crash and a possible injury.

The race was won by Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) after it was red flagged with seven laps to go. Second was Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati) with his team mate Jakub Smrz third.

Michel Fabrizio – Race 1: 16th, Race 2: Retired.
“I am really not sure what happened in the first lap of race one. I was going though a left turn while keeping an eye on Sykes on my left when I suddenly felt an impact on my right arm, just above the wrist. I don’t know if it was another rider or something that had flown up from the track. All I know is that it was a fairly hard blow. I carried on racing and managed to pass quite a few riders and get up to fifth place. I was pretty happy at this stage because I had started from 12th on the grid, but soon I could feel the pain in my arm getting worse. I could feel it swelling up and, as the race wore on, that affected my throttle control. I just couldn’t force the throttle wide open when I needed to and it wasn’t long before riders began to pass me. I kept going as best I could, but it was frustrating seeing all the riders I had passed overtake me. The pain got worse and worse, but I kept going in case I could get any points. Unfortunately, I finished 16th, so not a good start to the day. I had some painkillers – pills, not injections – before the start of race two, but I knew that it was not going to be a good day for me, when the rain began to pour.

“Soon there were big puddles everywhere and there were rivulets in many parts of the track. Even on the straights we were aquaplaning and it was pretty dangerous just trying to get round without crashing. My arm was feeling very painful and I wasn’t in the points, so the team and I decided that there was no point continuing. I pulled into the pits, which was definitely the right decision. Watching the rest of the race from my pit box, I am a bit surprised that 13 laps were completed before the red flag came out, but I was happy to have survived without crashing.

“The weekend had started pretty well and Friday and Saturday had been good, apart from Superpole. My race-pace was good and I was happy with fifth after nine laps of race one. If it hadn’t have been for the blow to my arm, I’m sure that I would’ve finished the first race in the top five. But racing is unpredictable and today was just not my lucky day.”

Results:

Race 1: 1 Carlos Checa (ESP-Ducati), 2 Marco Melandri (ITA-Yamaha), 3 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Aprilia), 4 Eugene Laverty (GBR-Yamaha), 6 Leon Haslam (GBR-BMW), 16 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki),

Race 2: 1 Tom Sykes (GBR-Kawasaki), 2 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Ducati), 3 Jakub Smrz (CZE-Ducati), 4 Jonathan Rea (GBR-Honda), 5 Laverty, 6 Melandri. Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Alstare Suzuki) RETIRED

Championship Points: 1 Carlos Checa 376, 2 Marco Melandri 302, 3 Max Biaggi 281, 4 Laverty 232, 5 Haslam 176, 6 Camier 154, 7 Michel Fabrizio (Alstare Suzuki) 141

Carlos Checa and the Althea Racing Team experienced two very different World Superbike races today at the Nürburgring. Starting from pole position, Checa dominated a dry race one while extremely wet conditions in the second race prevented him from doing better than eighth.

The first Superbike race of the day got underway under very cloudy skies but on a fortunately dry track. Checa, starting from pole for the fifth time this season, made a strong start and was first at the first corner. He had to defend himself from Pata Aprilia’s Noruyuki Haga through the first laps, but lap by lap he was able to build an advantage over Melandri and Haga behind him.

Checa made the fastest lap of the race on lap four (1m55.971), taking his sixth Pirelli fast lap award. From mid-race onwards, his advantage increased and, despite the fact that he lost a little time in the final stages due to excessive tire wear, he still crossed the line comfortably in first position, 1.8 seconds ahead of Melandri in second.

Race 2 was delayed due to the onset of heavy rain just a few minutes prior to the off. Teams had 10 minutes in which to swap to rain tires and prepare for what would be an extremely wet race. Checa, not wanting to take any risks, was in eleventh position through the first corner. During the first half of the race he slowly increased his pace, but seeing several riders crash out ahead of him, he preferred not to push too hard. By the thirteenth lap he had moved up into eighth place, and at the conclusion of that same lap race direction took the decision to suspend the race. Checa thus closed race 2 in eighth position.

At the conclusion of this, the tenth round of the championship, Checa continues to lead the rider’s classification with 376 points. He holds a 74-point advantage over Melandri in second position. Ducati continues to lead the constructor’s championship with 400 points to Yamaha’s 351.

Carlos Checa:
“Today’s first race was very special for me, and signifies my first ever SBK win at the Nürburgring. I would like to dedicate this result to Claudio Castiglioni, he was an extremely important figure in the motorcyling world and it is also in part thanks to him that we are here racing these bikes today. The race 1 result was very important in terms of the championship. I knew that it was important to increase the gap between me and Noriyuki in the first half of the race and this small advantage proved useful in the final stages when I began to suffer from a lack of grip. Race 2 on the other hand was one of the hardest races I’ve ever run. We were obliged to try to finish it of course but I was really suffering due to the sheer quantity of water and track conditions, and couldn’t even see as far as the next corner! I’m sorry for those who took risks and I’m also sorry that Biaggi was not racing with us today. I hope he gets better and that we’ll see him back at Imola. But for us it was a very positive day and I’m very happy with the outcome.”

Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager, Althea Racing:
“A very positive weekend for us; we have certainly worked very well and are satisfied with the points gained, despite the fact that race 2 didn’t go as it would have done in the dry. Carlos used all of his experience to complete one of the most difficult races of his career and once again demonstrated his great professionalism. From here on in, we’ll simply try not to make mistakes. We’re all very pleased.”

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Yamaha World Superbike riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty are heading back on track this coming weekend after a long five-week summer break. The weekend’s racing action will take place at the Nurburgring Circuit situated among the Eifel Mountains in the West of Germany, marking round 10 of the 2011 World Superbike Championship. After the lengthy rest from racing, both Yamaha World Superbike riders are eager to get on board their YZF-R1s and take up where they left off, with the success of the last round in Silverstone where Melandri and Laverty both claimed double podiums and gained valuable championship points.

With just four rounds remaining to fight for the championship title, both riders will be looking to impress and continue to battle for the championship lead. Melandri sets out for the Nurburgring for the first time in his career but he has proved in previous rounds that new tracks are not an issue for him. The Italian will take on the German circuit with the intention of pushing up to second place in the standings ahead of fellow Italian, Max Biaggi. Teammate Laverty aims to capitalize on progress made at his home track in Silverstone and fight for another extraordinary double podium. The challenging 5.137 km German track has brought him success in the past, just last year he delivered an impressive race win in the WSS category.

The Nurburgring, also known as the “Green Hell,” is considered to be one of the most demanding purpose-built racing tracks in the world. There are many changes in elevation, six left turns, 11 right turns and few opportunities to overtake.

Marco Melandri, Yamaha World Superbike Team:
“The Nurburgring is another new track for me this year, but I’m looking forward to experiencing it. I’m glad to be getting going again after the summer holidays and I’m determined to do my best and keep fighting until the end of the championship. I like the look of the track from what I’ve seen on TV. It’s quite technical and I’m sure it will be a lot of fun. The weather forecast doesn’t look so good for Sunday but it changes from day to day so I’m hoping between now and then it’ll improve a little. We’ll soon see.”

Eugene Laverty, Yamaha World Superbike Team:
“I’ve been off the bike for a long time now and I can’t wait to get riding my R1 again. Nurburgring is a track I quite like and I’ve good memories there following my win in Supersport last year. I’ve just come from a double podium in Silverstone and that’s what I’m aiming for again at the Nurburgring. It’s not out of the question to complete the season in the top three and that’s what I’d like and what I’ll be aiming for, even though it won’t be easy to reach my team-mate.”

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