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World Superbike
WSBK: Biaggi, Checa Split Dramatic Opener
The 2012 Superbike World Championship got off to an eventful start at Phillip Island with '10 king Max Biaggi and defending champ Carlos Checa claiming a win apiece.
Aprilia Racing Team's Max Biaggi (Photo: Infront Motor Sports)
A truly remarkable day of racing at the opening round of the FIM Superbike World Championship season saw two former World Champions win races, four manufacturers propel their machines onto the podium and the 4.445km Australian circuit provide some classic moments for the 64,500 strong weekend crowd as the championship begins its 25th Anniversary celebrations in earnest.
2010 champion Max Biaggi Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and 2011 title winner Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) were the two dominant figures in each 22-lap race, but each had dramatic moments in the other races, one more costly than the other. Biaggi leaves as the points leader after fighting back from last in race two to second place, finding himself five points shy of perfection on the opening weekend.
Despite some troubled times in recent testing Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) punched above his pre-race weight to jump onto the podium in race one, while pole winner Tom Sykes carried on his strong testing and qualifying form with a podium place in race two. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) put his 2011 Phillip Island nightmare raceday behind him with a particularly sweet third in the opener, finishing right on Melandri’s tail.
In the championship standings, Melandri is 15 points behind Biaggi’s total of 45, and one point ahead of Sykes, who has 29 points. Checa is fourth with 25 points.
Race 1
Biaggi won the first encounter by seven seconds from Melandri and third was a closely following Sylvian Guintoli after a dramatic contest on many levels. Checa crashed out of the race while leading, suffering a fast high-side fall on the final corner early in the race. He was uninjured but bruised and took no points. Spots of rain appeared on the riders’ visors and TV camera lenses at two separate stages of the race but to no real effect for the majority of the riders and it continued as a dry race. Sykes took fourth place after leading early on, with Jakub Smrz fifth on his Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) was sixth, from a fading Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team). Biaggi set a new lap record of 1 minute 31.785 seconds, finally beating Troy Corser’s previous raceday best, which was set way back in 2007.
Max Biaggi: “It was a very nice race, at the start with Carlos battling for the lead. Then suddenly he high-sided. When I was behind him a big stone hit my windscreen and then it started to do a little shower in one corner. So I had to stayed focused towards the end and with three laps to go my front tire was sliding. But it’s a great result, it’s a new team with new people, my motivation is very high, the team did a great job.”
Marco Melandri: “I’m so happy with the result and happy to give BMW their best result. I didn’t think it was possible before the race. I knew we were struggling more in practice than in the race but I have never made a long-run so far in the season so I wasn’t sure. The team have been working awesome and in the race the rear tire did a really good job.”
Sylvain Guintoli: “I didn’t even think about what happened to me last year here. In the race I knew I had the bike set-up to get a podium. I sort of stepped back a bit in the early part to save the tires then when I saw Tom was slowing down I thought now’s the time to push hard. He was very hard to overtake. In the last two laps I was sliding all over the place but I really enjoyed that race.”
Results:
1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34'13.963 (171,397 kph)
2. Melandri M. (ITA)BMW S1000 RR 7.104
3. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 7.378
4. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 12.189
5. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 16.424
6. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 20.200
7. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 20.223
8. Aoyama H. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 24.108
9. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 28.072
10. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34.232
11. Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 34.450
12 Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 35.648
13. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 36.392
14. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41.500
15. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 42.086; etc.
2010 champion Max Biaggi Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) and 2011 title winner Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) were the two dominant figures in each 22-lap race, but each had dramatic moments in the other races, one more costly than the other. Biaggi leaves as the points leader after fighting back from last in race two to second place, finding himself five points shy of perfection on the opening weekend.
Despite some troubled times in recent testing Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) punched above his pre-race weight to jump onto the podium in race one, while pole winner Tom Sykes carried on his strong testing and qualifying form with a podium place in race two. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) put his 2011 Phillip Island nightmare raceday behind him with a particularly sweet third in the opener, finishing right on Melandri’s tail.
In the championship standings, Melandri is 15 points behind Biaggi’s total of 45, and one point ahead of Sykes, who has 29 points. Checa is fourth with 25 points.
Race 1
Biaggi won the first encounter by seven seconds from Melandri and third was a closely following Sylvian Guintoli after a dramatic contest on many levels. Checa crashed out of the race while leading, suffering a fast high-side fall on the final corner early in the race. He was uninjured but bruised and took no points. Spots of rain appeared on the riders’ visors and TV camera lenses at two separate stages of the race but to no real effect for the majority of the riders and it continued as a dry race. Sykes took fourth place after leading early on, with Jakub Smrz fifth on his Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) was sixth, from a fading Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team). Biaggi set a new lap record of 1 minute 31.785 seconds, finally beating Troy Corser’s previous raceday best, which was set way back in 2007.
Max Biaggi: “It was a very nice race, at the start with Carlos battling for the lead. Then suddenly he high-sided. When I was behind him a big stone hit my windscreen and then it started to do a little shower in one corner. So I had to stayed focused towards the end and with three laps to go my front tire was sliding. But it’s a great result, it’s a new team with new people, my motivation is very high, the team did a great job.”
Marco Melandri: “I’m so happy with the result and happy to give BMW their best result. I didn’t think it was possible before the race. I knew we were struggling more in practice than in the race but I have never made a long-run so far in the season so I wasn’t sure. The team have been working awesome and in the race the rear tire did a really good job.”
Sylvain Guintoli: “I didn’t even think about what happened to me last year here. In the race I knew I had the bike set-up to get a podium. I sort of stepped back a bit in the early part to save the tires then when I saw Tom was slowing down I thought now’s the time to push hard. He was very hard to overtake. In the last two laps I was sliding all over the place but I really enjoyed that race.”
Results:
1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34'13.963 (171,397 kph)
2. Melandri M. (ITA)BMW S1000 RR 7.104
3. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 7.378
4. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 12.189
5. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 16.424
6. Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 20.200
7. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 20.223
8. Aoyama H. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 24.108
9. Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 28.072
10. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34.232
11. Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 34.450
12 Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 35.648
13. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 36.392
14. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41.500
15. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 42.086; etc.
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