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World Superbike
WSBK: Nurburgring Pre-Event Ticker
Team notes and quotes heading into this weekend's Superbike World Championship round in Germany.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport's Marco Melandri (Photo: Infront Motor Sports)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Superbike World Championship round from the Nurburgring, Germany will air on SPEED on Sunday, September 9 starting at 2:00pm and 6:00pm ET.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
BMW Motorrad Motorsport heads to its ‘home’ round at the Nürburgring this weekend in a position of real strength in the 2012 Superbike World Championship, with a commanding lead in both the Riders’ and the Manufacturers’ standings.
Following Marco Melandri’s successful exploits at the inaugural WSBK round at the Moscow Raceway just a fortnight ago – where he celebrated a double podium and his sixth race win of the year – the hard-charging Italian took over the lead in the overall classification from rival Max Biaggi and now heads up the rider standings by a healthy 18.5 points.
“It is great to come to the BMW home round at Nürburgring leading the championship, but this could also mean even more pressure, because everybody will expect a good result,” said Melandri. “I am sure it will be difficult races because Aprilia will work hard and try to get the lead back – but we will see. Last year it was the first time for me at Nürburgring and I really like the track. Race one was good for me, I finished second. In race two it was very wet, so it was quite difficult. The track is good fun and very technical: the first section is pretty tight, but after that the layout is quite fast and smooth, and I think it can suit my riding style. Last year I had a lot of fun and I am sure that this will be the case this year, too.
“I think that our RR will be working well there. If all goes according to plan, I am sure we can be competitive for the races. We have to improve our pace in qualifying, because we are still struggling with the soft tire. But I am happy, I feel good and I am ready to fight again. We still have six races to go and that is a lot. It is never easy because there are many fast riders and there is always the possibility of mistakes. The last races we saw many big changes in the championship. You can take many points, but you also can lose points, so we need be focused race by race and try to do our best, to get some more wins and to stay in front.”
This is a view shared by Melandri’s teammate Leon Haslam, who is still searching for his first race win on the S 1000 RR BMW. Having already scored five podium finishes in 2012, set a lap record at the previous round and led several races this year, the 29-year-old Brit is hoping for some good fortune in Germany this weekend, at a circuit where he knows he can go well on the RR.
“From the result side I was obviously disappointed at Russia. It was another two races which could have been two easy podiums and it again ended in very bad luck and crashes,” said Leon. “From the physical side I got some damage to my left shoulder and my left leg and I felt a bit stiff overall. But I’m recovering at home and also doing some physio, so I should be fully okay for Germany. Nürburgring always has been a good circuit of mine. I had a good result there in 2010 when I stood on the podium. Last year it would have been one of the strongest weekends for us at BMW. We had the pace for victory in both races. In race one we had a problem with the bike but still a very good pace for the podium and race two was a horrible race in heavy rain where I crashed.
“We did not achieve the results last year but definitely the potential of the bike and me at Nürburgring is quite high, so I am looking forward to going back there again this year. Our target is always to win and we will try to shake off the bad luck we had this year and to get the win that we deserve.”
With a 26.5 points lead in the Manufacturers’ Standings, it is a great time for BMW Motorrad Motorsport to celebrate its home round at the Nürburgring. However, according to Head of Race Operations Andrea Dosoli, it will be ‘business as usual’ for the team, as it aims to consolidate its advantage in both championships as the series enters these important final three rounds.
“After the Moscow races we are all looking forward to the BMW home round,” he said. “We will arrive there as the leader of both championships but this will not change our usual approach. We will work race by race, improving the bike and trying to achieve the best possible result. We are all motivated and focused. The circuit has a combination of tight and fast corners which force the riders and the team to find the right compromise in terms of set-up. This sometimes can be a difficult challenge. Overall it is a technical track and we must be ready for any conditions, as the weather could be an issue at the Nürburgring as we have experienced last year.
“Leon was unlucky during the last event but he has shown once again his speed and talent. Last year he rode an amazing race at the Nürburgring so we are confident that he will fight for the top position. Marco and his crew have a clear target and they are very focused on it. Last year Marco had a great race at his first time at the German track. He likes it here and on board our powerful RR he will be aiming high. We will all work very hard in order to provide a good performance – not only for ourselves but mainly for all the BMW people and fans who will be supporting us at the racetrack.”
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
BMW Motorrad Motorsport heads to its ‘home’ round at the Nürburgring this weekend in a position of real strength in the 2012 Superbike World Championship, with a commanding lead in both the Riders’ and the Manufacturers’ standings.
Following Marco Melandri’s successful exploits at the inaugural WSBK round at the Moscow Raceway just a fortnight ago – where he celebrated a double podium and his sixth race win of the year – the hard-charging Italian took over the lead in the overall classification from rival Max Biaggi and now heads up the rider standings by a healthy 18.5 points.
“It is great to come to the BMW home round at Nürburgring leading the championship, but this could also mean even more pressure, because everybody will expect a good result,” said Melandri. “I am sure it will be difficult races because Aprilia will work hard and try to get the lead back – but we will see. Last year it was the first time for me at Nürburgring and I really like the track. Race one was good for me, I finished second. In race two it was very wet, so it was quite difficult. The track is good fun and very technical: the first section is pretty tight, but after that the layout is quite fast and smooth, and I think it can suit my riding style. Last year I had a lot of fun and I am sure that this will be the case this year, too.
“I think that our RR will be working well there. If all goes according to plan, I am sure we can be competitive for the races. We have to improve our pace in qualifying, because we are still struggling with the soft tire. But I am happy, I feel good and I am ready to fight again. We still have six races to go and that is a lot. It is never easy because there are many fast riders and there is always the possibility of mistakes. The last races we saw many big changes in the championship. You can take many points, but you also can lose points, so we need be focused race by race and try to do our best, to get some more wins and to stay in front.”
This is a view shared by Melandri’s teammate Leon Haslam, who is still searching for his first race win on the S 1000 RR BMW. Having already scored five podium finishes in 2012, set a lap record at the previous round and led several races this year, the 29-year-old Brit is hoping for some good fortune in Germany this weekend, at a circuit where he knows he can go well on the RR.
“From the result side I was obviously disappointed at Russia. It was another two races which could have been two easy podiums and it again ended in very bad luck and crashes,” said Leon. “From the physical side I got some damage to my left shoulder and my left leg and I felt a bit stiff overall. But I’m recovering at home and also doing some physio, so I should be fully okay for Germany. Nürburgring always has been a good circuit of mine. I had a good result there in 2010 when I stood on the podium. Last year it would have been one of the strongest weekends for us at BMW. We had the pace for victory in both races. In race one we had a problem with the bike but still a very good pace for the podium and race two was a horrible race in heavy rain where I crashed.
“We did not achieve the results last year but definitely the potential of the bike and me at Nürburgring is quite high, so I am looking forward to going back there again this year. Our target is always to win and we will try to shake off the bad luck we had this year and to get the win that we deserve.”
With a 26.5 points lead in the Manufacturers’ Standings, it is a great time for BMW Motorrad Motorsport to celebrate its home round at the Nürburgring. However, according to Head of Race Operations Andrea Dosoli, it will be ‘business as usual’ for the team, as it aims to consolidate its advantage in both championships as the series enters these important final three rounds.
“After the Moscow races we are all looking forward to the BMW home round,” he said. “We will arrive there as the leader of both championships but this will not change our usual approach. We will work race by race, improving the bike and trying to achieve the best possible result. We are all motivated and focused. The circuit has a combination of tight and fast corners which force the riders and the team to find the right compromise in terms of set-up. This sometimes can be a difficult challenge. Overall it is a technical track and we must be ready for any conditions, as the weather could be an issue at the Nürburgring as we have experienced last year.
“Leon was unlucky during the last event but he has shown once again his speed and talent. Last year he rode an amazing race at the Nürburgring so we are confident that he will fight for the top position. Marco and his crew have a clear target and they are very focused on it. Last year Marco had a great race at his first time at the German track. He likes it here and on board our powerful RR he will be aiming high. We will all work very hard in order to provide a good performance – not only for ourselves but mainly for all the BMW people and fans who will be supporting us at the racetrack.”
WSBK: Monza Race 0513
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