eni FIM Superbike World Championship
Motorland Aragon, Spain
April 10, 2015
Free Practice Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Jonathan REA, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:51.234
2. Tom SYKES, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:51.379
3. Chaz DAVIES, UK (Ducati Panigale R), 1:51.582
4. Xavi FORES, Spain (Ducati Panigale R), 1:52.000
5. Leon HASLAM, UK (Aprilia RSV4 RF), 1:52.096
6. Alex LOWES, UK (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:52.309
7. Michael VD MARK, Netherlands (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:52.558
8. Nico TEROL, Spain (Ducati Panigale R), 1:52.607
9. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:52.617
10. Jordi TORRES, Spain (Aprilia RSV4 RF), 1:52.766
11. Matteo BAIOCCO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:52.893
12. Ayrton BADOVINI, Italy (BMW S1000RR), 1:52.922
13. Leandro MERCADO, Argentina (Ducati Panigale R), 1:53.010
14. Randy DE PUNIET, France (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:53.178
15. David SALOM, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:53.293
16. Niccolo CANEPA, Italy (EBR 1190 RX), 1:53.752
17. Santiago BARRAGÁN, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:54.221
18. Christophe PONSSON, France (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:54.372
19. Leon CAMIER, UK (MV Agusta F4), 1:55.015
20. Roman RAMOS, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:55.205
21. Javier ALVIZ, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:56.462
22. Imre TOTH, Hungary (BMW S1000RR), 1:57.230
23. Larry PEGRAM, USA (EBR 1190 RX), 1:57.904
24. Gabor RIZMAYER, Hungary (BMW S1000RR), 1:58.841
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
WSBK – FIRST DAY OF TESTS ON THE SPANISH ARAGON CIRCUIT
LEON HASLAM AND JORDI TORRES SEARCH FOR THE BEST FEELING WITH THE RSV4 RF ON THE DIFFICULT SPANISH TRACK
Alcaniz (Spain), 10 April 2015 – The first European weekend of World Superbike began with a lot of work in the Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils garage. With two riders in their first year on the RSV4 RF, which has also been substantially revamped compared to the 2014 version, the Friday practice sessions at Motorland de Aragon had the Italian team’s mechanics working hard on comparative tests in search of the best solution for Sunday’s races.
After a morning session that can only be defined as exploratory, with Leon Haslam lying tenth just behind team mate Jordi Torres, in the afternoon FP2 sessions the English rider took a decisive step forward from the first laps, improving his performance by almost two seconds and jumping up to fifth place. In any case Haslam acknowledges that there is plenty of room for improvement and is determined to test some drastically different solutions tomorrow in order to explore the potential of his RSV4 RF on the fast and technical Spanish tarmac. There are two goals: to find speed for Superpole to get a good spot on the starting grid and to work as much as possible on race pace.
Leon Haslam: “I spent the morning trying to adapt, especially because I am riding the RSV4 here at Aragon for the first time, whereas many of my rivals already have some test sessions under their belts on this track. The guys did a great job before the FP2 sessions where I was able to improve by a second and a half straight away. We’re moving in the right direction and we aren’t far off, but we need to improve more in order to do our best tomorrow and especially on Sunday.”
After demonstrating method and focus in his first Aprilia outings, rookie Jordi Torres arrived at Aragon defining it as a crucial “final exam” to assess is level of competitiveness. For this purpose Jordi and his team focused on gathering references on the bike and track in the first session, leaving the afternoon to search for the right setup and the best adjustments on the RSV4. Although the many tests conducted on one hand prevented working on a “time attack”, on the other hand they represent a good starting place for better work in view of the races.
Jordi Torres: “Today was one of those days where there is a lot to do. We’re still looking for a better feeling with the bike, especially in the braking sections. I used the first session to scope out some reference points on the track and on the RSV4, whereas in the afternoon I felt much more at ease. We did a lot of testing with various results, so now we’ll use the information we’ve gathered to set up our work tomorrow and Sunday.”
The RSV4 RF made an excellent début in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. With the Aragon race the V4 from Noale will be making its first appearance in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, expanding Aprilia’s commitments in factory derivative bike racing. On the first day of tests the 2014 runner-up, Lorenzo Savadori, with Team Nuova M2 Racing, rode his Aprilia to the top spot in the combined standings of the two sessions, leaving his closest rival more than 7 tenths behind and setting himself up to be a key player straight away in the first race of the season.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
A positive first day for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team at Motorland Aragón; Davies third and Forés fourth in the opening practices
Alcaniz (Spain), Friday 10 April 2015 – The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team, on track at Motorland Aragón in Spain with riders Chaz Davies and Javier Forés, substituting for the injured Davide Giugliano, showed great determination in today’s first timed practice sessions.
In the weekend’s first timed practice session, which took place in sunny but cool conditions (air temperature 14°C, track 23°C), the two Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team riders were putting in some fast times right from their first exit, immediately moving to the top of the timesheets. Both riders continued to improve their lap times throughout the 45-minute session. Davies, thanks to a fastest time of 1’52.009 obtained during his final exit, led the way, closing in first position. His team-mate Forés concluded second, with a time of 1’52.365, proving that he is immediately comfortable on the 2015 Superbike version of the Panigale R.
The second session brought further improvement for Chaz in terms of lap times, although he still feels that his overall feeling with his Panigale R could be better. The factory rider set an impressive best time of 1’51.582 , half a second quicker than his fastest lap in the first practice. This impressive lap time positioned the factory rider third at the end of day one, right behind the Kawasaki pairing of Rea and Sykes. Javier continued to work with his technicians to identify the best set-up for his Ducati Panigale R at this track, and he too was able to lower his time by a few tenths to place overall fourth thanks to a best of 1’52.000.
Quotes after the day’s sessions:
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #7) – 3rd (1’51.582)
“This morning went well and I felt that I could lap fast but then this afternoon the grip dropped off and I didn’t really get the feedback that I want from the bike here at Aragón. I know I can go faster, it’s just a case of finding the right setting, we’re not there yet although it’s doesn’t look bad on paper. We still have work to do, but overall it’s been a positive day. We’ll take a good look at the data this evening and then tomorrow try to develop some of the ideas we’ve got. I’m confident that we can do more…”
Javier Forés – (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #112) – 4th (1’52.000)
“We’re going quite well, considering it’s only the first day – I hope we can continue in this direction. I haven’t ridden the Ducati for a few months, since the IDM concluded last season, and so I’m pleased with how these first sessions have gone. This morning I already found good pace and the work we completed at Misano helped me find a good feeling that I’ve had again here today at Aragón. I like to remain optimistic; we need to continue to work calmly, as the level here is very high, but I would of course like to thank the team by completing a good weekend’s work and two good races on Sunday…”
More, from a press release issued by Team Hero EBR:
Round Three – Motorland Aragon, Spain 10-12th April 2015
Opening Day Practice – 10th March
Conditions: Dry, sunny
The Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain provides the venue for the latest round of the FIM Superbike World Championship and after the first day of action Team Hero EBR riders Niccolò Canepa and Larry Pegram placed 16th and 23rd respectively.
Canepa had to overcome the effects of a fast crash in the first of two sessions on the opening day, making improvements in the afternoon practice period to end up inside the top 16. He reduced his best lap time to 1’53.752 in the second session, at a circuit he knows well.
The 5.077km Motorland circuit near the town of Alcaniz in north east Spain is fast and technical and for a first-time visitor like Pegram it was not a simple layout to learn, especially as he lost track time at some stages today. Larry posted a best lap time of 1’57.907, which he feels he can improve on greatly on the second day of practice.
Consistently dry and sunny weather conditions helped the whole field to try and find their ideal set-up at what is a new-style Motorland Aragon layout for this year. The previous tight final hairpin has been replaced with a longer left-hand curve, making the circuit shorter than the previous version.
Larry Pegram
“It was a good day for the team because I think Nick did really well but a bad day for me. I just had a bunch of little things that meant I did not get all my track time and that does not bode well when you do not know the circuit. In the second session I got some laps in and it felt a lot better but I just never got a chance to go out and go fast. Tomorrow morning we will have everything ready and I know there is something left there as I do not know the track completely yet. Nick always wants to go faster but I am really impressed how fast he is going right now. He looks really good and that is positive for the team, so for me personally I just hope to get in the laps tomorrow. There are a lot of blind corners here but we will get it by the end, as long as we get a little more track time.
Niccolò Canepa
“I am pretty satisfied about today because although I had a really big crash in the morning, at the chicane before the back straight, I was lucky I was not injured. I was not so comfortable this afternoon riding the bike but lap-by-lap my feeling got better and I found a stronger pace, setting a couple of good laps. We are not too far from the top ten and the most important thing is that we are still working. I also expect to feel better tomorrow because today my back and shoulders hurt a lot after the crash. It was difficult to make a lot of laps but it was OK and I am happy with what we did today.”
More, from a press elease issued by Voltcom Crescent Suzuki:
Voltcom Crescent Suzuki progresses with new electronics at Aragon
Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s Alex Lowes and Randy de Puniet concluded a promising World Superbike practice at Motorland Aragon today after their first 90 minutes of track action utilising the team’s newly homologated electronics package – this first European event of 2015 being the deadline for implementation of the system under this season’s new regulations.
Having planned to use the first free practice as an exploratory session for the new Magneti Marelli electronics, Lowes completed 11 laps of the Spanish circuit, re-entering the pits twice and spending half of the 45-minute session working in the garage with his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki team. Returning to the track for the closing minutes, the British racer seemed much more comfortable with his GSX-R1000, setting a 1’52.638 on his final revolution to finish the morning in third position.
The team’s development and investigation continued in a similar vein for the afternoon as Lowes completed the day’s 22 laps, improving on his earlier time to finish sixth with a 1’52.309 and positive of more to come as the weekend progresses.
De Puniet also used the day’s two sessions to evaluate his Suzuki’s new controls, initially conducting 10 laps, he completed the morning practice in 15th with a 1’55.560 and a solid understanding for the machine’s future progression. The afternoon saw the Frenchman reduce his time by two seconds, 1’53.178 his best lap of the day, leaving him 14th heading in to Saturday’s final timed-for-qualifying free practice.
A cold and windy start gave way to beautifully clear and sunny conditions as the Motorland Aragon circuit hosted the opening World Superbike practices of the European season. The ambient 20°C temperatures heated the track to a high of 39°C as Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea topped the times and claimed the provisional pole position.
Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s third and final timed-for-qualifying practice will take place at 09:45hrs local time (08:45BST) tomorrow with 30 minutes of free practice scheduled for 12:30hrs (11:30BST). The afternoon’s Superpole action gets underway at 15:00hrs (14:00BST).
Alex Lowes:
“We always knew it was going to be a difficult weekend with the brand-new electronics and we ran the whole day without the traction control but it’s been good. I’m very optimistic that if everything works we are going to be competitive again it’s just a case of when, whether it’s tomorrow, the next day or the next round we don’t know. We have a lot of work to do and we’ve hardly done any laps today so we’re feeling very much on the back foot and it’s testing really for us but we’ll do what we can and keep moving forward to achieve the results.”
Randy de Puniet:
“Today was not easy but we knew that before we started, and this morning we had a few problems with the throttle connection so I finished 3.5 seconds off the pace. This afternoon began with a struggle but from the middle of the session we had a good improvement, it was not enough but they are only 45 minute sessions so it is very short! I know I can improve my suspension and chassis feeling and we have good information for tomorrow, currently I am 1.9 seconds off – and 1 second to the top five – so we will see where we can reduce the gap. I really want to be inside the top ten tomorrow morning so I will push and I think it’s possible. We have a lot of work to do, we knew this race was not going to be easy but I need a good result after my first two rounds. Everyone is working really hard and I think if we continue the improvement seen from the beginning until today, we can be close to the top five and this is a good target for me.”
Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“We anticipated a tough day here in Aragon, our first event with the complete new Championship-homologated electronics system. The deadline was this event so it had to be on the bike a little earlier than the development process would have liked! The team has been working tirelessly to get the settings as race ready as they could possibly be but we suffered a little bit of bad luck today with some components not talking to each other in the way we would have liked. The riders have kept their heads down and to be relatively competitive, given the issues we faced, demonstrates that there is a lot of potential to move forward and we hope to do that starting tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Pata Honda:
A positive start for Pata Honda duo in Spain
Michael van der Mark set the overall seventh fastest time in the two practice sessions today at Aragon, Spain for the third round of the World Superbike Championship.
The Dutch SBK rookie is confident in the changes made today and feels that him and the team can make further improvements in tomorrow’s practice session ahead of the afternoon Superpole, where final grid places for Sunday’s race will be set.
Meanwhile van der Mark’s teammate Sylvain Guintoli set the ninth fastest time over the two sessions on-board the Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP. The Frenchman has been trying different engine braking strategies and feels they are close with getting the right one ahead of tomorrow’s final free practice and Superpole.
Michael van der Mark – P7, 1m52.558s
I’m quite positive for today, in the first session I felt happy but for the second session we made some good changes and I improved my lap time. We have much to improve on but for today I’m happy. Tomorrow I think we will try a few more different options and hopefully again improve the lap times, and we will have a long run for a race simulation.
Sylvain Guintoli – P9, 1m52.617s
We have been working very hard to try and improve our pace this morning, this afternoon we found a new way with engine braking, which is positive so we’re trying to make this more efficient. Tomorrow we will try and improve again our performance and try to close the gap at the front. I’m confident we’re getting there and tomorrow we’ll work on race distances.
Pieter Breddels
In the end Michael finished seventh and Sylvain was ninth, so they’re really close with about two tenths between them. We’re looking at the problems from today, which aren’t huge things but it’s not just in one area. It’s mainly with both bike set-ups and we’re working through things. We are a little bit behind where we want to be but after trying different solutions today we have a clearer picture building of tomorrow and where to go. It’s all working progress and we have to keep pushing to try and close the gap.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
Rea edges team mate Sykes on Day 1
Times improve at MotorLand Aragon as WorldSBK riders get up to speed.
Friday’s WorldSBK activity drew to a close with the Kawasaki Racing Team leading the way. 2013 World Superbike Champion Tom Sykes topped the standings until the final minute of today’s second session, when he was displaced by current championship leader Jonathan Rea. Rea goes into FP3 tomorrow with a margin of 0.145s over his team-mate, who managed to hang on to second overall.
Chaz Davies, fastest this morning on his Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team machine, improved to remain third in the combined standings ahead of his team mate – and new substitute rider for the injured Davide Giugliano – Xavi Fores, who finished an impressive fourth on his 2015 debut (+0.766s).
Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) made the biggest improvement, moving up to fifth place (+0.862s) as he edged Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), sixth with a second gap to the top.
The final places inside the top ten were taken by Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) who was 1.324s behind Rea, Althea Racing’s Nico Terol, reigning champion Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), who also improved late in the session and local rider Jordi Torres, who powered his Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils RSV4 RF to tenth position overall.
Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) elevated himself to 12th place in his last quick-lap attempt before the chequered flag and finished behind fellow Italian rider Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing Team Ducati).
Free Practice 3 is scheduled to take place at 9:55am local time tomorrow and is the last chance for the riders to make it into the afternoon’s Tissot-Superpole, courtesy of being inside the top-20 at the end of the next 45 minutes. The first ten riders will be seeded directly in the second session.
WorldSBK MotorLand Aragon – Combined times Free Practice 1 and 2
1 – Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Racing Team 1’51.234
2 – Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team +0.145
3 – Chaz Davies Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team +0.348