Motul FIM Superbike World Championship
Chang International Circuit, Thailand
March 11, 2016
Free Practice Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Michael van der Mark, Netherlands (Hon CBR1000RR SP), 1:34.629
2. Sylvain Guintoli, France (Yam YZF-R1), 1:34.811
3. Jordi Torres, Spain (BMW S1000RR), 1:35.217
4. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), 1:35.224
5. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:35.314
6. Nicky Hayden, USA (Hon CBR1000RR SP), 1:35.344
7. Tom Sykes, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:35.406
8. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale R), 1:35.461
9. Davide Giugliano, Italy (Duc Panigale R), 1:35.479
10. Markus Reiterberger, Germany (BMW S1000RR), 1:35.498
11. Josh Brookes, Australia (BMW S1000RR), 1:35.504
12. Leon Camier, UK (MV Agusta F4 RR), 1:35.604
13. Matteo Baiocco (Duc Panigale R), 1:35.644
14. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (BMW S1000RR), 1:36.201
15. Sylvain Barrier, France (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:36.376, crash
16. Xavi Fores, Spain (Duc Panigale R), 1:36.542
17. Roman Ramos, Spain (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:36.561
18. Alex De Angelis, San Marino (Apr RSV4 RF), 1:37.203
19. Lorenzo Savadori, Italy (Apr RSV4 RF), 1:37.327
20. A. Nakchardensri, Thailand (Yam YZF-R1), 1:38.310, crash
21. Saeed Al Sulaiti, Qatar (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:38.605
22. Peter Sebestyen, Hungary (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.035
23. Imre Toth, Hungary (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.966
24. S. Kaewjaturdensri, Thailand (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.765
25. Dominic Schmitter, Switzerland (Kaw ZX-10R), no time recorded
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
WorldSBK: Van Der Mark tops Thai Friday
Dutch Honda rider leads the sprint to Superpole in Buriram
A fastest lap of 1’34.770 saw Honda WorldSBK Team’s Michael Van Der Mark go quickest on the first day of the MOTUL Thai Round at Chang International Circuit in Buriram. Second fastest was Pata Yamaha’s Sylvain Guintoli, followed by Althea BMW rider Jordi Torres completing the top three.
This morning’s session saw Leon Camier go quickest on his MV Agusta as a flurry of lap times came in at the end of FP1, and the British rider posted a 1’36.047 effort to go just under three tenths of a second quicker than Nicky Hayden (Honda WorldSBK Team) and World Championship leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), followed by the second respective Honda and Kawasaki riders, Michael van der Mark and Tom Sykes.
FP2 saw times tumble at the top of the table and a rush of activity towards the end of the session. With Sykes topping the timesheets around a quarter of the way in with a lap down into the 1’35 bracket, the Kawasaki Racing Team riders initially set a 1-2 in the session ahead of Chaz Davies’ Ducati in P3.
Van Der Mark then became the first to post a lap under 1’35 and the time proved good enough to stay at the top of the timesheets until the end of the session, with Yamaha’s Guintoli the only rider to come within two tenths of the Honda rider’s lap, 0.182 seconds off. Spaniard Jordi Torres set a late charge for P3, the Althea BMW rider recovering from his elbow injury in testing to rejoin the fight at the front, just ahead of Yamaha’s Alex Lowes.
The top ten from Friday gain automatic entry to Tissot-Superpole 2 on Saturday, with the qualifying sessions then deciding the final grid positions for both races. Lights go out at 4pm local time (9am GMT) on Saturday for the first WorldSBK race of the weekend as Jonathan Rea looks to try and tackle the challenge of becoming the first rider since 2003 to win the opening four races of the season.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Motors Europe:
Rea And Sykes Fifth And Seventh After First Day In Thailand
FIM Superbike World Championship riders for KRT, Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, made their first laps around the Chang International Circuit in Buriram today aboard their new Ninja ZX-10R machines. On a track surface which proved inconsistent in places they placed fifth and seventh respectively after the first two qualifying sessions, being more concerned with race preparations in hot conditions than going for a fast time.
Under the new rules for the 2016 season they now have just one more 15-minute session before Superpole 2 qualifying starts, and then race one is scheduled at 16.00 hrs local time on Saturday 12th March.
With this new schedule in mind all preparations were on evaluating tyre choices and machine set-up, to face the first of two 20-lap WSBK races in what should again be high track and air temperatures.
After track resurfacing work had been carried our recently there were three patched sections of track that proved to be more slippery than the rest, making for a reduction in pace relative to last year for all riders and modifying some aspects of pre-race planning.
Rea concentrated his efforts on building for the races in three long stints. He even sat out the first 40 minutes or so of the first session as track conditions were so inconsistent.
Sykes used some of his two hours of track time evaluate a few set-up items in preparation for the first race on Saturday and declared himself pleased with the outcome of this strategy.
Jonathan Rea stated: “I made three long runs today and no in-outs. The difficult part about today is that the tarmac is so dirty in some areas. I am happy we did almost a full race simulation but I had to come back to the pits with four laps to go, which was not ideal. Aside from the grip level I am enjoying riding here, the circuit layout and just being back here. Last year the bike set up we brought from Phillip Island we did not have to change so much in Thailand. It seems that although the track is completely different here, the Phillip Island settings work quite well again. We have gone a little softer today to try and find grip in the slippy conditions but as more rubber goes down on the track it is going to get faster and faster. It is easy to get lost so we will be patient and check the conditions again in the first practice session tomorrow.”
Tom Sykes stated: “We have quite a good set-up. We were just trying two or three things in the last part of the second session and sacrificed lap time for this. Now our questions have been answered for tomorrow so we know where to go on the set-up and then we need to focus on pace. In the last ten minutes we kept the same tyre on the bike and tried some new things. We can go to sleep and know with 98% certainty what bike set-up we will go with in the race tomorrow.”
Sylvain Barrier (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was next best Kawasaki qualifier, in 15th place. Go Eleven Kawasaki rider Roman Ramos was 17th with Pedercini Racing Kawasaki rider Saeed Al Sulaiti 21st from 25 riders.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano in 8th and 9th position respectively after day one in Buriram
After taking two podiums in the season opener in Australia, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team headed to Thailand for round two of the WorldSBK championship. During the first two free-practice sessions, Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano had to deal not only with the typical hot conditions (35 degrees in the air, 45 on the track surface), but also with scarce grip on the tarmac, especially in the morning session. However, both Davies and Giugliano managed to make significant strides throughout the day.
Davies took eighth place in the provisional standings, 0.832 seconds behind current leader Michael Vd Mark (who posted a best lap of 1:34.629). Giugliano closed the opening day right behind his teammate, in ninth position (+0.850). Both riders are within less than three tenths of a second from virtual first row and gained direct access to Superpole 2, which will start at 13:55 local time (CET +6) in anticipation of Race One at 16:00.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 1:35.461 (8th)
“This morning the track was really slippery, especially in the re-surfaced areas, so I didn’t want to take any risks. In the afternoon, we managed to improve our lap times significantly right away, but we still have work to do on the setup and honestly I didn’t ride at my best. Tomorrow’s FP3 will be crucial to make a few adjustments, and we have some ideas for this purpose. There’s not much track time available before Superpole, but it should be enough to understand our potential, and we’re not too far from the frontrunners anyway.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) – 1:35.479 (9th)
“It’s still early to make evaluations, but overall I’m happy with my progression, especially considering that I’ve never raced on this track, which theoretically shouldn’t be among the most favorable ones for us. During FP2, I had a small issue with the gearbox and I wasn’t able to brake as precisely as I would have liked, but I still managed to clock laps in the 1:35 mark on used tyres. In terms of pace, we’re more competitive than what it would appear on a single lap. Still, during tomorrow’s Superpole, I’ll try to get that in the bag as well in order to make the most of any opportunities during the race.”
More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing BMW:
Althea Racing’s BMW S 1000 RR bikes power into Superpole 2 at the Chang track
Buri Ram (Thailand), Friday 11 March 2016
The second round of WorldSBK got underway today in Buri Ram, at the Chang circuit, with the first two timed practice sessions, each an hour in length, valid for qualifying.
The riders of the Althea BMW Racing Team first had to deal with the oppressive heat (29°C) that, despite a light wind and with an air temperature 10°C lower than yesterday, never let up.
The track proved tricky with certain sections having been resurfaced in recent days, causing all riders to suffer from a lack of grip.
During the morning’s session, Markus Reiterberger completed 25 laps, working on the setting of his BMW S 1000 RR and recording a best of 1’37.197 that placed him eleventh.
Jordi Torres was unable to make the most of the hour as he suffered a crash when he hit the kerb at turn 1 in the first part of the session. Completing only 16 laps as a result, the Spaniard closed the session in eighteenth place but was, luckily, unhurt in the incident. The plucky rider was quick to react in the afternoon session and, once the engineers and technicians had worked hard on the bike, the BMW S 1000 RR with no. 81 projected itself into third place (1’35.217, just 588 thousandths of a second from the leader), gaining entry into Superpole 2 as a result.
In the second session, Markus Reiterberger improved on his morning’s best time by almost two tenths, closing with a satisfactory tenth position. The German will also compete in tomorrow’s Superpole 2 alongside his teammate, as they strive to set the fastest possible time and climb the grid.
Jordi Torres:
“This morning the track was very dirty, as if no-one’s ridden it for a long while. I touched the outside kerb at turn 1 and crashed on the third lap, something I didn’t expect and, although I didn’t hurt myself it meant I lost some time. The mechanics worked hard and did a perfect job, in fact in the second session we were able to record the third fastest time. I’m pleased, although this is not a clear reference because the two new sections of asphalt are preventing me from keeping a constant pace and from being precise. We’re on the right track thanks to my mechanics’ hard work, but we have more to do.”
Markus Reiterberger:
“The two sessions didn’t go badly, we’ve qualified for Superpole 2 and this is good but I’m not pleased with tenth place and would have preferred to be higher up. At the start of the session I was in fourth and then fifth and this would have been a better result. We’re only about 8 tenths from the front however, which means we’re fairly close. I felt good on the bike today but it’s the first time I’m riding in hot conditions like this and I’m not used to it.”
Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager:
“I have to say that, after round 1 at Phillip Island where we took steps to prepare as well as possible, here we have started to see a glimmer. Both riders have behaved very naturally, deepening their knowledge of the bike by completing long runs. The bike was not in the best condition but the initial indications have proved positive. With both Torres and Reiterberger we immediately tried to keep pace with the frontrunners. Torres was able to do so, but I’m very pleased with both of them. The team has really worked well, but there is still a great deal to do; we’ll see what happens tomorrow in Superpole but I have a feeling we’re on the right track.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda World Superbike Team:
Van der Mark heads WorldSBK field on day one in Thailand
Round 2 – Thailand
Chang International Circuit, Thailand
The first day of action for round two of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship has drawn to a close at Chang International Circuit in Thailand for the Honda WorldSBK Team. At the end of Friday’s two free practice sessions, Michael van der Mark sat on top of the timesheets, while Nicky Hayden claimed a very encouraging sixth place in what was his very first day of riding at the Thai venue. Both riders will spearhead Honda’s attack for pole position tomorrow directly from Superpole 2.
Michael van der Mark took a safe approach to the morning session, given the less-than-ideal conditions of the track. As free practice one progressed and the asphalt gained more grip and cleaned up, the 23-year-old Dutchman got up to speed aboard his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, eventually ending up fourth. In the afternoon, the 2014 WorldSSP Champion and his crew managed to make an important step forward in terms of bike setup, which translated in the first place in the combined times courtesy of an impressive 1’34.629s lap-time.
Nicky Hayden spent most of the first part of the morning session learning his way around the circuit. He and the team were able to immediately find a good base set-up for his Fireblade machine as the American elevated himself to second place; a result that could have been even better without a small mistake at the last turn, during his final attempt before the chequered flag. Despite a small technical problem encountered in free practice two, Hayden was able to bounce back in the final stages of the session to claim sixth place.
After a 15-minute third free practice session scheduled at 10:45 local time (GMT+7), the second round Superpole 2 and race one will get underway at 13:55 and 16:00, respectively.
Michael van der Mark 60
1st / 1’34.629
I’m very happy with how today has been. In the morning, the track was quite dirty so I decided not to take any unnecessary risks at the beginning. It was almost impossible to be consistent given the conditions, but obviously it was the same for everyone. In the end I was able to make up some positions, although the result was not exactly what I was looking for. We made a lot of changes to the bike before the afternoon and from the first moment I felt much more comfortable. Later on, we made another big change that turned out to be a good one and then the fast laps started to come. With some small further adjustments, we were able to move up to first place on the final lap and that was it. As I said I’m really happy and looking forward to tomorrow morning; we will use this little time to focus more on our race pace.
Nicky Hayden 69
6th / 1’35.344
This morning, the track was a bit dirty but it is something that happens at venues where there isn’t constant racing going on throughout the year. We got up to speed fairly quick and kept improving throughout the session but a small mistake on the last lap did not allow me to take first place. In the afternoon we kept the used tyres from the previous session on, trying to get a few laps in and see how I’d feel. As the session went on we went for new tyres. Obviously I’m a little disappointed for that small mistake in the morning and even this afternoon I’d have hoped to make an even bigger step forward, but things were generally pretty smooth. We just had a small problem with a sensor on the bike that cost us a little bit of time, but overall to be sixth at a brand new track cannot be considered a poor result. We got what we wanted, we’re in Superpole 2 and now it’s all about keeping on improving, qualifying well and to be ready for the races.
Pieter Breddels
Technical Manager
Michael had an impressive day today, especially in the second session. In the morning he did not really push because of track conditions, but as the asphalt cleaned up and got more grip he started to get up to speed. We didn’t do anything too clever with the bike setup, just normal adjustments that proved to be very effective. He was very quick, especially in the last sector and that is a very good sign, if we think of the difficulties we encountered here a year ago. Nicky had a great start this morning and in the afternoon we managed to work on the bike a bit more, in terms of gearing and geometries. A sixth place is definitely a positive result and we have some good ideas to improve more tomorrow. We will also compare the data coming from Michael’s side, which surely will help. It has been a great start to the weekend; now we need to build upon these performances and get ready for race action.
More, from a press release issued by MV Agusta:
POSITIVE QUALIFYING DAY IN THAILAND FOR MV AGUSTA REPARTO CORSE
Chang International Circuit is the venue for this weekend’s Motul Thai Round of WorldSBK and WorldSSP Championship, with the MV Agusta Reparto Corse riders aiming to reach a positive result after the unlucky Australian Round.
Leon Camier and his MV Agusta F4 RC machine have surprised everyone in the first WorldSBK qualifying round, finishing in the very first position after an outstanding performance under the hot and humid thai sky. In FP2 the British rider lost several positions but with a 1’35.604 best lap time, managed to qualify 12th, ready to fight for the best position at the Tissot-Superpole 1 tomorrow.
In WorldSSP Jules Cluzel did a 1’39.642 best lap time, improving his FP1 lap time and reaching the 3rd position with his MV Agusta f3 675 in the combined qualifying ranking: the best finish among the MV Agusta F3 675 on track today. His teammate Lorenzo Zanetti suffered some trouble with the setting of his bike and he struggled to find a good pace on track, finishing in 12th position at the end of the day. With his brilliant performance Cluzel will enter the Tissot-Superpole 2 tomorrow, while Zanetti will start his battle from the Tissot-Superpole 1.
Leon Camier #2 – First session was obviously really positive, chassis was working very good from the start and we only made one small change. The track condition were really slippery and in a couple of corner we can’t take the normal racing line. Then this afternoon the track condition was coming good and we have to wait all the session to save the engine and then the last 10 minutes we tried to push with the new tyre and a new setting. Unfortunately the setting we choose was not so good to me and tomorrow we will take a step back.
Jules Cluzel #16 – It was definitely a positive day for me because of my result and because we solved the problem we had in Australia so far. We have a good speed considering we are always among the firsts, both using new and used tyres. We didn’t push really hard since the track needs more grip.
Lorenzo Zanetti #87 -I am not happy with this first day, because being out of the top 10 means to start from the Superpole 1 tomorrow. We are struggling from this morning since we weren’t able to find a good combination between the setting and the engine brake. Our ideal time is pretty good, I am far 0.6 seconds from the top rider and we are all very close to each other. For sure we must figure out a solution for tomorrow, stay focused and do our best to enter the Superpole 2, in order to get the best position in starting grid
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:
Guintoli and Lowes Turn Up the Heat for Pata Yamaha in Thailand
Sylvain Guintoli and Alex Lowes claimed second and fourth positions respectively for the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team at a hot and humid Chang International Circuit this afternoon. Securing their direct qualification into tomorrow’s Superpole 2, Guintoli and Lowes put on a confident display as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned to Buriram for round two’s opening free practice action.
With the track newly resurfaced, both Yamaha riders began the first session carefully, evaluating the conditions on their respective YZF-R1’s. The Frenchman completed the morning in seventh, his best lap a 1’36.884, while his British teammate’s 1’36.994 followed closely behind in ninth.
As the track temperatures soared to 45°C, the afternoon’s times tumbled. Lowes hit the mark early in the second session jumping to second with his first fast lap and holding fifth for the opening 20 minutes. At the half way point Guintoli advanced his time to 1’36.0 to take a top-five position. The final minutes of the afternoon proved even more fruitful for the Yamaha riders; Lowes’ fastest lap – 1’35.224 – saw him eventually close the session in fourth, while Guintoli became one of only two riders to break the 1’35 barrier, securing second with a 1’34.811 on his final quick lap.
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team returns to Buriram at 10:45hrs local time tomorrow for the final 15 minutes of free practice ahead of Superpole qualifying and the first race of the weekend at 16:00hrs local time.
Sylvain Guintoli
2nd / 1’34.811 / 35 laps
“It’s been a good first day here at Chang International! We progressed a lot from this morning, so to progress so much in so little time is really positive. The race rhythm is good, as is the pace on one lap, so we will just carry on working as we are this weekend. To be P2 straight away, for us on a new track where we have only had two sessions, is very positive. We will take the base point from there and just continue having fun, as I really love this track!”
Alex Lowes
4th / 1’35.224 / 43 laps
“The grip on the track was really low this morning, and it feels a lot different from last year, so today was really about learning a new circuit with the new bike. We’ve completed plenty of laps without really needing to change the YZF-R1 that much, so after the two sessions it feels pretty good. I’m hoping to make a good step forward tomorrow, mainly with the feeling in the front, but we’re already in Superpole 2 so we’ll see what we can do tomorrow to qualify well for the afternoon’s race.”
Paul Denning ? Team Principal
“It’s been a very interesting day’s work here at the Chang International Circuit and despite the sweltering temperatures it’s a real pleasure to be back at such a well organised event and at a great facility. Some sections of the circuit have been resurfaced since last year and, I imagine through lack of use, were like ice in FP1 this morning. Gradually though the grip has come back in to the surface and the riders could start to get through a normal programme.
“With Sylvain and Alex in second and fourth places respectively going in to Superpole, we’ve probably been more competitive than expected but it’s great to see that the YZF-R1 can work well in this temperature, and at a completely different character of race track compared to Phillip Island. Lap time is one thing, racing is another but it’s been a solid start to the weekend and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve tomorrow.”