Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Donington Park, England
May 26, 2019
Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Scott Redding, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), 18 laps, Total Race Time 20:10.531, Best Lap Time 1:06.621
2. Xavi Fores, Spain (Hon CBR1000RR), -0.275 second, 1:06.775
3. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -1.523 seconds, 1:06.706
4. Josh Brookes, Australia (Duc Panigale V4 R), -1.740, 1:06.660
5. Tarran Mackenzie, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -1.791, 1:06.820
6. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -2.845, 1:06.762
7. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), -5.399, 1:06.919
8. Hector Barbera, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), -5.583, 1:06.521
9. Peter Hickman, UK (BMW S1000RR), -6.515, 1:06.803
10. Keith Farmer, UK (BMW S1000RR), -8.054, 1:06.965
11. Danny Buchan, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -9.546, 1:06.866
12. Andrew Irwin, UK (Hon CBR1000RR), -9.693, 1:07.014
13. Bradley Ray, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -10.231, 1:07.099
14. Luke Mossey, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -11.519, 1:07.118
15. Luke Stapleford, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -15.243, 1:07.113
16. James Ellison, UK (BMW S1000RR), -1 lap, 1:07.115
17. David Allingham, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap, 1:07.114
18. Claudio Corti, Italy (Kaw ZX-10RR), -1 lap, 1:07.769
19. Joe Francis, UK (BMW S1000RR), -1 lap, 1:07.915
20. Sylvain Barrier, France (Duc Panigale V4 R), -1 lap, 1:08.122
21. Shaun Winfield, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap, 1:07.989
22. Josh Elliott, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -2 laps, DNF, 1:07.378
23. Glenn Irwin, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -4 laps, DNF, 1:07.207
24. Dan Linfoot, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -5 laps, DNF, 1:07.062
25. Matt Truelove, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -8 laps, DNF, 1:08.216
26. Dean Hipwell, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -10 laps, DNF, 1:08.280
27. Sam Coventry, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -18 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded
Race Three Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Scott Redding, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), 26 laps, Total Race Time 29:05.749, Best Lap Time 1:06.585
2. Xavi Fores, Spain (Hon CBR1000RR), -1.196 seconds, 1:06.691
3. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -1.779, 1:06.650
4. Tarran Mackenzie, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -1.857, 1:06.595
5. Josh Brookes, Australia (Duc Panigale V4 R), -2.004, 1:06.611
6. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -9.220, 1:06.685
7. Peter Hickman, UK (BMW S1000RR), -10.334, 1:06.988
8. Andrew Irwin, UK (Hon CBR1000RR), -12.952, 1:06.733
9. Bradley Ray, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -18.966, 1:07.086
10. Luke Stapleford, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -21.979, 1:07.343
11. Danny Buchan, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -22.160, 1:07.332
12. Luke Mossey, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -22.371, 1:07.325
13. Claudio Corti, Italy (Kaw ZX-10RR), -22.556, 1:07.300
14. Glenn Irwin, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -25.146, 1:07.313
15. James Ellison, UK (BMW S1000RR), -25.199, 1:06.873
16. Josh Elliott, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -32.007, 1:07.532
17. Joe Francis, UK (BMW S1000RR), -32.148, 1:07.782
18. David Allingham, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -38.169, 1:07.452
19. Dean Hipwell, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -51.925, 1:08.110
20. Dan Linfoot, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -2 laps, DNF, 1:07.528
21. Keith Farmer, UK (BMW S1000RR), -4 laps, DNF, 1:06.935
22. Shaun Winfield, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -11 laps, DNF, 1:08.173
23. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), -15 laps, DNF, 1:06.526
24. Hector Barbera, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), -17 laps, DNF, 1:06.714
25. Sam Coventry, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -20 laps, DNF, 1:09.071
26. Sylvain Barrier, France (Duc Panigale V4 R), -23 laps, DNF, 1:09.218
27. Matt Truelove, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -26 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded
Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 27 races):
1. Redding, 115 points
2. Bridewell, 109
3. Mackenzie, 108
4. Brookes, 74
5. Fores, 70
6. Buchan, 68
7. Elliott, 52
8. Andrew Irwin, 48
9. Iddon, 44
10. O’Halloran, 42
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Seeing Red: Donington delight for Redding with hat trick victories
(Above) Scott Redding. Photo courtesy of MotorSport Vision Racing.
Scott Redding backed up his debut Bennetts British Superbike Championship race win by completing a hat trick of victories at Donington Park this afternoon, edging out Xavi Forés and Tommy Bridewell to end the triple-header weekend on the top step of the podium.
In the second race of the weekend Redding narrowly claimed a second Bennetts BSB victory as the Be Wiser Ducati rider made a decisive move on Forés at Roberts to take the lead before the race was red flagged for rain.
At the start of race two, Forés led Christian Iddon and Bridewell, but again an aggressive Bridewell dived into second before moving into the lead with a pass into Redgate on the second lap. Forés had taken it back though by the end of the lap and Iddon had moved back into second for Tyco BMW.
Bridewell had been pushing for the lead again and on lap eight he forged ahead of the Honda until the sixteenth lap when Forés made a move on the brakes into Roberts to regain the position. As the pair diced at the front Redding had again had a slow launch off the line and he was having to carve his way through the order from tenth place on the opening laps.
Redding wasn’t inside the top five until lap 11 when he had Josh Brookes and Tarran Mackenzie ahead of him and the three scrapped it out before the race one winner made a move on the McAMS Yamaha rider and his own team-mate before pushing to bridge the gap to the leading pair.
Redding had closed in on the pair and on lap 17 he was able to move ahead of Bridewell and then Forés a lap later before the red flag to claim his second race win of the weekend for the Be Wiser Ducati team.
Brookes was able to hold off Mackenzie for fourth place ahead of Iddon and Jason O’Halloran who was embroiled in an intense battle with Hector Barbera on the leading Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki in the closing stages. Peter Hickman and Keith Farmer completed the top ten.
In the final race Be Wiser Ducati’s Redding had his best start of the weekend to hit the front of the pack into Redgate for the first time with pole-sitter Barbera, Forés and Brookes in close contention as the pack streamed down Craner Curves for the first time.
Forés grabbed the lead at Redgate on lap two as Brookes moved into second with Redding back in third and Iddon and Bridewell shuffling up the order. On the sixth lap Forés went wide at Coppice, giving Brookes the room he needed to move ahead.
Redding was into second place by lap eight with a move on Forés into Redgate and then two laps later the former MotoGP contender was in the lead and pushing for a breakaway. The battle was then on for second place and a big moment for Brookes on the 16th lap at Roberts on the brakes saw him run on to avoid contact and dropped him down the order, finishing the race in fifth place.
Mackenzie was holding second place for the McAMS Yamaha team but he was demoted back to third when Forés launched ahead at the Old Hairpin with six laps to go. The battle for second continued with Mackenzie and Forés trading blows, but the Spanish contender had the edge with two laps to go and then Bridewell was pushing for the final podium position.
Bridewell made a lunge at Roberts on the final lap to narrowly cross the line ahead of Mackenzie on the final lap to claim third place.
Iddon was sixth on the Tyco BMW after teammate Keith Farmer crashed out with two laps to go at Roberts. Peter Hickman was seventh ahead of Andrew Irwin and the Buildbase Suzuki pairing of Bradley Ray and Luke Stapleford completed the top ten.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, Race 2 result:
Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati)
Xavi Forés (Honda Racing) +0.275s
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +1.523s
Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) +1.740s
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +1.791s
Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +2.845s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +5.399s
Hector Barbera (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +5.583s
Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +6.515s
Keith Farmer (Tyco BMW) +8.054s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, Race 3 result:
Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati)
Xavi Forés (Honda Racing) +1.196s
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +1.779s
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +1.857s
Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) +2.004s
Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +9.220s
Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +10.334s
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) +12.952s
Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) +18.966s
Luke Stapleford (Buildbase Suzuki) +21.979s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Donington Park
Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) 115
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) 109
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 108
Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) 74
Xavi Forés (Honda Racing) 70
Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 68
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Scott Redding – Be Wiser Ducati
Triple race winner
“I just showed to myself the confidence and belief that I’ve got, which is something that I’ve been working on over the past years. It just feels amazing to be back in a fighting position and winning races.
“It’s not easy out there, those guys are so strong the first few laps and I just need a bit of time to find my way, and they attack and that’s great racing so I was a bit more fortunate to kind-of get out of it.
“I led a bit then Xavi came past and I thought ‘he’s going again’. He was going so fast in the beginning and then I managed to close the gap a little bit to him and Brookes and go through I thought ‘right, just be consistent’, that’s my strongest point – I can be very consistent every lap of the race and I managed it perfectly.
“I was just understanding more the tyres because I’m still very new to the Pirellis and all the races I’ve done so far this year I’m always attacking I’m always trying to get the best I can. That’s the first race [race 3] where I could control and kind-of learn the tyres, so I learned over the three races and I’m very happy.”
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:
Treble Top For Redding At Donington
Fresh from his maiden Bennetts British Superbike Championship victory at Donington Park Scott Reddingyesterday, Be Wiser Ducati’s Scott Redding swept to two more sensational race wins today to make it an unprecedented treble and in doing so, swept to the top of the championship standings following round three of the series.
The former MotoGP rider took two dominant wins on the factory-supported Be Wiser Ducati Panigale V4 R whilst team-mate Josh Brookes couldn’t manage a repeat of his Oulton Park double earlier in the month and after a race one crash, bounced back with fourth and fifth positions to maintain his top six position in the championship standings.
Unlike Saturday, where they started from first and second on the grid, today’s first race saw the duo line up on the third row whilst conditions were also different with cooler temperatures and frequent rain showers. Brookes made the better start with Redding further down the order but by half distance, they were both inside the top four.
26-year-old Redding continued his progress to the front and was in the lead when the race was stopped prematurely due to the rain meaning he claimed his second victory with 36-year-old Australian Brookes crossing the line in fourth.
Both riders were back on the front row for the third and final race of the weekend with Redding starting from second and Brookes third and it wasn’t long before they were both circulating at the front with 2015 champion Brookes leading the way. However, Redding was getting into his stride and took the lead before pulling away from the rest of the field to take his third win of the weekend. Brookes, meanwhile, made a mistake going into Robert’s Chicane on lap 15 and it dropped him back to fifth which he maintained to the flag.
The result means Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team are unbeaten in the last five BSB races going into round four at Brands Hatch in three weeks’ time.
Scott Redding: “I made it difficult again for myself in the first race today and dropping back down the order wasn’t ideal but the bike’s been working so well all weekend and my old style’s started to come back, so I was able to work my way forward. When the rain started to fall, I knew it wouldn’t be long before the red flag came out, so I tried to be as clean as possible and get to the front which I managed to do. Getting my second win felt great so to go on to complete the hat-trick made it an incredible weekend. I never expected the three wins but in the last race I was determined not to make a mess of the start and getting the lead early was just what I wanted. The team have been mega and have given me a lot of confidence so I want to maintain this form now as best I can.”
Josh Brookes: “Finishing in fourth and fifth isn’t what we go racing for and the results have been disappointing today. Everything felt like it was going to plan in the first race and I was catching the leaders but just after mid-race, I lost both grip and a bit of performance with the bike whilst I also eased off a bit more than some of the other riders when the rain began to fall. In the second race, I got sucked in a bit when I was in the draft of Scott and made a mistake going into the chicane which obviously lost me a lot of time. After that it was damage limitation so the results, for me personally, have been less than acceptable so we’ve got some work to do ahead of the next round.”
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s been a phenomenal weekend for Scott and to come away with three wins and the championship lead is simply superb. The confidence he gained from his win yesterday could be seen today and he took two brilliant wins. It’s taken him a bit of time to find his feet in the championship, with the bike and with the tyres but he’s showing now the reasons why we hired him and also what a class act he is. Josh is beating himself up a bit and I think the crash on Saturday knocked his confidence a bit which is obviously understandable. It took a bit off his lap times today, but he took two top five finishes and is still comfortably in the top six in the standings so I’m sure he’ll bounce back at Brands Hatch which has traditionally been one of his best circuits.”
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing BMW:
Top Ten For Hickman And Points For Ellison At Donington
The Smiths Racing BMW team were back in Bennetts British Superbike Championship action this Hickmanweekend and it proved to be a strong round three for the team at Donington Park with Peter Hickman taking three top ten finishes and James Ellison scoring his first points of the season.
The triple header weekend meant it was a busy time for all concerned, particularly on Saturday with practice, qualifying and the first 26-lap race and times were extremely close around the 1.97-mile National circuit. Just one second covered the top twenty riders with the end result being that Hickman lined up in 12th on the grid for the opening race with James slightly further back in 19th on the Smiths Racing BMW S1000RR.
The afternoon’s race saw the two riders suffer differing fortunes on the first of the 26 laps with Peter moving up to tenth but James slipping back to 23rd. However, whilst Hicky, from Lincoln, hovered on the edge of the top ten for much of the race, Cumbrian Ellison was able to make good strides forward and with Hickman crossing the line in tenth place, James joined him in the points for the first time this season in 15th.
Sunday’s first race saw Peter start from the fourth row of the grid with James three rows further back and conditions were considerably different compared to Saturday with cooler temperatures and showers. On this occasion, Hicky ran inside the top ten throughout and was involved in a battle with former MotoGP rider Hector Barbera for much of the race and eventually took ninth position. After a great start, which saw him move up four places on the opening lap, Ellison just missed out on the points in 16th.
Hickman was able to start the third and final race from seventh on the grid with Ellison on the sixth row with the two riders completing the first lap in ninth and 13th respectively. Ellison was enjoying his most productive ride of the year and was soon inside the top ten and in the wheel tracks of his team-mate Hickman although he again suffered with arm pump in the second half of the race.
It resulted in James running on at the chicane and dropping back to 15th but Peter enjoyed another strong ride and seventh place was not only his best finish of the weekend but also his second-best finish of the season so far.
Peter Hickman: “It’s been a tough weekend but we’ve steadily improved although we’ve had an issue under braking which we’ve never totally cured. It was slightly better in the last race and I’ve ended the weekend with three top ten finishes so we’re making progress. The potential of the bike is huge, we’re just not quite unlocking it all at the moment but we’re moving in the right direction for sure.”
James Ellison: “My confidence with the bike is improving all the time and this weekend was particularly good as my lap times were the closest they’ve been to the leaders all year. That’s very encouraging but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the results I felt we deserved this weekend due to suffering with arm pump. I got my first points of the year, which is obviously pleasing, and we again improved in each session so once we get these little issues sorted, we’ll be able to show our true pace and potential.”
Darren Jones, Team Co-ordinator: “We’re learning the bike all the time and we had a few issues this weekend which we never got to the bottom of; we made them better, but never totally cured them. Both riders chipped away all weekend and made good progress, particularly James who got his first points of the season which was obviously pleasing but they both suffered with arm pump which affected their results. James suffered with it more, so it was a shame it stopped him from finishing inside the top ten but the progress both riders are making is there to see so once we iron out these few issues, we’ll be in a good position.”
More, from a press release issued by JG Speedfit Kawasaki:
Strong Weekend at Donington for Quattro Plant Kawasaki
The Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki team achieved their best results so far in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this weekend with Héctor Barberá impressing on his series debut and Glenn Irwin taking his best finish of the season to date.
It was new team member Barberá, deputising for the injured Ben Currie, who fared the best in qualifying as he took eighth place and a third-row start for the first 26-lap race on Saturday afternoon, while Irwin lined up in 16th – three rows further back.
The early stages of the race saw both riders fall back slightly but as the laps unfolded, they both began to make good progress and by half-race distance, Héctor was up into an excellent sixth place – and closing in on the leading pack – with Glenn up to 12th.
The Spaniard briefly moved up to fifth but eventually had to settle for sixth position, just four seconds adrift of race winner and fellow ex-MotoGP rider Scott Redding – an excellent effort on his BSB debut.
Meanwhile, Glenn continued to overtake riders and took the chequered flag in ninth place for his best result of the season so far.
Sunday’s first race got under way with Barberá starting from the front row although he’d slipped back to seventh at the end of the first lap with Irwin back in 15th and although the latter was forced to retire just after half-race distance, Hector enjoyed a race long battle with Peter Hickman which eventually saw him finish in eighth place after the race was ended early due to rain.
The third and final race saw the 32-year-old start from pole position but a slightly sluggish start saw him drop back to seventh at the end of the opening lap. Two laps in he’d moved up to sixth and although he remained here for the next eight laps, he was running with the leading group of riders so well in contention for a podium finish.
However, on the tenth lap, he slid off, fortunately without injury, at the Old Hairpin although he’d made more than a favourable impression on his series debut. That just left Northern Ireland’s Irwin to fly the flag for the team and although he dropped back to 20th at one stage, he fought all the way to the end and was duly rewarded with two championship points for 14th place.
Glenn Irwin said: “We definitely made some progress this weekend and it’s the first time in a long time we’ve been able to fight with riders in better positions. It was nice to be the top Kawasaki in race three but I was given a penalty which dropped me back.
“I’ve been looking at Danny (Buchan) all year and wondering why I am where I am, so to beat him was good. At the same time to be in the position we are in isn’t ideal.
“I’m beginning to feel more comfortable on the bike but there is definitely a lot more to come. I’d like to thank Phil Marron and the team for bringing Phil in. We’ve a good platform to go forwards – roll on Brands!”
Héctor Barberá said: “I’m very happy with the opportunity I have been given. The bike is very good and the team are fantastic. I need a little more time with the bike and the tyres; riding with no traction and no electronics. It is difficult as I only went on the bike on Friday morning.
“The last race was my best race despite crashing as every session was a testing session and each time we were learning.
“In the last race one changed to the softer front tyre but maybe the harder tyre would be better for me. Everything was perfect; the bike, the team, and I really like the championship.
“I had a lot of confidence in the last race and I pushed a little hard, I wasn’t sure of my limit but I found it! I am lucky as the weather has been good all weekend. However, I am a little angry as I think in the last race I could have battled for a podium!”
Jack Valentine, Team Manager, said: “There have been a lot of positives this weekend. We brought Héctor Barberá in to replace Ben and he’s been like a breath of fresh air all weekend.
“Héctor took to the bike like a duck to water; he was on it straight away. We made only very small changes for every session to allow him to get used to the bike. He had two strong results and put the bike on the front row for race two and pole position for race three. He slipped off in the third race but he said he had to find his limits and he found them but he was running with the front pack when he went down.
“We are still struggling to find what Glenn wants and it’s a little disappointing as we were hoping he would be up there now fighting for podiums. We’ve made a lot of changes and hopefully we can continue to make progress and get a breakthrough.
“It’s looking likely we will have Hector on at Brands. We will do a test at Knockhill and give him some more track time there.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda BSB Racing Press Office:
Podium-tastic weekend for Honda at Donington Park
The Honda team and Xavi Forés are again celebrating this evening as they leave the third round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship with not one, but three podiums after another fantastic days’ racing at Donington Park.
Taking his first-ever BSB podium yesterday, Forés started today’s first race from the front row of the grid in second place. Getting an absolute charge off the line, Forés and the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 went straight into the lead at the first corner. Leading the pack for most of the race, the weather deteriorated and drops of rain started to fall at Donington’s National Circuit. Swapping places with Tommy Bridewell the rain fell heavier and passing Bridewell he was again in the lead, but not for long as a charging Scott Redding took over. On the 19th lap, the race was declared at two-thirds race distance, which saw Forés take second place.
The final Superbike race of the day was dry and lining up on the grid in sixth Forés was on a mission from as soon as the lights went out. Charging to the front once again, he was leading the pack by the second lap. Mid-race an epic battle for the podium commenced and the Spaniard was swapping places with Bridewell and Tarran Mackenzie, all who had their eye on the podium. The closing stages of the 26 laps saw Forés forge a gap between himself and Mackenzie and he crossed the line second, scoring his third podium of the weekend. After the results Forés is now fifth in the championship standings with 70 points.
Teammate Andrew Irwin took further steps forward this weekend; in Race 2 he finished 12th, but for the final race of the day he got a good start off the line and started to make his way through the pack in the early stages. Keeping his head down, he carved his way up the order and eventually crossed the line seventh.
In the National Superstock 1000 Championship, conditions for the race were tricky and subsequently Tom Neave struggled to find pace on the rain-soaked track. As conditions improved and the surface started to dry, Neave found his rhythm, but with the race drawing to an end he couldn’t improve on his position and crossed the line 14th.
The Championship now has a break for a few weeks and will return on 14/15/16 June for the fourth round at Brands Hatch.
Xavi Forés
#6
Honestly I didn’t expect this weekend to finish the way it has, yesterday I was happy to get my first BSB podium, but today we got two more! We’ve worked really hard with the Fireblade to be fast and consistent with the lap times. The second race today I felt a lot worse, I had a lot of spin and I was trying to manage the situation throughout the race. I lost some time battling with Tarran, which I did enjoy but losing the time wasn’t so good, as once I had passed him for the final time the gap to Scott was too much. But leaving here with a third and two second places is great and more than a win for me, especially after the first two rounds. Brands is next and the last time I was there was in 2006, it’s a lovely track and I hope to keep my level across the weekend and hope to see the podium again soon!
Andrew Irwin
#18
The weekend has been difficult to be honest and 12th in Race 1 really isn’t good enough! We did start to find some rhythm and then it was red flagged, I think we could have moved forwards, perhaps not much but I think we could have chased down 10th at least. Race 2 was better; I got a really good start but made a few silly mistakes throughout. I do feel that we did make some steps forward and turned a bit of a corner in some areas, so it’s a positive and we have to continue in this manner. Now we’re heading to Brands where I have been fast in the past, so I know I can be fast there. Well done to Xavi and the team for the podiums this weekend, it’s great to see the Fireblade being competitive and show what it can do!
Tom Neave
#68
I am disappointed with today really, I felt after yesterday’s performance, if it had of been dry I could have fought for a podium. But it’s all ifs, buts and maybes. Today was wet and we went the wrong way with the settings, which made it very difficult when it was really wet. Once it started to dry out it started to come to me a little, but by then it was unfortunately too late. But we live and we learn, now we move to Brands and it’s a circuit I really enjoy and love riding at.
Havier Beltran
Team Manager
I am over the moon for Xavi this weekend! I’ve got so much belief in the lad and I know he can do a good job and work with us to develop the Fireblade in a direction to be at the front – and he’s doing just that. I couldn’t ask anymore from him and just so happy for the team for all their hard work! Andrew has some great ambition and I know in time he’ll also be up at the front. We’ve got some work to do in getting the right setting for the Fireblade for race distance and not just having a machine that’s fast for one lap or anything like that. I am confident we’ll see a lot more from him and with the changes it will come to him. I feel for Tom, he had a tough one today. The race was in horrible conditions and it was extremely difficult. Talking with him afterwards, he’s disappointed, but it is a learning process and he’s got a lot of ability and talent, but we are going to run into difficult areas from time to time. He stayed on during the race and was able to understand the changing conditions, and when it started to dry out things were coming to him.
