World SBK 2012 – Round 13 – Portimao
World Superbike title battle now virtually down to three contenders
The 2012 eni FIM Superbike World Championship enters into a crucial phase this weekend as the title battle is virtually whittled down to three names on the eve of the penultimate round at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve circuit at Portimao. Max Biaggi and Marco Melandri, two of the most famous riders in world motorcycle racing, will be fighting it out on Sunday together with the revelation of the year, the 26-year-old Tom Sykes from the UK.
It will also be a terrific battle on the manufacturer front as well, with three makes still in with a shot of winning this classification. Two rounds are left, and that means four races and 100 points up for grabs. The venue for this weekend’s race will be the Portimao track in the Algarve region of Portugal, with its spectacular ups and downs, with the grand finale coming in two weeks time at Magny-Cours, in France.
A second major upset in two rounds saw the pendulum swing back towards Max Biaggi. At the Nurburgring in Germany the 41-year-old Italian from the Aprilia Racing Team celebrated his fifth win in 2012 (and his 21st in WSB), gaining 28 points over his rival Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), who for the first time came away with no points in a double DNF. Biaggi now leads the table with a 9.5 point lead over Melandri but the two Italians are being pushed hard all the way by the increasingly menacing Tom Sykes, the Kawasaki Racing Team talent who is now just 26.5 points behind Biaggi and 12 behind Melandri. In case of equal points the final positions will be decided by the most number of wins in a season. Currently Melandri has six to his name, Biaggi five and Sykes two.
The title battle is now virtually a three-way affair, even though the reigning champion Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) – 70.5 points behind – and Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) – 92.5 points behind – are still mathematically in with a chance. In the Manufacturers battle things are just as precarious: Aprilia moved back to the top again but BMW are just 7.5 points behind, followed by Ducati at minus 42.5 and Kawasaki at minus 62. Honda and Suzuki are no longer in the battle for the title.
Portimao will be the venue for World Superbike for the fifth time. The Algarve circuit was the decider in the 2009 edition, which saw a terrific duel between Ben Spies and Noriyuki Haga, but the previous editions have seen equilibrium all the way: Biaggi did the double in 2010, on his way to the world title, while Melandri won here last year. The most successful manufacturer however in Portugal is Ducati with four wins, the last one in 2011 with Carlos Checa, while Aprilia and Yamaha have each won twice.
But Superbike as always offers numerous points of interest and one of the main ones is those riders who are no longer involved in the final standings but who can easily have a say in the outcome. Althea Racing’s Carlos Checa has lost contact with the top 3, more through misfortune than anything else and so finishing off the season in the best possible way is priority for the Spanish rider. The same can be said for Jonathan Rea who in this period is racing on two different fronts as Honda HRC has also chosen him as stand-in for Casey Stoner in MotoGP.
One man on form at the moment is Chaz Davies, the 25-year-old British rider whose rookie year so far has culminated in an extraordinary win at Nurburgring: on the Aprilia RSV4 introduced in 2009 the only winner so far had been Biaggi. Next season the 2011 Supersport World Champion will be switching to BMW alongside Melandri.
In Germany the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team was the only one capable of preventing the podium from being an all-Aprilia lock-out as the final place went to a determined Leon Camier. After various problems in the early part of the season the GSX-R is now moving on up, and Camier will surely be a threat at a circuit that exalts his riding style.
The other rapidly-emerging rookies include Italy’s Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati), the 22-year-old reigning Superstock 1000 champion who is consolidating his top 10 position with some encouraging performances. One missing rider will be the injured Niccolò Canepa, replaced in the Red Devils Roma team by Matteo Baiocco, the two-time Italian CIV champion who raced as wild-card at Misano, finishing tenth. Another youngster to watch is Loris Baz, the 19-year-old Kawasaki Racing Team rider who already has one win at Silverstone and three podium finishes to his name.
Points (after 12 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 318; 2. Melandri 308,5; 3. Sykes 291,5; 4. Checa 247,5; 5. Rea 225,5; 6. Laverty 213,5; 7. Haslam 189; 8. Davies 156,5; 9. Guintoli 143,5; 10. Giugliano 125; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 384.5; 2. BMW 377; 3. Ducati 342; 4. Kawasaki 322.5; 5. Honda 240.5; 6. Suzuki 120.5.
World Supersport
Portimao will possibly produce at least one winner in Kenan Sofuoglu, who is well on his way to a third Supersport title. The Kawasaki Lorenzini man is unbeaten in the last two races and with four wins this year he has an advantage of 38 points over next man Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda), the only one left with a slim chance of winning. Should the Frenchman take the win, Sofuoglu would be champion with a fourth place, an unlikely result seeing as in the previous 11 races the 27-year-old Turk has scored worse on only three occasions.
Sofuoglu was crowned Supersport champion in 2007 and 2010, both times with Honda. Meanwhile with 21 wins in 67 races, Kenan is already the most successful Supersport rider of all time. An eventual win for Sofuoglu would also be just reward for the Vanni Lorenzini’s Kawasaki team, which is based at Pegognaga, near Mantova, an area hit by a violent earthquake a few months ago. Despite numerous problems the work of the Italian team has gone ahead, with exceptional results.
The Portuguese Round will also see a return to the track of home favourite Miguel Praia who gets a wild-card ride for the Honda Ten Kate Racing Products team.
Points (after 11 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglu 198; 2. Cluzel 160; 3. Foret 144; 4. Lowes 141; 5. Parkes 122; 6. Morais 84; 7. Baldolini 78; 8. Quarmby 77; 9. Iannuzzo 60; 10. Tamburini 50; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Kawasaki 237; 2. Honda 237; 3. Triumph 107; 4. Yamaha 97; 5. Suzuki 6.
Superstock 1000
The Nurburgring threw totally wide-open the race for the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, the series reserved for under-26 year-old riders, which last year saw top SBK rookie Davide Giugliano crowned as champion. A crash for Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Italia) complicated Ducati’s plans and allowed Frenchman Sylvian Barrier to take his BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet machine to just six points from the top. With two rounds to go (and 50 points at stake) calculations are worth nothing as the only strategy for the two contenders is to beat each other.
Mathematically, still in with a chance are Bryan Staring (Pedercini Kawasaki), 33 points behind La Marra, Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) at minus 37, as well as Lorenzo Savadori (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati) and Markus Reiterberger (Team Alpha Racing BMW), both 41 points behind the leader. In a championship that has produced numerous surprises in the previous eight rounds it is possible that nothing will be decided until the final curve of the final round at Magny-Cours.
Points (after 8 rounds of 10): 1. La Marra 119; 2. Barrier 113; 3. Staring 86; 4. Guarnoni 82; 5. Savadori 78; 6. Reiterberger 78; 7. Coghlan 68; 8. Bergman 68; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 152; 2. Kawasaki 143; 3. BMW 141; 4. Honda 62; 5. Aprilia 17.
Superstock 600
The situation is even more uncertain in the European Superstock 600 Championship for under 22 year-olds with a fantastic head-to-head between Michael van der Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team Honda) and Riccardo Russo (Team Italia FMI Yamaha) which has been raging since the start of the year. The Dutchman and the Italian, both 19 years of age, have already swapped places at the top numerous times, the last time at the Nurburgring where Van der Mark won, leaving him with a two-point lead over Russo as they go into Portimao. These two challengers have dominated the season, sharing out the wins equally in the eight rounds so far. Portimao is crucial, in particular for Van der Mark who in case of victory becomes clear favourite for the title and who would only have to keep Russo in his sights at Magny-Cours, whereas Russo would have to play his cards right at the season finale.
Points (after 8 of 10 rounds) 1. Vd Mark 169; 2. Russo 167; 3. Duwelz 78; 4. Vitali 59; 5. Nestorovic 58; 6. Schacht 55; 7. Calero Perez 54; 8. Morbidelli 52; etc.
— Honda Preview
Jonathan Rea returns to World Superbike action this weekend (21-23 September) to contest the penultimate round of the 2012 series. He will join Honda World Superbike team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama at the undulating and challenging Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimao in Portugal.
Rea made his MotoGP debut with Honda last Sunday at Misano in Italy, standing in for the injured Casey Stoner and finishing in a creditable eighth place. But he is relishing the prospect of returning to the 4.592km Portimao circuit on his Honda Fireblade in the third instalment of his five-week, back-to-back SBK-MotoGP odyssey.
The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland contested his first World Superbike races at Portimao in the final round of the 2008 season and immediately developed a special affinity with the demanding circuit. Rea, who has been on the Portuguese rostrum in each of his five race finishes since that debut, took pole position and two third places in the corresponding SBK round last season.
In stark contrast, Rea’s CBR1000RR-mounted team-mate, Hiroshi Aoyama, has never ridden at the roller-coaster Portimao circuit, but has been studying previous race videos intently before his first visit this weekend.
The 30-year-old Japanese rider will be looking to harness the form he displayed at another new circuit recently – Moscow Raceway in Russia – where he competed in his first Superpole qualifying sessions.
Jonathan Rea – “I’m really looking forward to this weekend because I love riding at Portimao – it’s a very challenging circuit from a rider’s point of view. It’s also where I had my first World Superbike race so it holds some special memories for me. We made some positive steps with the Fireblade at Nurburgring but there’s still lots more to do, especially with the electronics, working on acceleration on the side of the tyre to improve corner exit. We also need to develop the engine characteristics to smooth out the power delivery, so there’s a bit to do. It certainly won’t be easy but I think we can approach the weekend with some confidence in our challenge because the bike has gone well at Portimao in the past and I have a pretty good connection with the circuit.”
Hiroshi Aoyama – “I have never been to Portimao before so I am looking forward to seeing the track. I have watched some videos of other races and it looks very interesting, especially the first and last corners. There are also many up and down sections and my team has told me that there are some blind corners as well. I will do many laps on the scooter when I arrive in Portugal but this is nothing compared to my race bike. We will start with the same base setting that we have used in the last few races and probably not make many changes until I understand the racetrack a bit better. It looks like a difficult track to learn but I am looking forward to riding at Portimao this weekend.”
Ronald ten Kate – team manager – “It feels a little weird to be sitting on the settee at home watching Jonathan riding in MotoGP and then to have him live and for real in our garage the following weekend. It’s certainly not the easiest way for him to go racing but, on the other hand, these are probably the most exciting few weeks of his career so far. The technical demands of the Portimao circuit have always suited Jonathan so we’re hoping we can build on his experience and his previous results here this weekend. For Hiroshi, however, the circuit is completely new and he’ll soon find out that the layout is unlike any other circuit in the world. He might need every available lap this weekend just to learn Portimao, but I’m sure he’ll have fun doing it!”
— BMW Preview
Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport heads to the south of Portugal this week, as the season enters the finishing straight. The “Autódromo Internactional do Algarve” will host the penultimate round of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship from 21st to 23rd September. The circuit, which was opened in 2008, welcomes the Superbike World Championship for the fifth time this season.
Twelve race weekends into the season, BMW factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) is currently second in the Riders’ Championship on 308.5 points – 9.5 points behind leader Max Biaggi (ITA). Leon Haslam (GBR) has scored 189 points on his BMW S 1000 RR this season, putting him seventh overall. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, BMW currently has 377 points and lies second, 7.5 points behind leader Aprilia.
The BMW Motorrad factory riders have good memories of the Algarve: Marco was making his debut in Portimão last year and claimed victory in the second race. Leon has finished on the podium on three occasions in Portugal. The Brit injured his left shoulder and elbow in crashes in Moscow (RUS) and at the Nürburgring (GER). However, as medical examinations confirmed last week, these injuries are fortunately not serious.
Marco Melandri: “It looks like we are going to have good weather at Portugal, which I am very happy about. I certainly expect tough races. There are just two rounds to go and the championship is still very open for quite a few riders, so it will be not easy but very interesting. I will approach the weekend as I always do. In preparation I trained a lot back home and in Portimão I will try to enjoy the ride. The whole team and I will do our best and just try to be consistent and fast in both races.
Portimão is one of the most beautiful race tracks in the world. The layout is unbelievable. There are up and down sections like you find on no other race track and the corners are pretty fast. Last year I was racing there for the first time and I had a good result. The races are not going to be easy because it will definitely be close between many riders.”
Leon Haslam: “Germany was pretty tough; I landed on my shoulder in two more crashes. I had some MRI scans, the outcome of which was quite positive. There is no tendon damage, just at the ligament and some fluid in the joint. It is nothing that a rest before the next race in Portugal won’t sort out. I also had a virus in Germany, so last week I was recovering from that too. I have spent some time relaxing and am now looking forward to Portimão.
The race track is very different; it is very up and down and quite aggressive. It is one of the circuits I have enjoyed in the past. Last year we had a tough time but during the tests we have done there over the winter we were quite competitive so I am looking forward to returning with this bike. As always we will push for the win, which we know we are capable of. We just need a little bit more luck and then we can achieve that target.”
Andrea Dosoli (Head of Race Operations): “After the difficult and unlucky races at the Nürburgring we are all looking forward to Portimão. The whole team is highly motivated to win back the points we have lost during the two races on German soil. The Portuguese race track, with its uphill turns, downhill braking and the never-ending elevation changes, is the perfect playground for our riders and crews. It will be demanding for the tyres and for the riders, whose riding skills and physical condition will face a tough test.
Leon’s shoulder and elbow injuries, ‘mementos’ from the recent crashes in Moscow and at the Nürburgring, were worrying all of us. However, we are now confident that after the medical treatment and a few days rest he will be able to show all his talent. Leon knows the podium in Portimão well, having been on it three times in the past. Marco also has a special memory of the Portuguese track; he won the last race of the 2011 season there. He has already forgotten the unlucky German races. Now he, like all of us, is very motivated and convinced that our package will be competitive again in Portugal. It will be a difficult weekend, our competitors are becoming stronger and stronger, but we are well prepared and ready to fight!”
Portimão from Pirelli’s point of view: For the penultimate round of the 2012 Superbike World Championship Pirelli will once again provide the riders with multiple slick solutions as well as intermediate and wet tyres and the Superpole qualifier. More specifically, there will be three alternatives on the front: two in the SC1 compound (the N1159 as the 2012 standard SC1 and the P1280 as an alternative development solution) and one SC2 mid-hard, the P773, which has already been used during the season on various occasions.
For the rear, on the other hand, Pirelli is bringing five different tyres. There will be two in SC0 compound, two in SC1 and one in SC2. The two SC0 solutions are the R874 in an oversized profile version and the R548, both already used for the Brno round. The 2012 standard SC1 (P1060) will join these, as well as the development tyre, the R302, both already widely used in other rounds of the 2012 season. The final alternative for the rear will be the SC2 N1157 for use in the event of very low temperatures. The “Autodrómo Internacional do Algarve”, a 4,658 metre track with nine right hand turns and six left handers is definitely one of the circuits that most enhances the ability of a tyre to perform in very different conditions due to the various uphill and downhill sections and the different radius turns.
Background: Portimão is a coastal town on the Algarve in the south of Portugal with a population of 50,000. It is located almost 300 kilometres south of the capital of Lisbon and about 70 kilometres west of Faro. Tourists love the picturesque region with its many beaches, impressive cliffs, golf courses and many other leisure opportunities. Portimão also enjoys a good reputation when it comes to motor racing. Its unique layout makes the “Autódromo Internacional do Algarve” popular among automobile drivers and motorcyclists alike. The circuit belongs to the “Algarve Motor Park”, which is also home to a kart track and a racing driver school.
The ultra-modern racetrack is located in the hilly landscape around Portimão. It was completed in October 2008 and opened officially when it hosted the finale of the FIM Superbike World Championship on 2nd November of the same year. Since then, the series has visited Portimão every year. The circuit in the Algarve has also become a permanent fixture on the calendar of many other motorcycle and automobile championships. The demanding layout and generally good weather conditions also make Portimão a popular test track.
Portimão is regarded by some racing riders and drivers as one of the most beautiful tracks in the world. The circuit is nestled in the hilly landscape and consequently features many undulating sections. A number of changes in direction and gradient, crests, some complex sections, a lot of long corners and a winding infield make the circuit a real challenge for riders and teams alike. The riders must show plenty of courage to push their bikes to the limit here, while the teams must find the right set-up to cope with all these characteristics. Good steering response is vital, particularly when accelerating out of the turns. When working on the set-up of the bike, the mechanics must also bear in mind that the front wheels of the powerful superbikes can easily lose contact with the ground as they race over the crests. One key point is the final turn: here, it is important to take enough speed out of the corner and onto the start-finish straight, which is almost one kilometre in length.
BMW Motorrad factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) made his first appearance in Portimão last year, picking up another victory to round off his debut season in the Superbike World Championship. His team-mate Leon Haslam (GBR) has stood on the podium on three occasions in the past. Last winter Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport spent time testing in Portimão, in order to prepare for the current season.
— Kawasaki Preview
Tom Sykes and Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) will start the second-to-last round of the 2012 season in good shape on their Ninja ZX-10R machines, with each already a proven race winner this year.
Sykes has been in fabulous form this year, by making god use of every advance that his team and the development engineers of KHI have been able to provide. Despite the truly competitive nature of the SBK championship in 2012, with eight individual riders having taken wins, Tom is third in the championship, only 26.5 points from the lead and with a maximum of 100 points up for grabs for any rider who wins all four remaining races.
Sykes has already scored strongly in 2012, having taken two race wins, 10 podiums, seven poles and three fastest laps.
Loris Baz joined the KRT team in the mid-season of 2012 and quickly adapted to life in a factory team. He has gone on to score a race win, three podiums in total and one fastest lap so far.
The teenage rider from France is a big fan of the Portimao track and hopes to come away with two more strong performances to boost his overall placing up from 14th. Loris has only made 16 individual WSBK race starts in total so far, which makes his performance to date all the more remarkable.
Pedercini Team Kawasaki rider David Salom will once more be joined by Alexander Lundh, each looking to score points in what is a very tough season for the strength-in-depth of riders and machines throughout the SBK field.
Tom Sykes: “The Portimao circuit is quite extreme, especially in the way it changes elevation so fast and so often, but I think that the way the Ninja ZX-10R is working we should be able to go to any circuit and do well. Right now, with two rounds to go, 90% of my thoughts are about taking it just one race at a time, and of course we will do what we have been doing all year when we get to Portugal. Obviously, ten percent of me is also thinking that we are in a good position in the table. If we play our cards right we can stay in the top three, and if we play our cards really well then we can win the championship. But in reality, come race weekend, we will go race-by-race and carry on as we have been doing. I think that we have proved to people that when the bike set-up is working we can be fast and we have the pace to run at the front consistently. I am confident in my own ability and both the team and Kawasaki have been fantastic. If we keep working on the set-up and get it to where it should be every time, then we all should be pretty happy.”
Loris Baz: “I really like the track in Portugal, it is always one of my favourites and I also have good memories from some previous years. I have been on the podium there in both Superstock classes in the past. I do not agree that it is a really small track. Moscow was small, but Portimao is a very interesting track, there are a lot of different kinds of corners. It is getting bumpier every year but we will work for that and I feel confident for this weekend. The final corner is one of my favourites because you cannot see the exit when you lean into it, plus it is very fast. I think that corner is a good test for a rider because you have to trust yourself a lot.”
Kenan Sofuoglu has an impressive 38-point lead as the WSS championship enters the penultimate round and he will go to Portugal determined to take the title on his Kawasaki Lorenzini Ninja ZX-6R.
Kenan’s season so far has been punctuated by many highs and a few lows but he has racked up an enviable run of statistics on the way to a lead that leaves only one potential rival for the championship now, Jules Cluzel. Sofuoglu has scored eight podiums in total, four of which were wins, plus a pole position at Brno.
After beating Cluzel last time out in Germany, Sofuoglu now only needs one more strong finish at Portimao to guarantee his third WSS title and his first for Kawasaki.
Sheridan Morais, Kenan’s Kawasaki Lorenzini team-mate, has the aim of securing his second podium finish of the 2012 season at Portimao, which is the circuit he first tested his current Ninja ZX-6R at after the end of last season.
Fabien Foret (Intermoto Step Racing) is out to consolidate his third place in the championship, having already won two races this year. The experienced French rider is four points ahead of Alex Lowes, and 16 behind his fellow countryman Cluzel. Romain Lanusse, Foret’s team-mate, is currently 16th.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “I am feeling good and ready for the next race. Hopefully if I can finish the race in Portugal without mistakes or problems then probably I can win the title. Before the last round I knew it was very important to win the race and I won it, so I met my goal there. I like the track at Portimao but I will have to see how it goes there on my Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. I think, normally, without anything happening, that we should be able to make a top four finish. We will see how our weekend is shaping up on Friday when we get there. I just need to make the maximum points possible an try to win the championship there, and if not we will have to go forward to Magny-Cours.”
Sheridan Morais: “I rode Superstock 1000 for the Lorenzini team in 2011 and Portimao gave me my best result by far, a podium. All weekend we were really fast in dry conditions then, so clearly it a very good place for me to race at and it is similar to the tracks in South Africa because it is up and down. Fortunately I was able to test the Kawasaki WSS bike there at the end of last season, in the official test sessions. I did a lot of laps on it. We have got quite a good set-up because we did manage to do quite a good lap times at the test, so we have a base set-up for Portimao. That should allow us to have a good start to the weekend. I would like to get podiums in the last two races. We were looking for top five ranking before the end of the year but the DNF at the previous round did mess that up a bit, so to finish top six would be a good overall finishing position.”
— Fixi Suzuki Preview
FIXI Crescent Suzuki is on the Algarve coast in Portugal for the 13th and penultimate round of the 2012 eni FIM Superbike World Championship to be held this weekend at the Portimao circuit.
Following his superb result in the last round at Nurburgring, Leon Camier is planning on continuing in the same vein of form at a circuit that should suit his riding style. His podium in Germany was a just reward for Camier and the whole crew and has given a huge boost to the team as it enters the final stages of the season.
John Hopkins will be racing at a track that is completely new to him this weekend, so will need to be up-to-speed quickly at a circuit that is notoriously difficult for bike set-up. The Anglo-American is not deterred by that though, as he too aims to end the season strongly and secure his best results of the year in the forthcoming two events on his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R.
The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is an ultra modern track that was completed in 2008 and opened officially when it hosted the finale of the World Superbike Championship the same year and since then the series has visited 4,592m Portimao circuit every year. The layout is situated in hilly landscape and consequently features many undulating sections. A number of changes in direction and gradients, crests, some complex sections, a lot of long corners and a winding infield make the circuit a real challenge for riders and teams alike. This weekend looks like being very exciting as the World Championship title battle enters into its final stages, with three riders still in with a chance of taking the title. Max Biaggi, Marco Melandri and Briton Tom Sykes are all still in with a shot of winning this title and with two rounds and four races remaining, it all looks like a thrilling climax is on the cards.
The penultimate World Superbike weekend of the season will get underway on Friday with the first practice and qualifying sessions. Saturday morning will have a second qualifying session to reduce the field to just 16-riders, who will then progress to that afternoon’s Superpole. Sunday’s 22-lap races will start at 12.00hrs local time (12.00hrs BST) and 15.30hrs local time (15.30hrs BST).
Leon Camier: “I’ve always liked the Portimao circuit and my race pace has been pretty good there, even if my qualification has not! It’s pretty hard to get a good bike set-up there because of all the changes of direction and elevation but, once you know where you are going, you can put in good laps. I’m not sure how the FIXI Crescent Suzuki is going to go round there, because the track is very different to the Nurburgring, but I’m sure the boys and I will sort the bike out as best we can. There have been a lot of congratulations after Nurburgring and it’s been great for the team, because it’s been a tough season, but a result like that makes up for the hard times before. Now, we’re hoping we’ll keep progressing and end the season on the up.”
John Hopkins: “I’ve not raced at Portimao, so the first thing I have to do is learn the circuit. From what I’ve heard, the track is quite a tough one for bike set-up, but I learn tracks pretty quickly, so I’m not worried about that aspect. Portimao certainly seems to have a bit of everything and I think it’s a track I’m going to enjoy once I get the hang of it. Once I feel confident about pushing the FIXI Crescent Suzuki hard, I’ll be going all-out for my best results of the year.”
Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “All of us at FIXI Crescent Suzuki were so happy after the podium at the Nurburgring and we are determined to continue the progress and chase good results in the last two rounds of the championship. Portimao is a very different track to Nurburgring, but our aim – as usual – is to do well in qualifying and get both Leon and John safely into Superpole. After that we’ll see what happens. I’m sure that Leon and John are fully motivated about his coming weekend and looking forward to getting some more good results.”
— Althea Ducati Preview
This weekend sees the eni Superbike World Championship move on to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal for the penultimate round of the 2012 season. Team Althea Racing, participating with riders Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano, will be doing its best to round off the year with the best possible results.
Two weeks ago it was the Nurburgring’s turn to host the World Superbikes but despite its high hopes, team Althea Racing has another difficult race day against their four cylinder rivals. Race one came to a premature end for Giugliano while Checa crashed, rejoined and finished in eventual twelfth position; race 2 saw the Althea pair cross the line in sixth and seventh place respectively. As the Althea team arrives at Portimao for the penultimate event of the 2012 season, Carlos is in fourth place (247.5 points) in the standings while Davide is tenth (125). Ducati lies third in the manufacturer’s championship with 342 points.
Portimao was the final event of the 2011 calendar and for Carlos Checa it was a chance to close his championship winning year in style. Having already secured the rider’s title at the previous round of Magny-Cours, the pressure was off but Carlos was eager to fight for another race win. He achieved his objective by taking victory in race 1, his 15th win of the 2011 season, before closing the second race in fourth place.
Last year’s Portimao event gave the newly crowned Superstock 1000 champion Davide Giugliano his first taste of Superbike racing, with team Althea Racing allowing him to wildcard alongside Checa in the SBK season’s closing round. Giugliano made good progress throughout the weekend and was rewarded with a handful of championship points in Sunday’s second race. Both riders are looking forward to racing in Portugal this weekend, at a track they both enjoy.
Carlos Checa: “It’s difficult because we usually use the data from the previous year’s race but, as we saw in Germany, last year we were going a lot better while this year we’re struggling and so those references are not so useful. Nevertheless Portimao is a fun track with undulations that really make the rider work hard. I’ll face this weekend with the usual philosophy, I’ll do my best to adapt to the conditions and make the most of both the bike and my ability. We’ll see what we are able to do.”
Davide Giugliano: “Last year was great at Portimao because it was my first SBK experience. It all went well in the practice sessions and in the races I definitely learned a lot in a very short time; I immediately saw that in SBK riders are pushing a lot harder right from the start line and you can gain a good position already through the first corners. In race one I was nervous but I calmed down for the second race which went pretty well. Not bad for my first SBK weekend. This year things are not easy, we continue to have the same problem but this won’t stop me from doing my best during the final races of the season.”