Looking ahead to Monza – Round 5 of the World Superbike Championship
- From: 'the Wire' | Published: May 4th, 2010 - 11:53 pm
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Country: Italy
Circuit length: 5.777 km
Pole position: Left
Corners left: 5
Corners right: 8
Length of race: 18 laps = 103.986 km
LAP RECORDS: Best lap – Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1’45.336 (2009). Superpole – Spies (Yamaha) 1’44.073 (2009).
2009 RESULTS:
Race 1 – 1. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 2. Haga (Ducati Xerox); 3. Kiyonari (Honda).
Race 2 – 1. Spies (Yamaha); 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox); 3. Kiyonari (Honda)
The circuit itself was first constructed in 1922 and has undergone various changes from then to its current set up. Its 5.7km layout is characterised by long high speed straights and chicanes, with three main corners, the Curvone di Biassono, Curva di Lesmo and the Curva Parabolica. For 2010 the first chicane at the end of the start / finish straight has been modified. The current and previous lap records were both taken on Yamaha R1s, the current last year by Ben Spies, the previous in 2007 by Noriyuki Haga.
With four of the 2010 World Superbike rounds already completed, Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio are now mentally and physically preparing for the first of three Italian appointments, to take place this weekend at Monza’s Autodromo Nazionale.
Monza has hosted the Superbikes since 1992 (the only year that didn’t see a Monza round was 1994) and last year provided the setting for Michel’s first ever Superbike win, achieved in Race 1 and consolidated by a second place finish in the second of the day’s races. Noriyuki too had a strong first race and crossed the line second, just two tenths behind team-mate Michel, but was subsequently involved in an unlikely, and extremely unlucky, collision with a pigeon which put a dramatic end to his Race 2.
Just over a week ago the TT Circuit of Assen played host to the Superbikes and at the end of a very difficult weekend, Noriyuki lies in sixth position in the riders classification and Michel in ninth. Ducati is third in the manufacturers standings at this point, four points behind Aprilia and eighteen behind leader Suzuki.
Straight after Assen the factory team carried out two days of testing at Misano and, although Noriyuki was suffering from a high fever, some very useful work was completed by both riders and at the end of the sessions Michel proved to be the fastest rider on track.
Noriyuki Haga (6th in championship, 85 points)
The Japanese rider has celebrated numerous race wins and podiums at this track in recent years and lists it among his favourites.
“It was unfortunate that I was sick after Assen and so couldn’t make the most of last week’s Misano testing session. The work I did do there went well and now we have to see what happens at Monza. This weekend will be tough; I like the Monza track but at the same time I know that my 1198 does not have the top speed of some of the other bikes and with Monza’s long straights, it will be hard for us I think. Nevertheless, I’ll be opening the gas and giving 200%.”
Michel Fabrizio (9th in championship, 53 points)
Michel put on a great performance here last season, winning Race 1 and finishing Race 2 in second. For this reason, Michel too cites Monza as one of his favourite circuits. “I had a good weekend here last year and am very happy that my first ever Superbike race win came in front of my home crowd, at Monza. We’ve not had an easy run of things recently but testing went well at Misano last week and I’ll be doing everything to put on a great performance this weekend. We need to start to make up lost ground.”
Two good podium finishes by James Toseland at Assen followed by a successful two day test in Misano last week have given the Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team extra motivation for the team’s home race. Riders Toseland and Crutchlow head to Monza for round five of the World Championship this weekend, the first of three Italian races this year, intent on capitalising on the steps taken recently in development. These include steps forward in electronics and chassis set-up, making the bike even more competitive and making the British pairing serious contenders for victory at the legendary high speed circuit.
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda riders, Jonathan Rea and Max Neukirchner, are preparing for round five of the 2010 World Superbike championship at Monza in Italy this weekend (7-9 May), looking to build on their performances in the last round at Assen.
For Rea, Assen marked a perfect weekend with a full-house of pole position, two race wins and the fastest lap, elevating him to third in the championship standings; but the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland is certainly not resting on his hard-won laurels.
Rea, who enjoyed two top five finishes at Monza in his rookie Superbike season last year, is eager to develop further the new base setting on his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. He and his crew plan on fine tuning it to suit the high-speed duels that the historic Monza circuit has traditionally thrown up in its first 20 years of World Superbikes.
The revised 5.777km circuit, set in a royal park just north of Milan, holds particular memories for Rea’s team-mate, Max Neukirchner. The 27-year-old German took a win and a second place finish at Monza in 2008, but after qualifying on the front row last year was injured in a pile-up at the first chicane – the Prima Variante. It is this corner that has now been opened up to prevent a bottleneck on the opening laps.
Neukirchner ultimately missed the remainder of the 2009 season and good results thus far in 2010 have proved hard to find. However, after adapting both his bike and his riding style for the last round, he and his team were buoyed by impressive lap times and a season-best finish in race two at Assen.
Jonathan Rea
It’s been a really busy time since I got back from Assen – I moved into a new apartment last weekend and then went to watch my motocross team and afterwards saw my brother in the British Superstock championship. I’m really looking forward to Monza, though, and the results last year were not so bad. We know the bike works there because Kiyo (Ryuichi Kiyonari) got on the podium twice, but I can’t wait to see how the new base setting transfers to Monza. It could have been easy to get carried away after the double win at Assen, but we’re not naïve enough to think that our rivals haven’t been working very hard since then. We certainly have, because we know how tough it is to get to the front and stay there. I’ll aim for another steady start this weekend; building momentum on Friday and Saturday. You need a bit of fight and determination at Monza, as well as a fast bike, and I’m planning on bringing both this weekend.
Max Neukirchner
I’m feeling very positive as we go to Monza because I really feel that we made a big step forward in the second race at Assen. We’ve changed the bike quite a bit and made it stiffer for race two, but the biggest change I&rsq uo;ve made is in my riding style. I need to brake differently into the corners to help me get out faster and, although Monza is known as a very fast circuit, I think we can still make some steps forward there on braking into the chicanes. It’s a very special place, but obviously I have some bad memories from last year. I will just be concentrating on improving the bike and my style and this, I think, will help me to close the book on last season’s problems.
Ronald ten Kate – team manager
After the perfect weekend in Assen with Jonathan’s clean sweep we have to get our feet firmly back on the ground and get straight back to business at Monza. The Assen races were pretty close, but I believe that this weekend they may be even closer, so the smallest details will make all the difference. Max made a big step forward in race two at Assen and, although his new riding style feels slow to him, it definitely make s him go faster. I’m hoping he’ll make another step up towards the leading group at Monza, where the revised first corner will be new to everyone since no-one has tested there. But in theory, it’ll be better than the bus-stop chicane that was there before.
James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team
“The test last week was encouraging, I think I ended up second and third. I am particularly looking forward to Monza; I’ve always loved riding there, as we didn’t in Moto GP I’m happy to be going back. It’s got an ambience in the park, to hear the engines resonating through the trees is really special and you can feel the history. The high speed circuit is also pretty special; to hold it flat out in top gear for 7 or 8 seconds is something you don’t do anywhere else. I’m really pleased with the way things are progressing with package and the team and as it’s the home race for them it also adds something extra to the weekend.”
Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team
“I’m looking forward to putting the Assen weekend behind me and getting back to the front at Monza. We’ve been working hard as a team to keep improving the bike and it was really useful to spend the two days at Misano working on a set up for me. I’m confident both James and I can be at the front this weekend and fighting for podiums on Sunday. I love the high speed Monza circuit and enjoyed racing there on the Supersport bike last year, I can’t wait to tackle it with the R1.”
Monza technically speaking according to Frankie Carchedi, James Toseland’s Crew Chief
“At Assen we were able to make more steps forward with the electronics and chassis, and more importantly close the gap on the championship lead. Since then we have had a successful test at Misano where we were able to evaluate different links and further improvements to the power delivery. Monza is the fastest track on the calendar and requires good top end speed, strong brakes and good at changing direction as it has three chicanes, also tire life for the famous Parabolica corner which dictates the speed on to the main straight. We are hopeful that with the further improvements we have made, and the strong Yamaha engine, James can again fight for the win and close the gap for the championship.”
Monza technically speaking according to Marcus Eschenbacher, Cal Crutchlow’s Crew Chief
“The Misano test was really interesting for us using different approaches to chassis set up. We’ve improved our mid corner grip and stability and also our straight line traction and drive coming out of the corners. Monza has the highest average speed of any circuit we visit this year, with chicanes in between the high speed sections so we will be setting up for high speed stability as well as working on a bike that can change direction quickly and drive out of the chicanes.”
Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“For me Monza is something special, it was the same when I was racing here. In the past we have traditionally had good results in all race categories at the track, and after the last two races and the test in Misano we are arriving with good expectations. Unfortunately the weather forecast is bad for this weekend so that is a question mark but hopefully it is wrong!”
Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike team sponsor FIMER will tomorrow (5th May) launch a new division dedicated to renewable energy at the SOLAREXPO in Verona. To mark this occasion the bikes of both James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow will have green FIMER logos on the fairings instead of their usual red colour for the Monza race weekend.
This weekend at the Monza circuit is a very important one, not only because it’s the first Italian round of the 2010 World Superbike championship but also because it represents one of the key points of the season.
The two Althea Racing riders come to the track holding fourth and twelfth position in the overall classification.
Carlos Checa is, currently, the higher placed rider, thanks to a great victory at Phillip Island and a podium finish at Valencia. The Spaniard hasn’t been on the podium at Monza in the last two years but this year he is very determined and capable of turning that trend around.
Shane Byrne has accumulated points in all of the races so far (except Race 1 at Valencia) and seems to have found a good pace, as demonstrated by his recent race results. In 2009 the Monza track wasn’t particularly kind to the Englishman either; he took home just two points.
Genesio Bevilacqua, team owner, declared: “We’ve reached a critical point in the season and our team, also in light of our latest results, is ready to be a main player at Monza too. Even though the Lombardy track doesn’t seem to favour the Ducatis, it’s worth noting that the Bolognese bike has still won 18 of the 36 races held there and this gives us confidence. Carlos is in great shape and seems determined to put on a great show in front of the Italian crowd. Shane on the other hand will have the chance to prove that he’s back to being the “Shakey” that we know and love.”
The Superbike schedule at Monza starts on Friday with the first free practice at 12.45, followed by the first qualifying session at 15.45. On Saturday, after the second qualifying session at 10.45 and the second free practice at 13.50, the Superpole gets underway at 15.00. On Sunday morning warm-up begins at 9.20, while Race 1 kicks off at 12.00 and Race 2 at 15.30 – both races are 18 laps in length, equal to 103.986 km.
The lap record for Superbikes at Monza is no longer valid as the first chicane has been modified, changing the parameters. The “old” record, that referred to the previous layout, was set by Fabrizio (Ducati) in 2009, in 1m45.336 at an average of 197,980 km/h, while Ben Spies (Yamaha) set a 1’44″073 (at an average of 200,390 km/h) in practice in 2009.
Supersport
Kenan Sofuoglu and his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Michele Pirro, will be seeking improvement at this weekend’s (7-9 May) fifth round World Supersport championship race at Monza in Italy.
Sofuoglu currently lies in second place in the championship standings after finishing on the podium in all four rounds this year, including a win at Portimao in March. However, the 25-year-old 2007 world champion from Turkey was disappointed to miss out on victory at the previous Assen round, after dominating practice and starting from pole position.
Pirro, who took his first World Supersport podium at Portimao, will also be looking for improvement, particularly after crashing out of the last two rounds. The 23-year-old from San Giovanni Rotondo in south-west Italy is particularly keen to perform at the first of three ‘home’ rounds this season.
As two-time Italian Superstock champion and reigning Italian Supersport champion , Pirro has plenty of Monza experience and placed seventh in last year’s World Supersport race. Sofuoglu, meanwhile, has enjoyed mixed Monza results, winning in his 2007 championship year, but struggling with set-up problems to finish ninth in last season’s race.
The ultra-fast Monza circuit has been revised for the 2010 season, with the Prima Variante chicane at the end of the start-finish straight now opened up slightly to avoid the bottleneck situations of previous years. The circuit length is consequently shortened by 16m to 5.777km.
Kenan Sofuoglu
Although I finished third and got some more points for the championship, I was very disappointed with the result at Assen. I had planned to go back to Turkey after the race but instead I stayed behind with the team to analyse the result and to try to find out what happened. The bike was probably set up too much to do fast lap times and might have been a bit too soft to battle hard with Laverty and Lascorz, who were very strong in the race. The base setting on the bike is very good though, and we will go to Monza to try to improve more and get back on top of the championship by winning again.
Michele Pirro
It was very disappointing for me to crash at Assen, especially after my team worked so hard to give me a good bike that I was able to put on the front row of the grid. They should have had a better reward at their home race. Kenan is showing with his results how good the CBR600RR is now and I know, after Portimao, that I am able to achieve good results with it, too. I am now even more determined to get back on the podium and it would be great to do it in Italy this weekend.
Ronald ten Kate – team manager
Monza has historically produced good slipstream fighting in Superbikes, but I think we’ll see the same thing in Supersport this weekend with the leading three to five riders battling it out. For the moment, there are three riders who are clearly outstanding but I am quite sure that Michele Pirro wants to start mixing with them as soon as he can this weekend – especially as this race is in Italy.
