World SBK Day One Assen
- From: 'the Wire' | Published: April 23rd, 2010 - 6:09 pm
QUALIFYING 1 REPORT 23/04/2010
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda riders Jonathan Rea and Max Neukirchner declared themselves happy after the opening day of the fourth round World Superbike championship meeting at Assen in Holland.
Although 11 places separate the two CBR1000RR-mounted riders, both benefitted from a two-day test conducted last week at the revised 4.542km circuit near Groningen in the north of the country.
Rea spent much of the free practice and qualifying session in first place but a technical problem towards the end of the afternoon prevented the 23-year-old from further improving his time. Provisional pole position was taken by Jakub Smrz.
Neukirchner, meanwhile, made further adaptations to both his machine and his riding style to allow him to exit corners faster. The improvements allowed him to go more than a second faster than during last week’s test.
Jonathan Rea – P2 1’36.339s
It’s been a positive Friday, really – maybe one of the best I’ve had in Superbikes. We’ve already found a good race pace and I was able to go four tenths quicker this afternoon than I did in the morning, when I found it quite easy to go fast. We already did a race run this morning, doing 24 laps on the rear, and then I was happy with the front that we used this afternoon. It’ll be even better when I use the right tire combination. It’s still only Friday, of course, and because we tested last week, the others have probably got a bit more to find than I have. But we’re not playing catch up this weekend and we mustn’t go to sleep tomorrow. I’m really enjoying riding the bike and feel like I’m in the zone.
Max Neukirchner – P13 1’37.453s
I’m actually quite happy that we made a good step forward today. I went faster than at the test here last week and was able to find a second from this morning to this afternoon. The biggest thing we’ve been able to find is more stability with the bike and this has improved its turning. All this helps me to adapt my riding style as well, so it’s all helping. I hope to improve in all these areas some more tomorrow and keep making up some positions like I was able to today.
Ronald ten Kate – team manager
It’s been a good day on both sides of the garage and with Jonathan we’ve already done quite some work on used tires in preparation for Sunday’s races. There are still some areas that we need to look at but it’s going OK so far. Max is climbing up the rankings again but there’s still a bit more work to do to find the ultimate combination of adapting his style to go with the right settings on his CBR1000RR. But we remain positive and will continue with that work tomorrow.
Troy Corser finished the first day of qualifying at Assen with the third quickest time of the day and afterwards said “Today the bike has been the best it has ever been on the first day of a Superbike Weekend!”
It has taken a long time for Troy to make such a bold statement, but recent good work by the team in the last round in Valencia and in tests at Mugello has given him a bike that he’s really happy with. Of course there is still more work to be done, but today has been the best first day since the team entered the championship at the start of 2009.
Troy was second quickest in the morning untimed practice, behind Jonathan Rea (Honda) and was on course for a low 1:36 this afternoon, but had to slow when the flags came out for an oil spillage. In the end, his lap of 1:36.489 was good enough for third, behind Jakub Smrz (Ducati) and Rea.
Troy – 3rd, 1:36.489
Well that was the best the bike has ever been on the first day of race weekend and I am happy that we’re at this stage. The bike came on a step in Valencia and then we made further progress in our tests in Mugello last week. The improvements in the traction control and engine braking have made the bike a lot better. The bike feels like a normal bike now and I can just go out and ride it.
I was on a hot lap when the flags came out and think I would have got into the low 36s for sure, so it was a bit disappointing to have to roll off the throttle and end third. But, I am happy with the way the bike is and I am not pushing that hard. There are some areas of the track where I know I can go quicker, so we’ll see how tomorrow’s practices and Superpole go, but I’m pretty confident that we’re going to be competitive. The boys have done a good job, the engine feels strong and fast and the gearshifting is nice and smooth. All that, together with the improvements in the traction control and engine braking, is allowing to me to go out and ride quickly.
The new section of the track is faster, but I am not sure if it is better to go in fast and exit slow or the other way round. In the race it could be a new passing place and that’s good because there aren’t many passing places around here. The track felt quite grippy today, especially in one area where I think there is some new tarmac. All in all, I’m looking forward to tomorrow and getting even more out of my bike. – Troy
The first day of action on the Dutch circuit of Assen today and both of Althea Racing’s riders finished in the top ten.
Carlos Checa, completing 26 laps, built up confidence on the modified track, recording the sixth fastest time, less than eight tenths of a second behind fastest rider Smrz. The Spaniard has been on the podium here in the past and enjoys riding at this track.
Shane Byrne made 25 laps, also getting to grips with the new-look track and concluding in eighth position, a second behind Smrz.
Genesio Bevilacqua, team owner, declared, “Today was undoubtedly a positive one, not so much for the fact that both riders are in the top ten, but rather for the work we’ve completed. It’s satisfying to be among the best Ducatis and this gives us confidence for both theSuperpole and the races.”
The track schedule continues tomorrow with the second qualifying session at 10.45 and free practice at 13.50, followed, at 15.00, by the Superpole. On Sunday morning at 9.20 warm-up gets underway, while Race 1 starts at 12.00 and Race 2 at 15.30, both races are 22 laps in length, equal to 99.924km.
Yamaha Sterilgarda riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland spent the first day of the Assen race weekend working hard on setting up their bikes for tomorrow’s Superpole heats. Crutchlow got quickly down to fast consistent laps, spending the majority of the first qualifying session in second position. Two crashes resulting from losing the front end disrupted his session although he was unhurt and came away from the heat having demonstrated a consistent fast race pace.
Team mate James Toseland spent the session working with his team on two very different bike set ups, exploring both front and rear end feel. They found positive steps in both areas so will work to combine and produce a race package ahead of tomorrow’s Superpole session.
Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (5th, 1’36.752)
“It’s been a good day speed-wise, I felt quite comfortable keeping the pace I had. We had two stupid crashes, both when I lost the front end. I was using my usual tire for the first one, I hit a bump and crashed, on the second one I used the new harder front tire but didn’t have any feeling in it, I came into the last chicane maybe 6km slower than usual and just crashed for some unknown reason. Still, as I said I’m happy with the pace so looking forward to tomorrow and seeing if we can improve and achieve something good in the Superpole session.”
James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (10th, 1’37.166)
“We’ve been trying a few things with the geometry to see if we can improve the front feel and the rear feel. Over the last three rounds we’ve either got the one or the other so we’re trying to find a better balance using head angles and offsets. On one bike I had a setting very similar to what we used in Valencia, and the other bike had something completely different, I’ve been jumping between the two, and towards the end of the session I think we were getting there. My best lap time of the session was on the harder rear tire which is generally not the quick tire which is encouraging. I’m pleased with what we’ve done today, we’ve got through a lot and we’ve got some good ideas for tomorrow. There’s a lot more time in me and the bike to come.”
Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“For our first day today we saw some good things, for sure tonight the technicians and the riders will continue to work to find ways to improve on the current set up even more. I’m expecting to be in a different position tomorrow afternoon. Cal has really good times through three sectors of the track, he’s losing something in the last sector, we know this and so we’re studying to understand why so we can fix that. When we do I think he will be really strong. I’m expecting James to take another step forward tomorrow, today he was focussed on comparing two very different bike setups, we found good things in both so we’ll work tonight to bring those together.”
Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) concluded first qualifying at the Assen TT Circuit in ninth and fourteenth position respectively. In the early afternoon, the riders kicked off the weekend with the first free practice session and concentrated on refining the set-up of their 1198 machines. Michel made constant improvement throughout the sixty minutes to conclude the session in eighth position ; Noriyuki, who had more difficulty, finished sixteenth.
Later on, in the first of the weekend’s two qualifying sessions, both riders improved on their times with respect to the previous session and, more or less mid-way through, both Michel and Noriyuki recorded their fastest lap times. Noriyuki is still having some trouble in the second split, losing an average of sixth tenths; this is the part of the track that has been modified since last year’s race with the removal of a chicane.
Unfortunately in the last minutes of qualifying, when all the riders were pushing to the limit, a fall for Rea caused a red flag. The track was reopened with almost four minutes left on the clock but Noriyuki decided not to exit, believing that the oil on the track would not permit him to improve further. Michel, with the same idea, did make an exit but only to practice his start. The Ducati Xerox riders thus concluded the session in ninth (Michel) and fourteenth (Noriyuki) position.
Michel Fabrizio 1m37.1
“We’ve improved throughout the day but there’s still more work to do tomorrow. I expected better results but tomorrow we’ll more further changes to improve the overall set-up of my bike and I hope this will allow me to drop the times. Rea is going strong, and he’s not the only one; it will be challenging this weekend.”
Noriyuki Haga 1m37.4
“I’m still trying to understand how best to tackle the new corner, I don’t especially like that point of the track and I’m losing precious tenths in the second split. We have however improved somewhat during the day and I know we can perform better tomorrow, I just need more time on the track but I’m feeling confident.”
