This is a gallery of some of the images captured at the world Superbike Championship, round 5 Monza, Italy 2010

It wasn’t a perfect weekend for Max Biaggi this week at Monza, Jonathan Rea did get fastest lap… of course Max got everything else!

In race one of the World Superbike Monza round Max Biaggi celebrates his first victory in the temple of speed.  Max, astride his Aprilia Alitalia RSV4, he preceded the British Yamaha flag bearers Crutchlow and Toseland. Leon Haslam, leader of the world rankings, came in fourth. But the three British riders made the race extremely uncertain, highlighting even more Max’s skill in resisting all of their attacks. Launching out in front from the beginning, Biaggi led the race practically the entire time and earned his first victory at Monza. With this affirmation Max has recovered 12 points on Haslam and is not just 8 points from the top position in the rankings.

Leon Camier, in his first race in Monza, leapt forward from thirteenth place and rode an excellent race, recovering position after position and ending in fifth place. With these results Aprilia strengthens their hold on second place in the world manufacturer standings, widening the gap from Ducati by 20 points and closing in on Suzuki, only two points ahead at the top.

Max Biaggi, descending from the podium, stated: “I am truly pleased. It was a great race. I felt the pressure of the Brits behind me. Monza is a long circuit where it’s just as easy to be fast as it is to make decisive mistakes. Thanks goes, obviously, to all of the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team who always work their hardest. My bike has been fast all weekend. It’s still a bit edgy. We’ll have to see whether or not to change something for race 2.

The result is particularly special because Mr. Roberto Colaninno, the Chairman and CEO of our Group, my girlfriend and my little daughter were in our pit”.

Troy took his first ever podium for BMW in the second Superbike World Championship race in Monza today. It was a superb performance by Troy and his team and just reward for all the hard work and effort they’ve put in over a year and five races.
Recently, Troy has been knocking on the door and this afternoon he was able to give the BMW S 1000 R its first Superbike World Championship podium. After some small problems in race one, which caused Troy to finish eighth, he and team decided to make some radical changes to the bike for race two. It was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off big time!

Max Biaggi started on pole and dominated both races today, winning by just two tenths of a second in race one and by a healthier four and a half seconds in race two. Yamaha teamsters James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow took second and third in race one and Crutchlow was in contention for the runner-up spot in race two before a fall put him out of the reckoning. Leon Haslam (Suzuki) then inherited second place, but had to fight off Troy for the last six laps.

Troy said – “I knew that a podium was possible after Assen. The bike has been working better for me recently and I expected a podium here or at the next round. I’m extremely happy with the bike’s performance today, particularly in the second race. I was able to race the track and not think about what I was doing. ”

The bike was spinning quite a lot in the first race, so we made some radical changes for race two. It’s not the thing we’d normally do, but I felt we had nothing to lose and our gamble paid off!

After a fourth place in the first race, Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam fought tooth and nail to take a podium in race two. He was charging after Crutchlow in second place, but then inherited runner-up spot when Crutchlow slid off at the first chicane. Corser (BMW) was in Leon’s wheeltracks for the last few laps, but Leon held him off to take his seventh podium of the season and maintain his championship lead. Leon’s team mate Sylvain Guintoli finished tenth in race one, but then improved in race two.

He was on course for a terrific sixth place, but the smallest of mistakes in the last turn allowed Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) through. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) won both races today, with Yamaha team mates James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow taking second and third in race one.

Leon – Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 2nd
Today was a hard day and I’m happy to leave Monza still leading the title race. Max was strong here and I knew it was going to be tough pair of races. The podium in race two was very hard work, but I didn’t want to miss out on a podium today and kept battling away. I had a really big ‘moment’ in race two and was way out of the saddle twice in the space of a fraction of a second. Somehow I stayed on the bike, but it was a very close thing! After Cal crashed, Troy kept me on my toes, but Max was too far in front for me to catch so I just made sure of runner-up spot. I did something to my wrist when I had my ‘moment’ and it felt pretty sore, but I managed to carry one to the end. In race one, I lost contact with the leaders and then had a bit of a grip problem for the last four or five laps and couldn’t get out of the corners as fast as I wanted. We made some little suspension changes (just a few clicks here and there) for race two and the bike was definitely better to ride.

Sylvain – Race 1: 10th, Race 2: 7th
Generally the weekend has ended not so badly. I enjoyed the second race because I was involved in a really good fight with Nori (Haga) and Tom (Sykes). I managed to pass Nori right towards the end, but then I made a very small mistake in the last turn and he got me back. Seventh is not so bad after how the weekend began, but I have learnt that I (or me and my team) have to manage practice and qualifying better and get into a good, consistent rhythm as soon as we can. Not doing that means a low grid position and this championship has so many good riders and bikes that you cannot afford to be way down the grid if you want to be a contender.
I think I probably could’ve got fifth today if it hadn’t been for a crash right in front of me on the opening lap. I had to take avoiding action and go straight on at the first chicane and lost time in the process. But I fought hard and caught up the guys ahead, before my good battle with Tom and Nori. I am happy with my performance in race two and now I want to build on that and be much better at the start of a race weekend.

Troy Corser: “The braking performance was much better today and I felt confident stopping the bike. The only area where we lost out on today is exiting the chicanes. There, some of the other’s can get on the gas a lot quicker than me. This afternoon, my bike was a complete package and I felt in control and could run consistently fast – especially once I got used to the way the brakes were working.”

“For me, race two today was one of my best ever rides. I made a good start and for a moment I thought I was going to get all the way to the front. I was smart going into the first chicane and made sure I got through it safely. Later, when I was behind Leon, I got water on my visor and thought it was raining. I used all my tear-offs before I realised that the water was coming from Leon’s bike! I thought his bike might blow up, so I eased up a little because I didn’t want to get caught up in any crash, but that allowed him to just pull away a little. I chased after him as best I could in the last couple of laps and we had a really good fight. In the end, he just had enough to beat me to the line, but it was pretty close. ”

“Today has been a fantastic day for us all at BMW and I want to thank everybody involved, including the people back at the workshop. I knew this bike had potential and now that we’ve taken our first podium, I’m sure that there’ll be more to come.”

With just four hundredths of a second between them, James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow shot out of the legendary Parabolica curve on the final lap of race one today in second and third respectively to deliver Yamaha Sterilgarda’s first double podium of the year. Crutchlow, having qualified second, had initially got off the line in fifth with Toseland two places behind in seventh. They worked their way up as a pair, passing Fabrizio and Corser to take third and fourth by lap three. Toseland then passed his team mate for third on lap four at the end of the high speed start-finish straight, then closed down on Haslam and Biaggi at the front. A brief fight with Haslam with some heart stopping passes saw Toseland take second where he stayed tucked up behind race leader Biaggi. Team mate Crutchlow took second from him briefly on lap 14 having caught up again after a missed chicane dropped him to fourth. Toseland was quick to recover position however and got as far as a look up the inside of Biaggi coming out of Parabolica before settling for second less than three tenths from the front at the chequered flag.

Race two was brought short for both riders. Another rider collided with Toseland going into the first chicane on the opening lap, causing a big crash leaving him with light concussion. He was awake following the incident but taken to hospital for a check up to assess if there was further injury. Team mate Crutchlow made a good start and was chasing Biaggi in second place just 0.1 seconds behind the leader. On lap 11 stones from Biaggi’s rear wheel were flicked up, peppering Crutchlow’s helmet, with one piercing his oil cooler. This caused him to low side going into the first chicane on lap 12. He was uninjured in the fall but unable to continue.

After the Monza round Toseland remains in fifth position in the championship on 106 points, now just four points away from Rea in third. Crutchlow remains in tenth position on 65 points, just seven behind Sylvain Guintoli in eighth.

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (2nd, DNF)
” The first race was a good strong race, I just want to congratulate the team, it’s their home race and to get two of us on the podium is great. Max Biaggi rode a great race, he had a strong bike here and we expected him to go well, he didn’t put a foot wrong. I was hoping on the last lap he was going to make a slight mistake, just enough for me to get alongside but he didn’t so fair play to him. We’re getting better with each race, moving in the right direction and it’s getting frustrating finishing in second and third now!”

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (3rd, DNF)
“I felt like I put together a really solid first race, we didn’t get the best of starts but made up for it and got stuck in. All credit to Yamaha, they’ve done a good job to give James and I a competitive package so it was great for us both to deliver them the podiums here for their home round. It was a strong result and we rode well so I was looking forward to the second race. I started really well and didn’t take long to get tucked in behind Max, I knew exactly what I was doing and had my strategy sorted to pass him on the last lap. Incredibly some stones flew up off his back wheel, I was so close behind I felt some hit my helmet and unfortunately a big one made a hole in my oil cooler. I made it through another lap, but coming into the first chicane it must have reached my back tire and I went straight down.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“This has been a really mixed race weekend for us. From Valencia we have been stronger and stronger, it’s clear by the podiums the riders have been delivering and the pace of both of them, especially this weekend and in Assen that we have a very competitive, strong bike. The first race was fantastic for us; to take two hard fought podiums at our home round is very special. The second race was incredibly frustrating; to have both riders out for reasons that were completely out of our control is disappointing when we have been the strongest team here. Following James’s crash and concussion he was taken to hospital for scans as he complained of a pain in his neck. The first scan revealed no injuries, we are waiting for a second for confirmation. We expect to head to South Africa to fight for more podiums.”

the Ducati Xerox team faced two challenging races today at the Monza circuit and at the end of the day riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio were satisfied to come away with more valuable points, their best results today being a hard-fought sixth place in Race 2 for Haga and a seventh place finish in Race 1 for his team-mate Fabrizio.

Race 1. Michel started from third on the grid but lost a few positions in the first laps, as the two Yamahas and Rea’s Honda got past him. When Rea crashed out mid-race, Fabrizio moved temporarily back up into fifth position but was soon passed by Camier, at an evident advantage on the Aprilia when it comes to top speed. The Ducati Xerox rider subsequently held sixth position until the very last corner of the final lap when Xaus on the BMW sneaked past, with Michel crossing the line in seventh position. Team-mate Noriyuki meanwhile spent the best part of the race battling with Ducati privateer Scassa and then, in the second half of the race, with Guintoli on the Suzuki. From sixteenth on the grid, the Japanese rider immediately made up three positions before moving up to eleventh place when Rea fell. Noriyuki held eleventh position for the remainder of the race; although managing to pass Guintoli on two occasions, the Frenchman quickly regained the advantage to take tenth position ahead of Noriyuki.

Race 2 got off to a dramatic start when Toseland, Rea and Xaus crashed out at the first chicane. Michel’s bike, knocked in the ensuing confusion, ran off track, causing Michel to lose a few positions; after this collision Michel suffered from a malfunction with the electronic gear shifter. Fabrizio tried to ride around the gearing problem but found himself in difficulty and at the start of the second lap he slipped, losing the rear of his 1198, and unable to rejoin the race. Noriyuki meanwhile gained, immediately progressing from sixteenth to seventh position, with Michel just behind him in eighth. Noriyuki battled for sixth position against Sykes on the Kawasaki for the remainder of the race, unfortunately losing out to the Englishman in the final stages, although a crash for Crutchlow up ahead of them meant that Haga eventually concluded the race in sixth place.

Noriyuki still lies in sixth position in the overall standings with 100 points; Michel is eleventh with 62 points. Ducati remains in third position in the manufacturers classification (149 points) behind Suzuki (181) and Aprilia with 184.

Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 – 7th, Race 2 – DNF)
“Race 1 was going quite well; it’s only a shame that we don’t have the top speed to be able to stick with the guys on the straight, with more engine power I could have done a lot better. In Race 2 I ran off when those guys crashed at the first chicane of the first lap and I tried to keep riding but I couldn’t get the bike into gear, and then I slipped. It was tough out there today but at least we take home some valuable points and hope that things go better at Kyalami.”

Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 – 11th, Race 2 – 6th)
“In both races I was having a lot of difficulty turning the bike and didn’t have enough grip at the rear. In Race 1 I was having to put it right down on its side to get it to turn as I wanted and this of course meant that I couldn’t keep pace with those ahead of me. We changed a few things before Race 2 and improved the situation a little. Grip was good in the first five laps or so but from mid-race it was really hard, as the bike was drifting wide and was hard to control. In the end I’m quite satisfied with sixth position, as it was tough here this weekend.”

Filippo Preziosi – General Director, Ducati Corse
“I’m sorry for Michel because in Race 1 he did really well considering the disadvantage we have here in terms of power and top speed; he was making up in his riding what was lost in top speed, at a track that penalizes us. I’m happy for Nori because in Race 2, in a difficult situation, both technically and personally, he fought tooth and nail and proved what a champion he is.”

The Althea Racing team’s overall performance was positive, and, thanks to the hard work of riders Shane Byrne and Carlos Checa, the team remains in fourth position in the team standings, just behind Team Suzuki Alstare, Aprilia Alitalia Racing and the Yamaha Sterilgarda Team; Althea Racing is the first Ducati team in the classification. After a thirteenth place finish in Race 1 this morning, English rider Shane Byrne managed to finish within the top ten in the afternoon’s second race, closing in ninth, having made good progress from fifteenth position on the grid.

“We knew it would be difficult but in the end, thanks to my team’s hard work in the garage, we took a good result and I had fun, especially in Race 2”, said “Shakey”. “On Friday we were a long way off but today we were not so far behind the competition. I’m sorry for Genesio and for the team because I know they would have liked to do better at their “home” track but I did my best and gave 110%. I know we can do better at Kyalami.”

Carlos Checa, on the other hand, finished outside of the top ten, concluding the two races in fourteenth and eleventh position. Thanks to the points obtained today, the Spanish rider now has the same points total as Rea (110). “It was a difficult weekend and probably, if we consider the gap between us and the four cylinders, it’s true to say that I wasn’t very motivated here. The fact that we haven’t managed to find the right balance with the bike has definitely impacted on the results. Fortunately we now go to Kyalami, a track that suits our bike. The engine power doesn’t count as much and we’ll strive to get back on form.”

Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager, declared, “It’s evident that at Monza there is a significant difference between the performance of the two and the four cylinders. This regulation means that there is a risk of “falsifying” a show that, thanks to the performances of such talented riders, could be even more spectacular and enthralling. There is a defect in the regulation and something should change, because we have no chance to fight, on a level playing field, with the other bikes. We enjoy to battle it out on track but we must also speak to the FIM and the championship organizers, who need to find a solution. We have two of the strongest Superbike riders but with our Ducatis we have had a disappointing day. This is wrong…”

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Jonathan Rea crashed out of both of today’s fifth round World Superbike championship races at Monza in Italy, ending the weekend without a single point but still retaining third place in the 2010 championship standings.

His team-mate Max Neukirchner did not enjoy a trouble-free raceday either, struggling with chatter in race one and then having to fight back from last place in race two after being forced off the circuit on the opening lap.

Starting from the front row of the grid, Rea got away slowly in the first of today’s 18-lap encounters at the 5.777km Monza circuit, ending lap one in 11th place. The 23-year-old calmly fought his way up to fourth before falling unhurt at the fast entry to the Parabolica turn on lap eight.

In race two, the Northern Irishman was caught in a first-corner melée after getting clipped by another rider. Rea was transferred back to the medical centre but n othing more than a sore left ankle was diagnosed.

After making a step forward at the final round in Holland, Max Neukirchner was unable to consolidate on improvements to his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR. The German qualified ninth but suffered chatter problems in race one which relegated him to a 12th place finish.

Small changes to the bike produced a better package for race two, but Neukirchner was forced into the gravel at Monza’s famous Ascari chicane on the first lap, rejoining the race in last place but fighting back for another 12th place finish.

Max Neukirchner – 12th and 12th

The chatter was really bad in race one but the changes we made improved the bike a lot for race two. Unfortunately, as we went into the Ascari chicane on the first lap, Chris Vermeulen was on the inside and made a mistake which forced me right across the gravel. When I got back on the track I was in last place, b ut the changes to the bike allowed me to brake deeper into the corners, with better grip levels and I could get on the throttle faster on the exit. It was an improvement and we’ve learned some more this weekend but the results were still not good. We need to work on braking even deeper and getting the bike upright earlier, and we’ll try to do that next weekend in South Africa.

Jonathan Rea – DNF and DNF

Well it’s been a bad weekend for our assault on the championship. I made a small mistake at the end of the back straight in the first race when I was trying to avoid Leon [Haslam] and Cal [Crutchlow]. Then race two ended before it had begun when I got skittled off going in the first corner. But I’m not down in the dumps about it. It’s times like these that you can really tell the strength of a team and I know that this team is really very strong. They gave me a good bike this weekend but we co uldn’t really make the most of it. I’m actually really excited at the challenge ahead, because we were able to make up quite a lot of points in the middle and end of last season. We’ll all pull together now and I fully intend to get back to winning ways at Kyalami next weekend.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

After the perfect weekend in Assen last time out, we knew that our little Hannspree Ten Kate world would not always enjoy days like that. But we certainly hit the other side of perfect today. We still remain confident, however, because the speed shown by Jonathan this weekend will surely bring him back to the front of the field at the next round. But it wasn’t just Jonathan who had difficulties today. Max had chatter problems in race one and was pushed off the track early in race two. Even so, after the step forward he enjoyed at Assen, we weren’t able to repeat it here in Monza, so there is plenty more work to do.

The Final Results and Standings after the World Superbike Championship Round  5 at Monza in Italy – 09/05/2010

Race 1 – 18 Laps:

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2010 World Superbike Championship

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Max Biaggi makes the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team happy by rocketing his number 3 RSV4 to the first Superpole with a time of 1′42.121. It is the first time for the very young RSV4 and the first time in Superbike for Max. In a day of firsts, yet another peak for Biaggi stands out: 330.2 km/h top speed, almost another prize for the guys in the Racing Division who are committed daily to taking Aprilia to the pinnacle of world motorcycling.

But all of the adversaries did very well today which shows the high level of competition: separated by only 33 thousandths from Biaggi we find Crutchlow on his Yamaha and then Fabrizio (Ducati) followed by Rea (Honda) closing out the first row of the starting grid.

An unfortunate qualifier on the other hand for Leon Camier who participated in all of the sessions this weekend. Easily making it into the second Superpole session, the young Englishman lost the bike in a slide on the ” variante Ascari ” precisely during the good lap which would have put him in the top eight.
In any case, the pace he displayed places Leon among the most feared riders for the race.

“It is a great Saturday for the team and for me – Max Biaggi commented – a Saturday which takes us to our first pole which – unfortunately – doesn’t earn any points, but it gives us great satisfaction. It is a result which gives proof of the quality of our work and which I would like to dedicate to all of the guys on our team; people who have worked hard and with great skill to help me shave hundredths off of hundredths. Today the track was better, even compared to the free practice sessions this morning and we were more aggressive than usual with the qualifying tire, so we were able to reap the fruits of the hard work we did. Now we cannot back down. There is still another test session which we will use to find the best settings to use for the races. We can’t forget that for us this is only the second time on this track while our opponents know Monza very well thanks to years of races and tests. We have a nice package but our best adversaries are all right there very close, so we know that tomorrow will be difficult, as it always is in Superbike”.

“A bad qualifier, to use politically correct terms… – stated an annoyed Leon Camier – at the beginning of pole2 I wasn’t able to take any really clean laps; I constantly had Toseland on my wheel. Then, when I came in to put on the last qualifier I was able to push hard; I had an excellent chance of getting into the top eight. Hard luck about the slide, but the front closed on me and I couldn’t stay up, even if the lap would have been compromised anyway. Fortunately we have a good race pace. Obviously I need to take advantage of a good start to avoid missing the train of leaders: everyone is fast here, so it’s important not to lose any time and let them get away”.

Yamaha riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland put in an impressive performance in Superpole today, with Crutchlow just missing out on pole to start from the second position on the grid for tomorrow’s two World Superbike races. The young British rider passed through each heat comfortably, fastest in the second session with an impressive 1′42.255 lap on a used race tire. The final heat saw him miss out on pole to Max Biaggi by less than a tenth of a second.

Team mate James Toseland was also on form, clearing Superpole one in fifth and Superpole two in fourth, only three tenths off Crutchlow. The final heat saw him heading for a front row start until a small mistake dropped a few tenths off his time, meaning he will start from seventh on the second row tomorrow.

The earlier qualifying session saw the riders work through and finalise their set ups. Toseland’s heat was disrupted with a small technical problem, forcing him to return to the pits and head out on his second bike. Crutchlow finished in tenth, Toseland in 13th.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (2nd, 1′42.154)
“It was a shame to miss out on pole by less than a tenth of a second but all credit to Max for a good lap. We seemed to do a very good lap in Superpole two on a seven lap old race tire with a 42.2, then put two qualifiers in during the last session and I didn’t feel like I had the same level of grip from them. It’s going to be tough racing tomorrow, I’m looking forward to it and I think it’ll be close. Being part of an Italian team and having our workshop literally a stone’s throw from the Lesmo corner it’s been good to deliver good results so far this weekend. They’ve put in a good effort, James has ridden to two fantastic podiums recently at Assen.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (7th, 1′42.789)
“We used both our qualifiers in the second Superpole heat and unfortunately didn’t have one for the last session, however I would have done a mid 42 but I made a mistake at Lesmo on my first lap, and being a race tire I really needed to get it in on that lap so I lost a few tenths there. That would have put me on the front row, and to say you can get there on a race tire is encouraging. We had a problem with an engine this morning in qualifying and a different gearbox in the other bike which meant we couldn’t run with the best gearing in Superpole. If it can stay dry tonight then we can try a few things in tomorrow’s warm up and I’m quietly confident we can do well in the races.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“To start our home race from the first and second row of the grid is a good result. For sure tomorrow we will enjoy two really good races here, there is a lot of fun to be had for the riders on the long straights. I’m confident that the set up is good for both riders so I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do tomorrow.”

Michel Fabrizio and his team worked hard today and were rewarded with a front row place on tomorrow’s grid at the Autodromo Nazionale of Monza; Michel will line up in third position, the spot that he had already provisionally secured yesterday.
This morning’s second qualifying proved to be an extremely successful session for Michel Fabrizio, on board his 1198. Despite an initially damp track, with conditions very similar to yesterday, times began to drop later in the session and, after substituting used slicks with new ones, the Italian rider was able to push hard, recording an impressive 1’43.737 on his penultimate lap to take overall first position at the end of qualifying, three tenths of a second faster than Rea (Honda) in second. By the close of the session, Noriyuki had also made progress, improving on yesterdays qualifying time by almost a second and a half, to qualify in overall twelfth position for the afternoon’s Superpole.

In the early afternoon’s final free practice session, times improved once again and Michel impressed once more, ducking under the 1’43 barrier to make two very fast laps right at the end of the session, recording the fastest overall time of this practice session at the very last minute (1’42.6). Noriyuki continued to lose valuable tenths, particularly through the first sector of track, and closed in fourteenth.

Superpole 1 – both Fabrizio and Haga made two exits during the fourteen-minute session. Michel chose not to use a qualifier in this first phase and closed in a solid eighth place, assuring himself of passage to the next phase. Noriyuki ,on the other hand, made his second exit with the qualifier and, like Michel, finished inside the top sixteen, in fourteenth position.

Superpole 2 – Noriyuki’s technicians provided him with a new qualifier for this session but unfortunately the Japanese rider did not find the grip necessary to make a fast lap and thus concluded today’s Superpole in sixteenth position, equating to the fourth row of tomorrow’s grid. Michel, also on a “Q”, had more success and recorded a 1’42.7, enough to finish in second place, and progressing comfortably to the final phase.

Superpole 3 – Michel made two fast laps, the second of which temporarily propelled him into pole position, but was subsequently beaten by Biaggi and Crutchlow in the final minute of this last phase, meaning an eventual third place finish for the Ducati Xerox rider. He will therefore line up on the front row of the grid in tomorrow’s races, in the position that he had provisionally secured already yesterday.

Michel Fabrizio
“Today’s result is the best response to the gossip that was circulating in the paddock yesterday. Within the team we are working well together, are united, and together will be protagonists once more. I’m of course very happy with today’s results. We needed to get back on track with a result like this, after three rounds in which I’ve not really been present, at least not at the front where I think the factory riders should be! I’m also pleased that, after successful tests at Misano last week, we are doing well – so far – in front of the Italian crowd. It’s the first of the “home” races and so of course Ducati and myself would love to take two great race results here.”

Noriyuki Haga
“This morning conditions were pretty much the same as yesterday and I was finding it difficult, especially through the first part of the track.Then in the Superpole I found that I had better grip on the race tire than with the qualifier. I was lacking grip at the rear and, though I pushed as hard as I can, it was impossible to make a very fast lap. I’m fairly happy with the race set-up but it’s going to be another tough race day.”

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s two fifth round World Superbike championship races from the front row of the grid after setting the fourth fastest time in today’s Superpole qualifying sessions at Monza in Italy.

After being near the top of the timing sheets in both yesterday’s and today’s practice and qualifying, the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland was unable to repeat his Assen pole position, the honour going instead to local rider Max Biaggi.

Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, meanwhile continues to adapt to his CBR1000RR and improve its set-up for the historic 5.777km Monza circuit, setting the ninth fastest time today for a third row start.

This afternoon’s Superpole sessions were held in dry conditions after a wet start to the day at Monza. Further rain showers are forecast for tomorrow, when the first of the day’s two Superbike races goes at 12.00 local time , the second at 15.30.

Jonathan Rea – P4 1’42.566s

I guess it was quite good and I’m happy with the front row because I’m not really much of a qualifier – Assen must have been a one-lap wonder! As long as I get off the line well tomorrow, I’ve got some good race pace, the bike’s working good and I’m quite confident, so we’ll have to see. I’m really excited about the races and I intend to dig deep; there’ll be a load of slipstreaming going on. It’s going to be fun and games tomorrow for sure, and to be honest I wouldn’t mind being the grandstands watching!

Max Neukirchner – P9 1’43.410s

So, ninth is not so bad, but I made a little mistake on my quick lap and got in the wrong gear at the chicane, otherwise I might have been on the second row, which would have been better. But I’m really happy that we’ve been able to make more progress with the bike here this weekend. I am able to brake deeper into the corner, pick the bike up more quickly and accelerate out better. We’ve got one or two other ideas to try in warm-up tomorrow; we might go a little softer at the front and then I just need a good start. I’ve practised quite a lot this weekend already.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

Being on the front row was always the aim for Jonathan. He’s been quick in all sessions and in all conditions, so we are prepared for any weather tomorrow, although we all hope for sun and a dry track. Max has definitely continued his move forward and the second row would have been a good reward for all the hard work that he and his crew have put in recently. At least he can see the start lights now, which have been out of sight in previous races! We’ll make a few small changes tomorrow morning and then I w ould advise everyone watching to hold on to their seats!!

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam endured mixed conditions on the opening day of qualifying at Monza, but ended fifth quickest and happy enough with his day’s work.

The track was hit by torrential rain yesterday and although today dawned dry, it was not long before it began raining again. This afternoon’s qualifying session began with a damp track and the first half of the session saw many unfamiliar names at the top of the leaderboard. The track then began to dry out and by the end, there was virtually a dry line round the whole of the 5.777 kilometre circuit. Briton Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) posted the fastest lap, with fellow countryman Jonathan Rea (Honda) second. Third went to Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) third, with Troy Corser (BMW) fourth.

Leon – 5th, 1:45.303

The morning was good and really all today was pretty good, though there were a few small problems in the afternoon session and some of it was a bit of a waste of time. We had some sort of strange clutch problem with both bikes for a while, so to get fifth was not so bad, especially considering the changing conditions. This afternoon’s qualifying started with a wet track and then it began to dry. By the end, there was almost a dry line round the whole track, but there were still some places where you had to keep a look out. The new chicane is a bit safer and it makes the track flow better, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens when the whole pack is charging into it in a race before we can say that it is a success. For me though, the track is now more enjoyable to ride, particularly when you are by yourself. Slipstreaming round here is crucial and will be a big factor in the races. So far, I’ve not had a tow from anybody, so I’m looking forward to that tomorrow. Come raceday though, I’d prefer to be a long way out in front and not have to worry about anybody drafting me. That’s my plan anyway.

Sylvain – 16th. 1:46.588

I’ve not been here before, so the new chicane means nothing to me. Today, my first job was to learn the track and that’s what I tried to do. The track is quite technical and there are a lot of high speeds and fast corners and so it’s important to be very accurate if you want to go fast. Conditions were changing a lot in this afternoon’s qualifying session and I think I was a bit too cautious in the first chicane and that’s where I lost a lot of time. If I had been more aggressive there, I would’ve been quite a bit further up the leaderboard for sure.I know that slipstreaming is going to very important here – especially in the races of course – but there are a lot of opportunities to do that round here. However, it’ll also be very easy to get done, so I’ll have to watch out for that.

Althea Racing riders Carlos Checa and Shane Byrne were among the protagonists. On board their Ducati 1198 machines, both riders qualified comfortably for the Superpole. Spanish rider Carlos Checa, fourth in the overall standings, improved on the time he set yesterday by more than three seconds to close Superpole in eleventh position, securing a place on the third row of the grid with a best time of 1’43”506. “Today went a lot better than first qualifying”, said Carlos. “We’ve made some steps forward with regard to the bike’s rideability and we were able to better understand why we were having problems through certain sections of the track. Tomorrow will be difficult and to get into the top ten will be hard but we’ll try to take home as many points as possible.”

Carlos’ team-mate Shane Byrne also made good progress today, dropping his lap time by nearly four seconds. “Shakey” finished fifteenth, with a time of 1’43”813 and will line up tomorrow on the fourth row. “To start from fifteenth will be hard but I’ll give it my all and try to make a good race”, said the English rider. “We have done some good work in the garage over these two days and tomorrow it will be important to start well and stick with the guys ahead of us.”

Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager, declared, “As I predicted, both riders improved today. Carlos wanted to wait until the last minute, for all the little problems to be resolved so that he could push to the limit and understand how to ride through the trickiest parts of the track. He has a good feeling with the bike and thanks to the team’s hard work he has the advantage of a strong set-up. Shane had a few difficulties but in the end he made good progress too and did a lot better than in yesterday’s sessions. I am confident; tomorrow we will ride a dignified race and try to limit the damage at a track that is not a real friend of ours.”

Troy Corser suffered brake problems today and was unable to push as hard as he wanted in Superpole 1 and 2 and so failed to qualify for Superpole 3. In the end, Troy finished with the 12th quickest time and so will start tomorrow’s pair of 18 lap races from the third row of the grid.

Troy Corser – 12th, 1:43.508
“I’m a bit disappointed because we’ve been there or thereabouts most of the weekend and would’ve been quicker if it had not been for some brake problems. Today I found it difficult getting the bike to stop. If I braked in the normal place, the bike would run wide and I’d miss the corner. When I braked early, to make sure I did the turn OK, I obviously lost time. On race tires everything is more or less OK, but the braking problem is a nuisance because the chicanes are very important here. For a lot of today, I felt I was back to like the bike was before, in that I was able to do one or two fast laps but not be able to do a string of consistently fast laps.
The mechanics will look at all the data tonight and see if they can identify the problems and come up with some ideas to try in the warm-up tomorrow morning. The first turn is a long way away so as long as I make a couple of good starts I think I can be with the leaders by the time we hit turn one. It’s going to be a new experience for us all and the first time we all get there, it’s going to be like going into a funnel. Hopefully we’ll all get through OK. It will be a disaster if somebody crashes in the middle of the turn because there’s a good chance that they’d skittle half the pack if they hit the damp grass on the inside of the second part of the chicane.”

Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow made an impressive start to the Monza race weekend, fastest in both the first free practice session and then the first qualifying session of the weekend that followed. Team mate James Toseland made a slower start, finishing fifth in the free practice and then taking ninth in the first qualifying as he and the team tested a number of set up options.

The afternoon’s qualifying was complicated by weather, rain before the session meant the superbike riders had to contend with an initially wet but drying track, gradually changing from intermediate to slick tires as the session went on. The nature of the Monza circuit with its tree lined track meant some areas including chicanes remained greasy and damp throughout.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (1st, 1′43.758)
“It was nice to top the time sheets in both sessions today. We’re still looking for better grip a bit on the bike and also need to improve when pushing going into the corners, I think we can work on that. We tried a couple of things today which is good and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It’s great that it’s the team’s home race and we’ll have lots of fans here and Yamaha guests so it’s nice to be on top today for them.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (9th, 1′46.019)
“It was one of those sessions today where it starts wet then just dries up continually over the heat. We were trying a few different suspension settings over the session but obviously the track was never fully dry, a couple of corners were still quite damp at the end and really quite greasy. With the trees around here in the park it doesn’t dry out too well. All in all we’ve tried some interesting things, and were pretty quick in the free practice, coming in fifth in the dry. We’ve got some work to do tonight, some big things to improve on which is encouraging so I’m optimistic that the changes we’re going to make later which were too long to do today will bring the next step. Fingers crossed again for the weather tomorrow.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“A good start for us today. The weather gave us some trouble but in the end we finished the day in good shape. Hopefully tomorrow will be dry to finalise the set up and tire choice ahead of Superpole and Sunday’s races.”

Jonathan Rea was second fastest in today’s opening qualifying session for round five of the 2010 World Superbike championship at Monza in Italy, just two tenths of a second behind provisional pole sitter, Cal Crutchlow.

Despite a dry opening free practice session earlier in the day, the revised 5.777km Monza circuit was damp following afternoon rain as Rea and his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, began this afternoon’s hour-long qualifying period.

After his double win at Assen two weeks ago, Rea concentrated on further developing the revised chassis settings on his Honda CBR1000RR while Neukirchner continued to adapt his riding style to suit the bike’s handling characteristics.

Jonathan Rea – P2 1’44.789s

I’m having a lot of fun here, actually! The bike is really good and that’s allowing me to enjoy the circuit. I’m especially pleased with t he long run I did in this morning’s free practice. This afternoon’s session had mixed conditions and we’ve still got some work to do to get the final sector nailed. But luckily the Assen set-up is working well, although there’s still some fine-tuning to be done to get it right for Monza. We’ll study the data later and see what we can do to improve it for tomorrow.

Max Neukirchner – P13 1’46.402s

Everything’s OK at the moment, but the first sector stayed quite wet during the qualifying session and I was stuck behind Xaus for a while. The other sectors seem to be not too bad and my riding style is still improving. It’s quite good through most of the corners, but in others I’m probably concentrating on the exit a bit too much. The team’s working really well, though, and the bike is pretty good too. I probably need to wake myself up a bit for tomorrow, so maybe I&rsq uo;ll take an extra coffee in the morning!

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

The changing conditions made today’s qualifying session very different from a normal Friday and we decided to go out early in the session to see how the intermediate front tire would behave. Towards the end we should have probably put in a new rear tire as well, but at least we now have an extra tire for tomorrow. Both riders are in a position to qualify for Superpole, so we’ll go through everything tonight, improve where we can for tomorrow’s sessions and look forward to the rest of the weekend.

A mixed first day at the Autodromo Nazionale of Monza, with meteorological conditions conditioning performances to a certain extent. Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio nonetheless put in a very strong performance and concluded first qualifying in third position, reserving a provisional spot on the front row of Sunday’s grid. Noriyuki Haga, still losing time in the last sections of the track, closed this first day fifteenth.

Earlier today, in the weekend’s first free practice session, the Ducati Xerox riders got straight to work and it was Michel who made an immediate impression, lapping consistently fast and placing in the top five for almost the duration of the hour-long session. Light rain fell intermittently throughout but this didn’t stop Michel from setting a 1′43.8, in the latter stages of the session, which projected him to the top of the timesheets where he remained right up until the final seconds, when Crutchlow managed to shave a tenth of a second off the Italian rider’s best time. Michel thus closed in a solid second position, while team-mate Noriyuki closed the opening session in twelfth place.

Later in the afternoon, after further rainfall, the first qualifying session was declared wet. The track quickly began to dry out however and during the second half of the session times started to tumble. With around twenty minutes to go, both Michel and Noriyuki exchanged their intermediate tires for slicks and Michel’s lap times in particular continued to drop his until he achieved his final, and best, time of the session in the very last minutes, a 1’45.1, to reserve a provisional third position on Sunday’s grid. Noriyuki meanwhile had a few problems, losing valuable time particularly through the last section of the track and, with more work to do tomorrow, finished in fifteenth position today.

Michel Fabrizio

“At the start of the session I was not wanting to take too many risks as some of the corners were pretty slippery so I stayed calm and then began to push as the track dried out. It’s a shame the conditions were so mixed because there were a few things we wanted to work on today but this wet weather didn’t give us the chance. Anyway, it’s been a positive first day. I think the testing at Misano last week helped us to get back on the right track and I’m feeling confident.”

Noriyuki Haga

“Although the lap times were not so great, I’ve actually got quite a good feeling with my 1198. I’m losing time in the last part of the track, from the Ascari corners to the Parabolica, and I need to concentrate on that section tomorrow. We’ll be making a few changes before tomorrow’s sessions and we’ll see how we go, the weather will surely make the difference too.”

Troy ended a day of mixed conditions with the fourth fastest lap in qualifying at Monza and was happy with the way his BMW S 1000 RR is progressing. Monza has a much revised first chicane, which has cut the lap times and although the new design is theoretically safer (according to Troy) there is still the possibility of a pile-up on the exit.

This afternoon’s qualifying session started with a damp track and the first half saw the lead change hands several times and unfamiliar names often at the top of the leaderboard. As the track dried, more or less normal service was resumed.
At the end, there was virtually a dry line round the whole of the 5.777 kilometre circuit and it was Briton Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) who posted the fastest lap. Second was fellow countryman Jonathan Rea (Honda), with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) third and Troy fourth.

Troy Corser – 4th, 1:45.134
I’m happy with how things went today and once again I can just go out and ride the bike instead of testing, like we’ve had to do in the past. It was good for the team that we had some damp and some dry conditions here today and they were able to collect a lot of useful data as a result. The bike feels good and I haven’t had to ride beyond myself today at all. The top speed is pretty good and the acceleration also feels strong.

The new chicane is not too bad and it’s safer when you are by yourself. But it’s maybe not so safe in a race situation because if somebody outbrakes himself and goes straight on then there is a chance that they will T-bone you when they come back on to the track. To me, it looks like it has been designed for F1 and us bikes just have to put up with it.

Monza is a track where slipstreaming is all important. In the old days, when the finish line was further up the track, you could be fifth going into the Parabolica on the last lap and still win the race. Now, because the flag is closer to the Parabolica, if you are fifth going in you will not win the race. Now it’s better to be fifth or so exiting the Ascari and then be leading going into the Parabolica. Normally, if you do that, then you will not be beaten.

Expectations are high for the two Althea Racing riders, who will do their utmost to consolidate the solid results already attained in the first part of the season. This afternoon the Ducati riders were out on track for the first official qualifying session, conditioned in the initial stages by the wet asphalt. A provisional seventeenth position for Carlos Checa; the Spaniard is fourth in the championship standings and on Sunday will aim to take a first ever podium place at Monza.

“We need to improve in two sections mainly, at the first chicane and through the long corner – said Carlos – Tomorrow we’re continue to work, concentrating on the gear box set-up, which is one of the tricky issues. Even though it won’t be easy, we know that we must, and can, improve. I’m ready and will do my best to close the gap that separates me from the leaders.”

Fifth row too for Shane Byrne, who closed this first session in eighteenth position and who will be looking for an improvement on his unlucky outing at this track in 2009.

“This morning we had a problem with bike one and so, this afternoon, on a dry track, I went out on the second bike that was set-up for the wet – said Shakey – I’m confident however and am sure that tomorrow, with both my Ducatis and both set-ups available, we will able to improve. I’m ready to make a great race at my team’s home racetrack.”

Genesio Bevilacqua, team owner, declared. “I don’t think we have any particular technical problems and so I’d say that today’s performances were conditioned more by the uncertain track conditions and the riders’ caution; perhaps the situation distracted them slightly. Tomorrow we’ll be back on track, focused from the word go, with the goal being to work hard, to get into the Superpole and to find the ideal set-up ready for race day.”

Tomorrow’s programme at Monza begins at 10:45 with the second qualifying session; then at 15.00, straight after free practice, the Superpole.

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.

After the incomprehensible events Max (Neukirchner) is on the way to recovery. He was operated on immediately at the hospital in Monza after several medical examinations lasting several hours. The operation took altogether about six hours, but came off without complication according to the statements of the doctors.

Max lost a lot of blood but a transfusion was not necessary. After analysis of the X-rays the doctors assured during today’s rounds that the operation was a success. When Max came out of the OR last night at 2 o’clock he was responsive and asked for water, a pizza and what the doctors did with him for such a long time.

Max has to stay in the hospital for the next couple days and can’t fly back due to his state of health. We will keep you up-to-date and Max thanks everyone for all the recovery wishes.

Max: “I remember everything and the pain was unbearable. As soon as the doctors gives me the green light I want to go home.”

Short news Sunday: It could not have been more unfortunate for Max than this. He got away from the start very quickly and moved forward toward the front. He almost passed the first chicane when several riders in the midfield crashed, among them Corser, Hill, Tamada and Roberts. The bike from B. Roberts shot forwards uncontrolled and rammed Max from the right side with full force. Max fell very badly and the race was interrupted. Max was brought immediately to the hospital in Monza. The medical checkup showed a broken right femur and and two fractures in the lower leg until now. He will be operated in Monza today.

In case you missed it – Alsare Suzuki:

The fifth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship will be one to forget for Team Suzuki Alstare Brux. A horrific crash on the opening lap of the first race ended with Max being taken to hospital with a broken femur in the right leg and three broken bones in the lower leg and foot.

Max was in the lead going into the chicane but was hit by another bike that had crashed a few metres or so behind. The impact forced Max onto the grass and it was obvious straightaway that he was in considerable pain. Brendan Roberts and his bike were also involved in the crash and both riders had to receive attention for some time trackside. The race was red-flagged almost at once and in the end, six bikes were taken on trucks back to the pits.

After a long delay, the race was restarted and Max’s team mate,Yukio,rode superbly to take a well-earned fourth place. In race two, he was given a ride through penalty and was dead last when he rejoined the race after five laps. Despite some vibration from his bike, he kept going, only to finish out of the points in 17th place.

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) won the first race, much to the delight of the home fans, with team mate Noriyuki Haga second and Ryuichi Kiyonari third. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) was in contention for a win, but ran out of fuel on the last lap. In race two, he made up for his disappointment by dominating the race and taking victory by a comfortable margin. Second was Michel Fabrizio, with Kiyonari third again.

Yukio – Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 17th
I made not so bad a start and was fourth after lap one and trying to stay with the top group. I was having problems with Biaggi, because although I could close in on him on the brakes, his bike would always accelerate better than mine out of the turns. After 12 laps or so, my tire was nearly at the limit and the grip level was not good. I just kept pushing as hard as I could without taking any big risks and managed fourth place.

In race two, I made a good start, but my bike was vibrating a bit. Then I got a ride through penalty and was last. It was difficult catching up again – especially as my bike was still vibrating – but I managed to overtake some riders and get 17th I’m not so happy today because I thought my results would be a lot better. I cannot fault my mechanics because they have worked very well and we found a good feeling with the bike which makes me feel very positive for the next race. So thank you to my staff.

It was a fantastic race for the Yamaha World Supersport Team as both riders fought hard for the duration, taking well earned places on the podium at the chequered flag. Fabien Foret initially dropped to eighth place at the start but worked hard to make the places back up again. Cal Crutchlow was a constant presence in the top group, taking the lead from Laverty in a fast overtake on lap five at the Ascari chicane. Foret moved up swiftly behind him, taking second position. The two pushed on at the front until lap ten when a daring pass up the inside by Laverty at the Roggia chicane put him past both Yamaha riders and into the lead. Not content to sit back, Foret took the lead back as they turned through the Parabolica and headed out onto the straight.

In a show of the incredible speed of the Yamaha R6 Crutchlow then came back to take both Foret and Laverty at the end of the start finish straight heading into lap 11. Lap 13 saw Foret run wide, allowing Laverty and Lascorz through, while Crutchlow began to extend his lead. Lascorz then made a crucial error on lap 14, sitting up and forcing Laverty wide, allowing Foret to get past. Foret then tussled with Lascorz but eventually accepted third position and a long awaited podium whilst his team-mate Crutchlow had put a definitive gap between him and the second placed Kawasaki rider for the chequered flag.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team, (1st)
“it’s going really good here at Monza and I’m really happy with the race. We came here looking to finish in the top five to be honest on a circuit I don’t know. We did a good job this weekend at Yamaha so thanks to everyone who put a lot of effort in. we were never as fast as we could have been but we worked hard. When I got the break in the race today I went for it, I was willing to do anything to win, you could see by some of the passes I was taking no prisoners! It’s all credit to the team who got me here so a great win for the team!”

Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team, (3rd)
“I’m pretty happy, I can clearly fight again now and I’m not injured anymore. I made a few mistakes in the race and someone hit my exhaust pipe which didn’t help. It was a tough one but I enjoyed it and I think I’m back and definitely looking forward to the next one now.”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
“We are first and third, and for me the whole weekend was good, not just the race which can be a bit of a gamble as you saw with the Superbikes . You can easily make a mistake here and accidents can happen so I’m really happy nothing went majorly wrong in the supersport race. I’m really pleased to have both the riders on the podium, it’s great we leave here extending our championship lead and with Fabien taking good points away as well.”