- Offizieller Beitrag
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
ZitatAlles anzeigenFIM SUPERBIKE / SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 11 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25 IMOLA, ITALY PREVIEW
FUTURE STARTS NOW FOR REA AT IMOLA
Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) and his team-mate Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) will have some new technology on their CBR1000RR machines at the forthcoming Imola round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, after the team made successful tests of ride-by-wire technology at the recent Misano test, and the Superbike Commission recently approved the adoption of such devices with immediate effect.
The Misano tests, also attended by most of Jonathan and Ruben’s main rivals, showed that the technology is ready for use now, with the long-term aim of being at full readiness for Rea’s championship campaign in 2012.
Jonathan’s comeback rides in Germany last time out proved he has lost none of his pace during his long period of recuperation as he finished tenth and then and then fourth. He is now 12th overall in the championship rankings, with only a two point gap to a top ten position.
Xaus will return to competitive action after a period of recuperation from a back injury, with his sights set on his first points scores since the sixth round of the championship.
Both Jonathan and Ruben benefitted greatly from the recent two-day Misano test, with each raring to go as they re-visit Italy this coming weekend.
HONDA RIDERS LOOKING TO MOVE ON UP IN FINAL ROUNDS
With the three final rounds of the FIM Supersport World Championship coming along in quick succession Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate
Honda) faces an uphill task to overhaul championship leader Chaz Davies (Yamaha). Foret is only a point off second place rider David Salom (Kawasaki), but he is now 60 points behind Davies, with a maximum of 75 points available to Fabien if he wins all three remaining races.Foret, with five podiums to his credit in 2011 so far, is still looking for his first 2011 race win, after an early season experience dogged by injury. He is the lead CBR600RR rider in the points table, which features four Hondas in the top eight places, and eight Hondas in the top 14.
A podium for Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) at the previous round in Germany drew the full season rookie to within seven points of fifth place, with the prospect of a final finish inside the top four or better a real possibility if he continues his current podium challenging form.
Some 27-points, but only one place behind Lowes, Brno race winner Gino Rea (Step Racing Honda) is seventh in the championship, tied with two other riders on the same 62-point total. One of those riders is the resurgent James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) who came close to the win last time out once he finally found the combination of overall package and clear qualifying sessions to allow him to show his true abilities and score his first ever WSS podium.
In the intense battle for the final top ten places only four championship points cover six riders, from seventh to 12th place in the table.
Honda men Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing
Honda) and Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate
Honda) are 11th and 12th respectively, both hoping that Imola will push them back into the top ten.Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda) is 13th in the rankings with three rounds to go, but Miguel is some 26 points behind Marino and only one point ahead of impressive rookie rider, Balazs Nemeth (Team Hungary Toth Honda). The Hungarian competitor has scored two impressive top tens in recent races, with a seventh place at the Silverstone round his personal best so far.
Alexander Lundh (Cresto Guide Honda) is another worthy Honda privateer in 2011, now 16th. Two more CBR600RR riders are also in the current top 20, Vladimir Ivanov (Step Racing Team Honda) and Imre Toth (Team Hungary Toth Honda). Pawel Szkopek (Bogdanka PTR Honda) remains 22nd overall.
HONDA RIDER COMMENTS:
Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda)
“Imola has so much history and I remember the great battle between Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss there back in 2002. It’s a circuit I really enjoy riding, but I didn’t have so much luck last year, crashing out of a really wet superpole and breaking my wrist, which ended my season a little prematurely. Since then, I’ve had a similar injury on my other wrist, but it was good to come back at Nürburgring in the last round. The Misano test last week was pretty good and allowed us to see the potential of the new ride-by-wire system. There’s more work to do though, and we’ll continue development of the package at Imola this weekend with one eye on the
2012 season, although of course I’ll be aiming for two good results for myself and the team.”Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda)
“I always enjoy going back to Imola – it’s a very special circuit and I have enjoyed some success there in the past. It will be a good place to ride again after two months off the bike after the Brno crash. The test last week at Misano was good for me and I was very happy with the new package, which allows me to be a lot more comfortable on the bike. The CBR feels stronger and faster and I am able to control the bike better, so the two days last week was a good motivation for me. I am really looking forward to riding it again at Imola.”Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda)
“I want to win races in the last rounds because the championship looks a bit difficult now. If I can make a couple of wins then that is my immediate aim. I think, realistically, I have to fight for second in the championship. Of course second is not first, but it is a better than third. I have some good memories of Imola because that is where I secured my championship win in 2002, so it is already a special place for me. I just hope for good weather again so we can enjoy the racing and find a good set-up for race day.”Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda)
“I’m really looking forward to the Imola weekend and pushing to try and get my first win of the season. I like the circuit there and I have had experience of it before, so that should help us a lot. I am ready for the last three rounds of the championship and will be pushing hard to get second overall in the championship.”Gino Rea (Step Racing Team Honda)
“I am ready again and looking forward to getting on a race bike. I have not done any tests since Germany, but I got the chance to ride a Honda Fireblade around Mugello during a trackday so I have been able to ride and stay focused. I was a bit frustrated after crashing in Germany in the previous round, so I am really looking to getting back on track on my own bike.”James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda)
“I have fond memories of Imola as I won the European Superstock Championship there back in 2001, at the final round. There are a lot of undulations at Imola, on and off camber, and it is so historic too. So from that point of view I should really enjoy it. I have not been there for a while, but we will leave the bike as it was in Germany to start, as a few of the corners at each track have common characteristics. The podium at the Nürburgring was an important result for us all.”Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) “We had a silly problem with a spark plug wire in Germany with a few laps remaining, and now we have had three races in a row with bad luck.
After our early season performances I was aiming for top five really, but now I am just aiming for good finishes in all the last three rounds.”Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) “I want to get back the feeling that I had in Silverstone or the Assen tests because in Germany last time out I was feeling good to get a result before I got there, but the bike there felt completely different. I just want to get the feeling back and to fight for good results and my championship position. I think I can fight well if I can get the bike set-up like I want.”
Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda)
“Last year I was hit by a rider from behind at Imola, at the first corner, so it will be important this year to make more than the first corner! We had a bit of a problem in Germany and the team and I have worked to identify a solution. These three last rounds will be the ones that count, even more important than my final championship position, because these are the results everyone will keep in the memory all winter.”