World Superbike Championships Rd 6: Ducati fights back

James Toseland, Ducati Xerox, Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 4th: “I rode really hard in both races. In the second we made a slight change but it didn’t make things much better. Unlike Régis I’ve never been unbelievably fast around here for some reason, which is my problem and I know I have to sort that out. I was good in a few places but I didn’t get the best feeling all weekend and it was a bit frustrating for me out there today. Coming home in fourth was not the plan but that was all I could get and I couldn’t do any more. I’ve had worse days and two fourths are not bad results but I have to feel a bit disappointed. I might have had a podium if the first race hadn’t been stopped”.

Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha Motor Italia, Race 1: 6th, Race 2: 6th:“I made real progress in the early laps but it was not easy coming up from 21st position in qualifying. Right at the end of race two I had passed Chili but I entered the first corner a little too hot maybe and he got past me again. The conditions made it very difficult today, very hard work and lots of sliding. But we made a good job with what we had.”

Massimo Meregalli, Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia: “I think Noriyuki did remarkably well in race conditions but I think this weekend shows the problems of our team being new to this championship. Misano is a difficult circuit and it is hard for to go there with no information from previous races. We had a tough time finding good settings in qualifying but the team tried to understand what Nori’s feelings about the bike were and last night we made real progress. We even made some positive changes between warm up and the first lap so I am very happy for the way that the team has worked this weekend.”

Pierfrancesco Chili , Klaffi Honda, Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 5th “I think we did as well as we could do with the conditions we had. When the tyres support me I can go fast like the guy in front but when the tyre performance drops down it drops our performance down too much. We need to make some more work with the rear linkage as well, because we are not giving the rear shock enough travel. I used the bigger rear tyres this weekend, and it brings with it heavy steering, but it does offer more rear grip, until it drops down.”

Norick Abe, Yamaha Motor France Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 15th “Again this was my first time at a new track but all weekend we have not had good grip from the rear. We tried so many settings and different suspension packages but everything was the same – no good. I used a qualifying tyre in practice but even here it was spinning all the time. I used the 200 section tyre all weekend, and it should have had more grip, but it didn’t make any difference.”

Andrew Pitt, Yamaha Motor Italia, Race 1: DNF, Race 2: DNF: “We spent a bit of time trying to choose a front tyre that would go the distance but I just had no grip, really strange. I was easing it into the entry of the last chicane, being careful, but it still went away. It’s been hard all weekend, struggling to find settings that worked. We improved bit by bit but the conditions made it worse.”

Yukio Kagayama - Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 12th: “I felt I was riding well today because I found a good feeling with my bike at this track which I did not have for the past two days. The first race was stopped after five laps and we had to start again and do a 20-lap race. I was in third place in that one and comfortable, but then I made a mistake exiting Tramonto when I got on the gas a bit too early and crashed. I was very angry - especially when I saw the damage to my bike. I could not use this bike again so I had to use my number two machine and the set-up was not as good. I had to do the 25 laps, try and stay upright and finish as high as I could. Before today, I really felt that I could get a podium or two, so I am disappointed how things turned out.”

Karl Muggeridge, Team Winston Ten Kate Race 1: 10th, Race 2: 7th: “I’m not feeling so great with this stomach problem that just left me with no energy after seven or eight laps. On top of the other problems that everyone else seems to have, it was just really, really hard work. I really think that without Clinica Mobile I wouldn’t have been able to do the second race today. They dosed me up with some fluids after race one, when I was just riding around really. I didn’t feel too bad at the start of race two but about six laps from the end I was getting a little queasy again. It’s a real shame because I was so much happier on the bike this weekend.”

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