ThePitcrewOnline

Category: Crew On Two

  • Lorenzo desperate for points at one of his ‘favourite circuits’

    Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo will be looking for a chnage of fortune at the British Grand Prix, after a disastrous Czech Grand Prix saw him slip to third in the standings, behind Italian teammate and arch rival, Valentino Rossi.

    After a difficult last race, that saw Lorenzo having to come into the pits due to tyre problems, the Mallorcan is set on making a strong comeback this weekend at a circuit where the odds are in his favour: he holds the record for the rider with the most MotoGP wins at Silverstone. Over the last six years Lorenzo has secured three premier class victories, in 2010, 2012 and 2013, and is eager add a fourth to his tally this weekend.

    “After the two back-to-back races in Austria and Brno the situation is not as we desired beforehand but we can‘t change that”, said a philosophical Jorge Lorenzo ahead of Sunday’s race.

    “From now on we need to think race by race and just try to get the best results day by day. Silverstone is the next stop so we have to push at the maximum there and enjoy riding with the bike again” vowed the Spaniard, now 59 points adrift of leader Marc Marquez.

    “That track is one of my favourite circuits in the world but unfortunately the weather is always very unpredictable. Let‘s see if we can deliver a great race again there”.

    Lorenzo finished 4th in last years Grand Prix in tricky conditions. A 4th this season in the wet would be a great day for him.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Series leader Marc Marquez arrives at ‘Enjoyable’ Silverstone

    With just one weekend off after his third-place finish in Brno, Championship leader Marc Marquez heads to Britain aiming to once again fight for the podium at a track that he likes and that has brought him good results. Teammate Dani Pedrosa (fourth in the standings) is looking to regain his confidence and return to a more usual pace for him.

    Silverstone has a rich racing heritage stretching back over 60 years and has become an iconic motorsport venue. Built on a former airfield, the 5.9 km track is the longest and one of the fastest circuits on the schedule. This is the seventh year that the MotoGP paddock will visit Silverstone since it replaced Donington Park in 2010.

    Marc, who scored on British soil the first Grand Prix podium of his career at Donington Park in 2008 (125cc), has celebrated four podium finishes in six Silverstone visits, including a 125cc class victory in 2010, a MotoGP win in 2014, a second-place MotoGP result in 2013 and a third-place Moto2 showing in 2012. Dani has enjoyed two MotoGP podium finishes at Silverstone (third in 2013 and 2012).

    Marquez: Weather is unpredictable

    “Silverstone is a place where the weather is generally quite unpredictable, meaning that cold and rain are variables you have to be prepared to face. We’ve encountered ‘mixed conditions’ situations more than once this year, and we saw how important it is to remain focused and make the right choices. We’ll see what happens during the weekend and we’ll try to manage the situation with the same mind-set that has gotten us this far. I like the track a lot; it has a slower first section but then there’s a series of ‘esses’ where it’s possible to make the difference if you find a good setup for the bike. I’ve always enjoyed racing there and we’ll push at the maximum to get the best result possible.”

    Pedrosa: The track is not easy

    “My main goal at the moment is to regain some confidence and feeling and then build upon that. The work we did during the Brno post-race test gave us a few ideas and we’ll see now if we’re able to start to find some more speed in the next races. Silverstone is a challenging venue with many changes of direction that require a lot of work on the bike’s settings. Another important topic is the weather, which is often quite unpredictable, and that also makes it demanding to set up the bike, to choose tyres and so on. The morning practices and the afternoon practice often give you different feelings. The track is very fast, quite winding, and it’s not easy. Once you get going though, things get better and everything gets more flowing on race day.”

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Rossi ready for ‘uncertain’ weather at ‘fun’ track

    Valentino Rossi arrives at the Silverstone circuit ahead of the British Grand Prix, an event in which he scored 25 points in last season.

    The Doctor comes to the twelfth round feeling confident after securing second place at the last race in Brno, making it a total of five podium finishes so far this season. He looks forward to riding the fast sweeping corners of Silverstone, where he rode his YZR-M1 to his first victory at this track last year. He had been successful on British soil at Donington Park in previous years, having secured three modern era premier class wins in 2002, 2004 and 2005, and two 500cc victories in 2000 and 2001.

    Silverstone made its first appearance on the MotoGP calendar in 2010 and is one of the fastest tracks on the calendar thanks to innovations to the circuit‘s lay-out, earning it high praise from the riders. The racing passion of the British fans also adds to the atmosphere of the venue, making the British Grand Prix a must-be-at event.

    “I have very nice recent memories of Silvertone. Last year I won a really incredible race in very difficult conditions”, said the veteran Italian who currently sits on 114 career race wins.

    “I hope that this year there will be nice weather, but from the climatic point of view the English race is very uncertain. I like Silverstone a lot, it‘s a very fun track but also very demanding” explained Valentino, who has just one other podium at the track, in 2014 when he finished third. This circuit is very long and there are many changes of direction with high speeds”, said the winner of eight previous British Grand Prix, spread across three classes.

    “It is important to find a perfect set-up for the bike to be able to suit both the slow and the fast corners. We will try to work on all aspects, as we have been doing the entire season to get the best possible result”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Sam Lowes: The Fans give me a Great Charge

    Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 rider Sam Lowes is ready to fight in the British Grand Prix, twelfth round of the 2016 Moto2 World Championship taking place this weekend on the fast Silverstone circuit: fresh from the third place finish in Czech Republic, the 25-year-old British rider is determined to get another good result in front of his home crowd, in an attempt to close the gap in the standings from his title rivals, Johann Zarco and Alex Rins.

    Started from pole position last year and currently third in the championship with 137 points, Lowes will be back aboard his Kalex on Friday 2 September for the first free practice session, while the race will start on Sunday 4 September at 2pm local time.

    Lowes: Weather doesn’t bother me

    “It’s always very nice for me to get to Silverstone for the Grand Prix: there will be many fans to support me and this gives me a great charge. It’s a track where I know I can be very competitive: last year I got the pole position and this year the goal is to fight for victory. We know we have what it takes to succeed, so we will give our best, trying to have fun. We may encounter variable weather, but it’s a possibility that does not bother me: the good performance achieved in Brno in the wet was a nice confidence boost from this point of view, so we are confident whatever the circumstances”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Somber occasion for Gresini Moto3 Team as Mularoni dies

    The British Grand Prix, scheduled for this weekend at Silverstone, will be a very touching event for all the Gresini Racing Team, which will race in memory of Enzo Donald Mularoni, president and CEO of Ceramica Del Conca, who passed away last August 26th.

    A prominent figure of Italian entrepreneurship and incredibly passionate about motorcycling, Enzo Mularoni joined the team earlier this year as main sponsor, embracing a project that thrilled the President of Ceramica Del Conca, who also attended the recent Austrian Grand Prix last August 14th to closely follow the race of Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

    Gresini: Mularoni was thrilled about racing

    “We are going through a very difficult time: I was very shocked by this sudden loss and honestly right now it’s not easy to think about competitions. The Grand Prix that will take place this weekend at Silverstone will be a very touching event for all of us; we know very well how Enzo Mularoni was thrilled about racing, therefore we will be on track giving our best, as always, in the memory of a person with great human qualities, as well as a great businessman. Mularoni will be missed a lot by his ‘team’, the Del Conca company, as well as he will be missed by all of us: Enzo was following very closely the races, a proof of his great passion for the sport. He also attended the recent Austrian Grand Prix, at the Red Bull Ring, and I was also speaking with him after the Brno race, to share our thoughts about the Grand Prix and our sixth consecutive podium finish. At Silverstone we will race to honor his memory and we will continue to carry on this project with the enthusiasm that he has taught us to put in everything we do, always”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Ecstar Suzuki in good shape for British Grand Prix

    The Silverstone circuit in England will be the host of the next round of the MotoGP World Championship, one of the longest tracks of the season and also one of only two – together with Austin – with a lap-time of more-than two minutes.

    Team SUZUKI ECSTAR will get to UK this weekend with the experience and progress made in wet conditions after the recent Austrian and Czech rounds. The experience gained by the team in those difficult conditions was valuable and the earliest results were already seen in Brno when both Aleix Espargaró’s and Maverick Viñales’ performances improved consistently and positively.

    The tricky weather conditions that usually characterise the British weather are not worrying the team anymore because of the improvements made by Suzuki’s R&D department in Japan.

    With more than 60 years history, Silverstone has become one of the most prestigious motorsport venues of the season. Completely revamped in recent years, a multi-million-pound investment saw the completion of a first phase of works to greatly improve the venue in 2010, making it one of the fastest tracks on the MotoGP calendar and earning high praise from the World Championship riders who enjoyed the new layout.

    The track is 5.9 km (3.67 miles) in length with a good balance between left and right-hand corners: eight left and 10 right-handers and Sunday’s race will be disputed over a total of 20 laps, for a total distance of 118.0 km – 73.4 miles.

    Maverick Viñales: We can have a good race in any conditions
    “My expectations for Silverstone are positive, it has always been a good track for me and here I also did my first pole position. I’ve always liked it a lot and I think for the Suzuki it can be a good track also. We have to work a lot, we did important improvements in latest races increasing our knowledge of the bike and finding some solutions in the set-up and electronics that can help me in tricky weather conditions. The first and last sectors are really nice, and there are some corners that will suit our machine’s characteristics. The weather will paly a role, as always in England it is unpredictable, but the progress we’ve made makes me think that we can do a good race in any conditions.”

    Aleix Espargaró: Fast corners mean our chassis has an advantage
    “I’m not expecting an easy weekend as the weather conditions can vary suddenly and we’ll have to be very quick in adapting to the changes, and it will probably be cold. It will be very important to try to exploit at the best any dry session we have in order to take advantage, and also to be very quick to find a positive base set-up. I like the track, very fast where the engine will need a good performance, but also it has very fast corners where our chassis can be an advantage.”

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Aprilia team aware of changeable weather

    A charming and historical track will host round 12 on the 2016 MotoGP calendar. The Silverstone circuit, a former RAF military airstrip and the first track to host a Formula 1 race, has various points of interest. Fast and flowing, it always provides spectacular races, attracting large and enthusiastic crowds. The unpredictable weather conditions also add another variable.

    The Aprilia RS-GP machines ridden by Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista arrive in the United Kingdom after the Misano tests, where both riders continued the development programme. Some of the solutions used on the Italian track are ready to be implemented at Silverstone.

    Both the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders like the layout of the English circuit. Last year, Alvaro Bautista took one of his best race results right here on the fast corners of Silverstone, with a tenth place finish.

    Alvaro Bautista: Top 10 potential would be great

    “I like Silverstone a lot. It is a fun ride. The weather is crucial here. It can change from one moment to the next between rain and sunny skies, so it is a factor that must be watched. After the Misano tests I think we will be able to implement some new ideas on the track, taking the best advantage of the tests. I hope to have a good weekend, working well in every session. Having top-10 potential on race day would be a great result for us”.

    Stefan Bradl: Our bike should work well here

    “We expect a demanding weekend, but one that we are tackling after the good tests conducted at Misano. We have a lot of material to confirm on a new track. I think that some of the things used in the tests will be useful for us. I would like to have stable weather conditions so we can continue this development effort. The track is fast and flowing. It should be a good fit for our settings that usually perform well on this type of layout”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Van Der Mark: I can fight for the title in 2017

    Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to announce its official challengers for the 2017 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, as talented Dutchman Michael van der Mark joins current rider Alex Lowes in the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team. Continuing for his second season aboard the WorldSBK-spec YZF-R1, Lowes is eager to reap the rewards of 2016’s developmental year, having assisted the Japanese marque as it returned to international Superbike competition. Alongside him, and showing consistently impressive pace throughout his career so far, 2014’s Supersport World Champion van der Mark will move to Yamaha for his third season in the Superbike class.

    25-year-old British rider Lowes secured an impressive victory in the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race in late-July, competing as part of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team with MotoGP’s Pol Espargaro and Japanese race and test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga. 2016 has seen his notable pace and talent used to enhance and fine-tune the development of the YZF-R1 in its debut year in WorldSBK, with Lowes qualifying on the front row twice in the opening six rounds before a broken collarbone dampened his initial progress. The recent showing in Suzuka proving the former BSB Champion is back to full strength, Lowes is looking forward to continuing Yamaha’s WorldSBK evolution in the latter part of the 2016 season before returning to the series in 2017, determined to challenge for victory.

    Dutch rider van der Mark has achieved many successes in his 23 years, becoming champion in both the FIM European Superstock 600 and Supersport World Championship in 2012 and 2014 respectively. Progressing to World Superbike in 2015, he has secured eight podiums and one pole position to-date across the past two seasons and showed an increasing maturity, speed and hunger to win. Van der Mark’s drive to succeed is a perfect complement to Lowes and the YZF-R1 for 2017, ensuring Yamaha has the best tools to fight for victories from the opening race.

    The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team and Yamaha Motor Europe would like to emphasise their full commitment to Sylvain Guintoli for the remaining four events of the 2016 WorldSBK season, continuing the partnership when the Frenchman returns from injury in Germany next month. Yamaha, the Crescent team and Title Partner Pata would like to thank Sylvain for his hard work in 2016 and wish him all the best in his future career.

    Van Der Mark: It’s never easy leaving a team

    “I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge with Yamaha. I could see the potential of the R1 during its first World Superbike season this year and I’m convinced that with further development and the full support of Yamaha and the team I will have the right package to fight for the World Superbike title next year.

    “It is never an easy decision to leave a team and a manufacturer after so many years and successes, I will always remain grateful for the support received and I will give my maximum for the remainder of this season to get as many podiums as possible.”

    Lowes: I am sure we will push each other next year

    “Despite some challenges in the WorldSBK comeback season for Yamaha this year, it has been a pleasure to be part of the project from the start and I cannot wait to capitalise on the work we’ve all done when we start the 2017 season. The YZF-R1 is a magical bike to ride and we are now very close to a truly competitive level in this championship. I really feel part of the Yamaha family, the team is improving all the time and I couldn’t be happier to continue together into 2017. Michael is a very fast rider, I am sure we will push each other all year, and I look forward to him joining the team.”

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Mixed feelings for Buildbase BMW Team after Cadwell Park

    Taylor Mackenzie kept his hold of the Superstock 1000 Championship lead following the eighth round of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park.

    With an optimistic start to proceedings, the Buildbase team-mates, Richard Cooper and Lee Jackson showed they had pace, rarely moving outside the top five during the weekends free practice sessions. Both riders went on to make Q3 in qualifying on Sunday afternoon, with Cooperman setting the third fastest time of the day, and secured his place on the front row of the grid with a lap time of 1’26.126, which was under lap record pace at the time. Jackson, impressed at his home circuit with a personal best of 1’26.209 around the Lincolnshire track, putting his machine 4th on the grid ahead of Mondays races. The #47 rider worked hard throughout the race being the first BMW to cross the finish in 8th. An unfortunate crash on lap three at Charlies left Jackson’s bike needing a re-build. The team worked hard rebuilding the bike for race two to make sure the local lad was able to get back out on the S 1000 RR for his home crowd.

    The same fate met Coopes during race two when a crash involving Christian Iddon at the Hairpin took Richard out. Suffering more from loss of crucial points than injuries the Nottinghamshire rider walked away from the crash unharmed. With no points to bank, Cooperman moved back into seventh of the Championship standings, foregoing the coveted sixth place which James Ellison now claims. Jackson fared better in race two, starting from 17th on the grid, he battled his way through the pack and was just shy of the top ten crossing the line.

    Taylor Mackenzie bagged another 20 points for crossing the chequered flag 2nd in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race. It was a tough battle for podium places between Mackenzie, Hutchinson and Farmer. Ian took the win 2.3 second over the Buildbase rider, with Farmer claiming 3rd.

    The Scotsman continues to hold his lead with a margin of 23 points over Hutchy in the Championship standings. With only three more rounds to contest the title, the #77 rider will be working hard to keep his place.

    Taylor Mackenzie: “I was really happy with our work as a team at the weekend. We took a solid 20 points at a tricky circuit which puts us in a really strong position going into the last 3 rounds. Oulton, Donington and Brands were three of our best rounds from earlier in the year so I’m already looking forward to getting back out at Oulton in two weeks’ time.”

    Lee Jackson: “Thank-you to the team for doing a great job all weekend and rebuilding my bike for race two. After a fantastic start to the weekend I’m gutted I couldn’t get my first podium and gain some more solid points!”

    Steve Hicken, Team Manager: “It was a mixed weekend for Lee and Richard. The weekend started positive and we were set to battle at the front. It’s a shame the practice didn’t follow through into the racing. A few unfortunate events set us back. We managed to re-build the bike from Lee’s crash and get him back up and running for race two. He rode well at a tricky circuit and was the second BMW to cross the line, coming in just shy of top ten. We have some areas to work on read for the next round. I hope to get Richard back into the top six and Lee challenging at the front end. Taylor rode well and it was a tight battle at the front, we’re still at the top of the championship standings which is great.”

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Quattro Plant Kawasaki hold on to Showdown Hopes

    Luke Mossey and the Quattro Plant Kawasaki team kept their Showdown hopes very much alive at round eight of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park on Monday with the Cambridge rider now just seven points off a top six position.

    The 23-year old was strong at the Lincolnshire venue right from the outset and placed second, third and fourth in the three free practice sessions prior to Sunday afternoon’s qualifying session. However, a time of 1m26.382s placed him sixth overall after qualifying which put him on the second row for the first 18-lap race.

    A slightly sluggish start put him back in tenth place at the end of the opening lap but by half race distance he was up into seventh and very much in contention for a top six finish at least. However, with less than three laps to go, he dropped down the order down to twelfth after a near crash and with no time left to recover and regain any places, he had to settle for just four Championship points.

    Lining up in tenth place and at the head of the fourth row for the second 18-lap encounter, the race was only a few hundred yards old when team-mate Filip Backlund and Howie Mainwaring Smart crashed at the first corner bringing out the safety car for a period of three laps. On lap four, Luke was shuffled back to twelfth place and it took him until half race distance to gain a place but he kept pushing until the end ultimately being rewarded with ninth place and what could prove to be seven valuable Championship points.

    It moves him on to a total of 133 and places him joint seventh in the Championship table, just seven points adrift of James Ellison who currently holds the sixth and final Showdown place. Three races take place at the next round at Oulton and this will ultimately decide which six riders dispute the Championship.

    Backlund was making his return to racing after suffering a crash at Brands Hatch at the previous round and although he qualified back in 24th place, a strong opening race saw him lap over half a second quicker than what he had done in qualifying to claim a solid 18th place. However, all hopes were dashed in the second race crash although the Swede was thankfully relatively unharmed.

    There was also disappointment for Dickies British Supersport Championship contender Andrew Reid as he failed to score a point in either of the two races. Fifth in qualifying, a crash on the first lap in Sunday’s ‘Sprint’ race put him on the back foot and on the fourth row for Monday’s feature race and with plenty of work to do. The race started well as he soon moved into the top four but he ran wide at the first corner and had to retire from the race on the tenth lap. It now means he lies 45 points adrift of Championship leader James Westmoreland.

    Luke Mossey: “It’s been an up and down weekend to be honest. I had a really good start in practice and I was never outside the top four and whilst I ended up sixth after qualifying, I was confident of having two strong results. As it turned out though I struggled in both races. It was just one of those days but we’re still close to the Showdown positions and I really like Oulton Park, venue for the next round, so I’ll be looking to get back onto top form there.”

    Filip Backlund: “I came into the weekend hopeful of two points scoring finishes and although I only finished 18th in race one, I was pleased with my ride as I lapped quicker than I had done all weekend and found a good rhythm which I was sure would put me in good stead for race two. I made a really good start and saw Howie take the outside line so thought I’d follow him round. Unfortunately, he had to shut off mid-corner and I had nowhere to go, ploughing into the back of him. I’m a bit bruised and my hip’s sore but I’m otherwise ok so will come back strong at Oulton.”

    Pete Extance, Team Owner: “The weekend seemed full of promise after free practice and qualifying and with Luke in sixth we were confident for two good results. Unfortunately, in the first race he suffered a major highside near the end and whilst he stayed on, it dropped him from seventh to 12th and only four points. He improved to ninth in the second race and although he didn’t score hugely this weekend, a number of other riders experienced similar fortunes so the Showdown is stll very much all to play for.”

    “Filip had a rough weekend scoring no points and suffering a huge crash in the second race when he went down with Howie Mainwaring Smart at the first corner fortunately without injury. Andrew too had a tough time of things scoring no points either so we’ll need to regroup on all fronts for the next round at Oulton and do everything we can to get Luke in the Showdown.”

    The next round takes place at Oulton Park on September 9-11.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko