Live from Losail International Circuit, Qatar.
Disappointing start for FPR in Qatar
The first round of the new Superbike World Championship proved
one to forget for Foggy PETRONAS Racing.
Australian Steve Martin finished both races in 18th place,
while new team-mate Craig Jones suffered two crashes.
The battle for the honours provided two thrilling finishes:
James Toseland profiting when Noriyuki Haga crashed and took
out Yukio Kagayama on the final lap of the first race, and
Troy Corser emerging victorious over fellow Aussie Troy Bayliss
in a fairing–bashing final lap of the second race.
The start of each race left Steve with a mountain to climb
as he battled to fight his way back through the field. Craig,
who injured his knee in a fall yesterday, crashed in the early
stages of both races but did not aggravate the injury.
Steve said: “I was on the outside of the grid and everyone
was taking an inside line so I got stuck. It would have been
better to be 11th or 12th on the grid. Once I got into a rhythm
I could tell we had made an improvement from the first race
and I was able to lap in the 2:02s. I also got an average
start in the first race and then went into neutral going into
the hairpin and lost a lot of time when I ran off. I caught
Battaini and then Ianuzzo but could not get past him. There
is a lot of acceleration at this circuit, which is not our
strongest point, but I am a lot more positive than at this
point last year. However, we still need to sort the stability
problems we have experienced here. At least I finished both
races and I know we have good pace – we just need it
throughout the race and I hope we can find that in Australia
next week.”
Craig said: “It was a disastrous weekend
for me. I didn’t have a good set-up the whole time we
were here. In the second race crash I don’t think I
did anything differently than any of the previous laps. I
was going really steady, so that I would finish the race,
and the front end still went. In the first race the bike was
set-up a lot different to how I rode it in the morning warm-up,
with more weight on the front and obviously more fuel. So
the front tyre was more loaded up and I was unlucky to be
caught out. I did consistent 2:02s in testing here when I
was ill. So I’m now looking forward to finding some
improvements at Phillip Island so that I can show what I can
do.”
Race two results, Superbike World Championship, round
1, Losail, Qatar: 1 Corser; 2 Bayliss 1.025; 3 Haga
3.462; 4 Toseland 3.463; 5 Pitt 4.350; 6 Lanzi 19.610; 7 Barros
20.548; 8 Fabrizio 21.183; 9 Muggeridge 23.198; 10 Xaus 26.533;
11 Abe 26.854; 12 Nieto 28.132; 13 Rolfo 28.135; 14 Borciani
34.176; 15 Gimbert 35.395; 18 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing)
51.504
Race one results: 1 Toseland (Winston Ten
Kate Honda); 2 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 0.088; 3 Pitt (Yamaha
Italia) 2.390; 4 Corser (Alstare Suuki Corona Extra) 2.599;
5 Fabrizio (DFX Treme) 6.999; 6 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 14.717;
7 Rolfo (Ducati SC – Caracchi) 15.224; 8 Chili (DFX
Treme) 21.183; 9 Borciani (Sterilgarda Berik) 36.675; 10 Neukirchner
23.932; 11 Abe (Yamaha France) 24.816; 12 Muggeridge (Winston
Ten Kate Honda) 25.643; 13 Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 29.139;
14 Gimbert (Yamaha France) 29.977; 15 Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik)
36.675; 18 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:06.594
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