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  • Tour de Corse 2017 Preview

    After the tarmac and ice of Monte Carlo, the snow in the forests of Sweden and last time out on the gravel roads, high in the mountains around Leon, Mexico, the fourth round of this year’s World Rally Championship comes to the Island of Corsica! Famously known for its twists and turns (apparently, it’s got 10,000 corners) we’ll get to see the new generation of faster world rally cars for the first time on a sealed surface. Okay, Monte is tarmac as well, but with the ice and snow there, it’s quite different!

    2016 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 11, Rally de France, Tour de Corse 2016 / September 28 – October 02, 2016 // Worldwide Copyright: Hyundai Motorsport

    This year, Tour de Corse features ten stages. Doesn’t sound much I hear you say? Well, what this event is about is quality. This year sees the crews attack 316.80km’s.

    Just a reminder of the top ten last year, which saw Seb win for the first time on the streets of Corsica.

    01 Ogier (VW) 4h 07m 17.0s

    02 Neuville +46.4s

    03 Mikkelsen (VW) +1m 10.0s

    04 Latvala (VW) +1m 35.6s

    05 Breen +2m 18.6s

    06 Paddon +2m 36.1s

    07 Sordo +3m 06.9s

    08 Camilli +4m 53.9s

    09 Østberg +5m 37.7s

    10 Tänak +6m 26.6s

    All of the teams have been testing on the island recently and are fully prepared for the challenges that will confront them.

    So, lets from the crews ahead of the 60th running of this classic event.

    M-Sport WRT

    Sébastien Ogier said:

    “We’ve had a nice few weeks since Rally Mexico – combining work with time at home – and now we’re ready to tackle the Tour de Corse. It was nice to spend some time with my family and to enjoy some skiing out on the slopes, but we also had a good test to find the best set-up for what are very unique stages in Corsica.

    “We’re back to asphalt and I had a good feeling with the Fiesta in Monte-Carlo, but this event offers a completely different surface which demands a slightly different approach. Working with the team, we were able to explore a lot of different settings with the dampers and centre-differential which I hope will see us well placed to challenge for another strong result next week.

    “We’ve seen some very close battles this year, and I expect that to continue. We’ll certainly be doing our best to be in the battle, and the ultimate goal will be to come out on top. It won’t be easy, but the Tour de Corse never is. Even if the route remains very similar to last year, this rally is always a big challenge!”

    Ott Tänak said:

    “Next week’s Tour de Corse will be the biggest test of the year so far, but we’ve done a lot to improve ourselves and await the challenge.

    “It’s an event that I’ve not really clicked with in the past, but to be honest I had the same feeling about Rallye Monte-Carlo. That worked out really well for us so if we remain focused and motivated, anything is possible and we could find ourselves in contention for a positive result.

    “That’s always our goal and we always want to deliver the best result we possibly can. The Fiesta felt really good in Monte and we’ve done a lot of work in testing since then. Last week we completed close to 500 test kilometres, so hopefully that all pays off next week.

    “But at the same time, I know just how challenging this event is. The stages are so narrow and twisty and there is something happening all the time. There really is no margin for error and we’re going to have to remain calm and focused from the very start.”

    D-Mack WRT

    Elfyn Evans said:

    “The Tour de Corse is a real technical challenge but I think that’s what I like about it. We’ve had some really good results there and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do this year.

    “It’s a unique event and there’s actually quite a lot of variation amongst the stages. Some are surprisingly smooth, but then there are those which are typically Corsican with abrasive Tarmac that twists through the mountains.

    “It’s all about adapting to the conditions but at this time of year, and with the stages being so long, it’s possible to be faced with dry Tarmac and wet Tarmac on the same stage. Like in Monte-Carlo, we could find ourselves looking for the package that provides the best compromise.

    “When we had dry Tarmac in Monte, our pace was really good and that gives us a big positive to build on. We had a test working of different set-ups last week and it felt pretty good. It’s an event that you can never predict, but there’s no reason for us not to feel fairly optimistic so let’s see what happens.”

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Hayden Paddon said:

    “I am determined that Corsica will be the real start of my 2017 season. I feel confident in myself and I’ve been working hard to prepare for the first WRC tarmac event of the year. Taking part in Rallye Sanremo will give me the chance to adjust to the driving and pace notes on that surface. Corsica is a difficult event, the toughest tarmac rally on the calendar in my opinion, but I am really looking forward to it. We are ready to put a good performance.”

    Thierry Neuville commented:

    “Tour de Corse is a famous and historic rally. It’s also an event that Nicolas and I have won back in 2011 – when it was part of the IRC – so we remember what it is like to go there and perform. I thought we did well there last year especially, finishing second. The stages were just lovely, so we are looking forward to getting back there. Mexico was a really important result for us after the competitive but frustrating first rounds of the season. We want to build on that podium – and Corsica is a great place to do just that.”

    Dani Sordo said: “Corsica is our first experience of a proper tarmac rally this season, so I am excited to have the chance to show what both we and the car are capable of. The setting of the rally is one of the most spectacular on the calendar, with the route taking us through the mountains and the forests- it really is a great event to take part in. Our performances so far this year have been pretty consistent but now is the time to step up our game – and bring ourselves even closer to the front.”

    Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT

    Kris Meeke

    “For sure, we won in Mexico, but the Tour de Corse is a completely different kettle of fish. For me, this rally is the ultimate challenge on tarmac. Last year, I really enjoyed the stages and I would’ve been in contention for the win had I not made a minor mistake. I can’t say that I come into the rally full of confidence, but I’m very pleased with the work done in testing. We have a good car, with consistent handling. In the rally itself, we’ll see if we are close to our full potential. I can’t wait to get started, I’m expecting it to be very close at the front.”

    Number of appearances at the event: 4

    Best result: 4th (2015)

    Craig Breen

    “I was surprised to learn that I’m the team’s most experienced driver at this rally! It’s true that I know the Tour de Corse very well and I really love racing here. There are some similarities with conditions in Ireland, like the unpredictable weather and the uneven surface of the roads, which are sometimes in poor condition… Last year, I had a good feeling on my first tarmac rally in a WRC. This year, I hope I’ll be able to put together a series of stages with a good level of confidence. It really is all about confidence with these new cars! If I can manage to do that, then we should secure a good result.”

    Number of appearances at the event: 5

    Best result: 4th (2013/ERC)

    Stephane Lefebvre

    “Like Monte-Carlo or Finland, the Tour de Corse is one of the WRC’s unmissable rounds. I don’t have particularly fond memories from my appearance here in 2015. It was hell on earth with all the rain! I therefore still see myself as a rookie and I know that my lack of experience may be difficult to overcome. But I’ll be giving it 100% to try and secure the best result possible. Testing helped me to fine tune my driving on tarmac. The C3 WRC handles a little bit like a track racing car.”

    Number of appearances at the event: 2

    Best result: 11th (2015)

    Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Jari-Matti Latvala said:

    “Corsica is a special event for me: when I won there, it meant so much to me because for Finns it was always a difficult place, after the accident with Henri Toivonen in 1986, and as a nation we never used to do very well there. Now I think it is different, and of course rallying is a lot safer. We had a very good test completing 380 kilometres over two days, with one day on narrow and bumpy roads and the second day on fast and abrasive roads. On the rally, we will have both, so I think we found a good set-up between those two conditions, trying a few different damper settings. We already have an idea about the potential of the car on asphalt after Monte-Carlo, and my feeling with the car now is much better than it was after the test for Monte. However, our rivals will be very strong, as we saw already on all the rallies so far, so we take nothing for granted. We are just staying focused on our task of improving the car with every rally. Up to now, that objective is being met, so I am happy.”

    Juho Hänninen said:

    “I feel so much better now than I did before so I am looking forward to Corsica: it feels good to be back on Tarmac. I have only done the rally once before and that was a long time ago, although I also did the recce last year. So, I have been relying a lot on the advice from Jari-Matti about how to set up the car and this is working very well. To me, the car actually feels quite similar to what we had in Monte-Carlo, but that is good as I had a very nice feeling with the car there. The main difference in Corsica is the tyres, so we have been learning how to get the best out of them, especially for the long stages. Mexico showed that if you persist you can have a good result even if the circumstances are against you and that is also a little bit the philosophy of Toyota this year: we are going to keep trying to make the car better and better.”

    So, these are the stages that await the crews. The itinerary is 96% identical to last year’s event, which was held in October.

    TOUR DE CORSE SCHEDULE (GMT+2)

    THURSDAY 6 APRIL

    8.00am: shakedown (Sorbo Ocagnano)

    FRIDAY 7 APRIL

    8.15am: Start (Ajaccio – Parking Miot)

    8.50am: Tyre fitting zone (Porticcio)

    9.22am: SS1 – Pietrosella – Albitreccia 1 (31.20km)

    11.14am: SS2 – Plage du Liamone – Sarrola-Carpocino 1 (29.12km)

    12.24pm: Regroup (Porticcio)

    1.39pm: Tyre fitting zone (Porticcio)

    2.11pm: SS3 – Pietrosella – Albitreccia 2 (31.20km)

    4.03pm: SS4 – Plage du Liamone – Sarrola-Carpocino 2 (29.12km)

    7.15pm: Neutralisation (Place Saint-Nicolas – Bastia)

    8.30pm: Flexi Service A (Bastia airport – 45 mins)

    SATURDAY 8 APRIL

    7.30am: Service B (Bastia airport – 15 mins)

    8.40am: SS5 – La Porta – Valle di Rostino 1 (48.71km)

    10.17am: SS6 – Novella 1 (17.27km)

    1.03pm: Service C (Bastia airport – 30 mins)

    2.28pm: SS7 – La Porta – Valle di Rostino 2 (48.71km)

    4.08pm: SS8 – Novella 2 (17.27km)

    5.48pm: Neutralisation (Place Saint-Nicolas – Bastia)

    6.58pm: Flexi Service D (Bastia airport – 45 mins)

    SUNDAY 9 APRIL

    7.15am: Service E (Bastia airport – 15 mins)

    8.58am: SS9 – Antisanti – Poggio di Nazza (53.78km)

    12.18pm: SS10 – Porto-Vecchio – Palombaggia (10.42km)

    1.30pm: Podium (Porto-Vecchio Marina)

    17:30: Parc Ferme (Bastia)

    I’d say that Friday is the most challenging day, as there is no midday service, just a tyre fitting stop. It would be very easy to make a mistake and cost yourself a lot of time or even retirement from the event and then any hope of scoring points.

    With the pace that Thierry has shown on asphalt, I’d say he should be the one to watch for the victory, but we know how strong Seb is, and he won this rally last year. M-Sport are also very capable of building a quick car for this surface. Witness Elfyn and Dan leading this rally two years ago, and getting their best result with second place behind Jari-Matti in the end.

    Speaking of him, he’s had his best start to a season for a while and has really come into his own at the new Toyota team. If the car is up to it, then I can see him getting a podium.

    Hayden Paddon and Seb Marshall drove Rallye Sanremo last weekend in their first event together and scored a very positive second place behind the wheel of an i20 R5 car. Tarmac is a surface that Hayden has been working hard to get the pace right.

    During Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle’s part season last year, they performed well at this event, but a puncture during one of the stages put paid to his fight for the lead. He subsequently had an accident, which put him out of the points. He set some quick times though, getting some great experience for this year.

    Any driver could be on the podium, so let’s enjoy the event and see what happens!

    Warren Nel, WRC editor

  • WSBK Aragon: What We Learned

    The spectacular Motorland circuit, in the heart of the Aragon desert, provided the backdrop to the opening round of the European leg of the 2017 World Superbike championship. The first round back on the continent is often remarked as the ‘second start’ to the season, as teams traditionally bring a host of upgrades and revisions to their machines.

    Ducati Bring The Fight To Kawasaki

    Aruba.it-Ducati’s Chaz Davies finally managed to open his account in this year’s championship by claiming victory in the second Superbike race, on Sunday. It so nearly could have been a brace and a full 50-points for the Welshman, had he not suffered the cruelest of blows on the penultimate lap of Saturday’s race and high-sided off the track. Nevertheless, a stunning ride the following day ensured that Jonathan Rea’s (KRT) incredible early season run of victories was ended. The championship standings may still firmly be in the favour of the triple world champion, but Davies has now marked himself as his chief rival in the duel for the highest honour in production bike circuit racing.

    Resurgence At Yamaha

    Whilst the green and red machines currently have a stranglehold on the race victories, Pata-Yamaha have emerged from this weekend as undoubtedly ‘best of the rest’. The Japanese manufacturer have made no secret that they are concentrating more resources into their World Superbike challenger. The team now work in close proximity to the Yamaha-M1 MotoGP factory outfit in Italy. Whilst limited in what upgrades they can produce for the R1, the team have vowed to make the championship a three-way shootout at the top. With Suzuka 8-hour winner Alex Lowes leading their on-track efforts, the Aragon round proved to be a real step forward for them with a consistently strong showing across the weekend. Indeed, Lowes was keeping pace with the front runners during Sunday’s race before out-braking himself into the T13/14 chicane and dropping back. Nevertheless, the promises of improvement have clear substance, and it surely will not be long before the team find themselves on the podium.

    Not All About The Factories

    Aragon was not all about the factory powered teams. There was a strong showing from the smaller, privateer teams. Jordi Torres, spearheading the efforts of the Althea-BMW outfit, was one of the standouts of the weekend. The Spaniard provided more than just pride and consolation for the home crowd by securing finishes inside the top ten for both races. It should come as little surprise that it is Torres who is effectively leading a resurgence in among the privateers – he is the former Spanish Moto2 champion, and has a CV loaded with victories across a multitude of categories. During the run up to the 2017 season, there had been open concerns amongst teams and supporters alike that the factory dominance of Kawasaki and Ducati in recent years had rendered the privateers uncompetitive. There is still an undeniable gap in outright performance of the machines, but riders like Torres are keeping the likes of Yamaha and Honda more than honest.

    Honda On The Long Road Back

    The first round on European soil also produced some good news for the Red-Bull Honda team. With two former world champions and MotoGP contenders piloting the new ‘Fireblade’, Aragon showcased the progress the troubled factory outfit. With a raft of upgrades including a new engine map and stiffer suspension, both Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl made it into the second Superpole qualifying session. Whilst the races still proved difficult and only minor points were all that the team could secure, there is potential in the bike. The riders have the quality to deliver the results. They just need the team to provide the upgrades.

    Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

  • Di Grassi defies odds to win Mexico City thriller

    2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
    Mexico City ePrix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodr’guez, Mexico City, Mexico.
    Saturday 1 April 2017.
    Lucas Di Grassi (BRA), ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport, Spark-Abt Sportsline, ABT Schaeffler FE02.
    Photo: Zak Mauger/LAT/Formula E
    ref: Digital Image _56I7110

    Lucas di Grassi has put an end to Sébastien Buemi’s run of consecutive Formula E victories, by taking the chequered flag in a Mexico City ePrix that saw drama at every turn.

    When the race began, it didn’t look as though di Grassi would have much of a part to play. After qualifying in a lowly eighteenth position, the Brazilian made contact with his teammate Daniel Abt and Venturi’s Maro Engel on the first lap and had to pit to replace his rear wing.

    Meanwhile, all eyes were on the front of the field, where the lead of the race was being contested by polesitter Oliver Turvey and a chasing José María López. The two were able to make their battle a private affair as the likes of Vergne, Bird and Buemi bunched up behind Nick Heidfeld in third, but despite piling on consistent pressure López was unable to find a way past Turvey.

    But at quarter-distance, the Mexico City ePrix took its first twist as Turvey broke down on the start-finish straight, allowing López to assume the race lead by two seconds from Heidfeld and Vergne.

    2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
    Mexico City ePrix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodr’guez, Mexico City, Mexico.
    Saturday 1 April 2017.
    Jose Maria Lopez (ARG), DS Virgin Racing, Spark-Citroen, Virgin DSV-02.
    Photo: Zak Mauger/LAT/Formula E
    ref: Digital Image _56I7014

    However, just as with Turvey, López’s lead was not to last. Whilst the safety car was out for Turvey’s stricken NextEV, the Abt team gambled on an ambitious strategy for di Grassi, calling him in from the back of the field on just lap seventeen.

    This gave di Grassi the tall order of driving another 28 laps in his second car, but it also gave him invaluable track position: when the rest of the field pitted at the conventional halfway mark, di Grassi assumed the lead from Jérôme d’Ambrosio—who had also stopped under the earlier safety car—with half a lap back to López, now in third.

    And despite having considerably less energy than the former leading pack behind him, di Grassi was able to maintain his advantage until the end as d’Ambrosio’s defence of second place acted as a roadblock for López and Vergne.

    2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
    Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico
    Friday 31 March 2017.
    Photo: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E
    ref: Digital Image _J6I6039

    The battle for second was ultimately resolved in Vergne’s favour, after López spun off under pressure at turn one and d’Ambrosio ran out of energy on the final lap, and Vergne’s former Virgin teammate Sam Bird finished third for his second podium of the season.

    Mahindra had looked set for a solid double points finish just off the podium, until Heidfeld was hit in the closing stages by Nico Prost and sent spinning into the path of his teammate Felix Rosenqvist. This allowed Mitch Evans through to take a remarkable fourth place for Jaguar, collecting his and the team’s first Formula E points.

    Prost then came through in fifth despite his collision with Heidfeld, ahead of López in sixth and Daniel Abt in seventh. Adam Carroll compounded a strong finish for Jaguar with a further four points for eighth, and the final points positions were rounded out by NextEV’s Nelson Piquet, and series debutant Esteban Gutiérrez.

    2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
    Mexico City ePrix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodr’guez, Mexico City, Mexico.
    Saturday 1 April 2017.
    Mitch Evans (NZL), Jaguar Racing, Spark-Jaguar, Jaguar I-Type 1.
    Photo: Zak Mauger/LAT/Formula E
    ref: Digital Image _56I5722

    Championship leader Sébastien Buemi suffered a dismal race by his own recent standards, qualifying down in ninth and losing places in the pitlane to come home just fourteenth, albeit with one point for setting the fastest lap.

    The results from Mexico City now see Buemi’s title lead cut down to just five points from di Grassi, with a further 25 points back to Prost and Vergne’s tussle for third. In the teams’ standings, Renault e.Dams remains ahead of Abt Schaeffler Audi, whilst Jaguar gets on the board with sixteen points, and Mahindra slumps to fifth behind DS Virgin and Techeetah.

    James Matthews, Formula E editor

  • Davies Leaves It Late to Take Pole

    Superpole 1

    Having failed to make it through automatically to the Superpole 2, both Red-Bull Honda’s of Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl put on a commanding display in the opening session. The former MotoGP riders were imperious, with the next best contender (BMW’s Markus Reiterberger) over half a second slower.

    It has been a difficult week so far for the Grillini-Racing Team, who have had to endure a very uncompetitive meeting so far, as both Ondrej Jezek and Ayrton Badovini could not qualify beyond the last two spots on the grid, more than two seconds off the pace of the Hondas.

    Superpole 2

    There was drama almost as soon as the second qualifying session began as Pata-Yamaha’s Alex Lowes ran off the circuit on entry to the final corner. The 2016 Suzuka 8-hours winner was left unable to set a time, and will have to start from P12 on the fourth row for Race 1. The off-track excursions continued throughout the session – most notably was Stefan Bradl who’s Honda machine caught fire at the end of his first run, and had to be content with P11.

    With Lowes out of contention, the battle for pole position was left exclusively between the works Kawasaki and Ducati outfits. Reigning champion Jonathan Rea set the early pace, and looked his usual metronomic self throughout the session. However, a stunning effort from Aruba.It-Ducati’s Chaz Davies in the dying moments, was enough to steal the top spot with a time of 1’49.319, pipping the Kawasaki man by 0.043 seconds. Tom Sykes (KRT) and Marco Melandri (Aruba.it-Ducati) completed the top four.

    Davies was quick to play down his chances for Race One, saying “The bike still isn’t quite there” having lost an entire practice session yesterday due to a technical fault.

    Front Three Rows:

    Pole: Davies (AI-Ducati) P2: Rea (KRT) P3: Sykes (KRT)

    P4: Melandri (AI-Ducati) P5: Forres (BARNI-Ducati) P6: Torres (BMW)

    P7: Van-der-Mark (Yamaha) P8: Mercado (IODA-Aprilia) P9: Laverty (Milwaukee-Aprilia)

    Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

  • Five-in-a-Row for Jonathan Rea

    Venue: Motorland-Aragon, Spain

    Weather: Dry, Sunny, Windy.

    Front-Row: Pole – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it-Ducati), P2 – Jonathan Rea (KRT), P3 – Tom Sykes (KRT)

    All riders got away well off the line, but it was Jonathan Rea (KRT), forcing his way past Chaz Davies (Aruba.it-Ducati). The two began to pull away from the chasing pack, and engage in a ferocious race-long duel for top honours – tussling back and forth, swapping places at the front almost as regularly as the lap counter kept ticking down. However, April fools day had the cruellest of stings, as on the the penultimate lap, Davies was launched off his bike in a vicious highside at the final corner. Everyone was relieved to see him pick himself off the deck, as he had been trapped under the Ducati as the bike slid across the run-off area.

    With Davies down, the battle for second was led by his teammate, Marco Melandri. Such is the difference in performance between the factory works outfits and the privateers, the battle for the remainder of the podium was between Marco Melandri (Aruba.it-Ducati) and Tom Sykes (KRT). The duo spent the first half of the race in a similar manner to their team-mates, before the Italian was finally able to open up a significant gap and hold it.

    Pata-Yamaha’s Alex Lowes produced a solid recovery ride, having had to start in P12 following an engine failure during the morning’s Qualifying session. The 2016 Suzuka 8-hours winner carved his way through the field up to fifth place, taking considerable satisfaction from mugging his team-mate, Michael Van der Mark, in the closing laps.

    Further down the field, the Red-Bull Honda duo of Stefan Bradl and Nicky Hayden confirmed the improvements made to the bike, by both finishing inside the top ten. They finished just behind The Milwaukee-Aprilia machine of Eugene Laverty in P8.

    There were a number of fallers who failed to see the chequered flag. Aside from Davies, the most disappointed of these will be Xavi Forres. The Spaniard, had been having such a good weekend so far on the privateer BARNI-Ducati, but crashed on the sixth lap of the race, having been in fifth position at the time and bearing down on KRT’s Tom Sykes. Although he remounted, he spent the remainder of the race circulating at the back until his bike caught fire on the final lap. The others to tumble were GoEleven-Kawasaki’s Roman Ramos (Lap 4) and Ayrton Badovini (Grillini-Kawasaki) on the opening lap.

    The result means that Jonathan Rea continues his astonishing form going, having taken victory in all five of the season’s races so far, and claimed 125 points. With team-mate Tom Sykes in second place but 47 points adrift, it is now hard to look beyond Rea for the Championship.

    Race Result:

    1: Jonathan Rea (KRT) 33’24.302 2: Marco Melandri (Aruba.it-Ducati) 3: Tom Sykes (KRT)

    Eddie Hocknull @EddieHocknull

  • Bridewell: There’s a lot of Primadonnas

    British Superbikes

    April 1, 2017

    Image courtesy of Pete Boocock at Full Throttle Images

     

    After FP2 at Donington Park, I caught up with British Superbike star Tommy Bridewell as he moves to the GR Motorsport Team WD40 outfit for the 2017 season. We discussed electrical glitches, his adaptation to the new Kawasaki and other riders and rivalries. Tommy hopes to be in the fight for a top six position come the end of the season and who’d bet against the Wiltshireman doing it, as he is one of the most flexible and versatile riders in the paddock.

    How is the initial feeling with the Kawasaki, having been riding other bikes for the past few seasons?

    The feeling with the bike is OK. We’ve just unfortunately come across a little electrical glitch, which has held us back massively today. We still have work to do; it’s all about understanding the way the electronics work on the bike. I have no issues with the chassis, it’s just trying to get our heads on top of the electronics and then we’ll be alright.

    Do you find it difficult to adapt to new teams?

    I’m quite a flexible person. I’ve rode for quite a lot of teams, it doesn’t really bother me. As long as the bike is built to the standard I expect then I know I can do well on it. It’s about learning how the team work and going from there.

    How has it been fitting into the team?

    It’s been very good. They’re very welcoming and very friendly. Everyone has the same target and the same end goal so we are all driven in working towards that point.

    Can you match or beat the two podiums last year on the Suzuki?

    Christ yes. If I finish the season with only having two podiums then I should be very disappointed for definite. We have a few glitches to get on top of but once they’re sorted then we should be able to progress to the next level and be stronger.

    Has not making the showdown last season motivated you to come back stronger in 2017?

    Yes, definitely. That is the goal as always. It is disappointing when you don’t make it but like you say, you focus on this season coming and fight harder than ever. I feel we got the best out of the Suzuki last season. We excelled on lap times and in results, going better than it had gone for a long time. I was happy with the way it went but with a new challenge and a new bike, we hit the reset button and move on.

    Where do you see yourself at the end of the year?

    I 100% see myself in the top six but as I sit here now, we have got work to do to find our feet to understand the electronics and understand the bike a bit better. Once we have got on top of that then we will be day-and-night different. It won’t be the same bike. It’s about understanding the finer details to get the best out of the whole package. We have an issue that we would have easily ironed out in testing but that was a washout here. It’s just been a lack of testing which has made it hard for us.

    Will you perform well in the races even with these issues?

    As the bike is now, then no. I’m riding at a level where I’m about to crash and I’m not fast so once we fix the problem that we have then I can see myself being a totally different rider tomorrow. Get on top of it overnight, start again Saturday.

    Are there any riders you particularly dislike or have issues with, having seen in the past you’ve had fallouts with riders?

    If I’m honest, I don’t have time of day for any other riders in the paddock. There’s not many I’m really fond of; I’m just here to do a job, not to gel my hair or try and look pretty and talk the usual bollocks like the others, so we will keep our head down and do our own thing and be there come race day.

    Will you win a race in 2017?

    Without a shadow of a doubt – 100%.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

     

  • Bridewell Optimistic of Good Weekend Despite Electronics Glitch

    Tommy Bridewell has said that he is struggling at Donington Park with the new Kawasaki, having encountered an electrical glitch that could have been “ironed out” in testing, had it not been wet. The former Halsall Bennetts Suzuki man was 20th at the end of FP2 yesterday, over a second and a half off top rider and fellow Kawasaki man, Leon Haslam. Tommy does however remain optimistic that he can be at the sharp end come race day.

    “The feeling with the bike is OK. We’ve just unfortunately come across a little electrical glitch, which has held us back massively today”, said the 28-year-old Wiltshireman, looking to return to the showdown this season.

    Tommy continued, saying, “It’s all about understanding the way the electronics work on the bike. I have no issues with the chassis, it’s just trying to get our heads on top of the electronics and then we’ll be alright”.

    He is one of a few riders to have ridden five makes of machinery on the grid, making him one of the most versatile riders on the grid and with this talent, he remains hopeful of a decent result on Sunday, should they get the electrical issue sorted.

    I’m riding at a level where I’m about to crash and I’m not fast so once we fix the problem that we have then I can see myself being a totally different rider tomorrow. Get on top of it overnight, start again Saturday. We will keep our head down and do our own thing and be there come race day”.

    Team WD40 will be looking to Tommy to bring them their first ever British Superbike podium, having dominated British Supersport last season with Tarran Mackenzie.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • British Superbikes 2017 – A Guide to the Year Ahead

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    British Superbikes returns to our screens this coming weekend and it has all the credentials to be yet another scintillating championship which will go all the way to the final round at Brands Hatch in October. With Shane Byrne staying in the championship and runner-up Leon Haslam promising to challenge him all the way, we could see the most explosive season ever. However, there are other riders who will be desperate to rock in the best domestic superbike championship in the world.

    Shane Byrne stays in BSB and remains in the Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati outfit. The 40-year-old Londoner took a record-shattering 5th title last season, his third for Ducati. ‘Shakey’ is more determined than ever before but he has a young teammate out to relegate him in the rankings. Enter Glenn Irwin. The 27-year-old comes into the BSB paddock for a 2nd season with PBM Ducati, having had a successful 2016 campaign. Podiums last season and 12th overall in the championship, Irwin could be a dark horse for success in 2017 as he looks to confirm his place in the top six.

    Leon Haslam spearheads Pete Extance’s JG Speedfit Bournemouth Kawasaki team. After Mark Smith-Halvorsen pulled the plug on his GB Moto efforts last season, the former WSBK ace was left without a ride, having finished 2nd in the series on his comeback last year. As he and JG Speedfit move to the Bournemouth Kawasaki team, they’ll be looking for victories from the word go and to challenge for the championship. Cambridgeshire rider Luke Mossey remains in the team for a third consecutive season. Taking podiums throughout last year, Mossey has potential to once again upset the pecking order. Don’t expect him to consider himself number two for very long.

    Tyco BMW retain Christian Iddon for 2017, after the Derbyshireman did such a fine job last season. Despite finishing on the podium six times last season, it was all too late as he recovered from a nasty injury mid-season. Iddon started the season strongly last year and will definitely be out to take his first victory in the class. Alongside him is one of a flurry of new/returning riders in 2017. Davide Giugliano was unceremoniously dumped out of Ducati’s Factory WSBK effort at the end of last season and found himself out of a ride come the end of the year. However, the Italian superstar has been thrown into the BSB mix, having joined the Tyco BMW team. He will be exciting to watch on British tracks, especially Cadwell Park. He knows Donington Park and Silverstone well, so expect strong performances at these venues.

    Suzuki return with a full factory effort for 2017. The new GXR is run by the Hawk Racing Team, switching from BMW, a bike they’ve run for the past five seasons. Sylvain Guintoli is another big name coming back into the championship, after he was left out of Crescent Yamaha’s revised line-up for the 2017 WSBK season. The Frenchman’s BSB career was cut short after a terrifying accident at Donington Park in 2009, which involved Josh Brookes. Having won one race in the series and finishing on the podium on four occasions, he has unfinished business to deal with. Teaming up with him is reigning National Superstock 1000 champion Taylor Mackenzie. It’s great to see the Mackenzie name back in the BSB championship, although Taylor did compete in WD40 colours back in 2015 but he never scored points. Taylor promises to be exciting to watch, although for us journos and fans, his rivalry with Ian Hutchinson from the Stock 1000 championship last year will be put on hold for now.

    Keith Flint’s successes in the British Supersport class have seen the outfit move to the premier class of British motorcycle racing. He remains on Yamaha equipment and takes on the experience of James Ellison and Michael Laverty. Ellison took victory in the final race of last season in an epic four-way scrap whilst Michael Laverty started last year with a win for Tyco BMW. Neither rider has ridden the new R1, although Ellison has Yamaha experience from 2013. The McAms Yamaha pairing will be wanting to hit the ground running with a bike that has won the title but as Tommy Hill’s EPayMe Yamaha team proved last year, it might not be love at first site. Ellison believes the bike has the potential to fight for the championship and who’d bet against that?

    Honda Racing UK have retained their line-up from the past two seasons, minus the efforts of Jennie Tinmouth. Dan Linfoot leads Jason O’Halloran as the team prepare to race the new Honda Fireblade, which has seen its difficulties in the WSBK championship. Linfoot is yet to win a race in BSB but always goes well at Donington Park, whereas Jason O’Halloran has won a race and will be hoping to build on that success to propel him into a title challenging spot. It won’t be easy for the team but with experienced riders and crew members, it may not be as bad as they think.

    Another Yamaha team this season is Tag Racing. The Anvil Yamaha squad have Josh Brookes who makes a shock return to BSB after an unsuccessful season in WSBK with Milwaukee BMW. The Australian took the BSB crown in 2015 and will want it back in 2017 to give Anvil Tag Racing their first win and their first title. Brookes says that he “has to win” and I have a feeling that he will be taking no prisoners on his way back to British success. Joining him in the team is Shaun Winfield. The Brit had a best result of 16th in 2016 and will be wanting to secure points in 2017.

    Moto Rapido Ducati return once more in 2017, with their 2015 rider John Hopkins. The American was left without a ride when Tommy Hill’s team folded at the end of 2016 but was quickly snapped up by Steve Moore. After a tricky 2016 with numerous riders (starting the year with Danny Buchan, then enduring Alessandro Polita before finishing with Stuart Easton) the team will want to remain consistently quick throughout the season to challenge the more ‘factory’ PBM team. And if anyone can do it, 2011 runner-up John Hopkins most certainly can, as he comes into the year in fine form following a brace of podiums at Brands Hatch in the final round of last season.

    Quattro FS-3 Kawasaki remain on the grid for a 2nd season, after a rather successful 2016. Based in Coventry under the watchful eye of businessman Nigel Snook, the team are hoping to run a two-bike team with their National Superstock 1000 rider James Rispoli towards the end of the season but it will be Billy McConnell who once again shines for them in BSB full-time. The Australian was a podium finisher in 2015 and scored a best of 4th in 2016 at Snetterton. On the brand-new Kawasaki for the first time, we could see some surprises from the relatively new team.

    Lloyd and Jones (PR Racing) return to the championship in 2017, after a tricky few seasons. Jakub Smrz is their man in the saddle in 2017, having finished 18th in the championship last year with two top-10 results. The Czech rider will be looking to repeat his efforts from last year and return to the higher positions with BMW. A hard-working rider and a hard-working team could see them, like FS-3, cause a few upsets.

    The RAF Reserves team, run by Lee Hardy Racing, switch manufacturers this year from BMW to Kawasaki, whilst retaining Jake Dixon as their sole rider. Snapped up almost immediately after his BSB debut last year, Dixon had some great rides with a best result of 6th in race one at Snetterton. However, two massive accidents – the first at Knockhill before a high-speed crash at Oulton Park – showed us that even the protégé of Shane Byrne will get it wrong. Having fully recovered from terrible hip injuries, Dixon promises to be a firework coming through the BSB ranks. 16th in the championship competing in half of the races last season is no fluke.

    Smith’s Racing BMW made the step up to BSB two seasons ago, with the then-champion in British Supersport, Billy McConnell. Whilst the team has evolved, their results dropped somewhat last season. However, Ryuichi Kiyonari joined the team for the final few rounds and was as high as 2nd in the final outing of the season at Brands Hatch, so it wasn’t all negative. Lee Jackson and Peter Hickman join the team for 2017, with the hopes of podiums being not too far away. Hickman took victory in the first round of last season and I’m sure that Rebecca Smith wouldn’t mind a repeat performance, should ‘Hicky’ be able to do it for her at Donington Park.

    Team WD40 are still on the grid in 2017, fielding former race winner Tommy Bridewell. Martin Halsall’s team didn’t stay in the BSB class for 2017 so Tommy needed a ride. It was a last-minute deal that saw the #46 sign for Brent Gladwin’s outfit at GR Motorsport. Having had a tricky few seasons in the championship, Team WD40 deserve some luck and deserve some real success. Bridewell could be the rider to do it. He made the Suzuki look amazing last season (despite it being seven years old) and could do the exact same this year. The team have an all new Kawasaki ZX10 to play with, so keep your eyes open for the blue and yellow machine making headway through the field.

    Riders Motorcycles BMW once again has Martin Jessopp on board. Phil Jessopp runs the outfit and his ambition is a repeat of 2016, just with more top 10 finishes. It could be a tricky year for the team but with Martin’s experience and success, who would bet against another relatively decent campaign.

    Aaron Zanotti again lines up on the BSB grid this season. 16th place was his best result last season and will be looking to return to the points in 2017. He is about as privateer as they come, being both the rider and owner of the Platform Hire Yamaha team. The Loughborough based rider is eager to get on with 2017.

    Gearlink Kawasaki are once again in the series for 2017, with James Westmoreland returning to the championship after having a title challenging season in British Supersport last year with Keith Flint’s Traction Control Yamaha team. A podium in 2015 is Westy’s best success in the British Superbike class and will be looking to put Gearlink Kawasaki in a regular point-scoring position for 2017.

    There’s a new team in the championship for 2017, with Buildbase Suzuki giving British Supersport sensation Bradley Ray an opportunity at the big time. Bronze medallist in last year’s British Supersport championship, this year will be the first time he has raced a 1000cc superbike. Brad will take time to adapt but believe me, the lad has some incredibly scintillating pace.

    So that is the incredibly strong line-up for 2017 and we will be bringing you all the action, news and interviews this season. Who will win the opening race of the season and which lucky six will make it into the showdown? Never has BSB had so many fast riders and never has it been so competitive. What a year we are in for.

    A big thank you to our wonderful British Superbike photographer, Gareth Davies. Not only does he supply this image but he supplies us with thousands of images from all over BSB. He is very high up with certain teams and riders and even Tommy Hill has one of Gareth’s images framed. Find him on Facebook here.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Josh Brookes: We Have To Win

    As British Superbikes approaches its launch off this weekend at Donington Park, Josh Brookes returns hungrier than ever before, declaring that victory is a must for him and the Anvil Yamaha Racing Team. The Australian returns to the series after a difficult year with Milwaukee BMW, who like Josh, made a switch to WSBK from BSB after their 201t title success with Yamaha.

    “The last five days I’ve ridden on a bike, four of them have been in the wet so rain seems to be the consistent factor as of late, said Brookes who is determined to get some dry weather rides in this weekend at Donington Park.

    “I’m happy with the bike in the conditions I have ridden it in, but it’s no way to gauge the performance of me or the bike as it’s just been bad conditions. It’s certainly no yardstick, so we’ll just have to wait for better weather. Josh didn’t win at Donington Park when he visited the track in his championship year. In fact, he hasn’t won at the track since doing the double for TAS Suzuki back in 2012.

    “I don’t feel frustrated about it, that’s just the facts. Logic states that better weather would have been more suitable to our preparation and we just haven’t had it. It’s the same for everyone, everyone wants to get out and start riding properly. We have to win, the plan is to win, that is our goal and that is what everyone wants to start the season of on a high.”

    Whilst Josh returns to the championship, the Milwaukee team he was in have stayed in WSBK. Brookes does return though to a Factory supported Anvil Yamaha team and on a bike which is virtually identical to the one he rode to victory 13 times in 2015.

    Whether Josh will win instantly is yet to be discovered, seeing as he has never won any of the first three races of a season he competed in. Having said that, he hast been on the podium 12 times from 28 attempts in the first two rounds of a year since 2009, highlighting that consistency may be key for those all-important podium points, which contribute to the amount of points added on to the standard ‘500’, should he reach the showdown placings.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Haas Australian Grand Prix Review

    March 30, 2017

    Haas F1 Team had a less than ideal day at Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix as both cars suffered retirements due to reliability issues but perhaps a weekend with a silver lining and lessons to be learned.

    Romain Grosjean had qualified a team best 6th position for the race. After starting well holding off the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz, Grosjean was running in 7th behind the Williams of Felipe Massa before a water leak finished his race on lap 13.

    ““I suddenly lost a lot of power. I told the guys, then the next thing I knew I had to slow down the car. It’s a pretty disappointing result, but again, right now I’m hot and we’re all disappointed to lose a seventh-place position, but the car was there in qualifying in P6. The start wasn’t ideal, so we need to improve that. I felt I was faster than the Williams, so there’s huge potential in the car.”

    Kevin Magnussen had a worse weekend, qualifying 17th after running wide at turn 12 of his flying lap. Contact with the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson on the first lap gave him front wing damage putting him well behind the field after pitting and eventually retiring 11 laps short of the finish with suspension failure. Despite this, Magnussen seemed to take more positives from the Grand Prix.

    “We changed the front wing and then I went for a long test session to feel the car and learn a bit more about it, which was good. It feels good and the car is fast. That’s the really positive thing from this weekend. The car is there. We just have to make it finish and score points.”

    Something to watch out for; the issue with Brembo brakes, the teams Achilles heel from last season. It was not an issue for the Australian Grand Prix but may pop up on circuits that are more brake critical. In pre-season testing Gunther Steiner said the team had already been evaluating alternatives and would be capable of switching suppliers during the season.

    Coming away from the Australian Grand Prix, I’m cautiously excited. The VF17 is clearly very fast, enough to compete with the Williams and Force India perhaps but reliability problems need to be fixed immediatey to capitalize on early points before said teams and the McLarens and Renaults of the world with bigger budgets spend rapidly on R&D with no token program for 2017 to catch up.