Just less than two weeks after the US calendar stop off in Salt Lake City, the Yamaha World Superbike Team are preparing for Round Six of the championship, closer to home on the well know Italian Romagnola Riviera. Misano, situated on the Adriatic coast is to host the second of three Italian rounds on the 2011 World Superbike Championship, this weekend. This stop-off marks the home race for Marco Melandri, who is based just over 30 minutes from the track. The Misano World Circuit, formerly known as the International circuit of Santa Monica, has undergone massive renovations over the years since Melandri first became acquainted with the layout in the early days of his racing career, with the most recent modifications in 2007. The newly renovated and modernized track has ten right turns, six left turns and 1850 metres of straights. The most significant changes were made to the Del Rio and Del Carro turns to ensure improved safety but also a reversal in the direction of travel from anticlockwise to clockwise is an added feature.
Marco Melandri experienced a less than perfect race weekend in Miller, USA where he struggled to find a suitable set up providing sufficient stability to be on top form. Intent on capitalizing on his familiarity with the track, Melandri is confident that Misano is the ideal place to bounce back and display his true potential, gain valuable points and re-confirm his position in the World standings where he currently sits in second place behind Carlos Checa. Team-mate Laverty is also familiar with the track where he has been victorious on the Supersport bike in previous years. The Irishman, currently fourth in the classification after climbing even further up the ladder at Miller, is determined to continue on the consistently strong and competitive path which has been evident in the previous races and deliver another victory on his powerful YZF-R1.
Marco Melandri – Yamaha World Superbike Team
“I’m delighted to be heading to Misano. It’s really near home for me and it’s a track I like and I know really well. I’ve ridden the track many times since I first started riding when I was a kid. Ive also always had relatively good results there in the past and I think it’s the perfect track where I can get over the difficult weekend I had in the USA and put that behind me. The team and I have since had the chance to work out what the problem was in Miller and I’m pretty sure we are heading in the right direction. I’m really looking forward to trying my Yamaha R1, hopefully to our full potential, this weekend in Misano.”
Eugene Laverty – Yamaha World Superbike Team
“I’m really looking forward to Misano. Last year on the Supersport bike I won the race with a significant margin so I have fond memories. Some of the Superbike teams have tested there earlier in the season so it’ll definitely be a challenging race weekend. It’s really important for me to continue on the good run that I’ve been on since Monza so I’ll be pushing my hardest and doing my best to get back on the podium again. I’m particularly excited about riding my Superbike through the fast section at the end of the back straight. That was very enjoyable on the Supersport bike and I’m sure it will be even more so on my R1.”
Misano technically speaking according to Silvano Galbusera, Marco Melandri’s crew chief
“In Miller, Marco struggled to get the right feeling with the front of the bike, so after analyzing the data we gathered there we have a good idea of how to improve on this. We know the Misano World Circuit quite well. It’s a track that requires good rear grip and bike handling. We’ll start with our base setting which is similar to that used in Donington and see where to go from there, depending on the weather conditions. We also intend trying a different traction control setting to improve tyre life ahead of Sunday’s races. Let’s hope the weather will be good!”
Misano technically speaking according to Frankie Carchedi, Eugene Laverty’s crew chief
“Misano is a technically difficult track which requires a good set-up for the higher track temperatures. Our recent changes in making Eugene comfortable on the bike will be important as it is a track which is physically demanding as there is no time to rest during a lap. We made good improvements on the front suspension during Miller and will be looking to improve this further. We will start with our base set-up on one bike and on the other we have a different link to try and absorb the bumps better. During the last three races only Carlos has scored more points than Eugene, our target is to continue this consistency and try and gain more valuable points towards the championship.”
Andrea Dosoli – Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“It will be important to try and reduce the gap between both Marco and Eugene and Checa who is in the lead. I hope we’ll get stable weather conditions for the weekend in order to provide the riders with enough track time to enable their crews to find the ideal race set up ahead of Sunday’s races but also and very importantly to have sufficient consistent track conditions to guarantee that the tyres are providing the stable performance expected and required over the full race distance.”
2011 World Superbike San Marino
Misano, San Marino 08/06/2011
Circuit Length:
4226
Lap Record:
1’36.546
(Cal Crutchlow, 1/1/2010)
Fastest Lap Ever:
1’35.001
(Troy Corser, 6/27/2010)
Last Years Winner:
Max Biaggi
Davies Eager to get Back to Business on his R6 in Misano
With just over a month off since the last round of the World Supersport calendar in Monza, the Yamaha Parkingò Team is geared up and all ready to hit the Adriatic coast for this weekends racing in Misano. Following the high of the spectacular double podium at the teams home race in Monza, Chaz Davies and his team are aiming to replicate victory at the second of the three Italian rounds while Luca Scassa is forced to sit it out following an infringement of the regulations prior to the last round in Monza.
Chaz Davies began the season in less than perfect fashion in Australia being forced to retire from the race, losing out on the opportunity to gain precious points. The Brit has since made up for this with two race victories and a second in the last three rounds to comfortably take him to the top of the 2011 Championship standings, a place he stares with team-mate Scassa. Davies is eager to head to Misano, get back on his powerful R6 machine which has delivered two consecutive victories, confident on his ability to pocket the third win of the season and reconfirm his leading status.
Scassa will be present in Misano to encourage his team mate while losing out on precious points and inevitably risking his position in the standings. The Italian was refused entry to the race by the Superbike race direction following an error on the rider’s behalf, unaware that conducting his riding school in Misano was an infringement of the regulations. Scassa is disappointed but further motivated to be back with a blast in Arragon next week as competitive as ever, on a track he recently successfully tested with his YZF – R6.
The Yamaha ParkinGò Team have spectacularly won all four rounds of the 2011 World Supersport championship so far and have sights on making it an impressive five in a row this weekend in Misano.
2011 World Supersport San Marino
Misano, San Marino 08/06/2011
Circuit Length:
4226
Lap Record:
1’40.187
(Broc Parkes, 1/1/2008)
Fastest Lap Ever:
1’39.398
(Broc Parkes, 1/1/2008)
