Thursday and Friday the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit hosts an important test of the World Superbike riders, the best appetizer for the reduction. from March 22 to 24 Superbikes Barcelona Motorfest where the World Championship of motorcycles that originated in the series returned to Europe for the second ’round’ of the championship. This Wednesday with Media Day in Barcelona the starting signal was given which was attended by the two-time world champion Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) and the Castellbisbal rider Xavi Vierge (Honda) as well as the pilots of the first FIM Women’s World Championship that will take part in the paddock from June (14 to 16) in Misano and led by the SSP300 world champion in 2018, Ana Carrascoaccompanied by Catalan Sarah SanchezIbero-American Speed Champion.
Two world titles and 90 podiums, 59 of them victories, after five complete campaigns, the record mark of the best Spanish rider in Superbike history, Alvaro Bautista. A long-term back injury in a fall in October during a test in Jerez, where he first tried the ballast, made life more complicated for the man from La Mancha in the preseason and that is why he definitely kept that “I’m not the favorite.”
“There are many different factors from other years and I feel like I’m not the favourite. I’m not at my best level with the injury I’ve had this winter and until I’m at 100% I won’t feel like I’m the favorite with the level we have this year, it’s impossible.” “It’s not because of the technical changes, it’s because of what I haven’t been able to do in preseason,” he explains.
The three-way World Championship of previous years with ‘Bati’, Rea and Toprak sharing the victories seems to be over and another three-four drivers will join the fray. “It’s like a new era. In Australia I liked to see a lot of competitive drivers, fighting for victory, all very close, it gave me motivation and challenge in this new grid. But this is a special race and now on a European circuit with more normal situations We will see how the real level of the category is.”
“I think Montmeló is going to be more real. Those who fight for success in Australia will continue to do so, Buelag, Lowes, Toprak, Rea will improve, Iannone will be first. The key is that the championship is growing, from the The riders’ point of view is seen differently. When I received the proposal in 2019, I was not convinced and in the end I decided to go because I want to race on a motorcycle. Now they see it as a good option, there is a level and more riders arrived. , Iannone, Lowes, Vierge, Lecuona, Gardner… the grid is rising. When I arrived we were three high level drivers and now half of the grid is high level and that’s the good thing, there are more candidates and Now you won’t make the podium if you’re average and before yes, that’s what motivates me.”
Xavi Vierge he signed his first podium a year ago in World Superbike in Indonesia, third in Race 2 behind Bautista and Razgatlioglu. And although he assures that, as happens in MotoGP, Honda is also not at the best moment in World Superbike, the home race motivates the Team HRC rider, “it’s a boost of motivation and what’s better than the home race to turn the situation around”, as well as the long side of Montmeló.
“The sensations on the bike are not bad, we are fast, but the rest is faster, that’s the problem and that’s when the failures come. We have difficulty overtaking, we work on the rubber. This is a completely new bike , but the problem remains the same, when you are behind others it is not enough to take a step forward because everyone is doing, it should be bigger but the preseasons are getting shorter and shorter and it is not enough . We They have the best factory in the world, obviously they are not experiencing their best moment, but more than ever they give 100% like the drivers who fight where they need to,” explained Xavi.
The Catalan points out that “the Circuit can be more favorable to us because our bike is very fast from the middle of the straight to the end, in circuits like Barcelona, Aragon with long straights we have an advantage on others, but on stop&go circuits without straights, we lose everywhere.”
The pilot of HRC team Right now he is not thinking about the podium. “At the moment we are far away, Ducati is getting more and more, the four Yamahas are doing very well, the Kawasakis, even the BMWs have advanced. If the first year we come here (2022) and things are not completely. in place “I got top six today if they are not in their place you don’t get points. The podium is not a reality right now, the objective has to be something else.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
