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2005 WORLD SUPERBIKE: SILVERSTONE

• BEFORE RACE: JAMES TOSELAND (2004 CHAMPION): "For Silverstone and the home crowd I just want to prove exactly why I've got the number 1 on the bike. I didn't buy it, it was earned last year .."
• SHORTER CIRCUIT TO BE USED: 3.561 km layout used for British superbikes will be used this year.
  CORSER: "I like Silverstone except for the final chicane which is just crazy. I am not sure why they have changed the layout"

2005 RACE RESULT:

• SUPERBIKE RACE 1
• 1 Regis Laconi Ducati 999F05
  2 Troy Corser Suzuki GSX R1000 +0.09
  3 James Toseland Ducati 999F05 +1.1
  4 Chris Vermeulen
  “My start was OK but I nearly lost the front going into the first turn. As we came out, Kagayama was spinning up right in front of me and I had to shut off a little. Then it took me ages to get by Chris Walker because it’s really hard to make a pass stick here. I tried in about four different places but every time I got by I ran wide. When I finally got there the others had gone and my tyres were pretty much done. It was really hard work doing 28 laps around here but I’m hoping for better in race two.”
  5 Chili
  6 Walker
  7 Neukirchner
  8 Bussei
  9 Cardoso
  10 Muggeridge
• SUPERBIKE RACE 2
• 1 James Toseland Ducati 999F05
  2 Troy Corser Suzuki GSX R1000 +0.4
  3 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha YZF R1 +3.1
  "I am very happy to make a podium for Yamaha, relatively early in the season. It was a tough race for the first few laps with the other riders and I was losing the front a lot on the last few laps. But I have to be happy with a podium after our bad luck in race one."
  4 Chris Vermeulen
  “I was behind James Toseland in the early part of the race but it just seemed to take me longer to get past the other riders than it did for him. I got hit by someone on the infield section on the first lap and then Laconi crashed right in front of me on the second lap. Both those incidents cost me a bit of time and let the others get away. I was pushing really hard though, right to the end of the race, but every time I put in a quick lap, it didn’t seem to close the gap at all. I scored one more point here than I did at Monza, where I won, so at least that’s a positive. We’re going testing next week and I’m sure that’ll put us back in the right direction.”
  5 Chili
  6 Walker
  7 Kagayama
  8 Abe
  9 Pitt
  10 Muggeridge
• SUPERSPORT RACE
• 1 Sébastien Charpentier
  “What can I say, except that everything is fantastic for me? It was the best weekend possible, with pole position, fastest lap and another win. Kevin rode very well but I always felt very comfortable and in control. Although it was a long, hard race, I am in good physical condition and the bike was also great. I am so happy with the atmosphere in the garage – the whole team makes me laugh and I never feel any pressure from Ronald. On top of that the CBR is just perfect so I think this really is the best situation I have ever raced in.”
  2 Curtain
  3 Foret
  4 Chambon
  5 Parkes
  6 Veneman
  7 Nannelli
  8 Corradi
  9 Fujiwara
  10 Lauslehto

POST RACE REPORT

DUCATI / LACONI: Race 1: 1st, Race 2: DNF

• "Its always nice to win especially with the tough start to this season, but as I said after the first race, I never give up. The team has worked fantastically well, thanks to Davide Tardozzi and Paolo Ciabatti for all the work they've done with me. We made a slight change from first race to second race and it was worth half a second a lap faster, the difference between finishing third and first, but it was a long race and seeing L18 after about 45 minutes is really tough! I did it the hard way again, letting them get away at the start and having to chip away but once I'd got on the tail, it was difficult with Nori and Troy and it took me quite a few laps to get by. I've never won before at Silverstone and that was one of my goals in life. It feels as good as I thought it would!".
• "I have wanted to win since the beginning of the season. I almost did it in Monza, but I was a bit disappointed about losing out on the final lap. Now I am very happy to win this one because it is the first victory this year. It's good because it means that Ducati are doing a great job together to get back to the front and with James on the podium it was a good result for all of us. In the last few laps I knew Troy was behind me so I tried my best not to make any mistake in all the corners. I think that if I am very clean in all the corners it becomes hard for Troy to pass. During the race I had to pass three guys to take the lead, so I rode hard and aggressive, but I am a very happy man today because we did a good job and won one more time for Ducati. In race 2 I was right behind Haga and Corser when I went into the last chicane and lost control of the rear of the bike and there was nothing more that I could do. It was a real pity but I will try and make up for it in front of the Italian fans at Misano".

SUZUKI

• Team Suzuki's World Superbike Championship leader Troy Corser raced to two close second places at today's British fifth round at Silverstone and increased his series lead over team-mate Yukio Kagayama to 78 points. In the opening race, the Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider finished neck-and-neck with Regis Laconi (Ducati) and in the second, it went down to the wire with World Champion and local hero, James Toseland (Ducati). The first of the two 28-lappers featured a tremendous three-way dice between Corser, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) and Regis Laconi (Ducati) until the 25th lap when Haga's R1 suffered an engine problem. That left Corser chasing Laconi for the last three laps but, try as he could, he could not get past the Frenchman and so he settled for second place. Third place went to current world champion James Toseland (Ducati) - much to the delight of the home fans.
• Race two was equally thrilling and started with a five-rider battle involving fast-starting Haga, Corser, Kagayama, Laconi and Toseland. But Laconi's dreams of taking a double vanished when he crashed out on lap two, leaving four to carry on the fight. Corser took the lead on lap four but after Kagayama started dropping back, it was Haga and Toseland who took up the challenge. Corser led at the half way point, but three laps later, Toseland stormed to the front and, despite a fierce fight back from Corser, he held on to take the chequered flag for his first ever World Superbike win on his home soil. Corser was a comfortable second, with Haga third and although Kagayama had problems, he kept going and finished seventh.

SUZUKI / CORSER: Race 1: 2nd, Race 2: 2nd

• "Both races were hard ones today but I knew they were going to be that way before we started because I didn't believe anybody would be able to make a big breakaway. I got a good start in race one and led for half the distance but, although I opened up a bit of a gap on Haga and Laconi, I just couldn't shake them. When Laconi came past, I thought I would keep close and see if I could pass at the end. But, my bike was spinning up a bit and I couldn't get good drive exiting the final chicane. So although I could catch Laconi, I couldn't get past him. In race two, it was a bit of the same except this time it was Haga and Toseland who I was fighting with. Toseland was on a mission and I tried my best but in the end I decided that second would be good for championship points. Possibly I could've pushed harder but probably I would've crashed. At the end, I didn't even know that Laconi hadn't finished. Although I didn't win today, I extended my Championship lead and that's what it's all about."

SUZUKI / KAGAYAMA: Race 1: 11th, Race 2: 7th:

• "I am disappointed today because I thought I could get maybe two podiums, but a crash in the first race ruined my plans. I got back on the bike as soon as I could, but I had dropped from sixth to 16th position in the process. I fought as hard as I could and managed to get 11th position. In between the two races we changed the set-up of the bike because I didn't have a good feeling in the first race. But the set-up we had for the second race did not give me a good feeling either and it was not possible for me to push as hard as I wanted. I tried my best, but I didn't want to crash again so I made sure I brought the bike home. I am particularly disappointed because I have many British fans here and I wanted to do well in front of them."

CIRCUIT: SILVERSTONE

• first used 1948 for car racing
• located near Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire
• flat track
• shorter circuit normally used for British SBK; 3.561 km ; main change is instead of Hangar Straight towards Stowe, veer off at Becketts and head for Abbey.
• 8 RH turns; fast and open ; 7 LH turns; slow and tight
• main Hanger straight; top speed 200 mph
• PREVIOUS WINNER:
• 2004 winner: R1 Haga, Ducati; R2 Vermeulen, Honda
• 2003 winner: R1 & 2 Hodgson, Ducati
• 2002 winner: R1 Edwards, Honda, R2 Bayliss, Ducati

Last year's RESULT: 2004

• Race 1:
• 1 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Ducati 999RS
  2 Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR
  3 Pierfrancesco Chili (ITA) Ducati 999RS
• Race 2: 1
• 1 Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR
  2 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Ducati 999RS
  3 Regis Laconi (FRA), Ducati

QUALIFYING & RACE PREVIEW: