Subscription

Car Racing

Motorcycle Racing

Racing in Oz

Shop

2006 WORLD SUPERBIKE

• JAMES TOSELAND, RACE 1 WINNER: "Not a bad start ... It had been a quiet time for me this winter, with everyone talking about Barros and Bayliss and so on, so it was nice that in the middle of a change of team, bike, everything, I was allowed to work away in the background. I came into this race with an open mind and we didn't start out so fast but the team has worked hard and we've got the first reward."
• TROY CORSER, RACE 2 WINNER: "I think we all knew that this year is going to be tough - maybe the toughest ever. There are a lot of good riders and the level has definitely gone up. It’s important to win races for sure, but it’s more important to be consistently in the points and high up as possible for as many races as possible."

2006 SEASON OPENER: for latest update

RACE RESULT

FEB 25, 2006, Temp: 30ºC Weather: Sunny

• RACE 1, WORLD SUPERBIKE
• 1 J. Toseland Honda GBR 35' 31.339, 18 laps
  2 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS +0.088
  3 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS +2.390
  4 T. Corser Suzuki AUS +2.599
  5 M. Fabrizio Honda ITA +6.999
  6 A. Barros Honda BRA +14.717
  7 R. Rolfo Ducati ITA +15.224
  8 P. Chili Honda ITA +21.183
  9 M. Borciani Ducati ITA +22.450
  10 M. Neukirchner Ducati GER +23.932
  11 N. Abe Yamaha JPN +24.816
  12 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS +25.643
  13 R. Laconi Kawasaki FRA +29.139
  14 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA +29.977
  15 R. Xaus Ducati ESP +36.675
  16 S. Nakatomi Yamaha JPN +37.495

• RACE 2, WORLD SUPERBIKE
• 1 T. Corser Suzuki AUS 36' 20.395 , 18 laps
  2 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS +1.025
  3 N. Haga Yamaha JPN +3.462
  4 J. Toseland Honda GBR +3.463
  5 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS +4.350
  6 L. Lanzi Ducati ITA +19.610
  7 A. Barros Honda BRA +20.548
  8 M. Fabrizio Honda ITA +21.183
  9 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS +23.198
  10 R. Xaus Ducati ESP +26.533
  11 N. Abe Yamaha JPN +26.854
  12 F. Nieto Kawasaki ESP +28.132
  13 R. Rolfo Ducati ITA +28.135
  14 M. Borciani Ducati ITA +34.176
  15 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA +35.395
  17 S. Nakatomi Yamaha JPN +50.906
• WORLD SUPERSPORT RACE
• 1 S. Charpentier Honda FRA 37' 30.955
  2 K. Curtain Yamaha AUS +5.396
  3 K. Sofuoglu Honda TUR +11.657
  4 X. Fores Yamaha ESP +38.142
  5 J. Stigefelt Honda SWE +39.168
  6 K. Andersen Suzuki NOR +45.547
  7 M. Roccoli Yamaha ITA +47.631
  8 C. Zaiser Ducati AUT +47.682
  9 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA +48.575
  10 J. Brookes Ducati AUS +49.814
  11 S. Le Grelle Honda BEL +54.509
  12 A. Gobert Yamaha AUS +54.702
  13 W. De Angelis Honda ITA +57.362
  14 T. Tunstall Honda GBR +1' 3.436
  15 G. Nannelli Yamaha ITA +1' 5.482
  16 D. Van Keymeulen Yamaha BEL +1' 7.541
  18 C. Peris Yamaha CAN +1' 14.340
  19 M. Sanchini Yamaha ITA +1' 14.556
  20 V. Ivanov Yamaha RUS +1' 14.876

RACE REPORT

DUCATI

• Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) marked his return to the World Superbike Championship with two second places at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. It was a remarkable performance by the 36-year-old Australian, who after spending three years in MotoGP, is now leading the 2006 championship following the opening round.
• Race 1 saw Bayliss inherit the runner-up slot behind James Toseland (Honda) after the two front-runners Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) had crashed out on the final lap. In the second race Troy battled hard with his fellow Australian and 2005 champion Troy Corser right to the finish but had to settle for the runner-up slot again. "It was hard work today", declared Troy. "Everyone was riding very well and their machines were also working well. The second race was a long race and I really wanted to get a better start than what I did but I found myself again in fourth and fifth in the group. I was a bit unsettled and it took me till two thirds of the race until everyone started to suffer before I could make my move. I put my head down and was trying everything to get past people. With two laps to go, I was making ground on Corser and we had a good fight in the end. But my timing was a little bit off for the last corners and he covered it well. Today the best I could do was second so I'm reasonably happy with the results. Everything is going well however and I'm looking forward to Phillip Island".
• His Ducati Xerox team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi was running in sixth place in race 1 until he high-sided on lap 4. In the second race the Italian finished in a steady sixth after feeling the effects of his earlier crash. "After I had destroyed my bike in the first race incident, I felt that the bike I used in the second race didn't entirely 'suit' me the way I wanted because we hadn't used it much over the weekend and so it was more of a struggle. I paid dearly for my error in race 1 when I wanted to go and catch them at all costs but I was a bit too hasty. The crash was a nasty high-side, very dangerous, in quite a fast corner, the next to last right-hander. Physically I wasn't 100% for the second race but I got a sixth place which is OK considering the conditions. In the early stages, I was lapping as fast as the others but then my right knee and ankle started to hurt so I had to reduce my pace. However it was a good weekend for the Ducati Xerox Team because Troy is leading the points and the bike's potential is good. It was a pity for me because I was hoping for a couple of good races".

YAMAHA: Podium for Haga and Pitt in Qatar thriller

• Yamaha Motor Italia riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt took a podium finish apiece as the 2006 Superbike World Championship fired into life with two sensational races at the Losail circuit in Qatar.
• The duo each took a third place finish, although Haga could well have stood on the top step of the podium had he not crashed on the final lap of the opening race. The Japanese star led for most of the race, hotly pursued by fellow countryman Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki). Kagayama took the lead going into the last lap but typically the Yamaha man would not settle for second. Haga tried to repass Kagayama at the left handed turn six but asked too much of the front end of his machine and slid into the gravel. Kagayama was the unfortunate victim of Haga's crash, allowing James Toseland (Honda) to take the win, with Pitt promoted to third behind Troy Bayliss (Ducati).
• Race two was similar to the first, with the two red Yamahas racing into the lead. Haga set a new lap record on lap two, but both he and Pitt slipped back when their front tyres wore later in the race. That allowed Australians Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Troy Bayliss (Ducati) to fight out a dramatic last few laps, world champion Corser taking the flag after a slight error from his countryman. Haga held onto third by the narrowest of margins, crossing the line one thousandth of a second ahead of Toseland, with Pitt in fifth.
• Yamaha Motor France trio Norick Abe, Sebastien Gimbert and Shinichi Nakatomi had a tough start to the season but were able to record valuable points. Abe was forced to switch bikes for race one after finding a technical fault on the sighting lap. He came from dead last to finish 11th place, a performance he repeated in race two. Frenchman Gimbert scored three points for 14th and 15th places, while Nakatomi took 16th and 17th places in what were his first races outside his native Japan.
• After today's two exciting races, Bayliss leads the championship with 40 points to Corser and Toseland's 38. Pitt is fourth on 27 points, with Haga's 16 points in race two putting him seventh in the overall standings. Round two takes place at Australia's Phillip Island circuit next Sunday and if the racing proves half as good as that in Qatar then the fans are in for a treat.
• A PITT: "I'm delighted to get that first podium and I can go to Australia a lot more relaxed now that I've reached that target. The overall package is just so much easier to ride this year and there's still a lot more potential in the bike. We've still got a bit of work to do in making our tyres last a bit longer because you could see both Nori and I were sliding around a bit at the end when the others still had a bit left. I went for a different front tyre in the second race, the same as the other guys had, and it definitely allowed me to run a lot more consistent lap times. We used the same rear though and I still lacked some side grip, so we will work on that and hopefully find some improvements in the coming races."
• HAGA: "The second race was very close with Toseland. He passed me going into the chicane but I could not close the door as my tyres were gone. I was able to get into his slipstream though and thankfully my bike was quicker than his. The first race crash was 100 percent my fault. On the last lap every rider pushes hard and I just braked harder than before and I lose the front end. I crashed and I am sorry that my bike hit Yukio and made him crash too. I saw the 600 race and our friend Katsuaki Fujiwara also crashed there. Maybe it is special unlucky corner for Japanese riders!"

• WORLD SUPERBIKE (1st Qualifying, 2nd Qualifying, Superpole)
• 1 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 2' 17.326 2' 0.639 1' 59.696
  2 L. Lanzi Ducati ITA 2' 26.171 2' 1.369 2' 0.028
  3 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS 2' 19.991 2' 0.818 2' 0.110
  4 J. Toseland Honda GBR 2' 21.732 2' 1.692 2' 0.112
  5 T. Corser Suzuki AUS 2' 19.614 2' 1.008 2' 0.206
  6 N. Haga Yamaha JPN 2' 20.164 2' 1.314 2' 0.613
  7 Y. Kagayama Suzuki JPN 2' 21.234 2' 1.579 2' 0.895
  8 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS 2' 21.152 2' 0.745 No time
  9 S. Martin Petronas AUS 2' 21.505 2' 1.613 2' 0.940
  10 A. Barros Honda BRA 2' 19.834 2' 1.953 2' 0.960
  11 R. Rolfo Ducati ITA 2' 21.233 2' 2.020 2' 1.072
  12 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR 2' 19.684 2' 1.975 2' 1.137
  13 F. Nieto Kawasaki ESP 2' 20.469 2' 1.809 2' 1.155
  14 P. Chili Honda ITA 2' 20.695 2' 1.781 2' 2.038
  15 M. Fabrizio Honda ITA 2' 22.655 2' 2.437 2' 2.596
  16 M. Borciani Ducati ITA 2' 21.778 2' 2.449 2' 3.150
  18 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA 2' 19.687 2' 2.710
  19 N. Abe Yamaha JPN 2' 20.720 2' 3.026
• WORLD SUPERSPORT (1st Qualifying, 2nd Qualifying)
  
• 1 S. Charpentier Honda FRA 2' 27.755 2' 3.093
  2 K. Sofuoglu Honda TUR 2' 21.890 2' 4.089
  3 K. Curtain Yamaha AUS 2' 23.872 2' 4.741
  4 K. Fujiwara Honda JPN 2' 27.615 2' 4.756
  5 B. Parkes Yamaha AUS 2' 24.757 2' 5.082
  6 X. Fores Yamaha ESP 2' 26.887 2' 5.415
  7 K. Andersen Suzuki NOR 2' 25.853 2' 5.924
  8 M. Berger Kawasaki FRA 2' 30.213 2' 5.994
  9 G. Nannelli Yamaha ITA 2' 24.021 2' 6.183
  10 B. Veneman Suzuki NED 2' 26.770 2' 6.227

• WORLD SUPERBIKE
• 1 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 2' 17.326 "it turned out well. I hope the rain's finished for the weekend and we get some dry weather"
  2 R. Laconi Kawasaki FRA 2' 19.064
  3 T. Corser Suzuki AUS 2' 19.614
  4 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR 2' 19.684
  5 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA 2' 19.687
  6 A. Barros Honda BRA 2' 19.834
  7 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS 2' 19.991
  8 N. Haga Yamaha JPN 2' 20.164
  9 F. Battiani Kawasaki ITA 2' 20.200
  10 F. Nieto Kawasaki ESP 2' 20.469
  11 P. Chili Honda ITA 2' 20.695
  12 N. Abe Yamaha JPN 2' 20.720
  13 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS 2' 21.152
  14 R. Rolfo Ducati ITA 2' 21.233
  15 Y. Kagayama Suzuki JPN 2' 21.234
  16 M. Neukirchner Ducati GER 2' 21.491
• WORLD SUPERSPORT
• 1 K. Sofuoglu Honda TUR 2' 21.890
  2 K. Curtain Yamaha AUS 2' 23.872
  3 G. Nannelli Yamaha ITA 2' 24.021
  4 B. Parkes Yamaha AUS 2' 24.757
  5 K. Andersen Suzuki NOR 2' 25.853
  6 M. Sanchini Yamaha ITA 2' 26.670
  7 B. Veneman Suzuki NED 2' 26.770
  8 X. Fores Yamaha ESP 2' 26.887
  9 C. Zaiser Ducati AUT 2' 26.945
  10 K. Fujiwara Honda JPN 2' 27.615
  11 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA 2' 27.690
  12 S. Charpentier Honda FRA 2' 27.755
  13 A. Gobert Yamaha AUS 2' 28.284
  14 J. Brookes Ducati AUS 2' 28.508
  15 D. Thomas Kawasaki AUS 2' 28.542
  16 D. Garcia Yamaha ITA 2' 28.596

YAMAHA

• Round 1: Losail, Qatar
  Track length: 5400m
  Opened: 2004
  Fastest superbike lap: 2:01.244 (Troy Corser, Suzuki)
  Lap record: 2:01.852 (Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha)
  Last year's winners: Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama (both Suzuki)
• The 2006 Superbike World Championship gets underway this weekend at the Losail circuit in Qatar with Yamaha Motor Italia looking to build on a race-winning debut season in 2005.
• Having tested twice at the Middle Eastern circuit during the winter break, riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt are more than familiar with the characteristics of the modern 5.4km circuit.
• The team has worked hard over the winter to increase the competitiveness of the YZF-R1. Most of the focus has gone into improving traction and rideability of the bikes over race distance. The new engine management system from Magneti Marelli has been well received by the riders, who commented on the improved power delivery and engine braking characteristics.
• "I'm happy with the bike," explains Pitt. "The R1 is really feeling more comfortable now and it's about evolution as much as anything else. Everything is looking good, we made some good progress at our December test in Qatar and I think that the team is well equipped to take on any problems that arise. The important thing is that I have a lot of confidence in the bike and that I really enjoy riding it now. The new electronics make it much easier to ride and we've pretty much found a good set-up for the race. The main thing we need to work on is finding a front tyre that will do the race distance. That was our big problem here last year, although it was our first race with the R1 and hopefully it won't be a problem this year."
• Having won two races and having outscored eventual champion Troy Corser over the second half of last year, Haga will undoubtedly be among the favourites for the 2006 title. It's a challenge the popular Japanese rider is relishing as he looks to win the title that has so far eluded him.
• "I don't feel any pressure," he says. "It is hard for me to say if I can win the title or not because we have still not tested with our rivals. We have made some good tests in Qatar and the bike is stronger than last year. It looks like Yamaha has been able to make the improvements I asked for at the end of last year so for now I am happy with progress. It is still my target to win the title. Every year I am close: second position, fourth position, third position... but never number one. I will always try my best at each race but only when we race with the others can I know how strong we are. All I can say now is that the championship is the one thing that I have never achieved. Every year I always go in with the attitude and focus to win it and this year is no different."
• Yamaha will be represented by a second distributor-backed squad in 2006. Yamaha Motor France will enter a three-rider team with Japanese rider Shinichi Nakatomi joining the incumbent Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert for his world superbike debut.
• In the world supersport race, Yamaha riders will make up the lion's share of the grid, with 15 riders aiming for glory on the new YZF-R6.
• Expected to lead the Yamaha charge is the officially-supported Yamaha Motor Germany squad of Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes. The Australians were consistently among the front runners in the 2005 campaign and despite the early start to the season the German squad is as well prepared as possible, having tested successfully with the new bike at Valencia and Phillip Island.