WORLDSBK.COM - bis 15.03.2010

[WORLDSBK.COM]

BMW Motorrad Italia team manager Serafino Foti was only half satisfied with the recent test session that took place at Valencia, but that's simply because the poor weather didn't allow his Superstock 1000 squad to get the best out of the schedule. In 2010 the former racer will again be in the team managerial chair, but this time with the brand-new BMW S1000RR after opting to abandon Ducati, with whom he clinched last year's Superstock 1000 title.

"The bike has a lot of potential," declared Foti, "and it's for this reason that, despite the excellent times set by our two riders, we are still some way off our target. The bad weather didn't allow us to get the best out of the Valencia test, but we took the opportunity to exchange views with our German colleagues".

With Ayrton Badovini (photo) and Daniele Beretta as its two riders, the BMW Motorrad Italia team focussed on setting the German bike up in view of the opening round of the season. "We worked on the electronics and the set-up and now, in our racing department, we've got a lot of work to do. In March, during two scheduled tests at Valencia and Portimao, we'll have a better idea of where we stand. I'm happy with our two riders: we all know Badovini well and I think that, together with Berger, he'll be favourite for the title, while Beretta will take a bit more time to lap at his pace but he will get there in the end and I'm sure he'll also be one of the protagonists in 2010".

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27-year-old Vittorio Iannuzzo is actually one of the most experienced riders on the World Superbike scene. He made his debut in Supersport in 1997 and in 2002, after four years on a 600, moved up to Superstock 1000 on a Suzuki, winning the title with four victories and one second place.

The rider from Avellino in the south of Italy then spent three seasons in Superbike, Supersport and Superstock 1000 again, before switching full-time to the top category: his best overall result in Superbike is a seventh place in 2003 on a Suzuki at Misano.

This year Iannuzzo is aiming to return to the sort of form he showed in 2003, but this time on a Squadra Corse Italia Honda CBR1000RR. "At my home circuits I reckon I can get into the top 10, or even higher" declared Vittorio, who is a keen fan of go-kart, football, basketball and Supermotard. "I am sure that the great feeling I've established with my technicians and mechanics after a year together and with the support of my fans, we can get some good results this year".

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Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) was one of the riders who lit up the 2009 season into a shining example of just how hotly contested and demanding Supersport World Championship racing can be.

In a relatively small team, on a relatively small budget, Parkalgar and Laverty were joint class leaders from virtually the first round to the exciting finale in Portugal last October.

He narrowly missed out on the championship itself after a great tussle with fellow rookie Cal Crutchlow, but in 2010 Laverty and Parkalgar are back for more. And being fastest in the rankings at Portimao during weather-affected testing recently shows that things are moving in a good direction for the 23-year-old from Northern ireland.

Said Eugene, "The tests went well and we were fast in the dry and the wet. That was the most important thing for me because last year we struggled a lot in the wet. By playing round with settings and tyre pressures we got it right. That was a big issue for me."

In terms of his Honda's technical package for 2010, Laverty said, "We had to fight that hard to catch the Yamaha last year I think we almost brought the bike along to as far as it would go. Set-up is always a compromise because it is difficult to get both acceleration and top end."

Laverty will challenge his rivals in the series in Australia later this month, first in a test and then at the first round of the championship - Phillip Island on February 28th.

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The BMW Motorrad Motorsport squad is lining up for its second year in the FIM Superbike World Championship, with riders Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser.

The team management and riders will be presented to the media in Munich on 5th February at the premises of BMW Group Classic.

Hendrik von Kuenheim, General Director BMW Motorrad, Dr. Christian Landerl, BMW Motorrad Executive Vice President Development & Model Lines, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Berthold Hauser, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Project Manager Rainer Baeumel, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager Davide Tardozzi and the two riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus will be on hand to answer the questions set by the media.

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At present, with DFX still to confirm their rider, there are 25 full-time World Superbike riders scheduled to join what looks set to be the most exciting and evenly matched two-wheeled contest of all in 2010. From Aprilia to Yamaha and all points in between, the seven competing manufacturers will field riders who are not only proven winners, but capable of taking more silverware at some stage this season. A look at the competing riders' past records is proof enough of the high-class field.

There are two former SBK Champions on display in 2010 - James Toseland and Troy Corser - plus another four riders (Max Biaggi, Andrew Pitt, Chris Vermeulen, and Cal Crutchlow) who have won FIM World titles of some kind. There are also two previous Superstock 1000 Champions, Michel Fabrizio and Vittorio Iannuzzo.

In terms of previous SBK race winners, 13 of the current line-up have won at least one WSBK race, and four are former MotoGP race winners. Domestic titles litter the paddock in the SBK class in 2010, from the likes of Leon Camier, Shane Byrne, Roger Lee Hayden and others. A full list of the 2010 riders confirmed so far follows below, with their career highlights following.

APRILIA

Leon Camier - BSB Champion 2009

Max Biaggi - four time 250GP champion, 4 SBK wins and 33 podiums, 13 MotoGP wins.

BMW

Troy Corser - two SBK titles 1996 and 2005, 33 race wins and 128 podiums.

Ruben Xaus - 11 SBK race wins and 35 podiums

Andrew Pitt - one SBK race win, two Supersport World Championship wins

Roland Resch - Suzuki Cup Champion 2008

DUCATI

Noriyuki Haga - 41 SBK race wins with 106 podiums

Michel Fabrizio - Superstock 1000 Champion 2003, 3 time SBK race winner

Carlos Checa - two time SBK race winner, two MotoGP race wins

Shane Byrne - two SBK race wins, 2003 and 2008 BSB Champion

Jakub Smrz - one SBK podium

Luca Scassa - one Superstock 1000 race victory, CIV Superstock Champion

HONDA

Jonathan Rea - two SBK race wins, three Supersport World Championship race wins

Max Neukirchner - two SBK race wins, ten podiums

Vittorio Iannuzzo - European Superstock 1000 Champion 2002

Broc Parkes - five Supersport World Championship race wins, 23 podiums.

Makoto Tamada - three SBK race wins, two MotoGP race wins.

KAWASAKI

Tom Sykes - one SBK podium, three BSB race wins

Chris Vermeulen - Supersport World Champion 2003, ten SBK race wins, one MotoGP race win, seven MotoGP podiums

Roger Lee Hayden - 2007 AMA Supersport Champion

Matteo Baiocco - 2003 European Supersport Champion

SUZUKI

Sylvain Guintoli - one BSB race win, one 250GP podium.

Leon Haslam - six podium places, sixteen BSB race wins, 54 BSB podiums

YAMAHA

Cal Crutchlow - Supersport World Champion 2009, British Supersport Champion 2006, one SBK podium

James Toseland - Two SBK Championship wins 2004 and 2007, 16 SBK race wins and 57 podiums.

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The Pedercini Kawasaki team has confirmed that Matteo Baiocco will join their team to contest the 2010 World Superbike championship alongside his already signed team-mate Roger Lee Hayden. In 2003 26-year old Matteo won the European Supersport championship and in 2004 he made his debut on the International scene competing in the Supersport World Championship. In 2006 Baiocco participated in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup Championship and finished 3rd in the 2007 championship standings. Last year he moved to the World Superbike Championship with the PSG1 Kawasaki team but ended the season with Guandalini Ducati.

Matteo Baiocco : I'm very happy for the opportunity that has been given to me by the Pedercini family. I'm really excited about next season. After a very difficult 2009 season now I have the opportunity to compete in all the Superbike World Championship races and my targets are to enter the Superpole and to obtain as many points as possible. It will be one of the most difficult championships in Superbike history with 14 official riders but I'm ready to race and work with my team to give the best of myself. I will try to give back some great results to the Pedercini team, Kawasaki, my family and all the sponsors who have had such faith in me".

Donato Pedercini :"We're very happy with our signing of Matteo. He is a young rider and we hope to realize his full potential. Baiocco has already shown he can run inside the top fifteenth-twenty and we'll do our best to guide him through the next Superbike World Championship. Our team is very motivated to take our two young riders to the their highest level and we are working hard to be ready for the 2010 season in the best possible way. For sure the first two races in Phillip Island will be very difficult for us with two new riders and private bikes, but we'll try our best as usually. I think the next season will be very open and there are manystrong riders and teams and so our target is to do better than in 2009".

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After overseeing his first tests in charge of the BMW Motorrad Superbike team, new team manager Davide Tardozzi now has a much better idea of where this important project is now in terms of overall competitiveness.

Speaking a few days before the launch of the 2010 team in Munich, Tardozzi said, "This year we have to concentrate on just a few things, because last year they had to investigate 100 things. It should be a bit easier this year because many of the things are now fixed, so now we need to look at what brings the last couple of tenths. I know there is still one second of difference, but we have not been concentrating on going for lap times. We will try to do that from Phillip Island. When we concentrate ourselves and our riders on having times, then the gap will close."

BMW will test next time at Phillip Island in Australia, shortly before the first race of the year.

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Phillip Island is one of those circuits on the SBK trail that has become synonymous with everything that is good about Superbike World Championship racing, past and present.

The challenging high-speed layout of the circuit, all 4.445 picturesque kilometres of it in the state of Victoria, Australia, offers up a real test to even the best WSBK riders. Consequently it is consistently a top three venue in the minds of the racers and the SBK world in general. It has been the scene of 37 individual races in the Superbike class, and this year is scheduled to host another two, on February 28. Not long to wait now.

Close finishes abound at Phillip Island, with some of the narrowest gaps in the class's history coming there. Even when we pick out a year at random the margin of victory can be tiny.

In 1998, for example, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) beat Aaron Slight (Honda) by only 0.071 seconds in the second race of the day.

In 1999, the intense competition between Ducati factory greats Carl Fogarty and Troy Corser saw Corser win race two by only 0.005 seconds.

Last year Haga (Ducati) held off Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) by only 0.032 seconds, after 22 intense laps of race one.

But it is the Supersport World Championship class that we have to turn to get an idea of just how tight and exciting things can be at Phillip Island.

Last year, Kenan Sofuoglu, Andrew Pitt and Anthony West were separated by only 0.153 seconds, while soon-to-be class leaders Cal Crutchlow and Eugene Laverty were only 1.097 and 1.098 seconds, respectively, behind the race winner. You don't often see races that close do you? Well at Phillip Island in Supersport you can and frequently do, because the top five in the previous year's race were covered by less than one second!

Spectacular action and daring passes are the norm at what is a popular opening round of the season. With race lap averages of around 170 Km/h, when the modern norm is more like 150 to 160 Km/h, Phillip Island is certainly fast and fluid. And now it could be on the cusp of another breakthrough.

Can anyone set a 1'30 second lap, and demote Regis Laconi and his current Superbike track best lap of 1'31.050?

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Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport officially launched its second season in the FIM Superbike World Championship with a presentation at BMW Group Classic in Munich on Friday. With riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus set to commence battle for the first World Championship points of the year at Phillip Island on 28th February, the team gave international media representatives the opportunity to get an idea of the current progress of the project.

In the presence of Infront Motor Sports CEO Paolo Flammini, Superbike World Championship Director Paolo Ciabatti and a selection of other guests, Corser and Xaus laid on a spectacular show at BMW Group Classic, riding onto the stage on two BMW S 1000 RR machines.

General Director of BMW Motorrad Hendrik von Kuenheim said: "Even back in the initial development phase of the BMW S 1000 RR we were clear that we wanted to build a supersport bike for the road with genes from the race track. Our aim was to be battling for pole position in the supersport segment straightaway - and we did that in impressive fashion. Never before has one of our new motorcycles enjoyed such positive press reviews. Showcasing the potential of this bike on the track as well as on the road is a logical move for BMW Motorrad. The Superbike World Championship pits us against our direct competitors, and we are looking to show that we can match or even get the better of them."

Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport Berthold Hauser added: "Our goal is to close the gap to the leading teams. We are aiming to finish in the top five as regularly as possible and pick up our first podium. That's the ambitious aim we have set ourselves for our second year in what is an extremely challenging World Championship. However, we are well aware that our competitors have not been standing still either. The Superbike World Championship brings us up against six motorcycle manufacturers who have established themselves on the race track. You can set yourself aims in sport and make plans to achieve them, but you cannot dictate results - those have to be earned out on the track. Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport is working flat out to make this possible."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

For its second year in the Superbike World Championship the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team is sticking with the experienced rider pairing of Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus. Together they have notched up no fewer than 507 starts and 44 wins in this series.

The ambition of two-time world champion Corser remains undiminished: "I definitely want to win another World Championship before the end of my career. The next step along the road to achieving that goal is to collect as many top-five finishes as possible this season. You can sense the determination of BMW Motorrad to climb the ladder."

Xaus is also aiming high for the coming season: "I'm very happy to be competing as part of such a strong works team and to be playing my part in this project from the ground up," explains the Spaniard. "We are looking to take the next step in 2010 to ensure that our goals become reality in the not too distant future."

A new addition to the team is Davide Tardozzi, a man with a proven track record in Superbike racing, and who has worked with, and won titles and races with Corser and Xaus before. The Italian will head up team management and operational control at the race tracks, while Rainer Bäumel will continue as Head of Overall Project Management and Project Management Engineering.

Following the tests in Portimão and Valencia, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport is now preparing for the first race weekend of the Superbike World Championship in Australia from 26-28 February. Further tests are scheduled at the Phillip Island Circuit on 20, 21 and 22 February ahead of the race.

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Following an up-and-down experience in 2009, Italian Ayrton Badovini is looking forward to his new challenge with the BMW Motorrad Italia team in this year's Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. Despite the fact that recent testing for the new team in Portugal was hampered by bad weather, the former WSBK rider was pleased with his new mount.

"It's clear that the S 1000 RR was born a good bike," he said. "Throughout my career I've had opportunities to step onto many new bikes, but they were not in the right stage of development, while with this one I immediately felt at ease. It's got a wide margin for improvement and my first impressions were positive, especially in engine power delivery".

This year Badovini will be working with the members of the reigning champion Superstock 1000 team. "They are all very professional and it is obvious why the team run by Serafino Foti have won titles. They approach Superstock with total commitment and they have a perfect working method. My aim is to go for the title obviously. Together with the team's technicians we're taking things very seriously indeed and I think we have everything to get some good results".

Badovini doesn't know his Superstock 1000 rivals particularly well, also because after he was ‘forced' out of action half-way through the 2009 season, he totally switched off from Superbike. "For a certain period I couldn't even watch the races on TV, I knew I should have been there with the other guys and I refused to follow them. Now I know I'll be up against Berger, Giugliano, the BMWs and a couple of other new riders who as always will be the surprise of the championship".

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Another year's experience under the belt for a bike and a team which took the world Superbike championship by storm in their debut season. This time, however, with the livery of a prestigious new Italian sponsor adorning the bikes' fairings, a name evocative of legendary chapters in the history of Italian motor sports.

Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team will be entering the 2010 World Superbike Championship without hiding its ambitious goals. And yet this is only the second season for both team and bike in this highly prestigious and competitive world series dedicated to motorcycles series production. The success of last year is thanks to Max Biaggi and the all new four cylinder Aprilia RSV4 which, during their first season in 2009, demonstrated a competitiveness which - even though the arrival of this bike and Max Biaggi's return to Aprilia after twelve years were both hotly anticipated events - astonished everyone.

Now the challenge begins again. Every one of the most competitive opponents (seven different constructers are competing in the SBK world championship, representing the best that the motorcycling world has to offer) will be waiting for the Aprilia RSV4 and its riders at the start line. This means that the team can no longer count on being able to surprise its competitors, who are now fully aware of the capabilities of the Italian four cylinder.

However, what the team can now count on is a vital year of experience with both the circuits and the bike.

Aprilia RSV4 enters the 2010 world championship with a magnificent Tricolour livery representing the team's partnership with Alitalia. This livery, which brings together two prestigious and proudly Italian brands, is evocative of legendary chapters in Italian motor sports history, when teams flying the Alitalia colours won world championships in disciplines ranging from rally to offshore power boats.

Maurizio Roman, Piaggio Group Director of Product Development and Strategy: "Partnerships are often forged between brands and sponsors that have very little in common, with no relation whatsoever between their respective activities. Today, however, we are witnessing one of those rare cases of an auspicious union between brands that share many values. They share the same Italianness and, above all, the same commitment to technological advancement and excellence. Behind both are companies that strive to elevate prestigious brands to new heights, and which have made history in their respective segments.

In the early days, the Aprilia logo featured a tricolour capital A, which was strongly inspired by the graphic symbol of the national Italian airline. Today we are truly proud that Alitalia has chosen the fairings of the magnificent Aprilia RSV4 as the canvas to continue its history as brand involved to world class motor sports. It is a great honour and opportunity for Aprilia to bear the colours of a prestigious brand such as Alitalia and to represent its values in the highly competitive arena of the world Superbike championship".

Leo Francesco Mercanti, Director of Aprilia Racing & Product Development: "It is cause for great pride for us to take part in a motor sports season that sees three major Italian groups represented on the starting grip in a world class technological competition with all of the world's greatest motorcycle brands. It is a challenge not just in terms of sports, but also on a business and an industrial level, with the image of an entire country at stake. We understand the responsibility and honour of carrying a little piece of Italy with us around the world. These are brands that have written entire chapters in the history of Italian motor sports: Alitalia did so with its fantastic wins in rallying, the Eni-Agip group did it in Formula 1, and, naturally, the Piaggio Group has done so - and continues to do so to this day. We have a great tradition to uphold; it is a tough challenge that comes after a 2009 season in which Aprilia exceeded our expectations, proving its competitiveness with three world MotoGP titles and surprising everyone with its results in the Superbike series. These successes justify great ambitions and expectations; to fulfil them will be a great challenge. It is difficult to make predictions at the beginning of a season, but we have prepared well for the challenge, working hard and improving on every front".

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In 2009, there were many expectations for Max Biaggi's return to Aprilia, the marque with which he had won three consecutive world championships in the 250 cc class from 1994 to ‘96. Now the team is looking forward to seeing the results he manages to bring home, in light of a debut season that demonstrated both the potential of the bike and the ability of the Roman rider to steer its development and take it to the top of the leader board, right up to the win at Brno.

Max Biaggi: "The presentation of a new season, of a bike with new colours, is always very emotional for a rider - it's like witnessing the birth of a living creature. It will be an honour to carry these prestigious colours onto the circuits of the whole world - a tricolour that will make both the bike and team unique. We also have a new team member: Leon comes from the tough British championship, and he certainly has all the right cards to become the strong wingman that both I and the team need. Aprilia did a fantastic job in 2009, we made giant strides from a technical standpoint, which were made possible by the whole team and by the work that let the debuting RSV4 make progress race after race. The win at Brno was just the crowning moment of a continuous process of growth. Of course, we were the great surprise of the 2009 season, and I am really happy with the results; nobody could ever have predicted that we would be so competitive at our debut, nobody would ever have expected a fourth place season finish. And yet I still feel as if the greatest satisfactions are still to come, we haven't reached the top yet - only a win will really crown it all for me. We are now facing the forthcoming season armed with more knowledge, more experience on the circuits and with the awareness of our potential".

The four times World Champion will be joined on the grid by 23 year old Englishman Leon Camier, in what is his first full season in SBK. Leon comes fresh from winning the title of British Superbike Champion, after dominating the 2009 season of his national championship for production derived bikes with an incredible 18 wins out of a total 26 races.

Leon Camier: "Being a part of this team, a part of the RSV4 project, is an incredible opportunity for me. This championship will be very tough, with extremely high levels of competitiveness. I'll be racing against some outstanding, highly experienced riders. This is why it is so important to be in a team like Aprilia Alitalia, one of the very few that offer a rider extraordinary opportunities in terms of developing the bike. My first impressions of the RSV4 were phenomenal: it has enormous potential and is a very quick bike. Now, I must first get as much experience as possible to fully exploit the potential that Aprilia puts in the hands of the rider. It is a great challenge for me to learn how to develop a bike and make it better. Everyone wants to win and everyone sets off from the grid to win, but my first goal will be to understand the bike and constantly improve my performance. I think that we have already found the right direction for the development of the bike, our goal now is to continue in this direction and to improve together with the bike".

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It will be the new faces against the established aces in the 2010 Supersport World Championship fight. Three former World Champions, many of the main 2009 contenders, plus a warlike tribe of other hopefuls are set to commence battle in Australia soon.

Despite the promotion of 2009 champion Cal Crutchlow to the Superbike World Championship, and double champion Andrew Pitt joining him, there are no shortage of bike and rider combinations who have a real chance of a podium finish, or a shot at the title itself if all goes well.

The formbook from 2009 indicates there may be a ‘big three' this year. Runner up Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), 2007 Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Kawasaki's leading light Joan Lascorz (Provec Motocard.com) were three of the top four finishers last year (in photo). Between them, this trio won eight races of the 14 in 2009.

After some encouraging test results on his 2010 Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki, Fabien Foret, 2002 Champion and winner of the Brno race in 2009, may well be in the leading mix again also.

The last of three former world champions in the field is a surprise recall to this level of racing, Sebastien Charpentier. Now running a three-cylinder Triumph, Charpentier is still the only back-to-back champion the class has seen. A fully formed legend of the sport, now out to write a bit more history.

A host of proven race winners and podium riders are still to be found in the Supersport World Championship, as our rundown of the riders conformed in the series thus far demonstrates. And let us not forget female racer Paola Cazzola (Kuja Racing Honda) who adds another dimension to the class this year.

Honda

Michele Pirro - three CIV Championships

Kenan Sofuoglu - Champion 2007, 14 race wins

Eugene Laverty - 2009 runner-up, four race wins

Miguel Praia - top ten race finisher

Alexander Lundh - rookie

Gino Rea - 2009 European Superstock 600 Champion

Massimo Roccoli - one race win, three times CIV Champion

Daniel Bukowski - rookie

Robbin Harms - four podiums

Danilo Dell'Omo - top six race finisher

Paola Cazzola - rookie

Kawasaki

Joan Lascorz - two race wins

Katsuaki Fujiwara - six race wins

Fabien Foret - Champion 2002, 12 race wins, 27 podiums

Triumph

Chaz Davies - three races to date

Sebastien Charpentier - Champion 2005 and 2006, 13 wins, 23 podiums, 22 poles

David Salom - 2006 CEV Supersport Champion

Jason DiSalvo - AMA race winner in several classes

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As the start of the new season approaches at full pace now, it's clear to everyone that this is going to be a very open and competitive season. Even before the final test of the year in Australia, the team managers and technical chiefs understand that threats - and opportunities - will be thick on the ground, including the technical chief of the Alstare Suzuki squad, Giacomo Guidotti (in the photo, talking to Haslam).

"I think many riders will be capable of winning races," said the man who works closely with Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli's technical set-up. "I don't want to make a list of potential race winners because it is too long! I can say we can be one of them."

Guidotti sees 2010 as a potential classic, with strategy playing a larger part than normal. "Many teams will have a chance. The mix of package and riders is great. I think that there will be a lot more strategy through the year. You have to decide if you want to go early or stay until the end, and then be ready to attack. It will be interesting."

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Lorenzo Lanzi has been confirmed as the lone DFX Ducati entry in the Superbike World Championship in 2010. The 28 year-old rider from Italy, who can count three World Superbike wins in his results total so far, is a veteran of over 100 race starts, and has a total of six career podiums.

"I am grateful for Daniele Carli and DFX Corse for this project, which will see me racing as sole rider of the team, in the 2010 Superbike World Championship" declared Lanzi. "Last year I only did a few races with them but I could see that the team was a professional one. The knowledge that I am taking part in the entire championship allows me to tackle this commitment with the right frame of mind as well as with a desire to re-emerge once again. I am sure I still have something to show at an international level and on the DFX Corse Ducati 1098R I've got another chance, maybe the last one, to show what I am capable of. A big thanks to everyone who made this possible and now I leave for Australia fully motivated."

A factory rider for Ducati Xerox in 2006 and 2007, Lanzi was not able to be a true championship challenger, but as his win at Valencia in 2008 on a privateer RG Ducati proved he is still a more than capable rider in this class. Last year he replaced the injured Regis Laconi in the DFX Ducati team for a time.

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The Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com team completed its last European test of the 2010 pre-season on February 8th, lapping the Calafat race circuit in Spain for a short time before rain stopped play.

The planned two-day test was cut to a single day for logistical reasons as well, with all the team's equipment set to be boxed up and flown to Australia on Thursday 11th, in readiness for the first race of the year at the end of February.

Katsuaki Fujiwara: "It was good to get even a little more track time before we go to Australia for the final test, and then the race. I tried a few new things on the front suspension at Calafat and a new seating position, and we made improvements. It would have been good to get a bit more track time, but we cannot control the weather!"

Joan Lascorz: "We tested a new riding position on the bike in order to make it easier to move around, and it worked out quite well. Like Kats, I would have liked more time on track but we have two full days of testing waiting for us at Phillip Island before the race. We will have time to find our best settings before qualifying starts. The season starts soon but I think we are in very good shape."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

PATA B&G Racing was presented yesterday at the head office of the team's new title sponsor PATA as the joint team managers, Marco Borciani and Mirco Guandalini announced the new partnership and the rider line-up for 2010. The team will be taking part in the Superbike World Championship with the aim of becoming the top private squad and for this reason they have decided to confirm Czech rider Jakub Smrz and continue their collaboration with Ducati.

Marco Borciani: "I'd like to thank PATA for the faith they have shown in us. We'll do our best to repay them with some good results on the track. The B&G Racing project is a fascinating one, Mirco and I were rivals for the best private team before, but we had the greatest of respect for each other. In a moment of crisis like this, it was no problem for us to unify our forces and try and fight for the top positions in WSBK."

Mirco Guandalini: "I am delighted to take part in the 2010 season with Marco Borciani. We decided to opt for Czech rider Jakub Smrz, who has collaborated with my team in the last two years, showing a notable improvement. Jakub, who has always been very quick in qualifying, needs just one more step to realize his true talent. We trust that this new technical collaboration will allow him to make that step forward, and improve on the good results he obtained last season."

Jakub Smrz: "This is a great opportunity that has been given to me by the PATA B&G Racing Team. Both team managers have vast experience, which will be necessary to enable the new team to be at the top right from the early races. I am convinced that we will have a good chance to do well at every track, our role will be that of outsider in every race."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Italian Nico Vivarelli is reluctant to make any predictions about his 2010 season on the Team Go Eleven KTM Superstock machine due to previous experience but is convinced this year will be positive one.

The 23 year-old from Grosseto, who raced in 125 GP three years ago before switching to production-based racing, has just concluded a week's testing in Spain at Cartagena and then at Valencia.

"On the way out on the plane I had a bout of flu, which conditioned the tests but I gave 100% and am satisfied with the results. This year I hope to be up front right from the very start...".

The Go Eleven technicians focussed on the bike set-up in view of the opening round of the season in March. "We started off by working on set-up and thanks to some help from Gubellini technicians, we found the right balance. The guys in the team believe in the KTM project and in Spain they worked all night to get the bike ready for me the next morning. That's why I gave 100%, I wanted to repay them for their efforts."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team unveiled their new livery for the 2010 racing season. The team launched the new design on location at the Sterilgarda headquarters in Castiglione delle Stiviere to an audience of international journalists and sponsors.

Riders James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow revealed their 2010 YZF-R1 racebikes then took time to answer questions about their upcoming season. Both two-time World Superbike champion Toseland and reigning World Supersport champion Crutchlow have the potential to fight for the championship title this year.

New racing developments to the 2010 bike based upon the production crossplane crankshaft R1 include:

* Increased engine power - Maximum engine power increased by 8hp, considerable power benefits over the full rev range.

* Weight reduction - Overall bike weight reduced by 3kg without losing the electric starter.

* Different radiator shape - For increased cooling capacity and also to reduce drag.

* Different fuel tank - Now made entirely from carbon fibre with greater capability and lighter.

* Re-designed bottom fairing - Narrower design for less drag, design allows for easier heat dispersal

* New exhaust system - For increased power in the middle of the rev range.

James Toseland: "The first race is coming up in two weeks and testing has been really promising after riding a GP bike for two years. After the test in Phillip island personally and machinery wise everything should be set to compete at the front from the first race."

Cal Crutchlow: "I'm looking forward to the year ahead, it's going to be a good challenge, but tough! Testing has gone well, hopefully we can turn that into good results from the first few races and build from there. I know we can do a good job."

Laurens Klein Koerkamp, Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Manager: "After an incredibly successful season last year it's back to business. We have two new riders and we've taken the bike to the next level over the winter, we want to keep the world title at Yamaha. The grid is looking really tough this year but we have tbwo of the toughest guys at the front."

Nando Sarzi, Sterilgarda Alimenti Spa CEO: "We were delighted to be able to join up with Yamaha in Monza in 2009, it was amazing to be able to share the year of successful racing together. We are very excited about 2010 and are looking forward to more success and our relationship continuing to develop."

Sterilgarda joined up with Yamaha as a key Sponsor midway through the 2009 race season at the Monza round in Italy. The relationship has continued to grow successfully with Sterilgarda sharing in the championship success of 2009. For 2010 Yamaha and Sterilgarda have remained committed to strengthening their partnership further and continuing to work closely together, sharing a common passion for racing and the desire to be the best.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Unlike most of his rivals in 2010, James Toseland knows what it feels like to be a Superbike World Champion, and more than once. He's been away in MotoGP for a couple of seasons, and thus has only had three test sessions to have a close look at his main rivals this time around in SBK. But he is sure of one thing even before he starts his 2010 season for real. SBK racing is going to be full of potential rivals, and not just for race wins.

"I think there are more rivals than ever before, with the exception of Troy Bayliss not being there," said Toseland at his team's launch last week in Italy.

"Troy was in there when I was last racing in SBK, and he was a tough cookie. There are seven Brits in there this year, and they are all capable of being in that top eight, top six, at some stage. Then there are the regulars like Haga, Checa, Biaggi, Fabrizio, Corser and others. Cal has only just jumped back on a Superbike again so he has to find his feet. You don't know how much he is going to improve but obviously he is going to. You don't know how much that BMW is going to improve for Troy Corser either. There are a lot of riders in the mix. In this championship this year there really are any of six riders who could stand on the top step. I think there are at least ten podium finishers. There are seven British riders who could stand on a podium! It's going to be great for the show."

In terms of how many other British riders there are in WSB in 2010 in general, Toseland welcomes such a high number, but draws a line under how important it is overall. He stated, "One thing to prepare myself for is to forget the ‘Battle of Britain', because it is just part of the battle. There will be many other riders in there."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

BE1 Racing and Top Ride are making final preparations for the official ParkinGO European Series test session which will be held at Valencia on March 18.

The Series will be presented at the Spanish track, exclusively given over to the 24 Street Triple R machines that will be made available for the participants in the Challenge. Triumph management and international journalists will also be present at the launch.

The factory ParkinGO Triumph BE1 Racing team, which will be taking part in World Supersport with four riders this year, will also be receive its official launch at Valencia: Britain's Chaz Davies, two-times World Supersport champion, Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier, American Jason DiSalvo and Spain's David Salom. After competing in the opening Supersport round in Australia, the ‘4 Musketeers' will take part in a few test sessions with the riders of the ParkinGO European Series, giving them advice and suggestions on riding and set-up.

The Street Triple R will be fitted with a ‘racing' kit. Bitubo will provide the Supersport-derived single rear shock and the revalved front suspension that the company makes available to all the teams taking part in the Superstock championship.

Rizoma has produced all the components required to transform the Street Triple R into a true racing bike with handlebars, footpegs, levers, frame guards and the innovative Proguard system, which protects the brake and clutch levers, thus guaranteeing rider safety during the race action. Arrow will equip the bike with a complete racing exhaust that improve overall power and torque.

Details are available on www.parkingoseries.com, in six different languages: English, Italian, Spanish, German, French and Russian.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Sterilgarda has not just remained as a sponsor of the championship winning Yamaha World Superbike Team this year; it has increased its involvement.

In 2009, the mid-season appearance of a Sterilgarda logo on the Yamaha R1 of Ben Spies saw the Italian company's profile go through the roof. After its high profile 2010 team launch last week, at the Sterilgarda factory and HQ in Italy, we asked Sterilgarda CEO Nando Sarzi (in the photo with Toseland and Meregalli) how important the Sterilgarda brand's current relationship with Yamaha in SBK is.

Said Sarzi, "We have understood that the world of Superbike is a very important one and that you cannot remain behind for sponsorship." Sterilgarda now even markets a line of milk products with Ben Spies and his Yamaha emblazoned on the packaging, celebrating their joint success in 2009.

With riders like James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow on board, the official Yamaha team is a high level competitor once again, in a season which is shaping up to be not only competitive but a modern classic. Potential podium finishers are so thick on the ground it is impossible to imagine a more open season on paper than the one that is about to swing into action in Australia at the end of the month.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The contingent of riders from Northern Ireland in the SBK paddock has grown once more, with news that Superstock 600 European championship rider Josh Elliot has been confirmed as a 2010 competitor.

A native of Ballinamallard, Northern Ireland, Josh was Irish mini-moto champion in 2005 and 2006, and rode in the Red Bull Rookie championship in 2008.

At the tender age of 14 years he started competition in the German IDM Supersport series last year. After turning 15 he scored two podium finishes, the youngest rider ever to do so.

Competing for the Racedays Honda team in 2010, Josh is a protégé of a certain Jeremy McWilliams, via the Racedays Superbike Academy track school.

He will run a Honda CBR600RR motorcycle prepared by PTR (Parkalgar's tuners) with Josh's next ambition to run in World Supersport.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

This year Australian Chris Vermeulen has taken on the massive challenge of turning Kawasaki's fortunes around in World Superbikes, but it's a role he has embraced, and he expectantly counts himself in the list of riders capable of winning races in 2010.

"I can do it! I've won 10 WSBK races before, been runner-up in the championship, and beaten most of those guys at one stage or another," said Vermeulen. "We've got a new team that's got to gel together and we've got a motorcycle we're trying to develop, so it's about putting every piece of the puzzle together to get up the front. Realistically there are 15 or 16 riders who could win a WSBK race this year - honestly. It's not going to be easy at all, and the depth is the strongest I've seen in a long time."

Vermeulen's first serious run on the Kawasaki ZX-10R was in Portugal last month, which gave him a chance to prioritize what major set-up issues had to be addressed before the start of the championship.

"Portimao was a great test for us in that we learnt a lot about the bike, even though we got a little bit unlucky with some weather. Kawasaki and Showa have developed some new parts from the information we came up with at Portimao and we are going to be testing them at Phillip Island, concentrating on things like weight transfer on the bike from braking to accelerating. They will be our priorities, and when we go into the race weekend it will be all about going as fast as we can! As for 2010, the team is not putting any pressure on me and is saying top 10 results would be great, because they haven't had a lot of them. But personally I want to be in top five consistently starting the season - I'm a racer with no patience, but that's normal. I hope we are going to be competitive at Phillip Island and in the front group challenging."

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