BMW Motorrad Motorsport - WSBK - Infront Testing - Phillip Island - Monday
Infront testing – Phillip Island.
20th to 21st February 2012.
Phillip Island, 20th February 2012. There were mixed feelings
in Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport during the first day of official
testing at Phillip Island (AUS): While Marco Melandri (ITA) made good
progress over the course of the day, Leon Haslam (GBR) crashed during
the first session at the exit of the Phillip Island Circuit’s
Swan corner. Immediately after the crash he felt pain in his feet and
was unable to walk. X-ray examinations at the circuit’s medical
centre indicated a fractured right ankle.
Leon was taken to Casey Hospital in Berwick for further examinations. Computer tomography scans showed a fracture in his right tibia. After consulting the team doctor, Dr. Vincenzo Tota, Leon, together with the team’s management, decided to undergo surgery in Melbourne. A single screw will be inserted to fix the tibia fragment in its original place.
The prognosis on what will happen after surgery is not yet known, so a decision as to whether he will compete in this weekend’s races will be made later.
Leon Haslam:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR, best overall lap time: 1:32.397
“This is just a disappointing situation, as we were making good progress. Right from the start my lap times were not bad. The crash was quite a big highsider just before the start-finish-straight. I landed on my heels, and I thought I could have fractured them. The scans later showed I had fractured the end of my right tibia instead. On top of this, I broke a small bone in my left foot, but this should not be a big issue. I now shall keep my fingers crossed that the surgery goes well and I will be back on the bike very soon.”
Marco Melandri:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR, best overall lap time:
1:32.232
“We made steps in the right direction today. I
was not very happy about the results of last week’s test, but we
analysed all the data gathered over the last couple of days. The crew
worked very hard. I have the feeling that we found a way to avoid
chattering and to improve my feeling for the front of the bike. I feel
a lot more confident on the bike now. Still we have a long way to go.
Nevertheless, I am happy as we are all working in the same direction.
We are not too far from the front runners, and this has been another
step forward for me.”
