BMW Motorrad Motorsport - WSBK - Kyalami - Qualifying Practice 1
Weather conditions: Sunny.
Temperature: Air: 21 – 23 °C, Track: 31 – 35 °C
Number of riders participating: 22 from 13 teams
Fastest lap Free Practice: Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox Team) 1:39.081 min
Fastest lap Qualifying Practice 1: Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox Team) 1:38.477 min
Programme:
An encouraging start for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport in the sixth race weekend of the 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship: While Ruben Xaus (ESP) finished today’s Qualifying Practice in 14th on the bumpy Kyalami track, Troy Corser (AUS) set the fourth fastest time of the session.
Troy Corser:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:40.637 min (12th) / Fastest lap Qualifying 1: 1:38.896 min (4th)
“After having missed last year’s race, I had to get used to the track this morning as it is crucial here to know where the bumps are. We then started working on the bike’s settings. Overall, I am quite happy. There are still some small areas where I struggle a bit: I still miss some push at the hairpin at the top of the track, and I am not 100 per cent confident opening the throttle there. There are some places we have to adjust the engine braking a little, and I just can’t get one right hander in the last sector right. Overall, I am confident for tomorrow, as the bike feels very comfortable.”
Ruben Xaus:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:41.081 min (17th) / Fastest lap Qualifying 1: 1:39.642 min (14th)
“We tried a lot of things today. We worked on the set-up specific to this track. The tracks we have been to previously allow for more time between direction changes. Here the lap is like a roller coaster and riding here is really physically demanding. This layout demands a different set-up. The BMW S 1000 RR is very sensitive to set-up changes. However, I am confident for tomorrow as I have full trust in my crew, and I am sure they will give me an incredible bike.”
Davide Tardozzi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager):
“Today we were not too bad. After last year, I expected us to struggle a lot more. This bumpy race track does not suit our bike perfectly. I am totally happy with Troy’s performance, although we are still losing three tenths of a second in the last sector. Ruben tested a lot of different things today, and I am sure he will finish a lot higher tomorrow.”
