BMW Motorrad Motorsport - WSBK - Misano - Preview

San Marino – Misano.

Preview.

08th – 10th June 2012

7th of 14 race weekends

Munich/Stephanskirchen, 04th June 2012. The winner’s champagne sprayed after the victory in Salt Lake City (USA) has dried out and Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport has returned to Europe for the third Italian race of the season in Misano Adriatico on the Adriatic coast. This weekend (8th to 10th June) the “Misano World Circuit”, also known as the “Marco Simoncelli Circuit” since November 2011, will host the seventh round of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship. The races will be held under the flag of the nearby republic of San Marino.

Factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) has climbed to second place in the Riders’ Championship following his victory and second place in Salt Lake City. He now has 142.5 points to his name, 18 less than leader Max Biaggi (ITA). Marco’s team-mate Leon Haslam (GBR) is determined to rediscover his old form after a difficult weekend in the USA. He currently lies sixth on 103 points. Together, the pair has already scored 245.5 points for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport this season. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, BMW is leader Ducati’s (195.5) closest rival in second with 176 points. Only the best result from each race counts towards this championship.

Misano has played a great role in the history of the Bavarian team: in 2010 Troy Corser (AUS) claimed the team’s first pole position and second podium finish in the Superbike World Championship. Local hero Marco, who lives in Ravenna, finished third there last year. Leon was also on course for the podium in the first race, before suffering a nasty crash. In race two he fought his way into the top five on his RR, despite having riding with a broken ankle.

Marco’s helmet will bear a special design for his home race in Misano. After the weekend, the helmet will be auctioned and the profits will go to those affected by the serious earthquakes in the Modena region. The tremors could also be felt in Marco’s home town of Ravenna. The thoughts of everyone at Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport are with those who have lost relatives or homes in the earthquakes.

Misano from the rider’s point of view:

Marco Melandri:

“I am excited to go to Misano. It is the first time I will arrive in Italy after having won a race with BMW, so I expect many fans to turn out. I am definitely proud to come to Misano after what we have achieved in the last two rounds. I will have a lot of pressure on my shoulders, because there will be high expectations as everybody thinks that I can get a good result there too. But I like that. At the last three rounds, we had three completely different types of tracks and our RR worked well on all of them. Misano is another different track, so it is going to be interesting to see how competitive we can be there. And actually, it will be the first time this season that we will race in very hot conditions. The Misano circuit is nice, but it has many stop and go corners. As such, it is going to be much more important to have a good position on the starting grid than it was in Salt Lake City. We have to be very focused on producing a good performance in qualifying.

My thoughts are with all the people who were affected by the earthquake. We could feel it quite strongly at my home, as the epicentre was not far from my house. In Misano I will use a special helmet and I want to sell it in an auction after the race to support the people who lost everything in these hard times. I am trying to do what I can to help a little.”

Leon Haslam:

“I am looking forward to Misano and to making amends for the USA round. I really like the track and I can’t wait to be fighting at the front again. Misano is a circuit I really enjoy and where our RR goes quite well. The characteristics of the track suit our bike. Already last year, two podium places were in reach for us. However, I had a really bad crash when I was in a podium position in race one. In race two I finished inside the top five despite a broken ankle.

After the earthquakes in Italy, my thoughts are with the people in the region around Modena, who are going through a difficult time. Italy is a second home for me, as me and my family spend a lot of time there.”

Misano from a technical point of view:

Andrea Dosoli (Head of Race Operations):

“After claiming our second win in two events, the whole team is very motivated ahead of the third race in Italy this season. Misano is a track that seems easy, but it’s a tricky one. It is technically demanding, with fast bends like ‘Curvone’, as well as slow and tight corners, some of them demanding hard braking. In addition, the grip might not be ideal. It needs a big effort from the team and the riders to find the proper setting for the chassis, gearing and engine management. Considering the performances BMW has shown here in the past – including the pole position and the podium with Troy Corser – and the fact that our RR has been well suited to all the different tracks we’ve raced on so far, we’re looking forward to this event.

Marco and his crew are very motivated and extremely concentrated. So I’m confident that he will back up the form he has shown so far. He will get extra support from the Italian fans. Leon will forget the difficulties he experienced in Miller and be back to the level seen in Donington. I’m sure that, with the support of all his crew and everyone at Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport, he will be able to challenge the top guys again.”

Misano from Pirelli’s point of view:

For the home race in the Republic of San Marino, hosted by the “Misano World Circuit”, Pirelli will bring a total of 12 solutions for the World Superbike Championship riders, including three for the front and five for the rear slicks, in addition to the usual intermediate and rain solutions and the Superpole qualifier tyre. On the front the riders will find the SC1 P1280, which they had the opportunity to test at Imola and use in the race at Donington: so this tyre, a development of the SC1 that provides better grip, will also be tested in hotter weather conditions after the excellent job it did in the low English temperatures. To complete the range of solutions available for the front, the 2012 standard SC1 and SC2 tyres will also be there.

For the rear, on the other hand, there will be an impressive five alternatives, starting with the two SC0 (P1126) and SC1 (P1170) compound solutions with a profile oversized to 200 that had we also took with us to Phillip Island and Monza: in fact, just last year these two solutions were tested on the Misano Adriatico circuit and this is why Pirelli has decided to bring them here as well, in order to see how they perform in a race. Two new solutions will accompany this one: the first is the R548, a development of the SC0, whereas the second is the R549, an evolution of the very sturdy SC1, backed up by a mechanical stress study of the materials. The fifth solutions the riders will be able to choose is the 2012 standard SC1.

The Misano track is characterised by various braking zones and low angle leans into curves, so the objective of the solutions offered is to provide more confidence in the rear. All of the solutions for the rear lean toward the soft end. This is because, for Pirelli, Misano opens up the development platform for soft tyres suited to warmer temperatures. This development will continue with the Aragon and Brno rounds.

Background:

Misano Adriatico is a popular Italian seaside resort, located just a few kilometres south of Rimini on the Adriatic coast. The town, with a population of 12,000, attracts many visitors thanks to its long beaches, restaurants and many entertainment facilities. A trip to the nearby city state of San Marino is a must for tourists. The Misano round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, which has featured on the race calendar since 1991, is held under the flag of San Marino.

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport celebrated its first pole position in this series in Misano, courtesy of Troy Corser in 2010. Troy’s lap time of 1:35.001 minutes, set during the Superpole Qualification, remains the fastest time ever clocked by a superbike on the current layout. The MotoGP World Championship is also a regular visitor to Misano, where it stages its San Marino Grand Prix.

The circuit was opened in the hinterland around Misano Adriatico in 1972 and was originally known as the “Autodromo di Santamonica”, before being renamed the “Misano World Circuit”. Following the tragic death of Marco Simoncelli at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix, the decision was taken to name the circuit the “Marco Simoncelli Circuit”. The popular Italian MotoGP rider lived just a few kilometres away in Cattolica.

The circuit was originally 3.488 kilometres long, but has now been extended to 4.226 kilometres following several modifications. In 1993 a new pit lane building was added, which was then extended in 1996/97. A further modification took place in the winter of 2006/2007, during which the circuit was given a complete overhaul and the direction of travel was also changed. Since then, races in Misano are held in a clockwise direction. This allows wider run-off zones to be used.

Misano is a modern and very technical track. It offers a combination of fast sections and many chicanes. The circuit is physically very tiring, as even on the back straight the riders only have a bout four seconds to recover a little. The rest of the track is a mixture of corners with a diverse range of radiuses. As hot temperatures are also to be reckoned with in the summer, the rider’s fitness plays an important role here. The back straight is one of the key points on the circuit. Here, the drivers arrive at high speed at the quick “Curvone” corner, in which they must find the perfect racing line whilst in fifth gear and travelling at over 220 km/h. The chicanes throw up another big challenge and demand good steering response from the bike. There are a few interesting braking points, some of which are located deep in the corner. Generally speaking, the layout of the circuit requires good acceleration.

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