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| Various Previews of Monza WSBK
by staff Thursday, May 04, 2006 Various previews of the upcoming WSBK event at PArco de Monza in Monza Italy: DUCATI XEROX TEAM ARRIVES AT MONZA ON CREST OF A WAVE Monza (Italy), Thursday 4 May: The Ducati Xerox Team riders Troy Bayliss and Lorenzo Lanzi come to the legendary Autodromo Nazionale di Monza on the crest of a wave following sensational results in the recent round 3 of the World Superbike Championship at Valencia.
"Last time I was at Monza I had a double win!" declared Troy. "I'm very fond of the place and I just love racing there. Out of all the races I've done, I've done six at Monza and I've always had great results there. It's going to be very important for me to do a good job this weekend and it's not going to be easy. Every race is difficult but I'd like to shine there. "Things are going quite well so far this year, although strange to say, I feel the season has been a little bit below expectations. Judging how well the tests went in the winter the first two races were a little bit of a reality check actually and we expected a little bit more. We've always been right at the front but we haven't done exactly what we thought we'd do". His 24 year-old Italian team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi kicked his 2006 season into gear at Valencia with two gritty races that earned him two third places and his first podiums of the year. "The two races at Valencia were very positive, and we came back on form in a big way" declared Lorenzo. "The two podiums, especially the one in race 2, gave me a lot of satisfaction. Now we are here determined to do well, just like in every race, because we know that I can run up at the front with the leaders. "Monza is a place that I like, I've always had a good rapport with this track. The variante Ascari is my favourite point of the circuit, but you have to work to get a good setting for the entire track because at Monza it's difficult to get a break and get away. You get the classic group of the quickest riders, and the second group of those who are unable to keep the slipstream. I want absolutely to stay with the leading group so as to be able to fight it out for the win at the end". CIRCUIT HISTORY. Construction of the Autodromo di Monza was decided in January 1922 by the Milan Automobile Club, started in May of the same year and the work was completed in a record 122 days. Today Monza is one of the most functional and safest tracks in the world with a history that is incomparable. The WSBK round has been held at the Autodromo since 1990 and Troy Bayliss holds the circuit win record of four victories, on a par with Carl Fogarty, Pierfrancesco Chili and Fabrizio Pirovano. THE CIRCUIT. Name: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. Length: 5.793 km. Pole Position: left. Corners Left/Right: 5/8. Longest straight: 1195 metres. ************** PRESS RELEASE 2006 SBK CORONA EXTRA SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MONZA - 4th ROUND - 5th, 6th and 7th MAY PREVIEW Monza, Wednesday 3rd May 2006 MONZA WELCOMES WORLD SUPERBIKE TO THE CRADLE OF SPEED The former royal park of Monza, where speed is still king despite a proliferation of chicanes designed to slow riders at key points around the circuit, is the oldest purpose built circuit in Europe, with its first incarnation coming into being in 1922. Ever since then it has provided a tough challenge to all comers, making a win at Monza something extra special. OPEN PADDOCK KICKS OFF THE MONZA WEEKEND BAYLISS THE LEADER AFTER LATEST TRIUMPHS TOSELAND SET TO BOUNCE BACK IN ITALY HAGA TOP R1 RIDER AND LOOKING FOR A GOOD ?HOME' RESULT KAWASAKI RIDERS IMPRESSIVE IN SPAIN AND MORE TO COME IN ITALY MARTIN AND JONES READY FOR SOME SLIPSTREAMING XAUS TOP PRIVATEER DUCATI RIDER SO FAR ***************** Winston Media Information Ronald Ten Kate - Team Manager "The Valencia race is now in the past even if it was one of the hardest weekends we have ever experienced at the Spanish track. In Monza we will try some new components which should improve our control and grip of the bike and we will test them from Friday. Regarding the riders, I have seen that James is strongly motivated; convinced he will take an important result after the Spanish race, even if he did all that was possible. We have Karl back with us and we are really happy about it. Last year on this track he scored one of his best race results and we hope he will be able to repeat that, or even improve." James Toseland - Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider "I really like the Monza circuit. In the last couple of years I have stepped on the podium in three out of four races and therefore I am determined to continue this "tradition" especially now that I'm racing for the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team. But there is another reason why I want to do well in Monza: what happened in Valencia must remain an isolated incident. If we want to try to win the Title we have to stay in the top positions at every race. This is why we have to think of Monza as a form of revenge. It's also important because I've got a lot of supporters, and I don't want to disappoint them." Karl Muggeridge - Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider "I am looking forward to getting back on the bike at Monza and I think everybody can understand why. I believe that not participating in the Valencia race was the right decision because I needed to get back to my best physical shape best after the hard fall in the test. Now I feel good, I never stopped training and I am also mentally ready to do well. I hope to post good results right from Friday's free practice, and it would be good for my morale to try and take a good result at one of my favourite tracks." MUGGERIDGE BACK TO STRENGTHEN HONDA'S MONZA EFFORTS James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) will find a familiar face on the other side of the team's Monza pit garage as his regular team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Honda Ten Kate CBR1000RR) returns to race action after injury. Having suffered compression injuries to two vertebra during official tests at Valencia, and having to miss the subsequent Valencia race itself, Muggeridge is making his return at one of the Honda riders' most eagerly awaited circuits. Toseland, currently third in the championship fight, found Valencia just as hard a challenge as all observers expected, and finished only 9th and 11th. He looks to Monza as a path back to the form which has already delivered him a race win, in the opening round at Qatar. Another rider ready to step up to podium status once more is Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR), who will taste Monza for the first time in his nascent World Superbike career this weekend. The multi-MotoGP winner is out to build on his double Phillip Island Superbike podium, and with new engines all ready to go for Monza, he will be in with a great chance of scoring impressive points totals.
Toseland, in his first year on a 1000cc four-cylinder machine, sees Monza as an opportunity to get his championship challenge firmly back on track. "I really like the Monza circuit," stated the 2004 champion. "In the last couple of years I have stepped on the podium in three out of four races and therefore I am determined to continue this "tradition" especially now that I'm racing for the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team. But there is another reason why I want to do well in Monza: what happened in Valencia must remain an isolated incident. If we want to try to win the title we have to stay in the top positions at every race. This is why we have to think of Monza as a form of revenge. It's also important because I've got a lot of supporters, and I don't want to disappoint them." Happy to be back at the centre of the Superbike world again, after extensive therapy in Australia and Europe, Muggeridge is ready to score his first points since round one in Qatar. "I am looking forward to getting back on the bike at Monza and I think everybody can understand why," said Muggeridge. "I believe that not participating in the Valencia race was the right decision because I needed to get back to my best physical shape after the hard fall in the test. Now I feel good, I never stopped training and I am also mentally ready to do well. I hope to post good results right from Friday's free practice, and it would be good for my morale to try and take a good result at one of my favourite tracks." An unexpected dip in Spain should be overturned in Italy for Barros, with the Brazilian rider ready to take on the high speed Monza track, and its frequent hard braking for the safety-inspired chicanes. "The long and fast Monza race track is the complete opposite of Valencia with its vast array of slow corners, ultra-fast sweeps and rapid changes of direction," said Barros. "Monza is a perfect circuit for the Honda Fireblade and I'm confident we will come off well after the upcoming weekend in Italy." Fabrizio was top Honda scorer in race two at Valencia, but he wants to be top scorer of all at Monza, despite his team-mate Chili being once more forced out. "I am very happy for race two of Valencia, even if my motorcycle's potential is much higher than the performance it gave in Spain," said Fabrizio. "I hope to find optimal grip conditions at Monza to take advantage of my bike's good maximum speed. In Monza my team leader (Frankie Chili) has always obtained top results, and I am keen to ride really well and dedicate this race to him." With more Supersport experience at the top level than Superbike, Nannelli is looking to translate his unquestioned prowess on a middleweight machine to the full Honda-powered Fireblade package, and score his first points of the year. "For me, Monza is a great circuit because I love high speed," said a plainly excited Nannelli. "My Honda allows me to keep up with the top riders. I only need to improve my qualifying performances to do better in the races. At Monza the "Nanna" will be very, very fast!" After Monza, the Silverstone circuit in England forms the venue for the fifth round of the 13-round SBK and WSS series. *************** Superbike World Championship preview: round four - Monza 1/5/2006 Track length: 5792m Round four of the Superbike World Championship sees the series move to the historic Monza circuit in Italy, the fastest racetrack on the entire calendar. With top speeds often exceeding 300kph down the long home straight, the first of three Italian races this year is always an exciting slipstream battle on this unique circuit. For the Yamaha Motor Italia world superbike team this race takes on an extra importance, as their headquarters is based just a few kilometres from the circuit. While the points on offer are exactly the same as at the 12 other rounds of the championship, the emotional boost of a good result in their backyard will provide extra motivation for the team and their riders - especially after a difficult weekend at the last round in Valencia. Both the team's riders struggled for traction at the Spanish circuit, with a pair of fifth places for Noriyuki Haga and a couple of top tens for Andrew Pitt, keeping both riders in the top six of the championship - Haga fourth and Pitt sixth. And while historically the Monza circuit may not be one of the strongest for Yamaha's YZF-R1, both riders are confident that they can fight up front this weekend. Fans' favourite Haga had a difficult time in Monza last year, finishing ninth and 11th in the two races. This season the Japanese rider has consistently been among the frontrunners, finishing third once, fourth twice and fifth twice in the five races he has finished. Surprisingly Haga has never won in his adopted homeland. The Japanese star has won 19 races in his illustrious superbike career, but his best results in Italy are two third places (Monza 2002 and Imola 2005). Despite this, Haga still looks forward to Monza, as he explains: "Monza is not such a difficult track and good fun... if you have a fast bike! Valencia was difficult for us in many ways but now we must put it behind us and look forward to the championship. Monza is a very important race for the team and I will be doing my best to get a good result for them. Monza was my worst race of 2005 but our bike is definitely much better now than it was this time last year and our top speed is generally quite good, so if we can find a good setting and get away with the front group then anything can happen." With fifth and sixth place finishes, team-mate Pitt was the highest placed Yamaha rider at Monza last year. "Front end grip was the big problem at Valencia but it shouldn't be a factor in Monza. At Valencia you are leaned over on the side of the tyre for so long but Monza is completely different, mostly long straights and slow corners. Because of the slipstreaming it is important to get away with the leading group at Monza. Our starts have been pretty good this year so there is no reason why we can't be up there in the races." Yamaha will also be represented by the Yamaha Motor France team in Monza. The squad travel to Italy in high spirits after gaining their best results of the season in Valencia, where Norick Abe scored two fourth places and fellow Japanese rider Shinichi Nakatomi scored his first world championship points with a pair of 12ths. The team's other rider, Sebastien Gimbert, returns at Monza after missing Valencia due to his world endurance commitments. As always, Yamaha will be well represented in the supporting classes at Monza. In the Supersport World Championship, Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes lie second and fourth in the points after three rounds. Italian young guns Massimo Roccoli and Gianluca Vizziello are both running in the top ten of the series and go to Monza having finished first and second in the Italian championship round there last weekend. One rider who will not be present in Monza is last year's FIM Superstock 1000 champion Didier van Keymeulen. The Belgian had been riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 for the Moto 1 squad in world supersport but has split with the team following irreconcilable differences regarding machine and team set-up. Roccoli and Vizziello's Yamaha Team Italia team-mate Claudio Corti was another winner in the national championship race, won the superstock class. After taking a top 10 in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup opener in Valencia, the European Superstock 600 champion is looking for his first world championship win at his home circuit this weekend. ********************* Superbike World Championship Round 4 Monza (Italy) Team Yamaha Motor France - Ipone Norick Abe (Team Yamaha Motor France - Ipone) had the best ever weekend of his Superbike World Championship career when he finished twice in 4th position of the last races in Valencia. Shinichi Nakatomi kept improving, scoring his first points with two 12th positions. Martial Garcia's team is in good spirit coming to Monza. Thanks to his brilliant results, Norifumi Abe is now in the "Top 10" of the World Championship standings with his 8th position. During the 6 races already done this year, Abe crossed the finish line 6 times. Out of the 27 permanent riders of the championship, only 6 could do it, including Abe and Troy Bayliss, James Toseland, Alex Barros, Andrew Pitt and Michel Fabrizio. The riders of the team finished 14 times out of 18 starts this year, without any technical problem. This proves the high quality of the Yamaha R1 and it is a reward for the technicians. For this Monza race, Sébastien Gimbert will be back with the Team Yamaha Motor France - Ipone, coming from the 24 Hours of Le Mans where he was on the podium. For Martial Garcia (team-manager) « For his come back with us, Sébastien Gimbert will try to have better results here than last year. Our bike is actually working well. It was possible to see the progress in Valencia. Norick Abe should look for good results like this was the case in Spain. Shinichi Nakatomi is doing better and better at every track and we may see him shortly in the Top 10."
Monza is the fastest circuit on the World Superbike calendar. The track has two very slow chicanes, the "Prima variante" and the "Variante della Roggia". It also has a long right-hander called the "Curva Parabolica". Monza only has one real left-hander, the "Curva del Serraglio" after the Lesmo double right-hander. Monza is different because the bike is upright for so much of the lap, during acceleration, top speed and braking phases. Monza is unique in that the bikes are running more often in a straight line than in a corner, the opposite of the other World Superbike circuits. This is why Pirelli introduced 3 compound tyre especially designed for the track in 2005.
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