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Category: Superbikes
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The opening day of the UK Round of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship has come to a close, with the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team on track for Friday’s traditional two free practice sessions at Donington Park. Stefan Bradl, who turned a wheel at this track today for the first time in eight years, is 17th in the combined times of the two hours of practice and, therefore, will take part in tomorrow’s Superpole 1.
On the other side of the garage, Nicky Hayden’s Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machine was on full display, with his #69 helmet on top of the fuel tank.
 With gorgeous weather blessing England’s East Midlands area, Bradl took his time to find his braking marks and riding line around the undulating strip of asphalt of the spectacular 4.023km track, which is known for requiring a lot of work in search of a good set-up for all sectors. The 27-year-old German rider was able to improve on his FP1 time towards the end of the second session by logging a 1’29.400secs lap.
World Superbike action at Donington Park will resume tomorrow morning at 9:05 local time (GMT +1) for the 25-minute FP3 session, with Superpole 1 (11:00) and race one (15:00) to follow. At 2pm, the whole paddock and many fans will gather together on the grid for a minute’s silence in honour of Nicky Hayden.
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The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team has reached Donington Park to take part, with heavy hearts, in the sixth round of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship.
The whole team will be remembering and celebrating the life of the late Nicky Hayden by doing what he liked the most: racing. His Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machine will be present within the pit-box throughout the whole weekend alongside the one of his team mate Stefan Bradl, who will be the sole rider on track for the team at this round.
Bradl returns to Donington Park for the first time since 2009, when he was racing in the 125cc World Championship; that was, in fact, the last time the East Midlands Circuit hosted a motorcycle Grand Prix event. The 27-year-old German rider will have to re-learn the track on the much more powerful 1000cc Honda WorldSBK-spec machine.
The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team and series promoter Dorna will pay tribute to Nicky Hayden through various initiatives, including a minute’s silence on the grid at 14:00 local time (GMT +1) on Saturday, which will involve riders, teams and fans.
Stefan Bradl
This weekend is going to be very difficult for everybody. Nicky was a racer, was born and raised into a racing family and all his life was about enjoying racing, so we will be here to keep his passion alive and pay tribute to him the best possible way. Donington is a track I know from my time in the 125cc World Championship, and I have raced here twice already. As I said it won’t be an easy round, but we will do our best in his name.
- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
Pieter Breddels
Obviously, this is not going to be a round like any other: everything we have been doing a million times at a racetrack will have a whole different meaning and feeling to it. We will all stay strong together and give our best support to Stefan, who has the hard task to go out there and give it all. And, of course, we will pay tribute to Nicky in the best way we know and we hope to make him proud.
- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
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POSITIVE RACE FOR SAM LOWES WHO EARNS HIS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
In the midst of an exciting comeback ride that had taken him from the 18th spot on the starting grid all the way to eighth place, Aleix Espargaró was forced to throw in the towel just five laps from the end due to a breakdown - currently being investigated by the team - that shut down the V4 on his RS-GP.
It was a race that, even with the unlucky outcome, confirms all of his value and that of his Aprilia that had never had a similar problem in two seasons and that had served him so well, allowing him to catch up position by position and lap at increasingly interesting times. As has happened in the past, the second half of the race was becoming the hunting grounds for Aleix, motivated to reap those results that had seemed to be within reach on several occasions in this first part of the season. Even in the morning Warm Up session, Espargaró had ridden an RS-GP that seemed more and more convincing just behind the leaders.
And so it was Sam Lowes who brought home points for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, finishing thirteenth after a race that fully confirmed the progress the English rider had demonstrated throughout the French weekend.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"It was a difficult race. Starting so far back does not make things easy. Battling for the top 10 demands maximum concentration. I have to give 100% the entire weekend. In the race I was competitive. After overtaking Miller I was making up ground on Lorenzo and lapping very fast but unfortunately the engine failed just a few laps from the end. A real disappointment. We are working much better than our position in the standings would lead to believe. Unfortunately, this is part of racing. The team and I will continue to give 100% and to work nonstop as we have up to now."
SAM LOWES
"Besides the position today, the gap from the top 10 is important, as it has narrowed compared to the last races. Obviously we need to keep improving. The difficulties were foreseeable because we are in MotoGP, but things are moving in the right direction. I felt good in the race. Only toward the end did I feel the tyre wear since I had to stress it more that some of the other riders who were ahead of me. With the tests next week, where we will have a lot to try, I hope that I'll be able to take another step forward before Mugello, a home race for Aprilia."
ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
"The performance was definitely positive. Aleix was catching up steadily even if we paid the price in the race for less than brilliant qualifying. We need to improve this aspect as well as performance in the first part of the race. Overall, we had good performance here too and now we need to solidify that with results that are clearly within our potential. Sam did well, riding a good race this time in the mix with the others, demonstrating consistent progress throughout the weekend."
FAUSTO GRESINI - TEAM MANAGER
"Aleix was really riding a great race, decidedly solid. Unfortunately, he started too far back because of practice being conditioned so much by the weather and that kept us from being out front straight away. But he was doing a really important comeback ride. We have never had a problem like this, but these things happen in racing. Now we need to react because we are truly not far at all from the leaders."
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SAM LOWES FINISHES FP2 IN THE TOP TEN FOR THE FIRST TIME
The weather, traditionally unpredictable at Le Mans, conditioned the first day of free practice ahead of the French GP on Sunday.
The morning session (FP1) was characterized by the uncertain asphalt conditions which, initially wet, dried out gradually but without ever getting to the point of being able to use slicks or to conditions that would allow optimum use of rain tyres. In this situation, the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders preferred reducing their track time, finishing in 19th place with Lowes and 22nd with Espargaró, but putting in a total of just 15 laps.
In true wet conditions, the two riders took advantage of the second practice session (FP2) with Sam Lowes finishing in ninth place (at 1’42.988) and Aleix Espargaró in eleventh (1’43.177). For Lowes, this is his best placement in a session since his MotoGP début, a sign of the confidence that the English rider is gaining with the bike and the category. It is also a confidence booster in view of tomorrow's decisive sessions.
ALEIX ESPARGARO'
"This morning the track was in mixed conditions, so FP1 was not particularly useful. In the afternoon we were competitive enough in the wet. The new track surface provides good grip and I can't wait to try it when it's dry. Tomorrow it will be important to use our heads. We'll need to evaluate the track conditions and find the right time to use the slicks and push. It would be nice to go through to Q2, but if that doesn't happen, the important thing will be to work well in view of the race on Sunday."
SAM LOWES
"With the conditions this morning I did not feel particularly good, so we decided not to go out much. But in the wet I had a good feeling straight away with the RS-GP. Being in the top-10, even if it is in the rain, is an important step for me. Obviously I would like to maintain that position on a dry track too. It won't be easy, but already in Jerez, if we don't count the race, I had a good weekend. The important thing is to continue progressing and working hard."
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Honda Racing has an update regarding John McGuinness, following his incident at the North West 200 Superbike qualifying on Thursday, May 11.
John has been diagnosed with a compound fracture to his right lower leg, while in theatre on Thursday night it was not possible to plate the leg as initially thought due to the extent of the injury, and tomorrow an external fixator will be fitted. In addition, John has also suffered four broken vertebrae and has three broken back ribs, John will wear a cast for up to six weeks in treatment for the vertebrae. John will remain at Royal Victoria Hospital for around one week as part of the recuperation process.
Honda Racing has received John’s bike from the race organisers and will perform a detailed analysis of the bike and ECU data at its headquarters in Louth. As a result, the team has withdrawn from the Superstock and Superbike races at the North West 200.
The team will next be on track at Castle Combe in a couple of weeks’ time as part of its preparation for the Isle of Man TT.
Jonny Twelvetrees, team manager:
“Unfortunately John’s incident at Primrose Hill during qualifying has resulted in quite a substantial injury to his right Tibia and Fibula. It is a real blow to John and the team, but he’s got an incredible amount of spirit and is in very good hands with the medical staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital. We now need to determine what happened and will sit out the Superstock and Superbike races, get back to Louth to analyse John’s bike and re-group ahead of our next test at Castle Combe in a couple of weeks before we head to the Isle of Man.”
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