BMW Practice Report
After an extensive and successful SBK test in Jerez (ESP) on Monday and Tuesday, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport today started the second race weekend of the 2010 FIM Superbike World Championship. During Free Practice, the team worked on the track-specific set-up of the two BMW S 1000 RRs of Troy Corser (AUS) and Ruben Xaus (ESP).
While Troy only used Pirelli’s hard tyre compound during Free Practice, Ruben tested the softer tyre compound. In today’s Qualifying Practice Troy finished 12th, while Ruben ended up 19th.
Troy Corser
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR WSBK
Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:45.086 min (13th) / Fastest lap Qualifying 1: 1:44.203 min (12th)
"Overall we can be happy with today’s performance. This morning the track was quite dirty and we lacked grip with the hard tyre. After the Free Practice we made a gearing change, as we were just too short in the morning session. The bike was revving a lot but not really going fast enough."
"During the afternoon we changed the front fork, which on the one hand improved the braking but on the other made the bike a little more unstable. In the end we didn’t have time to improve any more. We will now analyse the data and see what we can do to make the bike easier to ride. At this track it is really difficult to put a perfect lap together. It is easy to lose time but hard to make it up."
Ruben Xaus
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR WSBK
Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:45.448 min (16th) / Fastest lap Qualifying 1: 1:45.406 min (19th)
"After Phillip Island the team told me not to push too hard today. But as a rider you always want to gain as much as possible in the limited time you have. We have already discovered a couple of things and made some steps during the Jerez test. However, Portimão is a different story. I still don’t feel completely satisfied with the bike’s set-up here. But I believe in myself and in my crew."
Davide Tardozzi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager)
"After the test in Jerez today was another big improvement – especially for Troy. With Ruben the situation is a little different. We should not read too much into the result as we reminded him today not to push too hard. For him it is of major importance to get confidence back in himself and the bike. We need him back 100 per cent fit in the future. We will now look into the data and see where we can improve."
Weather conditions: Partly cloudy.
Temperature: Air: 19 – 21 °C, Track: 31 – 39 °C
Number of riders participating: 24 from 15 teams
Fastest lap Free Practice: James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda Team) 1:44.351 min
Fastest lap Qualifying Practice 1: Leon Haslam (Team Suzuki Alstare) 1:43.476 min
