Moscow Raceway: A great start
SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
8th ROUND, 19-21st July 2013
Friday, July 19
eni FIM World Superbike Championship is back to Russia, at Moscow Raceway circuit, where just less then a year ago first in the history round of the world series was held, and Yakhnich Motorsport racer Vladimir Leonov stepped up on the podium with applause of tens of thousands compatriots and guests. There two strongest racers of the championship now in the team. Changed for Yamaha R6, Sam Lowes and Vladimir finished their first day of 8th weekend in the Top-3.
Both parts of Yakhnich Motorsport garage worked by their own programs, as Sam’s and Vladimir’s bikes and basic setups are quiet different. The experience, gained by engineers in 2012, is valuable in some measure: after 11 months Leonov engine characteristics has changed seriously, it has become more powerful. So the team continued the way, taken on the Italian round and official tests next day in Imola. But in terms of suspension significant correction was required. After first try Vladimir came back to the garage to get a set of new tyres on his bike. He left pit lane, but only managed to finish a lap, when in few sectors of Moscow Raceway white flags appeared – a small cloud covered a circuit, first drops of rain fell on the tarmac 5 minutes before the end of the session.
Sam Lowes did a great job, he changed to Yamaha, but still was not satisfied of Friday results: because of rain team-mates of Russian team were not able to improve their times, so the best time of the day holds reigning world champion Kenan Sofuoglu (1’38’’088). However, Lowes (2nd) and Leonov (3rd) ended the session by blocking virtual first row of the grid from their rivals.
Italians Andrea Antonelli (GoEleven Kawasaki) and Alex Baldolini (Suriano Racing Suzuki) also had a good start. PATA Honda wunderkind Michael Vd Mark has a very good progress, as he completes second row. Thus, the Top-6 on Russian circuit made by four different manufacturers – Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki.
Vladimir Leonov: “After Imola it is easier to race! We used the last setup as a basis. Quickly we sorted out everything with engine settings, but suspension took a lot of work, because at Moscow Raceway turns designed differently and there are height differences used. We tried to correct front-end so the fork to response stiffer and then shrink as usual. We did everything, but didn’t have time to try”.
Sam Lowes: “Today we worked well, but we plan to make a solid step forward tomorrow. If it will be dry, then we can do much better. Sofuoglu is fast, because the circuit suits Kawasaki. Compared to Honda, CBR looks much better in some places. Different to say, but I feel Yamaha has a big advantage here. Tomorrow we need to push. And we didn’t use soft tyres!”