FRIDAY FREE PRACTICE

SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2012
FIRST ROUND
PHILLIP ISLAND 24-26 FEBRAURY

YAKHNICH MOTORSPORT TEAM
VLADIMIR LEONOV 65

It was a sunny and bright day for the official opening of the 2012 WSS season, in Australia.

While whoole Europe was sleeping, Yakhnich Motorsport team and Vladimir Leonov began their season under the best light. Last Monday and Tuesday, infact, the team obtained very good results in the last official test of the season, until, on Tuesday morning, a big crash stopped our test.

Ok, let’s take rest and prepare the bike for the race, it was the real aim from Tuesday till Friday morning.

But, unfortunatly, in the first free practice an electronical problem (a speed sensor not properly working) disturbed the team work for all 45 minutes. Leonov did only 7 laps, without a real possibility to test or to go fast. He finished the session in 25.th position, riding 2 second slower than in Monday/Tuesday test.

FRIDAY QUALIFYNG PRACTICE

Solved the electronical problem, team was aiming to have finally a good qualifyng session. Leonov demonstrated clearly to be able to stay comfortable in the first 7-8 positions. And in the beginning of the session, infact, he setted immediatly the 9th position.

But, suddently, a lot of setting problems started to disturb the performances. Problems in braking, problems in cornering, lot of strange sensations. 1’36”3 the best time of the session,. Not bad, but not was team and rider was expecting. And finally a not comfortable 18.th position on the grid.

At the end of the session nobody could understood the setting problems declared by the rider, but, looking at the fairing, mechanic finded the problem: maybe touching the curbs with the side, the impact of the wheel damaged the lower part of the fairing which affected the handling of the motorcycle.

Not a lucky Friday, for sure.

Now, one night of rest for the rider, and one night of work for the team to try to eliminate all this problems for the second qualifyng session of saturday