Leonov and Vlasov in Portimao. Friday

World Supersport Championship

Round 12

Portimao 20-23 September 2012

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER  20.TH

Here we are again one year later. The Yakhnich Motorsport team program in World Supersport Championship started in October 2011 from the Portimao circuit with Vladimir Leonov’s wild card start.

A year later the team is here again after having brought Vladimir upper and upper in the WSS ranking at every race and already with a double astonishing podium (Assen and Moskow) in our pocket. “Not Bad” as Vladimir would say for a rookie team and a rookie rider.

And as a surprise and admitting a good season results in CIV and in Coppa Dei Due Paesi races we decided to be here even with our second Supersport rider Sergey Vlasov.

Bigger box, bigger work to do but with the confidence from a very great experience season.

The Friday free practice showed us how much Sergey is happy to be here. Absolutely great concentration, big smiles, and a great job in the circuit, staying there as much as possible, lapping faster and faster every lap without any mistake. 1’50”2 his best time, that value the 28.th positions.

Different work for Vladimir, that started very fast, with the rhythm of 1’48”, but immediately we discovered some setting problems. Riding is not easy for Vladimir, it took lot of energy to dominate the bike in this difficult circuit, and the best lap of 1’47”9 did not gifted big smiles in the box.

For qualifying we prepared two different setting solutions but no one was perfect. One fast lap is possible and in fact Vladimir without a traffic problem in the middle of the session would have signed a good 1’46” for the 4.th place. But still we do not have the rhythm to be happy. At least Vladimir had to stay with the best time of 1’47”4 - too far from the Lowes’s pole (1’46”0). Lot of work during the night to study the data and find the right solution.

On the other side of the box Sergey had an easier work to do: learn the circuit and take it easy. And he did. He rode 1 second faster than in free practice doing 1’49”2 and now he has in the target a great number of riders with who he will fight tomorrow to conquer a better position than the actual 27.th.