Superbike: Team Honda prepares the season finale

After the long summer break, which lasted practically three months this year, the time has finally come for drivers and teams to compete on the track again, with the World Championship of production derivatives which will resume this weekend at the Eurospeedway Lausitz in Germany.

The last time WorldSbk raced on this track was in 2007, so for many riders it will be the first time: only Josh Brookes, part of the Milwaukee BMW team, had raced here before at world level, in World Supersport.
The experience of those who competed in the German Championship, such as Markus Reiterberger of the Althea BMW team, and Xavi Forés of the Barni Racing Team, could make the difference, at least on Friday testing where everyone will be busy getting familiar with the track than watching the stopwatch.
However, we won't be starting from scratch because most of the teams carried out tests on this track during the summer break.

Among the riders we will see on the track again, there will also be line-ups that will be modified next year, such as the one formed by Nicky Hayden and Michael van der Mark, Honda WorldSBK Team, which will take different paths next year: the Dutchman will in fact join Alex Lowes to the Pata Crescent Yamaha team, while Kentucky Kid will welcome Stefan Bradl.
While waiting to face their future, the focus is obviously entirely on the present, with the last four rounds still to be played, in which the objective is to constantly fight for the podium.

It was a long break, how did you get through it?

“It was really long, something I wasn't used to. In the end, however, it went faster than I expected, first with the Suzuka tests, then with the 8 Hours and finally with the tests at the Lausitzring" – he said Nicky Hayden – “Now we start from there, there are still eight races and we will race every two weekends. I will try to concentrate on the program and continue training. I spent a lot of time sleeping, hanging out with friends and family a bit, which is always nice. At my house in Kentucky there are a lot of kids and a lot of them run: I trained with them and we had fun challenging each other."

“We actually had a rather long summer break after Suzuka, fortunately long enough to allow two days of testing at the Lausitzring, which was very important for us” – he said Michael Van Der Mark – “Now obviously I can't wait to get back on track. During the break I relaxed a bit and spent a few days in Spain. When I returned home I resumed my daily training program.

Do you think the summer tests at the Lausitzring prepared you well for the next race?

Nicky Hayden: “I'm waiting for the next race! Not only because we tried a couple of new features, but also because I have to familiarize myself with the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP after the Suzuka race. It's also great to get the team together again, learn the track and be ready for the final part of the season."

Michael Van Der Mark: “It was really important for us because, with the new weekend schedules, there is less time available to find the ideal set up. Our Fireblade is fine for the Lausitzring, the weather was good, we were able to do quite a few laps and collect a considerable amount of data.”

Of the four remaining rounds, which one do you think is best for you?

Nicky Hayden: “I look forward to them all! I haven't raced at Magny-Cours yet, but I know Jerez and Quatar very well. After the first nine rounds things started to go in the right direction in the championship, in the team and with the bike; there are still some things I need to sort out to reach my best."

Michael Van Der Mark: “I'm waiting for the Qatar round, it's always special for me. It's the last event of the season, it runs at night, something that doesn't happen anywhere else. This year has gone by very quickly and I think these last four rounds will be decisive in reaching fourth place in the championship."