Superbikes| Motul Thai Round: Kawasaki aims for the top

For the first time after three years of absolute domination, Jonathan Rea is not at the top of the world championship standings: the reigning champion following fifth and second place in Australia, where the first round of the season was held a month ago.

The victory in Race2 eluded him by just 0.021 thousandths: Rea was in fact outwitted by Marco Melandri right at the finish line, in a heart-pounding finale: a result that certainly still stings and that the Cannibal aims to forget at Buriram, on a track that he has always been the protagonist with five victories aboard the Ninja.

Since Buriram entered the calendar three years ago, Kawasaki has always dictated the pace considering that Tom Sykes also collected a victory and four podiums here.
However, the circuit is not without its pitfalls: tight corners and fast sections that end with sudden braking, humid conditions and extreme heat, requiring greater efforts from riders and bikes.

“We were very happy with our first round in Australia, where our performances were good all weekend. I was surprised by the bike, we had a fantastic setup” – he said Tom Sykes – “I led the race for most of Race 1, but we had almost no tires left to fight for at the end. Now I can't wait to go to Chang, which is a very different circuit to Phillip Island and this gives us a lot of confidence. The Thai layout is much more European, compared to the Australian one. The new rules for 2018 will make a difference in terms of the engine, but we have moved the power to have more torque out of corners. I couldn't be happier to get the Superpole in Thailand, it would be nice to have one more and put my name at the top of the list of those who have achieved the most poles.”

“The Thai circuit is very different from Phillip Island, but it is certainly more conventional. It's a compromise between long straights, where you need power, and slower sectors that require a good chassis" – he declared Jonathan Rhea – “I can't wait to compete because I like the circuit a lot and I have achieved many victories in the past. Although I didn't start the season in the best way, with an injury and some ailments, in recent weeks I have worked a lot to arrive at Buriram in 100% shape. I have a lot of motivation and I hope that next weekend we can make some progress."