Superbike – Preview Portimao – Haga and Fabrizio ready for the Portuguese challenge

Unlike the 2009 calendar, this year the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve will host "Round 2", the first European race of the 2010 World Superbike championship. The spectacular and selective Portuguese track has been the scene of the test in the last two years final of the SBK World Championship, always hosting races of the highest level and full of great emotions, such as the one-two by Troy Bayliss for the Ducati Xerox Team in 2008, followed by the showdown between the Ducati Xerox rider Noriyuki Haga and Ben Spies on the Yamaha in 2009.

While in 2008 Bayliss went to the last round with the mathematical certainty of the title, last year the fight for the drivers' championship remained open and fought until the last round. Unfortunately, the fall that occurred to Noriyuki during the first heat inevitably jeopardized the final result and, despite the second place obtained in Race 2, Nori lost the title by only six points, having to settle for second place overall behind the American Spies. Race 2 saw the victory of Michel Fabrizio, who also set a new lap record, ending the 2009 season in third position.

Turning the page, the 2010 season has already started and the show began three weeks ago, with the race at Phillip Island, where the Ducati Xerox riders Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga, obviously among the favorites for the 2010 title race, showed their belligerent intentions immediately, obtaining three podiums (Michel 2nd and 3rd, Nori 3rd). Michel missed out on victory by a very narrow margin, preceded at the checkered flag by just four thousandths of a second by Leon Haslam's Suzuki, while Nori, victim of a fall in Sunday morning's warm-up, still fought without ever sparing himself, as he has in his character, scoring 27 points in the two heats.

Fresh from two days of winter testing, held in January on the Portimao circuit, the Ducati Xerox team returns to the Algarve again, confident that it will be a challenging weekend but also full of satisfactions for both Noriyuki and Michel.
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, completed only in 2008, will host the Superbike racing cars for the third time, ready to put on a show and host a top-level competition.

Michel Fabrizio (2th in the standings, 36 points)

Michel really likes the Portuguese track and he proved it last year with the victory in Race 2.

“We started the season well and collected some good points in the two races at Phillip Island. It's a shame to have missed out on the victory so narrowly in race 1 but I had a lot of fun and I'm still in second place in the standings which isn't bad. Now we move to Portimao, another track that I really like and where I will try to win; I need to consolidate my position because this year will certainly be both long and very competitive.”

Fabrizio's results in Superbike in Portimao:
2009: Race 1 – 5th, Race 2 – winner
2008: Race 1 – DNF, Race 2 – 2rd

Noriyuki Haga (4th in the standings, 27 points)

Unlike Michel, Noriyuki does not put Portimao among his favorite circuits; here he lost the championship by only 6 points to Spies last year.

“I had some problems during the Phillip Island races after crashing early in the warm-up. My right arm and back hurt a lot so I struggled to keep up with Michel, Checa and Haslam. All in all I am happy with the results and the points earned. Now we return to Portimao for the second round and, although it is not one of my favorite circuits, we hope to be able to obtain two good results.”

Haga Superbike results in Portimao:
2009: Race 1 – DNF, Race 2 – 2rd
2008: Race 1 – DNF, Race 2 – 14rd

Ducati Racing Press