Superbike: Phillip Island Test Day 1 – Checa in the lead, Biaggi and Melandri good
The first official Superbike tests at Phillip Island (where the 2012 championship will open on Sunday) saw Carlos Checa, Ducati's 2011 world champion, stand out. The Spanish rider (in the photo) was also the fastest in last week's tests, stopping the clock at a time of 1'31.947, a time set in the morning session.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia RSV4 Factory) and Marco Melandri (BMW S1000 RR) did very well as they closed in on the Spaniard in the afternoon, stopping the clock on 1'32.132 and 1'32.232 respectively. In particular, the Roman Aprilia rider put together a series of fast laps which should allow him to be the protagonist on a track that is always difficult at Aprila.
Melandri for his part took the BMW forward a lot, which will perhaps be without Leon Haslam, who crashed and fractured the tibial malleolus of his right leg. The English rider underwent surgery at Dandenong hospital (where a screw was applied) and is hoping for a record recovery.
Jonathan Rea also did well, riding the Honda CBR1000RR. The rider from Ballymena precedes the aforementioned Haslam, the Kawasaki of the excellent Tom Sykes, the Frenchman Guintoli and Niccolò Canepa, riding the Ducati 1098R. Smrz and Lascorz close the Top Ten, preceding Leon Camier's Suzuki.
The other Italian drivers are Michel Fabrizio 12th, Davide Giugliano 14th, Lorenzo Zanetti 16th, Ayrton Badovini 19th and Raffaele De Rosa 21st.
Official Superbike testing Phillip Island Day 1 – The times
1 7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'31.947
2 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'32.132
3 33 Melandri M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.232
4 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.379
5 91 Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.397
6 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'32.465
7 50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.768
8 59 Canepa N. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.836
9 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'32.848
10 17 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'33.005
11 2 Camier L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'33.104
12 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.141
13 121 Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'33.246
14 34 Giugliano D. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'33.366
15 4 Aoyama H. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'33.479
16 87 Zanetti L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'33.566
17 67 Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'33.704
18 44 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'33.812
19 86 Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'34.234
20 19 Davies C. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'34.303
21 35 De Rosa R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'34.400
22 25 Brookes J. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'34.667
23 18 Aitchison M. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'35.223
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Yet another driver getting injured before the start of the championship... I'm starting to lose count... I hope they all get well soon.
I like SBK very much, but it is too obvious that the riders who come from the MotoGP world championship are of another level, in fact the three strongest and fastest are Checa, Biaggi and Melandri who all come from the MotoGP world championship, the thing that worries me it's that young people like Checa's partner (same bike), take an eternity from the teammate who is 40 years old, with an exported spleen and a dancing eye..., I'm worried, you can't always hope for older riders.
I agree with Cobra, in fact it's been two consecutive years that two riders from MotoGP have won
the level is a bit low, Checa did little or nothing in MotoGP in SBK and practically dominated last year
\ O /
but lol
In recent tests Melandri complained of chattering problems and considered his bike too far from the leaders...
I don't dare imagine what, for example, Rossi could do in SBK, but also the other Top riders in MotoGP. Stoner would probably be very strong too, but I have doubts... for a series of things, such as the fact that he has already declared that he doesn't like the production derivatives and then another doubt about the use of Pirellis.
The ideal would be a world championship with the production derivatives where there would be: Checa, Biaggi, Melandri, Rossi, Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Stoner, Dovizioso and Spies, it would be a spectacle with 6 manufacturers, bikes that are practically equivalent, because I am of the opinion that a Kawasaki in the right hands would fly as well as a Honda... it would be wonderful, but I think it remains a dream.
Other than Giugliano... or then for heaven's sake I hope he does well, but being put behind you by someone who could come after you Dad is a bit much, the champions can be seen immediately...