BMW Motorrad Motorsport - WSBK - Brno - Preview

Czech Republic – Brno.

Preview.

20th – 22nd July 2012

9th of 14 race weekends

Munich/Stephanskirchen, 17th July 2012. Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport is in action at another iconic racetrack this weekend. The ninth round of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at the “Automotodrom Brno” in Brno in the Czech Republic. Brno has been closely associated with the history of motorcycle racing for decades.

Eight race weekends into the season, factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) is currently second in the Riders’ Championship on 200.5 points, 48 behind leader Max Biaggi (ITA). Marco’s team-mate Leon Haslam (GBR) is sixth on 142 points. The pair has already claimed three wins, eleven podiums and three fastest laps for BMW Motorrad Motorsport this season. Together, they have already scored 342.5 points for the team. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, BMW is third with 242 points. Only the best result from each race counts towards this championship. Marco has good memories of Brno: he finished first and runner-up there last year and set the fastest lap in both races.

After the last round at Motorland Aragón (ESP), Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport remained at the circuit to take part in the official Infront test. The team tried out the new 17-inch tyres for next season. They also prepared for the coming races, working on the set-up of Marco’s and Leon’s BMW S 1000 RRs. The two factory riders then headed to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER), where they visited the BMW Motorrad Days.

Brno from the rider’s point of view:

Marco Melandri:

“I really like Brno because it is a very fast and smooth circuit. The turns are not too fast, most of them are second gear corners and just a few times you turn in third gear. However, you can use all the power of the engine between the corners. The layout is really good fun because it is up and down and the track is very wide. Last year I was successful there and I am confident for this race weekend. I think that our RR will work quite well on this track. I am excited about going there. The weather could be a little bit unstable, so we will see.

The BMW Motorrad Days at Garmisch-Partenkirchen were very good fun. I have never been there before and was overwhelmed – it was such a huge event. There were so many different kinds of people who all shared the same passion for motorcycles. It was very nice to be there and I was very proud to see so many BMW fans.”

Leon Haslam:

“I am really looking forward to Brno. I love racing there. The circuit has a lot of history. It is fast, flowing and wide and the layout is quite unique with its up and down sections. The characteristics of the circuit should suit our RR. Last year we had a tough weekend there, so I am looking forward to getting a better result there this year. I am still missing a podium there, so that is definitely the target for this weekend.

The weekend at the BMW Motorrad Days was great. There were many exciting attractions and it was amazing to see so many motorcycle enthusiasts. It was good to meet them without the pressure of a race weekend and to give them a few insights into racing and the Superbike World Championship.”

Brno from a technical point of view:

Andrea Dosoli (Head of Race Operations):

“Brno is an historical circuit, and it will be an important event for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Both of our riders and crews are very motivated and looking forward to Sunday’s races on a track that should suit the characteristics of our BMW S 1000 RR. Its changes in direction and the last uphill section will be just right for our powerful BMW engine.

Leon has shown in Aragón that he is capable of performing well everywhere, even on those tracks where he has struggled in the past. We are confident that he will do the same in Brno. Marco and his crew have been working hard to prepare for this event on a track where he has already won last year. This will be an extra motivation to work even harder, as every race is a new challenge. Both of our riders will try to benefit from the changes to the chassis settings, which we tested on Monday during the official Infront test in Aragón.”

Brno from Pirelli’s point of view:

For the two races in the ninth round of the Superbike World Championship which will be held next weekend on the Brno circuit, Pirelli will bring four different solutions for the front and just as many for the rear, as well as intermediate and wet tyres. On the front the Superbike riders will be able to choose from two SC1 compound alternatives and two SC2 compounds, including those in the 2012 range. For the rear, on the other hand, they will have two SC0 compound solutions and two SC1 compounds available to them. 

The former refers to the R548 solution, already used by various riders in the Misano Adriatico (ITA) round where it made its first appearance, and the R874, a new tyre, never before used in oversize profile that Pirelli decided to bring to Brno because the heat and the long, fast curves make for an interesting setting to see how it will perform also in view of the development of future 17 inch tyres. The two solutions in the SC2 compound area are the already well known P1060 as the 2012 range SC2 and the R302, a tyre which riders tested for the first time at Imola (ITA) and which has already used in a few races this year, even with very different asphalt temperatures, well-liked by many of the riders.

Background:

Brno is located on the south-east edge of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. With over 400,000 residents, it is the second largest city in the Czech Republic. The capital Prague is about 250 kilometres away, while Vienna (AUT) is roughly 150 kilometres away. Brno enjoys a close association with international motorcycle racing, which has played an important role here for decades.

The first races were held back in 1930 in the old “Automotodrom Brno”, which was also known as the “Masaryk Ring”. The Motorcycle World Championship was a regular visitor to Brno between 1965 and 1982. However, the old facility failed to meet modern safety standards in the mid-1980s. The new “Automotodrom” was opened about ten kilometres from the old circuit in 1987. The Superbike World Championship made its debut here in 1993 and Brno has been a permanent fixture on the World Championship calendar since 2005. Last year Marco Melandri (ITA), now a BMW Motorrad factory rider, claimed a victory and a second place behind Max Biaggi (ITA), as well as setting the fastest lap in both races. The MotoGP series also visits Brno every year. 

The undulating 5.403-kilometre circuit weaves its way through hilly woodland and features climbs as steep as eight per cent. The lowest point on the track is 70 metres below the level of the pit lane. The width and many full-throttle passages makes Brno a very fast and flowing circuit. On the one hand, the engine performance is key here. On the other hand, however, the riders must show the right feel for the corners. On top of this, the bikes must also have the right set-up, as the riders find themselves braking downhill into one corner and then uphill into the next. 

From the start/finish straight, the circuit leads the riders slightly uphill into a long 180-degree right-hander, which is taken at high speed. When accelerating out of the bend, they must try to take as much speed as possible into the next left-hander, which can be negotiated at full throttle. The track now heads through various corners into the valley, at the bottom of which await a straight and a fast right-hander before the steep climb back uphill begins with a left-right chicane. It is important to exit the chicane with plenty of momentum and use the engine’s full capacity on the uphill section. The lap ends with a flowing left-right combination, which leads back onto the start/finish straight. This combination of corners is another key point on the circuit, as the riders must find a good line in order to take as much speed as possible onto the straight. 

Facts and figures: