BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team - WSBK - Portimao - Preview

Portugal – Portimão.

Preview.

7th – 9th June 2013

6th of 15 race weekends

Munich/Milan, 3rd June 2013. This weekend (7th to 9th June), the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team will be in action in the south of the Iberian peninsula. The “Autódromo Internacional do Algarve” near Portimão (POR) will host the sixth round of the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship. The first third of the season is already completed. After five rounds, factory riders Marco Melandri (ITA) and Chaz Davies (GBR) have claimed a total of seven podium finishes on their BMW S 1000 RRs, including three victories.

In the Riders’ classification, Marco is currently fourth with 127 points. Chaz follows directly behind, being fifth with 112 points. In the Manufacturers’ classification, BMW is third with 175 points, with a gap of 33 points to the lead. Last week, the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team conducted two days of testing at Spanish “Motorland Aragón”. In preparation for the next rounds, Marco and Chaz tried several new settings and updated components.

After a four week break, the 2013 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup resumes at Portimão, contesting its fourth round of the season. The BMW Motorrad GoldBet STK Team and riders Sylvain Barrier (FRA) and Greg Gildenhuys (RSA) are eager to celebrate more successes with the brand new BMW HP4. After they were involved in a heavy crash at the previous round in Monza (ITA), both riders are fully fit and ready for the Portimão weekend.

Portimão from the rider’s point of view:

Marco Melandri:

“Portimão is a pretty technical track, similar to Assen and Donington. There are some very slow turns and some very fast corners. It is undulating with some blind crests. In general Portimão has a quite unique layout and consequently, it is not easy to find a good set-up. In addition, the track is very bumpy so we need to improve a bit more to be competitive. As it is very difficult to overtake there, it will be important for us to have a good qualifying.”

Chaz Davies:

“Portimão is a great circuit. Because of its character, it is one of my favourite tracks. It is difficult to find the right set-up but I always enjoy riding there and I have been competitive there in the past. It is fun as it has a lot of elevation changes, and some of them are quite steep. I am looking forward to the weekend. The first priority is not to encounter some of the issues we had at the last couple of races. Then my plan is to qualify well and to push for a podium.”

Portimão from a sporting point of view:

Serafino Foti (Sport Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team):

“After the Donington races we had two positive days of testing at Spanish Aragón last week. Even if we were a little bit hampered by the weather conditions, Marco and Chaz could test new solutions which will be useful at this next race weekend in Portimão. The Portuguese track is very technical, with uphill and downhill sections. For our riders it will be important to start the round with a good base in order to be able to continue their work over the weekend with confidence.  We are sure that from the two days of testing we found the solutions we were looking for. Now we are focused on the next races.”

Portimão from a technical point of view:

Andrea Dosoli (Technical Director BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team):

“The whole team is looking forward to the next races in Portimão. It is a track where in the past we have shown a good speed but for a series of unlucky circumstances we did not claim the expected results. It is a very busy time for all our guys. After Donington, we went to Aragón for an important test where we could work on the main issues we had experienced in England. We have partly fixed or better understood them so we now want to see the results of this work in Portimão. Our competitors are becoming stronger and stronger so we must keep our heads down and work harder in order to improve the performance of our machine. Only in this way we will be able to maintain the competitiveness of our package and give our riders the chance to win races.

The Portuguese racetrack with its elevation changes and several uphill and downhill sections requires a lot of work, not only on finding the right chassis setting but also the right riding dynamic strategies. We need to find the best compromise between handling and stability, trying to keep our performance as consistent as possible. We expect that our RR will suit the characteristic of this racetrack as it has done in the past.”

Portimão from Pirelli’s point of view:

Since this is the first time the FIM World Superbike Championship will be held at Portimão in the month of June, Pirelli will be bringing various solutions, some of which were already used at Phillip Island and Monza, in SC0 and SC1 compounds which best adapt to operating in the heat. The Superbike class riders will be able to count on four slick solutions for the front and four for the rear, in addition to the qualifier, intermediate and wet solutions. On the front the standard SC1 (R426) in soft compound (already brought to the first five rounds and ideal for low external temperatures and/or medium harsh tracks) will be joined by three SC2 compound solutions: the R982, which is the standard SC2 which has been brought to all the rounds this year, excellent for high external temperatures because it guarantees a solid tread, the R1220, a development solutions that was already brought to both Phillip Island and Monza and the alternative to the standard SC2 solution which is a bit less robust and the R753, another development solution in alternative to the standard SC2, also brought to Phillip Island and Monza, even more robust than the R1220 and therefore better able to withstand the aggressive nature of the asphalt and more suited for riders who are hard on the brakes.

On the rear there will be two SC0 and two SC1 solutions. The standard SC0, (R1261) is confirmed as one of the best options in case of high temperatures. In fact, it is ideal for tackling smooth asphalt and high temperatures because it provides maximum contact area on smooth asphalt and maximum traction development at high temperatures, in addition to its greater performance stability under thermal decline. As an alternative to the standard tyre the riders will be able to opt for the S502, an SC0 development in soft compound that should guarantee greater performance stability, especially in the event of high temperatures. On the other hand, the SC1 are both development solutions: the R1255, a medium blend that was already brought to Phillip Island, should be more robust and consistent than the standard solutions usually used and capable of better dissipating the heat. The S514, which made its debut at Monza, uses the same compound as the standard SC1 solution but it has a reinforced central strip and was designed with different internal materials in order to maintain particularly low operating temperatures. At Portimão, precisely because of the probability of high temperatures which could cause blistering, the same Superpole tyre (S516) with a reinforced central section compound already used in Monza will be present.

Portimão is a coastal town on the Algarve in the south of Portugal with a population of 50,000. It is located almost 300 kilometres south of the capital of Lisbon and about 70 kilometres west of Faro. Tourists love the picturesque region with its many beaches, impressive cliffs, golf courses and many other leisure opportunities. Portimão also enjoys a good reputation when it comes to motor racing. Its unique layout makes the “Autódromo Internacional do Algarve” popular among automobile drivers and motorcyclists alike. The circuit belongs to the “Algarve Motor Park”, which is also home to a kart track and a racing driver school.

It is located in the hilly countryside around Portimão and was inaugurated in the autumn of 2008 with the season finale of the Superbike World Championship. Many other motorbike and automobile championships also stage races there. The challenging layout and generally good weather conditions also make Portimão a popular test circuit.

Some riders regard Portimão as one of the nicest tracks in the world. Uphill and downhill sections, changes in direction and gradient, crests, some complex sections, a lot of long, quick corners and a winding infield make the circuit a real challenge for riders and teams alike. The riders must show plenty of courage to react aggressively, while riding ability and fitness are crucial. The teams must find the right compromise in the set-up of the bike. Good steering response is essential when accelerating out of the corners. In addition, the front wheels of the powerful superbikes can easily lose contact with the ground as they race over the crests. One key point is the final turn: here, it is important to take enough speed out of the corner and onto the start-finish straight, which is almost one kilometre in length.

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