GixerGaz
25-02-2007, 10:44
http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7819&stc=1&d=1172396647
Former MotoGP star Max Biaggi silenced his critics by winning on his WSBK race debut at Qatar on Saturday - then finished a close second in race two to share the early title lead with James Toseland.
Having missing the entire 2006 season following his GP career-ending split from Repsol Honda, some had doubted Biaggi's SBK desire - and even ability - but the Roman proved his critics wrong with a dazzling display in his first ever race on Alstare Suzuki's GSX-R1000, with only former world champion Toseland able to go the distance.
Ten Kate Honda rider Toseland then took revenge in race two, taking a narrow victory over Biaggi as their roles were reversed - and the pair will now head to next weekend's Phillip Island round tied at the top of the world championship standings.
"What a fantastic start to my new Superbike experience!" said Biaggi. "To begin with a win is wonderful and I dedicate it to our Team Boss, Francis Batta, who couldn't be here with us today. I'm sure he watched it on TV and it must have made him wish he was here. This championship is tough and for sure there are a lot of good riders, so I don't think it's always going to be like this. I want to thank my team for all their hard work and support over the past few months, which has made all this possible."
Biaggi, famous for his on and off track feuds with Valentino Rossi, seems to have relaxed a lot since his exit from the MotoGP paddock. "This racing is fun! I wish I had discovered this championship years ago," he smiled. "In the second race, I was catching James Toseland and I think I could've caught him if there had been three or four more laps. We made a small adjustment to the bike for the second race and maybe it wasn't the right thing, but we still nearly managed to win it!"
The next round is at Phillip Island, a circuit that Biaggi loves and where he hopes to take a lead in the championship. "Now we are off to one of my favourite tracks, Phillip Island. I'm looking forward to it and having more fun," he concluded.
Meanwhile, Biaggi's team-mate Yukio Kagayama wasn't quite so pleased with how his race day went after recording 4-6 finishes.
"I am very frustrated today, because I expected to do much better. But I had tyre problems in both races and I couldn't push as hard as I wanted. In race one the problem was the front tyre and after five laps, I didn't have a good feeling, but I kept up quite a good pace. We changed the chassis set-up a little for the second race, but this time the problem was at the rear! I suppose, the good news is that I didn't crash and I managed to score some good points," he shrugged.
Former MotoGP star Max Biaggi silenced his critics by winning on his WSBK race debut at Qatar on Saturday - then finished a close second in race two to share the early title lead with James Toseland.
Having missing the entire 2006 season following his GP career-ending split from Repsol Honda, some had doubted Biaggi's SBK desire - and even ability - but the Roman proved his critics wrong with a dazzling display in his first ever race on Alstare Suzuki's GSX-R1000, with only former world champion Toseland able to go the distance.
Ten Kate Honda rider Toseland then took revenge in race two, taking a narrow victory over Biaggi as their roles were reversed - and the pair will now head to next weekend's Phillip Island round tied at the top of the world championship standings.
"What a fantastic start to my new Superbike experience!" said Biaggi. "To begin with a win is wonderful and I dedicate it to our Team Boss, Francis Batta, who couldn't be here with us today. I'm sure he watched it on TV and it must have made him wish he was here. This championship is tough and for sure there are a lot of good riders, so I don't think it's always going to be like this. I want to thank my team for all their hard work and support over the past few months, which has made all this possible."
Biaggi, famous for his on and off track feuds with Valentino Rossi, seems to have relaxed a lot since his exit from the MotoGP paddock. "This racing is fun! I wish I had discovered this championship years ago," he smiled. "In the second race, I was catching James Toseland and I think I could've caught him if there had been three or four more laps. We made a small adjustment to the bike for the second race and maybe it wasn't the right thing, but we still nearly managed to win it!"
The next round is at Phillip Island, a circuit that Biaggi loves and where he hopes to take a lead in the championship. "Now we are off to one of my favourite tracks, Phillip Island. I'm looking forward to it and having more fun," he concluded.
Meanwhile, Biaggi's team-mate Yukio Kagayama wasn't quite so pleased with how his race day went after recording 4-6 finishes.
"I am very frustrated today, because I expected to do much better. But I had tyre problems in both races and I couldn't push as hard as I wanted. In race one the problem was the front tyre and after five laps, I didn't have a good feeling, but I kept up quite a good pace. We changed the chassis set-up a little for the second race, but this time the problem was at the rear! I suppose, the good news is that I didn't crash and I managed to score some good points," he shrugged.