GixerGaz
01-03-2007, 14:10
http://www.gixerjunkies.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7960&stc=1&d=1172754608
Following a difficult season opener in Qatar, reigning double World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss is taking nothing for granted at his home Phillip Island round this weekend - despite stunning form in a pre-season test.
The 37-year-old has also won three times at Phillip Island and is aiming to get his 2007 season back on track after forgettable 5-8 finishes last Saturday in Qatar. The omens are good - Bayliss set an amazing time of 1min 30.7secs at Phillip Island during January testing, but admits that racing is a completely different prospect.
"It's all about points, but the points in Qatar were not what we wanted," began Bayliss, who shared wins with countryman Troy Corser at Phillip Island last season. "We knew it was going to be difficult there but it turned out to be more difficult than expected. All the tests we've done in the winter, including the one at Phillip Island in January, we've been really fast, but you can't rely on that testing. Racing is totally different and each weekend can throw different things at you.
"You also can't rely on being the champion from last year, you have to concentrate on the weekend ahead and that's what I plan to do this weekend," he declared. "We'd like to think that this round is where it turns around for us, because we go well here. Everyone likes to come to Phillip Island and it makes for great racing, it really brings out the rider in everyone and I'm sure it'll be no different this weekend."
Against expectation, Bayliss wasn't the leading Ducati last weekend - that honour went to his young factory team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi, who took a confidence boosting podium in race one, then remained the top 999 rider despite a seventh place in race two.
"I would say that my start to the season was much better than last year's, a good podium in race one but a few problems in race two," commented Lorenzo. "Now at Phillip Island things should go better for us because the track is a lot more congenial for our 999 machine. There are no slow corners like the ones in Qatar, they are almost all fast curves and so we shouldn't lose out very much because we won't be inferior to the Japanese four-cylinder bikes.
"In fact here we are much more competitive, as we showed in the winter tests at this circuit, but we have to set the bike up as best as possible to be competitive from the first to the very last lap. In Qatar there hadn't been two Italians on the podium for many years and it was great to be there with Biaggi. Let's hope it continues but with the positions reversed!" he added.
First qualifying at Phillip Island takes place on Friday
Following a difficult season opener in Qatar, reigning double World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss is taking nothing for granted at his home Phillip Island round this weekend - despite stunning form in a pre-season test.
The 37-year-old has also won three times at Phillip Island and is aiming to get his 2007 season back on track after forgettable 5-8 finishes last Saturday in Qatar. The omens are good - Bayliss set an amazing time of 1min 30.7secs at Phillip Island during January testing, but admits that racing is a completely different prospect.
"It's all about points, but the points in Qatar were not what we wanted," began Bayliss, who shared wins with countryman Troy Corser at Phillip Island last season. "We knew it was going to be difficult there but it turned out to be more difficult than expected. All the tests we've done in the winter, including the one at Phillip Island in January, we've been really fast, but you can't rely on that testing. Racing is totally different and each weekend can throw different things at you.
"You also can't rely on being the champion from last year, you have to concentrate on the weekend ahead and that's what I plan to do this weekend," he declared. "We'd like to think that this round is where it turns around for us, because we go well here. Everyone likes to come to Phillip Island and it makes for great racing, it really brings out the rider in everyone and I'm sure it'll be no different this weekend."
Against expectation, Bayliss wasn't the leading Ducati last weekend - that honour went to his young factory team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi, who took a confidence boosting podium in race one, then remained the top 999 rider despite a seventh place in race two.
"I would say that my start to the season was much better than last year's, a good podium in race one but a few problems in race two," commented Lorenzo. "Now at Phillip Island things should go better for us because the track is a lot more congenial for our 999 machine. There are no slow corners like the ones in Qatar, they are almost all fast curves and so we shouldn't lose out very much because we won't be inferior to the Japanese four-cylinder bikes.
"In fact here we are much more competitive, as we showed in the winter tests at this circuit, but we have to set the bike up as best as possible to be competitive from the first to the very last lap. In Qatar there hadn't been two Italians on the podium for many years and it was great to be there with Biaggi. Let's hope it continues but with the positions reversed!" he added.
First qualifying at Phillip Island takes place on Friday