The Pata Honda team is preparing for this weekend’s (6-8 June) two sixth-round World Superbike championship races at the Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
The weekend marks the first visit of the World Superbike championship to Sepang, situated just 60km to the south of the centre of the Malaysian capital, as the production-based series spreads to an increasingly wider global audience.
It will be the first time that the Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP has been raced at the fast and flowing 5.548km Sepang circuit, which is characterised by two back-to-back straights at the end of the lap. However, the team’s two British riders Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam have both visited in the past.
Northern Irishman Rea, 27, tested Honda’s RC212V MotoGP machine at Sepang at the end of 2011, while 31-year-old Haslam from Derbyshire last raced there during a season on a 250cc Honda in Grands Prix in 2002.
Sepang International Circuit, World Superbike schedule (local times GMT+8hrs):
Friday 6 June10.30-11.45 Free Practice 115.30-16.15 Free Practice 2(timed for Superpole)
Saturday 7 June09.45-10.30 Free Practice 3(timed for Superpole)
12.30-13.00 Free Practice 415.00-15.15 Superpole 115.25-15.40 Superpole 2
Sunday 8 June09.30-09.45 Warm-up13.30 Race 1 (16 laps, 88.768km)16.30 Race 2 (16 laps, 88.768km)
Jonathan ReaI’m really excited about going to Malaysia because it’s a new race on the SBK calendar. Ireally like the circuit layout and I visited a few years ago when I did some testing for HRC’sMotoGP team in the last season of the 800s. Donington was a tough round for us and weturned our attention to this next round immediately after the races there. I hope we canachieve better results than at Donington and I’m really looking forward to the challenge oftaking the CBR on a new circuit. The humidity will be quite intense in Sepang and we’reexpecting high temperatures but I’m in good physical conditions to tackle the two races.The most important thing is that we are able to extract the full potential of the bike whichwe didn’t do at the last round.
Leon HaslamI’ve been to Sepang before - it was about 12 years ago, but I remember which way it goesso I don’t see it being too much of a problem. A few of the other riders have ridden there,too, including Johnny, so I’m not sure anyone will have too much of an advantage in thatrespect. It’s quite a fast and flowing track and the CBR should be quite strong in thoseareas. The heat will be an issue, of course, and the conditions can make a big differencein lap times from the morning to the afternoon. We’ll hope for some consistent weather thatwill help us with setting up the bike for Sunday’s races.
Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinatorDonington was a disappointment for the whole team, especially after the highs of Assenand Imola. However, we have studied a lot in the time since and we have some plans forthis next event at Sepang, where we will be bringing some things that we learned on thedyno. Jonathan is motivated and ready to go again, so I hope he can renew his challenge atthe top of the table. Leon has been very close to the breakthrough to consistent top fivefinishes that we’ve all been looking for, and we will be working hard again to make ithappen for him this weekend.
Championship Standings - Round 6
1 Tom Sykes 185 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team2 Jonathan Rea 159 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda3 Loris Baz 159 pts FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team4 Sylvain Guintoli 148 pts FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team5 Chaz Davies 109 pts GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team6 Marco Melandri 97 pts ITA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team7 Davide Guigliano 82 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team8 Leon Haslam 75 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda9 Alex Lowes 73 pts GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki10 Eugene Laverty 65 pts IRL SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
