Press releases from the World Superbike teams after qualifying at Assen:
Sykes claims his first Tissot-Superpole of the season
Rea and Haslam complete the first row for tomorrow's two WorldSBK races
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) has won his first Tissot-Superpole of the season after a tense final 15-minute shoot-out in Assen. The 4.542km Cathedral of Speed once again produced an exciting climax to the WorldSBK qualifying session in which the top-8 riders on the grid for tomorrow’s two 21 lap races were covered by a second. Today’s Pole Position is the 25th of Tom’s career, his first since Magny-Cours 2014. Joining Sykes on the front row will be his team mate Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils).
Row two was decided in the final minute as Chaz Davies valiant effort to overhaul Sykes failed after a mistake at the exit of Turn 9, the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati SBK Team rider will start fourth with local hero Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), who scored his maiden podium in WorldSBK last year, fifth and sixth respectively.
On the third row of the grid Xavi Fores (Aruba.it Racing Ducati SBK Team) will line up alongside Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) and Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) in what was the most closely fought Tissot-Superpole of the season so far.
Earlier Guintoli and Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing Ducati) were the two riders to progress from Superpole 1, with the Argentine claiming tenth place ahead of Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Nico Terol (Althea Racing Ducati).
Saturday's Words & Pictures #OrangeWorldSBK
Tom Sykes #66 - Kawasaki Racing Team
Combined Free Practice 1 and 2 - 1st
Twitter: @TheRealTomSykes
Facebook page: Tom-Sykes-66
“We are definitely getting there now. It feels that this pole has been a long time coming but I am very happy. In Aragon we had a small indication that the Ninja ZX-10R and myself are starting to work as one package again. I know we can still improve the Ninja underneath me but as long as we can keep working in this direction, I am happy. A lot of credit has to go to my crew chief Marcel and the boys in the garage. We have had the mechanics working hard and making a lot of changes. We have definitely got the speed and now I want that speed for 20 more laps here.”
Jonathan Rea #65 - Kawasaki Racing Team
Combined Free Practice 1 and 2 - 2nd
Twitter: @jonathanrea
Instagram: @jonathan_rea
Facebook: JonathanReaOfficial
"I am happy to be on the front row because it is important here at Assen and also I have a strong race pace so it gives me a chance to be in the front at least. My lap was a good one but I made some small mistakes. Tom did a good job and that is an impressive lap time with the 2015 regulations in place. I really did want the pole position today because when I felt the qualifying tyre on the out lap, I though I could give it a go. I just overcooked it in T1 and it upset the next two corners. When I saw the lap time I knew we could be competitive for the front row but not for pole position.”
Michael van der Mark #60 - Pata Honda
Tissot-Superpole - 5th
Twitter: @mickeyvdmark
Instagram: michaelvdmark
Facebook: michael.vandermark.3
"Today was really good and we tried a few little things in set-up this morning, trying to solve a couple of problems we had yesterday. We found a good solution and I was pretty quick in FP3 and then even faster in FP4. We were quite consistent, too, so I was very happy with that. In final qualifying of Superpole I think my lap could have been a little faster but I’m quite happy with P5. To be on the second row for my home round is a good position to start. Our race pace is OK, although we still need to find a couple of tenths, but I’m quite confident for the races tomorrow."
Assured KRT 1-2 As Sykes Pips Rea To Win Superpole
Tom Sykes secured his first pole position start of the 2015 season with a best lap of 1’34.789 during Superpole 2 at Assen, heading of his own team-mate Jonathan Rea by 0.131 seconds. It was Sykes’ 25th career Superpole success and meant that Kawasaki riders have taken three of the four pole positions available in the season so far.
Sykes, already the third most successful WSB rider in terms of career pole positions, moved to within one Superpole win of the second place rider in the record books, Troy Bayliss, with his fastest pre-race lap at Assen.
Always a fan of the fast and flowing nature of the majority of the Assen circuit’s corners, Sykes pushed on in confident fashion with a qualifying tyre to earn the best starting place for Sunday’s two 21-lap races.
Rea, who has only not been on the front row once this season, and who has two poles to his credit since he joined Kawasaki in the winter months, pushed on to lead for a time at the 4.542km circuit until Sykes swept in to make it a 1-2 for the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.
Due to the tight nature of the first few corners at Assen, front row starts were an important part of each riders’ pre-race plan, and both got their wish in readiness for Sunday’s races.
With weather conditions cool in the mornings and warming up in the afternoons, each KRT Rider has already had good experience of the track in the conditions they expect to find it in on raceday. Race one will take place at 10.30 and race two at 13.10 on Sunday, in what are hoped to be dry conditions yet again.
Tom Sykes: “We are definitely getting there now. It feels that this pole has been a long time coming but I am very happy. In Aragon we had a small indication that the Ninja ZX-10R and myself are starting to work as one package again. In the first two rounds the bike and myself were sometimes working in two different directions, but we are both working in the same direction now. I know we can still improve the Ninja underneath me but as long as we can keep working in this direction, I am happy. A lot of credit has to go to my crew chief Marcel and the boys in the garage. We have had the mechanics working hard and making a lot of changes. We have definitely got the speed and now I want that speed for 20 more laps here.”
Jonathan Rea: I am happy to be on the front row because it is important here at Assen and also I have a strong race pace so it gives me a chance to be in the front at least. My lap was a good one but I made some small mistakes. Tom did a good job and that is an impressive lap time with the 2015 regulations in place. I really did want the pole position today because when I felt the qualifying tyre on the out lap, I though I could give it a go. I just overcooked it in T1 and it upset the next two corners. When I saw the lap time I knew we could be competitive for the front row but not for pole position.”
David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) qualified for Superpole 1 but could not progress into Superpole 2, and now starts the races from 16th place on the grid, on the front of the sixth row.
Althea Racing Assen Superpole
Assen (The Netherlands) – 18 April 2015
Only one week after the Spanish round at Motorland de Aragon, the Superbikes are back on track this weekend at the TT Circuit of Assen, in the Netherlands, for round 4 of the 2015 season.
After Friday’s qualifying in which the team worked hard to increase riders’ feeling with the bike and the track, which in these cold temperatures causes some stability issues, in today’s Superpole Nico Terol and Matteo Baiocco were unable to find the right solutions to yesterday’s problems and will line up on tomorrow’s grid in 12th (Nico) and 13th (Matteo) position.
Nico Terol: “This morning we made some tests to decide which strategy to use and by the end of qualifying I had found good feeling with the bike. Unfortunately I was then lacking that feeling in the free practice and was unable to make the most of the qualifying tyre in Superpole. I’m angry with myself because it’s not going as I would like, I feel frustrated with the fact I can’t bring out what I have inside because I know I’m capable of better results. Now I must concentrate on working hard, keeping calm and learning from these errors in order to prepare for tomorrow’s races and make the most of warm-up in order to be able to complete two good races.”
Matteo Baiocco: “I just missed out on entry to Superpole 2 and clearly have more to give after having finally found the right balance this morning. Guintoli managed to do a third lap with the qualifier which was incredible and he knocked me out of the top two by just a few thousandths of a second. Anyway, I’m pleased with what we were able to show during the few laps made in the Superpole and I’m feeling positive ahead of tomorrow’s races.”
Genesio Bevilacqua: “We’re still having some trouble finding the right balance between the potential of the bike and the riders, but the guys are working really hard and it’s not easy because we have strong rivals who have a lot more experience than both Terol and Baiocco in this hard-fought championship. We trust in their abilities and believe that the results that the Team and riders deserve will soon come.”
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team) fourth in today’s Superpole at Assen; third row for Forés
Assen (The Netherlands), Saturday 18 April 2015 – a hard-fought Superpole at the TT Circuit of Assen today saw the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team qualify for tomorrow’s Superbike races in fourth (Chaz Davies) and seventh (Javier Forés) position.
Davies, after a successful Friday which saw him place at the top of the timesheets after the first two timed practice sessions, continued working with his technicians this morning to optimise the set-up of his Panigale R. Dealing with cold, dry track conditions (8°C), none of the Superbike riders were able to improve on Chaz’s best time set yesterday (1’35.748), meaning that the Welshman qualified in overall first position for the afternoon’s Superpole 2. Forés, after a more difficult day yesterday, was able to improve on both his time and position this morning. The aggregated practice results positioned the Spanish rider ninth, meaning that he too gained entry to Superpole 2 thanks to a best time of 1’36.558.
Superpole 2: having recorded a 1’35.855 on the race tyre, Chaz was straight back on track with the qualifying solution. A problem while changing down from third to second gear through the third sector caused the Welshman to lose precious tenths, but his best time of 1’35.425 secured him a place on the second row, in fourth position, for tomorrow’s two races. Javier, taking part in the Superpole for only the second time this season, completed a solid lap in 1’35.786, to take final seventh place. He will therefore line up on the third row of the grid tomorrow.
Quotes after the day’s sessions:
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Superbike Team #7) – 4th (1’35.425)
“In Superpole I had a problem with the blipper system during my fast lap and the gear didn’t engage properly. I lost three or four tenths there as a result which cost me a place on the front row I think. For the rest, we made a step forward this morning but I feel that we’re still struggling when it comes to keeping the bike flat when changing direction. As can sometimes happen when we improve one thing, as we did this morning, we find that we take away from another area so we are still looking for the right compromise. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow in warm-up but it won’t be easy considering the cold conditions early in the morning.”
Javier Forés (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Superbike Team #112) – 7th (1’35.786)
“I’m pleased today, and more comfortable with the bike. This morning we worked a lot with the used tyre to find a good setting for tomorrow’s races and we were able to improve our pace, I think that we’re more in line with the faster riders. In Superpole I was able to make better use of the qualifier although I would have liked to do a little more. Anyway, seventh isn’t a bad starting position, considering how we were doing yesterday. So I hope I can make a strong start, on the outside heading into turn 1, and complete two good races.”
FIRST ROW FOR LEON HASLAM IN THE ASSEN SUPERPOLE AND BEST TIME IN RACE CONFIGURATION
EIGHTH FOR JORDI TORRES, LOOKING FOR THE EXPERIENCE HE NEEDS TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE QUALIFIER TYRE
POLE FOR LORENZO SAVADORI IN THE SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP
Assen (Holland), 18 April 2015 - The Dutch Saturday for Team Aprilia Racing - Red Devils started off well with Leon Haslam's first place time in the third practice session held this morning. The English rider was fast despite the low temperatures, demonstrating that the path the mechanics have been following on the RSV4 RF throughout the weekend with the entire team is the right one.
His race pace is also good, although Leon still wants to improve on following the ideal line for several consecutive laps. This is an idea where Haslam has a clear idea, since he has already identified the sectors where he needs to make changes in order to have a uniform feeling throughout the track on his Aprilia.
In Superpole, as demonstration of the speed the English-Italian duo has reached, Haslam was the quickest on a race tyre. Back in the garage with the qualifier tyre mounted Leon pushed to the limit, putting the third best time on the sheets in the end, which earns him a spot on the front row for the races tomorrow.
Leon Haslam: "As for the flying lap on a race tyre we are quite fast as we demonstrated even in Superpole, but in terms of consistency we still have some work to do in order to be able to easily repeat our performance. We are definitely making progress. Ironically, the qualifier tyre doesn't help us so in the end third place was a pleasant surprise. Just like at Aragon we are expecting a difficult mission, but considering how close we were able to get in Race 2 I think we will be able to do well here tomorrow."
Spanish rookie Jordi Torres is still lacking the right experience to be able to take full advantage of the particular rear Pirelli qualifier tyre (exclusive to Superbike) on his RSV4. The eighth best time he took in Superpole does not fully satisfy Jordi, who on the other hand is very positive about the improvement he demonstrated today. The fourth best time in FP3 and fifth in FP4 are encouraging in view of tomorrow's races, especially if Jordi and his team can manage to shave off a few more tenths.
Jordi Torres: "Yesterday we improved quite a bit, but today we took a definite step forward. I'm still lacking a few tenths on my race pace and here at Assen a good feeling with the front end is important, so there is still room for improvement in that area. In Superpole I was lacking experience. I still am unable to take 100% advantage of the soft tyre. I really need to change my style because with so much grip the bike reacts differently. After the first lap where I was trying to figure out how to use the qualifier tyre I tried to push hard in order to get another fast time on the boards, but I didn't have any more grip toward the end. Anyway what counts are the races tomorrow."
Lorenzo Savadori, who rides the Team Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia RSV4 RF on Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, will start in front of the rest tomorrow after taking pole position in the qualifiers.
Second row for van der Mark at home in Assen
Michael van der Mark will start tomorrow’s two fourth-round World Superbike races from the second row of the grid after setting the fifth-fastest time in today’s Superpole sessions at Assen in the Netherlands.
The Dutch Pata Honda rider, riding in front of an enthusiastic home crowd in his rookie World Superbike year, fired his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP around the 4.542km Assen circuit in a time of 1m35.619s, 0.8s off the pole position time of British rider Tom Sykes.
Van der Mark, 22, has impressed throughout practice and qualifying in his Assen World Superbike debut, finishing no lower than fifth in any of the four sessions heading into Superpole, and he is looking forward to tomorrow’s races.
His Pata Honda team-mate, Sylvain Guintoli, bounced back from a difficult morning to top Superpole 1 and progress into the final Superpole 2 shoot-out to determine grid positions for the two 21-lap races.
The 32-year-old French rider was able to coax each of his two Pirelli qualifiers into three laps of the Assen circuit, setting his best times on the third 'Q' lap in both Superpole sessions, eventually qualifying on the third row.
Michael van der Mark - P5, 1m35.619s
Today was really good and we tried a few little things in set-up this morning, trying to solve a couple of problems we had yesterday. We found a good solution and I was pretty quick in FP3 and then even faster in FP4. We were quite consistent, too, so I was very happy with that. In final qualifying of Superpole I think my lap could have been a little faster but I’m quite happy with P5. To be on the second row for my home round is a good position to start. Our race pace is OK, although we still need to find a couple of tenths, but I’m quite confident for the races tomorrow.
Sylvain Guintoli - P9, 1m36.118s
Superpole actually went better than we thought it would because, before that, I wasn’t feeling that confident. We are still working on trying to adapt the bike to my riding style and, of course, I’m trying to adapt my riding style to the bike. I didn’t feel that good after FP4, so it’s been a little up and down this weekend. On the qualifier in Superpole 1 I did one fast lap, one cool-down lap and then had time to do another fast one. And it was the same in Superpole 2 – going faster on the second lap with the qualifier – because I’m still not quite confident at first with the extra grip. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster, but race day is race day and I’ve always been more of a race person than a practice person so hopefully we can improve in the two races.
Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator
In the morning, we made some improvements to Sylvain’s CBR and things were looking better than yesterday. But then in FP4 we got stuck and went in the wrong direction, so we changed it back again for Superpole this afternoon. That was a good step and he was able to get to Superpole 2 and, on very his last lap he overshot a corner in sector three, otherwise he could have been fifth or sixth on the grid. As it is, he’s ninth but after some difficult times yesterday and today, things are now looking better for the races. Michael had no big problems, and in the end he put his CBR on the second row, and we’re all quite happy with that. It may be hard for him to run for the podium tomorrow, but it’s not impossible. He needs to find a little bit more pace but we know he’s a racer and that in the ra ces, when the laps are going, he can find that.
Day to forget for Team Pedercini
Second day of free practice for Assen World Superbike races did not produce the expected result for Team Pedercini main rider, David Salom.
David failed to find a good setup for his Kawasaki ZX-10R, showing again the same feeling problems had on Friday. Despite the great effort in the box, he failed to find a setup suitable for his riding style. Best lap time improved by a few tenths, but the progress of the other riders forced him to give up valuable positions on the grid.
In the morning practice session, David did not go beyond the 15th position, losing the possibility to directly access to Superpole 2. The situation has not improved even in FP4, in race configuration.
In the afternoon, in Superpole 1, David Salom was forced to leave a further position (16th), retreating in the sixth row of the grid.
Tomorrow, during warmup, Team Pedercini technicians will make important setup changes, hoping to give to David a bike more suitable for his needs.
Javier Alviz has reached small but important improvements, gaining two positions on the grid. The young Spanish rider will start from the seventh row, in 21st position.
David Salom – Rider #44
We are experiencing a very difficult weekend because I cannot set up the bike. We go on studying telemetry in the hope of finding a solution. Unfortunately I cannot ride the bike as I’d like to do, in particular, to enter the corner fast enough. In this circuit, unfortunately, you need to be very fast in corner, that's why I'm in trouble.
Lucio Pedercini – Team Manager
Two troubled days. Unfortunately David cannot find the right feeling with the bike. His feeling is not to ride the same bike had in Aragon. In the afternoon we tried to restore the spanish track setup. Unfortunately, this solution did not work because Assen track is totally different. This evening we’ll make important changes, bringing the bike to the initial configuration of this weekend. At the moment it seems to be the best compromise. Tomorrow we hope to move up during races. David normally perform better in the race. Alviz has steadily improved in each round, despite not knowing the track. Tomorrow the aim is surely to gain the first point in the Championship.
Stunning second row start for Lowes and Voltcom Crescent Suzuki at Assen
Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s Alex Lowes stormed to sixth in the World Superbike Championship’s Superpole qualifying today at the TT Circuit in Assen.
Battling hard to overcome the electronics issues that have been plaguing the team’s development for the past two rounds, Lowes’ consistent progression and outright commitment sees him line his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R up on the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s two races at the iconic Dutch track after setting a 1’35.772 on his qualifying run this afternoon.
Detailed feedback and realistic expectations allowed the British racer to demonstrate his skills, pushing the GSX-R above and beyond initial aspirations. Circulating at a steady pace to allow system evaluations for the majority of the morning, Lowes secured his place in Superpole 2 with a 1’36.280 on his final timed revolution of free practice three before continuing the analysis at midday.
Randy de Puniet compounded his frustrating weekend at the Drenthe track falling foul of both tyre and electronic issues throughout the day’s three sessions. The Frenchman’s learning curve with both the Suzuki Superbike and Pirelli rubber proved to be steeper than originally anticipated, concluding the opening Superpole session in eighth and placing him 18th on tomorrow’s grid.
Kawasaki dominated the proceedings at a cold but sun-drenched Assen circuit as Tom Sykes beat teammate Jonathan Rea to Superpole glory with both riders setting pre-1’35 lap times.
The final calculations and preparations are now underway for Voltcom Crescent Suzuki ahead of Sunday’s two 21 lap races. Morning warm-up begins at 08:40hrs local time (07:40BST) with the first wheels turned in anger at 10:30hrs (09:30BST) and the second WSBK outing scheduled for 13:10hrs (12:10BST).
Alex Lowes:
“We still have a way to go to get the GSX-R to where we want it to be, and for me to be able to ride it with full confidence, but we have made steps forward so it’s been a positive day. The lads are all working hard and time is against us a little bit, but we will do what we can tomorrow and keep pushing forward.”
Randy de Puniet:
“It was not a good day for me, as we haven’t managed to find the solution I was looking for with the engine brake so we struggled in all of today’s sessions. I also suffered with the tyre grip, almost high-siding twice because of this and with vibration on the qualifier in Superpole, so we are 18th on the grid. This is not where I want to be and it is a difficult weekend coming straight after Aragon. I really hope for a good race tomorrow but in this condition I’m not sure where it is possible to finish.”
Paul Denning - Team Manager:
“The challenges faced by the team here in Assen, in terms of getting the bike running well with the new Magneti Marelli ECU, have not reduced. A full day spent on the test bench this week in Holland (thanks to Hoegee Performance for the kind use of their facility) showed very positive progress but did not relate well to the track. We are finding many new problems, hidden software issues and strategies that work in simulation but the bike is not responding in the same way on the track.
“Despite this, progress is being made. Alex has probably out-performed the bike to be honest, and has done an incredible job to qualify on the second row. There have been numerous frustrations over the weekend and we have not been able to string consistent laps together as the top guys have. With that in mind, we hope to make further progress on the settings tonight and if Alex can finish two races tomorrow and score good points we will all be happy.”
“Randy, with less experience of the bike, has suffered the same problems but with an even bigger effect on his potential. We are doing everything we can to improve the situation, but simply copying the settings of Alex is not necessarily going to produce the results – we have to understand more what Randy needs and try our best to make the system react in a better way.”
Cluzel re-ignites title ambition with Dutch WSS Pole Position
Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will start tomorrow’s fourth round of the World Supersport Championship from Pole Position after a closely fought qualifying session at the 4.542km TT circuit in Assen saw him edge current championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) by 0.137s. The pair will be joined on the front row of the grid by American PJ Jacobsen (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) who will be aiming to make it three times onto the podium in 2015.
For Cluzel it was his third Pole Position of the year and the Frenchman is hoping that the bad luck he has suffered in the last two races is well and truly behind him.
Row two comprises Kyle Smith (Pata Honda World Supersport Team), the Englishman hoping to give the Dutch team something to smile about in their home race. Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will start fifth alongside a rejuvenated Christian Gamarino (Go Eleven Kawasaki) who achieved a career best qualifying position in sixth.
Kevin Wahr (SMS Racing Honda) claimed his best qualifying position of the year in twelfth, a fraction behind Thai winner Ratthapark Wilairot (CORE Motorsport Thailand Honda) who suffered another crash during the session, to leaving himself with work to do from eleventh on the grid.
Front Row Starts At Assen For Sofuoglu And Jacobsen
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and his fellow Ninja ZX-6R rider PJ Jacobsen (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) shared the front row at Assen, after a close qualifying session held in dry conditions this afternoon.
After his first win of the year at Motorland Aragon last weekend Sofuoglu is out for more success at one of his favourite venues, the 4.542km long Circuit van Drenthe in Assen. He is the all-time championship record holder in terms of race wins, with 28.
Sofuoglu feels he has strong race pace to go with his ability to secure a front row starting position and now he will be trying to extend his current championship lead over Jacobsen on Sunday.
American Jacobsen was only 0.229 seconds from pole, in third place in the pre-race rankings and he too feels confident in his race pace in preparation for Sunday’s 18-lap race.
Christian Gamarino (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki) scored sixth on the grid for a second row start, while Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) went seventh fastest, almost exactly one second behind the leader.
Rookie rider Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) continued his strong form at the start of the year with ninth place on the grid, starting from the third row.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “Assen is a good track for us and Kawasaki and I am now looking to win here for the first time with this bike. Our race pace is very strong but Cluzel is always one of the best in qualifying and knew P1 was maybe not possible today. I am not surprised he beat me to pole, but I am not hungry for P1 in qualification. The good thing is that we have prepared very well for the race. The Kawasaki is working well and our race simulation is strong. The bike is amazing and I just have to make a good race and go for 25 points.”
PJ Jacobsen: “I am doing one full fast lap as fast as I can but today I could not do it as fast as the two guys in front. I think our race pace and package is pretty good and we should have no problem with that. I think we have the package for tomorrow and I am looking forward to the race.”
Smith picks up where he left off at Aragon
Kyle Smith will start from the second row of the grid in tomorrow’s fourth-round World Supersport race after setting the fourth fastest time in this afternoon’s qualifying session at Assen in The Netherlands.
Repeating his qualifying effort from seven days ago in Aragon, Spain, the Pata Honda CBR600RR rider recovered from two incidents in practice to be within just 0.288 seconds of pole-sitter Jules Cluzel.
Buoyed by his maiden WSS podium in Aragon, the British rider is setting his sights even higher in Sunday’s race at the 4.542km Dutch circuit affectionately known as, ‘The Cathedral.’
Kyle Smith - P4, 1m38.303s
This is one of the hardest circuits on the calendar for me, so we have worked really hard and my pace has come along nicely. We’ve made a lot of changes to the setup over the weekend and have improved from being a second off the pace yesterday, to less than a tenth of a second off the front row. After such a great result last week in Spain, I won’t be happy with anything other than a podium finish here.
Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator
We’re really pleased with Kyle’s performance in qualifying. He improved his best time by seven tenths of a second, which has put him right in touch with the top three. Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow because we know we can be in the mix for the podium.