webBikeWorld

► 2010 Motorcycle Racing News

Leon Haslam, Suzuki Racing.
Photo and text sources include Suzuki Racing, World Superbike and Yamaha Racing.

Leon Haslam Wins First 2010 Race on a Suzuki!

February 28, 2010 - Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam recorded his first ever World Superbike win in the first race of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island today.

He led the race from start to finish and took the flag, just 4000ths-of-a-second ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati).

He and his Suzuki Alstare team mate Sylvain Guintoli then disputed the lead for most of the second race, but Haslam’s dreams of a double were dashed right at the death by Spaniard Carlos Checa (Ducati).

Nevertheless, his tremendous win in race one and runner-up spot in the second puts him on the very top of the Superbike World Championship, nine points ahead of his nearest rival.

Also encouraging for the team was Guintoli’s ability to run at the front and be in contention; the Frenchman led his team mate eight laps out of 22 and did not look out of place at all.

This was his first race of the year, on the new 2010 GSX-R1000 bike, with a new team, but he also showed that he too will be a force to be reckoned with this year.  Although he missed out on the podium, he did receive a trophy - for the fastest lap of race two - so he did not leave Phillip Island empty handed.

Leon Haslam - Race 1, 1st; Race 2, 2nd:  “I am so happy to get my first WSBK win and it feels great!  I want to thank the team and all the staff back at the workshop for all their support and hard work and I’d also like to thank Francis and Patricia Batta for having faith in me.

“The first race was such hard work and it was impossible to relax for a second. I knew that I had Michel and Nori breathing down my neck, but I just kept concentrating on my lines and my braking points and tried to hold them off.

I realized that Michel was in my wheel tracks going into the last turn and would try and use the draft to get past me, but I kept my head down and charged to the flag.  At the end, I didn’t know if I’d won or not, but when I realized that I had, I was so unbelievably happy and it was such a fantastic feeling.  All weekend I knew that a win was possible, but thinking about and it happening are two different things.

“In race two, I had some problems with rear traction but I still thought I could win. I had a great fight with Sylvain and when I finally got ahead of him and made it stick, I thought he might act as a buffer between me and the rest.

Then suddenly, Carlos was there. He dived under me just three corners from the end, on the last lap.  I tried to get it back, but he managed to hold me off and take the flag.

But it feels good to take a win and a second in my first race with the team and it feels fantastic to be leading the Superbike World Championship.”

Haslam Takes Superpole on a Suzuki!

February 27, 2010 - Team Suzuki Alstare's Leon Haslam took Superpole in Australia today, to lead the grid in his debut for Suzuki in the first round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship tomorrow.

The young Briton stormed to a lap of 1:31.229, over half a second inside the lap record, in Superpole 3, ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) and fellow Briton Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha).

For a while it looked as though team mate team mate Sylvain Guintoli would be joining him on the front row of the grid, but a late surge by Crutchlow relegated the Frenchman to fifth place and row two.

Leon Haslam - 1st, 1:31.229:  “I am absolutely delighted to get my first Superpole victory but the results in the races tomorrow are more important.

Sitting in the garage watching the other guys go round in final Superpole and seeing their times falling was more nerve-racking than being out on the track and riding and it was a great relief when it was over.

When we use qualifying tires I have to use a slightly different riding style than when I am on race rubber.

“Today once again we concentrated on getting a good race set up and did a lot of time on race rubber getting ready for race day. From previous data, we knew there was a certain way of working at this track to keep progressing and we did that rather than just chase any lap times.

“My aim is to be in the first three in the first eight or nine laps and that will put me in a good position a good position at the end of the race.  It is not what you can do in the first five laps; it’s what you do in the last five laps here that is most important.

Although this is my first race weekend with the team, everyone is working together fantastically well. I have felt at home here at Suzuki Alstare since the very first time we tested and the boys have made my life easy.”

Phillip Island, Australia Race Circuit

Note:  For informational use only.  All material and photographs are Copyright © webWorld International, LLC - 2000-2010.  All rights reserved.  See the webBikeWorld® Site Info page.  NOTE:  Product specifications, features and details may change or differ from our descriptions.  Always check before purchasing.  Read the Terms and Conditions!

►Reader Comments and Owner Feedback

More