Breaking news: Ducati leave WSBK and Spies joins Yamaha
In a completely expected move, Tech 3 rider and 2009 WSBK champion, Ben Spies has signed for the factory Yamaha squad. The American will take over the bike of the departing Valentino Rossi, but it is not known yet who will be spannering for him. It is presumed that he will take his crew chief Tom Houseworth with him, so where Jeremy Burgess will be going is still up in the air.
As for Ducati, the added pressure of delivering a bike fit for the Doctor may have influenced their decision to leave WSBK. This is big news for followers of the series as the Italian marque has been an integral part of the series since it was initiated in 1988.
More news on these developments when I can get it.
Weekly round-up 23/04/2010
Time a for a round up of what's moving and a shaking this week. Well, actually nothing is going on at all really, just conjecture. But while I'm here...
MotoGP
No Japanese Grand Prix due to health and safety. Oh, and a bloody huge volcano.
World Superbike
The only major motor-sporting event this weekend. The latest of round WSBK is being held at the 'Cathedral of racing', 'de circuit van Drenthe', at Assen. Well, it would be if they re-instated the other half of the track, so it resembles it's pre-1984 layout. It's nothing more than a glorified national club track now. Oh well, let's hope that Leon Haslam keeps up his great form and takes a win (or two).
F1
You'll be pleased to know that the teams got their equipment back. I know I am. The intrusion of real life must have been a nasty shock for them. On the other hand, Jake Humphrey's tale of how he got back to England from China is rather entertaining.
We now get to look forward to a truly boring race at Barcelona, what joy! I went there in 2003 and stood with some red clad Germans who air-horned every time Schumacher passed us. No one overtook, no one tried to race, and the F3000 event was the most tedious piece of motorsport 'competition' I have ever seen (only the Seat vans race was any good). Next week promises to be no different.
On a lighter note...
Two of the British F3 grid girls went for a spin around Silverstone and you can see how they got on here.
World Super Bike preview
Ok, I know the season has already started with Britain's Leon Haslam taking the first win of the season at Phillip Island, but I've held back so I can knock out these previews in succession. I don't know about you, but I can barely say 'World Super Bikes' without adopting a 'Northern' English accent. Apologies to those who are reading this in other countries and are wondering what I'm talking about, but most of the British riders who have done well in this category seem to be Yorkshiremen or Lancashire natives (find a Carl Fogerty or James Toseland interview on Youtube and you'll get an idea of the accents). Plus, the Eurosport commentary team that includes former racer Jamie Whitam, is definitely an all 'Eh-oop' affair.
The production based series is a good one for racing, and is often compared more favourably against the blue-riband Grand Prix World Championship. On the plus side, the racing is very good, it is relatively inexpensive and there is a considerable British presence on the grid. On the minus side, the two race format leaves no definitive winner in every round, the bikes aren't full-on racing machines and it is known as the series is known as the place where former Grand Prix winners go to live out their twilight racing years. My brother believes that the best closest car equivalent of WSBK is the German Touring car championship (close racing, pseudo-production based and the place where Grand Prix winners go to live out their final racing years), and I think he could be right.
Anyway we could argue the pro's and con's of what is a very entertaining series all day, so instead I'll focus on some of the stories to look out for this season:
Toseland returns
The British 2004 and 2007 WSBK champ has returned from Yamaha, the manufacturer who eased him out of his Tech 3 seat in MotoGP for last years Superbike title winner, Ben Spies. The Englishman had an awful season last year, after such a promising 2008, leading to his removal from the Yamaha satellite team. I definitely think there is a story to be told there and may be we will find out at some point. Anyway, let's hope he gets back into the swing of things this season and takes a few wins at least.
Aprilia eye the WSBK crown
Aprilia entered the World Superbike Championship for the first time seven years last year without any great fanfare. This year they could be gunning for the title, with Max Biaggi showing good form and the RSV-4 proving to be very quick in 2008. The Italian team appear to have engineered their machine around the four time 250cc World Champion and multiple MotoGP race winner, with World Super Sport champ Leon Camier joining him as number 2. Keep an eye out for the tempestuous Roman.
BMW Motorradmannschaft zu vorsprung?
It means 'BMW motorbike team to lead?' Forgive my basic German, Damen und Herren, I shall refrain from using it again. Anyway, 'Ze Germans' are definitely coming. Having fallen on their arses in F1, the Bavarian Motor Works are looking to succeed on two wheels now. The team took part in last year's Superbike marathon around the world, with steady improvement and they are hoping that the S100RR will do the business for them this year. With former champ Troy Corser and Reuben Xaus on board, they may get a few good results this season.
What happened to the circuits?
As part of my 'Look back to 1990', I'm going to take a quick look at the venues the season used. Several tracks have long stopped being used (Paul Ricard hosted the French Grand Prix for the last time that year) and some are still on the calendar in neutered form.
In 1990 the F1 calendar looked like this:
R1: USA Grand Prix, Phoenix street circuit.
R2: Brazilian Grand Prix, Interlagos.
R3: San Marino Grand Prix, Imola.
R4: Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo.
R5: Canadian Grand Prix, Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, Montreal.
R6: Mexican Grand Prix, Mexico City.
R7: French Grand Prix, Paul Ricard circuit.
R8: British Grand Prix, Silverstone.
R9: German Grand Prix, Hockenheim.
R10: Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest.
R11: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Franchorchamps.
R12: Italian Grand Prix, Monza.
R13: Portuguese Grand Prix, Estoril.
R14: Spanish Grand Prix, Jerez.
R15: Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka.
R16: Australian Grand Prix, Adelaide.
It was not all good, the Phoenix street circuit was a naff 90 degree corner affair, the Budapest track was just as rubbish as it is now and despite being a decent bike circuit, Jerez was always boring for cars. However, the vast majority of the tracks were pretty decent. The demanding Adelaide street circuit is still superior to Melbourne, and Hockenheim in those days was a 210mph blast through the forests. Imola was used for the San Marino Grand Prix in it's fast and dangerous form, with the Tamburello causing one large accident a year (If only they could have moved back that wall).
My lasting memory of the 1990 season is not Senna taking Prost off the track at Suzuka, but of Nigel Mansell overtaking Gerhard Berger at 180mph around the Peralta at the Mexico City circuit. As schoolboy, I remember being enthralled by the wheel-to-wheel fight they'd been having for a few laps before, only to see Mansell trying to sell Berger a dummy down the back straight, before launching himself around the outside of the banked 180 degree corner. Pure white knuckle racing that you don't see often now. Instead, you get the rich and famous taking flights to Dubai to see cars trying to race around the Abu Dhabi track with no exciting corners or challenge. And they call it progress...