Haga wins Brands Hatch thriller

Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga thrilled the large and passionate Brands Hatch crowd by taking his YZF-R1 to a spectacular win in the eighth round of the Superbike World Championship today. Team-mate Andrew Pitt rode brilliantly to take a hard fought third place to give the team its second double podium finish of the season.

Haga was involved in a race long battle with series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) to take the race two victory by just two tenths of a second after 85km of breathtaking racing.

Earlier in the day Haga finished third in race one after contesting the lead with Bayliss and Honda rider James Toseland. For the second outing Haga switched to his back-up machine, which used alternative settings, to take his fourth win at the venue in three years. In a thrilling race the pair were never separated by more than a quarter of a second as they crossed the line for lap after lap. Championship leader Bayliss applied considerable pressure in the final lap but the Yamaha man, wearing a new helmet design for this race, showed all of his experience and legendary late braking skills to take his first race win of the year and the 20th of his illustrious world superbike career.

Team-mate Pitt proved to be one of the stars of the show at Brands, providing plenty of thrills for the fans as he overcame bad starts to take a third and fourth place finish. The Australian over-revved his YZF-R1 on the line on both occasions, relegating him to the middle of the pack. The former supersport world champion was able to match the pace of the very fastest men, working his way to fourth in the opener and a fine third in the second race to complete a great day for the Italian Yamaha squad.

Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert brought their Yamaha Motor France machines home in the points in both races, with two 13th places for the Japanese and a 14th and 15th for Frenchman Gimbert. The team's Brands Hatch novice Shinichi Nakatomi improved each time he took to the technically demanding English circuit, finishing 17th in race two, an improvement of two places on his opener. Twenty-one-year-old wild-card Tommy Hill came home an impressive 11th on his Virgin Mobile Yamaha YZF-R1 in the day's first race but was forced to retire with technical problems in the second.

With two thirds of the season gone, Haga retains second in the championship, 77 points behind Bayliss and 11 ahead of third placed James Toseland. Pitt stays sixth in the points and has reduced the gap to fourth placed Troy Corser (Suzuki) to 36 points. Honda's Alex Barros is fifth in the series.

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) "In the first race I could not push as hard as I wanted to in the last five laps and for the second race I used my other bike, which had other settings. I had a big fight with Troy and I was determined not to see his exhaust pipes again. It feels so good to win today. We have been close so many times, especially at the first race - where I crashed on the last lap - but for some reasons I have not been able to take the win. Today the feeling with the bike was very good and the tyres worked perfectly all the way to the end."

Andrew Pitt   

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) "I made a terrible start in both races, which is surprising as our R1 is normally one of the quickest bikes off the line. I think that I was a bit anxious and just gave it too many revs, but each time I lost a lot of places. I just had to get my head down and get through as quickly as possible. My rhythm was good and I was pleased with my fourth place in race one, so to top it off with a podium is a fantastic end to the day. I'm especially pleased as I have some friends over from Australia for this race. They've come a long way so it is great to give them something to cheer."

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) "Brands Hatch is difficult, very difficult, and until yesterday our chances were dead. In the race things were not so bad, and in race one I finally had a battle with many riders, and scored points. So compared to qualifying, it was a big jump up. It was the best I could do. We changed the setting between races and in the beginning it was not so bad, just at the end of the race the rear was moving and sliding and my lap time went up and up. But compared to qualifying, it was much better."

Tommy Hill   

Tommy Hill (Virgin Mobile Yamaha) "These boys are on it, and it was definitely a fast pace out there. I just needed to get past Nieto to get up to Walker and Kagayama, but it took too long. We changed the rear tyre to get more grip on the rear in race two but the bike had no drive and I had to stop. That was disappointing but things are a different league here and I have learned a lot."

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) "In the first race I was able to make a good start but lost a few places when I made a small mistake. After around four laps the tyre lost some grip but I tried to push as hard as possible to get a point. In the second race my start was not so good and I had to fight hard to get 14th."

Shinichi Nakatomi   

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France) "This was a very difficult track. Enjoyable to ride but difficult to learn and go fast on. In race one, the feeling was better than in practice, and race two, it was better again. Results were not so good, but my feelings about the improvements were better."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia) "This is a great result for the team to take into the month's break. After the first race Noriyuki said to me that he could not go any faster on that bike - but he felt he could win on the other bike. I think he had only done about 10 laps on that bike over the three days but he knew what he was doing and rode brilliantly in the second race. Andrew rode well in the first race but said that he needed to make a better start. Unfortunately in the second race he made an even worse one but was able to make it through for our second double podium of the season." Martial Garcia (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor France) "Not so bad, because again we had each rider finish, six out of six. We also had two riders in the points so for us, as a team developing kit parts, this is not so bad. In front we only had factory bikes, so I am proud of this result."

Circuit Length: 4197 Temp: 29 Crowd: 115,000

  2006 WSB Brands Hatch 06/08/2006 Race 1 - 25 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 36'26.855 2 James Toseland Honda GBR 0'1.657 3 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 0'2.248 4 Andrew Pitt Yamaha AUS 0'2.860 5 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'9.666 6 Troy Corser Suzuki AUS 0'16.731 7 Chris Walker Kawasaki GBR 0'16.892 8 Alex Barros Honda BRA 0'20.707 9 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 0'25.196 10 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 0'25.338 11 Tommy Hill Yamaha GBR 0'26.477 12 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'26.709 13 Norick Abe Yamaha JPN 0'27.335 14 Fonsi Nieto Kawasaki ESP 0'29.465 15 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 0'39.195 19 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0'51.243

Race 2 - 25 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 36'29.709 2 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 0'0.184 3 Andrew Pitt Yamaha AUS 0'2.242 4 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 0'6.523 5 James Toseland Honda GBR 0'7.073 6 Troy Corser Suzuki AUS 0'7.521 7 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'10.903 8 Chris Walker Kawasaki GBR 0'19.715 9 Alex Barros Honda BRA 0'22.202 10 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 0'26.797 11 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'29.702 12 Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 0'29.804 13 Norick Abe Yamaha JPN 0'31.829 14 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 0'34.177 15 Vittorio Iannuzzo Suzuki ITA 0'35.267 17 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0'43.413

Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time James Toseland Honda GBR 1'26.351

 Rider Standings 06/08/2006

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 307 2. Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 230 3. James Toseland Honda GBR 219 4. Troy Corser Suzuki AUS 193 5. Alex Barros Honda BRA 166 6. Andrew Pitt Yamaha AUS 157 7. Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 126 8. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 96 9. Chris Walker Kawasaki GBR 96 10. Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 87 11. Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 84 12. Fonsi Nieto Kawasaki ESP 83 13. Norick Abe Yamaha JPN 77 14. Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 72 15. Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 66 17. Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 29 19. Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 18

Manufacturer Standings 06/08/2006

Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Ducati 317 2. Honda 267 3. Yamaha 259 4. Suzuki 259 5. Kawasaki 140 6. Petronas 4

RACE REPORT 06/08/2006 Parkes and Curtain make a perfect day for Yamaha Germany   Broc Parkes   

Broc Parkes scored an exemplary start to finish win at Brands Hatch today as team-mate Kevin Curtain moved to the top of the championship table in Yamaha Motor Germany's second successive one-two finish.

Starting from pole position Parkes was able to fend off early challenges from Honda team-mates Sebastien Charpentier and Kenan Sofuoglu before consistently pulling away to win by almost two seconds at the end of a tough 23 lap race.

For the second year in a row Curtain found himself crowded out at the first corner and resigned to fighting his way through the pack. The veteran Australian ended the first lap in seventh but carved his way through the field, setting a new lap record on lap five and joining the leading trio on lap four. After sitting behind Charpentier and Sofuoglu for the mid section of the race, Curtain took second place with an audacious move around Sofuoglu as they entered the daunting Paddock Hill bend for the 20th time. Curtain's 20 points takes him onto equal points with Charpentier, who slipped back to sixth at the chequered flag. Both men are tied on 131 points, with Parkes moving right back into the title chase - just 12 points behind the leading duo with eight of the 12 races run.

Massimo Roccoli   

Yamaha's other competitors had a tough day at Brands Hatch. Misano winner Massimo Roccoli had been part of the group battling it out behind the leaders but was forced to settle for ninth after struggling for grip in the latter laps. His Yamaha Team Italia colleague Gianluca Vizziello ran in 11th for much of the race but was forced to pull in due to sickness. The Italian was suffering from a fever and decided to pull in on safety grounds after 14 laps. Yamaha GMT94's David Checa finished an unusually low 21st, suffering from a crash sustained in Friday's qualifying session.

Parkes' win also takes Yamaha to within nine points of Honda in the manufacturer's championship in the latest YZF-R6's first year of world supersport competition.

The series now takes a one month break, before resuming at the historic Assen circuit in the Netherlands on 3 September.

Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) "That was the perfect win for me. I knew that I didn't want to be playing around in a battle with these guys so I got my head down and tried to break away. It's not always easy when you've got a bit of a lead and although the bike ran perfectly I could hear all these imaginary engine noises in my head! I tried not to think about the win too much and just ran the laps down like it was a practice session. There's still a third of the season to go, at four tracks that I like, and with only a 12 points between me and Kevin I'm right back in the championship. It's between the three of us for the title now and I can't wait until Assen."

Kevin Curtain   

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) "I got a bad start again and I wasn't sure if I could mow them down or not. In the end I was able to get the Hondas, but unfortunately by the time I got past Kenan I couldn't catch Broc on that other Yamaha! That said, I'm delighted with the result today. We had a few bad results from the middle of the season but we are right back on track now. Everything's level in the championship so it is back in our own hands again."

Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia) "I made a good start only to lose three or four places when I made a mistake at Druids on the first lap. I was with the second group and tried hard to get to the front but the bike started sliding around and I couldn't push as hard as I wanted. By the end by front tyre was sliding around too so I could only think about the championship and bring it home for as many points as possible."

Gianluca Vizziello (Yamaha Team Italia) "I have had a high temperature all weekend but tried to push as hard as I could in the race. It was going ok but in one lap I just felt all the power drain out of my body and I decided that it was safer to pull in than trying to continue."

Terrell Thien (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor Germany) "This is a great result for the whole team, who have worked so hard over the past few months. Since the Misano race we have brought in a few new working practices and, as a result, everyone is working better together. We've been able to make some small improvements to the bikes, in the suspension and engine, and our tyres worked very well today too. Broc made a smart decision by going for a harder rear tyre, which proved to be very consistent over the whole race. Kevin has a smoother style and chose the softer option, and would probably have been able to run a similar race to Broc if he hadn't had to come back from a bad start. Now our team can have a well earned week's holiday before the next race in Assen."

Circuit Length: 4197 Temp: 29 Crowd: 115,000 Weather: Sunny     2006 WSS Brands Hatch 06/08/2006 Race 1 - 23 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 34'27.306 2 Kevin Curtain Yamaha AUS 0'1.758 3 Kenan Sofuoglu Honda TUR 0'2.088 4 Robbin Harms Honda DNK 0'12.146 5 Cal Crutchlow Honda GBR 0'12.309 6 Sebastien Charpentier Honda FRA 0'12.570 7 Stephane Chambon Kawasaki FRA 0'15.144 8 Gianluca Nannelli Ducati ITA 0'16.848 9 Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 0'17.058 10 Leon Camier Honda GBR 0'17.380 11 Johan Stigefelt Honda SWE 0'19.834 12 Yoann Tibero Honda FRA 0'20.967 13 Maxime Berger Kawasaki FRA 0'21.597 14 Mauro Sanchini Yamaha ITA 0'24.048 15 Barry Veneman Suzuki NED 0'25.071

Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Kevin Curtain Yamaha AUS 1'29.074

 Rider Standings 06/08/2006

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Kevin Curtain Yamaha AUS 131 2. Sebastien Charpentier Honda FRA 131 3. Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 119 4. Robbin Harms Honda DNK 87 5. Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 78 6. Kenan Sofuoglu Honda TUR 67 7. Yoann Tibero Honda FRA 67 8. Johan Stigefelt Honda SWE 57 9. Xavi Fores Yamaha ESP 49 10. Gianluca Vizziello Yamaha ITA 37 11. David Checa Yamaha ESP 29 12. Simone Sanna Honda ITA 27 13. Katsuaki Fujiwara Honda JPN 22 14. Joshua Brookes Ducati AUS 21 15. Christian Zaiser Ducati AUT 21

Manufacturer Standings 06/08/2006

Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Honda 177 2. Yamaha 168 3. Ducati 48 4. Kawasaki 44 5. Suzuki 12

RACE REPORT 06/08/2006 Corti fourth in Brands Hatch thriller   Claudio Corti   

Yamaha Team Italia youngster Claudio Corti overcame a bad start to take fourth place in today's sixth round of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup at Brands Hatch.

After qualifying in seventh place, Corti found himself down in tenth at the end of the first lap. The 19-year-old European Superstock 600 champion set about cutting through the field on his YZF-R1 SP. By lap nine of the 15 lap race Corti had slotted into fourth place but, with the leaders three seconds ahead, he was unable to challenge for a podium placing.

Early in the race it was Australian Brendon Roberts (Suzuki) and Spaniard Ivan Silva (Kawasaki) who took turns at leading, only to slip back in the order after making mistakes. That left Alessandro Polita (Suzuki) to battle with MV Agusta riders Ayrton Badovini and Luca Scassa in an all-Italian punch up at the front. The three passed and repassed each other throughout the race, with all three remarkably making it to the finish line - Scassa taking the honours from Polita and Badovini. Corti brought his YZF-R1 SP home in fourth, six seconds behind the leader, to move himself up to retain fourth in the championship. Polita continues to lead the series, six points clear of Badovini and a further 13 ahead of third-placed Scassa.

Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) "I made a good start but lost some positions when I touched with Rocamora going into the first corner. That left me about three seconds behind the leading group and although I could run the same times as them the gap was too much to catch up. Overall though I am happy with the result. I have scored some good points and we have been able to make some changes to the set-up which has helped me to overcome the traction problems I have had in earlier races."

Circuit Length: 4197 Temp: 24 Crowd: 115,000 Weather: Sunny     2006 Superstock Brands Hatch 06/08/2006 Race 1 - 15 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Luca Scassa MV Agusta ITA 22'48.907 2 Alessandro Polita Suzuki ITA 0'0.449 3 Ayrton Badovini MV Agusta ITA 0'0.583 4 Claudio Corti Yamaha ITA 0'6.200 5 Denis Sacchetti Kawasaki ITA 0'7.829 6 Enrique Rocamora Yamaha ESP 0'7.904 7 Brendan Roberts Suzuki AUS 0'10.196 8 Sheridan Morais Suzuki RSA 0'12.933 9 Ivan Silva Kawasaki ESP 0'14.474 10 Loic Napoleone Suzuki FRA 0'14.520 11 Guy Sanders Kawasaki GBR 0'14.973 12 Richard Cooper Honda GBR 0'15.055 13 Ilario Dionisi Yamaha ITA 0'15.254 14 Matteo Baiocco Yamaha ITA 0'15.329 15 Nick Henderson Suzuki AUS 0'20.965

Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Ayrton Badovini MV Agusta ITA 1'30.037

 Rider Standings 06/08/2006

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Alessandro Polita Suzuki ITA 115 2. Ayrton Badovini MV Agusta ITA 109 3. Luca Scassa MV Agusta ITA 96 4. Claudio Corti Yamaha ITA 65 5. Enrique Rocamora Yamaha ESP 55 6. Denis Sacchetti Kawasaki ITA 45 7. Riccardo Chiarello Kawasaki ITA 43 8. Matteo Baiocco Yamaha ITA 38 9. Richard Cooper Honda GBR 34 10. Alex Martinez Mas Kawasaki ESP 30 11. Sheridan Morais Suzuki RSA 29 12. Ivan Silva Kawasaki ESP 27 13. Ilario Dionisi Yamaha ITA 25 14. Loic Napoleone Suzuki FRA 24 15. Danilo Dell'omo Suzuki ITA 23

Manufacturer Standings 06/08/2006

Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Suzuki 124 2. MV Agusta 118 3. Yamaha 83 4. Kawasaki 78 5. Honda 35