Superbike

After being forced to DNF in the first race at Donington today, Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio rebounded superbly to take a gritty seventh in the second 23-lapper.

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio, just missed out on a second row grid spot and will now start tomorrow’s pair of 23-lap races from the third row of the grid. But the Italian is happy with his central position on the grid and is confident of getting a good start in the two races.

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio finished the first day of practice and qualifying with the 17th fastest time of the day, knowing that improvement will have to follow tomorrow. Conditions were surprisingly good for this time of the year at Donington and the circuit was blessed with sunshine for most of the day.

The last time Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio raced at Donington Park circuit was two years ago in 2009. He finished on the podium then, so will be looking for more of the same when he and the rest of the WSBK regulars return this coming weekend.

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio took a superb sixth place in the first race of the opening round of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island today. But even more encouraging was the fact that Michel was able to battle for a podium place until his tyres started to go off, four laps from the end.

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio missed out on a second row grid position by only one tenth of a second in Superpole today at Phillip Island. It was fellow countryman Marco Melandri (Yamaha) who just pushed Michel out of Superpole 2 and on to row three of the grid. But Michel is happy with all the work that he and the team had done today and is looking forward to tomorrow’s races, confident of good results.

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio ended the opening day of the new Superbike World Championship season with the seventh fastest time in a very close qualifying session. If he had lapped just three tenths of a second quicker he would’ve ended up second quickest! Before the day started, Michel and Team Suzuki Alstare knew that this year’s championship would be the toughest ever, but to be so competitive on day one is a boost to everybody in the team and a huge encouragement ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying and Superpole.

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio ended the two day tests in Phillip Island with the seventh quickest overall time, but felt he could’ve gone much faster. Throughout the two days, which took place in a variety of weather conditions, Michel suffered from front end chatter and was unable to push as hard as he would’ve liked. More time on a softer front tyre would’ve helped but, as that was not a possibility, he just had to soldier on and do the best he could.

The first official WSBK tests of the 2011 season at the Autodromo do Algarve, in Portimao, were blighted by poor weather throughout the three days. And so Suzuki Alstare and the rest of the teams present were unable to carry out as much work as expected.

The cold temperatures meant that once the rain had fallen the track never fully dried out and so all the fast times were set on day one - the only dry track time of the three days. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio started the tests with his GSX-R1000 more or less as it was in the previous tests in November and he and the team continued to work on getting a good feeling with the bike before pushing hard.

Despite bad weather throughout the two days of tests in Portimao, Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio left the track in a positive frame of mind and happy with his continuing understanding of the GSX R1000 bike and his new team.

Former Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio has rejoined the team and will spearhead their attack on the 2011 Superbike World Championship next year. Michel is no stranger, having raced for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra in the 2003 European Superstock Championship, taking four wins and winning the title in the process.

Although Imola saw Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam unable to take the fight for the 2010 Superbike World Championship to Magny-Cours , it did however confirm that he would be vice champion. No matter how the results ended in Magny-Cours, third placed Jonathan Rea could not have got anywhere close to Leon’s points tally and so runner-up spot was assured.