Team HRC rider Haslam takes on home track Donington, Bautista working hard to improve feeling
Team HRC is now in action at the Donington Park circuit in the UK, the stage for round four of the 2021 Superbike World Championship.
Riders Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam have taken part in the opening day’s free practice sessions, both of which played out in warm, dry conditions, although this may change tomorrow as rain is forecast over the weekend.
Working hard to find the best possible set-up for their CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES around the technical Leicestershire track, the factory riders completed a challenging but constructive first session, in which Haslam achieved a fastest time of 1’28.843 to finish the opening phase in seventh place, while Bautista’s best – a 1’29.932 – saw him position fourteenth.
During the afternoon’s second timed practice, the Team HRC riders continued their preparations ahead of the weekend’s three races and local rider Haslam rounded out the day in a solid eighth position overall. Bautista also shaved off several tenths to set a 1’29.568, which put him fifteenth at the day’s end.
Alvaro Bautista 19
"Today was an objectively difficult day and our position reflects this, because normally we are quite closer to the front group in terms of performance. We need to keep working on the set-up because right from the first few laps this morning I have been struggling to 'feel' the tyres. With this problem I can't push hard and exploit the potential of the bike. The changes we have tried haven't solved the issue yet, but at least we have done some exploratory work and now we will analyse the data and try to find a solution tomorrow”.
Leon Haslam 91
“Obviously I know this track very well, which is a benefit. We’ve not been here on the Honda, but my experience with different bikes here means I know where and how the bike should be turning and so I think we’ve highlighted a few areas where we need to improve. There’s no one specific thing we need to work on, it’s more a case of putting it all together to find a solid overall package. It’s been a tough day but also a very useful one, and now we have more idea as how to move forward”.
Location Information
Donington Park Circuit Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2RP, United Kingdom Donington Park
| POLE POSITION | LEFT |
| LENGHT | 4.023 Km |
| CORNERS | 12 |
| RIGHT CORNERS | 7 |
| LEFT CORNERS | 5 |
Records
| Pole Record | 1'24.629 (171,133 Km/h) T. Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR, 2024) |
| Race Record | 1'25.597 (169,198 Km/h) T. Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR, RC2, 2024) |
| All Time Record | 1'24.629 (171,133 Km/h) T. Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR, 2024) |
| 2024 Race 1 Winner | T. Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR) |
| 2024 Superpole Race Winner | T. Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR) |
| 2024 Race 2 Winner | T. Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR) |
