English
Italiano
Yet another double for Team Kawasaki SBK that once again placed one-two with its British riders Johnny Rea and Tom Sykes, in what was practically a photo finish, one more demonstration of the balance (and rivalry) between the two riders who have dominated the championship since the start of the season.
After 21 tough laps, the two Kawasaki men closed what was an extremely tight battle, crossing the line well ahead of third-placed Van Der Mark with the Honda.
Winner Rea was very happy with the result, seeing as he hadn't won for several races, but was also surprised: “To be honest, I didn't expect to win here, also because at the end the tyres were destroyed, it was hot and so the track temperature had gone up; it was a tough battle with Tom”.
Could you feel the pressure with Tom behind you?
“No, at a certain point I wanted him to pass me to see the kind of pace we could keep and I have to say that he was strong through certain points of the track but our pace was the same. At Misano there are some very fast points and I was holding the line and braking easily”.
So you were fast but also tactical?
“In reality we were both on the limit, we couldn't do any more and Tom has the same problems as me. I made some laps in the high 1'36s to conserve the tyres, but it was difficult because I no longer had any grip and so I'm both surprised and pleased with this win”.
Tom Sykes, in second place, appeared capable of passing his teammate and getting away, but at the end of the race he had to settle for what was nevertheless a precious podium...“I'm quite happy with the bike's performance, but I didn't win, even if we were very consistent throughout the whole race, perhaps I should have tried to pass Johnny at the start and dictate the pace."
Did you have tyre problems?
“The tyres were pretty much done on the surface, but there was enough rubber left, the team did a great job and the performance of the two Kawasakis was excellent today. Let's not forget the improvements that we've made in recent races, at tracks that are all very different to each other”.
Could you have won in the end?
“Yes, probably, if I'd attacked Rea during the first laps, I would have won the race and so I'm a little disappointed about that”.
Photo: Costantino Di Domenico
