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SBK, Haslam: “The fall was my fault. I hope it rains tomorrow.”

“I had some problems with the rear, but I pushed hard anyway.With the rain, given the times, I’ll get on the podium. If it’s sunny tomorrow, it’ll be difficult for us to make a new set-up. It’s the first time we’ve raced on this circuit.”

SBK: Haslam: “The fall was my fault. I hope it rains tomorrow.”

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Leon Haslam wanted to risk it. There was very little to lose in terms of points and standings and so, in the final stages of a very wet Race 1 at Magny Cours, the Honda HRC rider attempted to overtake Toprak Razgatlioglu. The result, however, was a violent highside. Razgatlioglu said he saw that the Honda had problems with the rear throughout the race and that, when you tried to pass him, he thought you couldn’t do it without falling. Is that how it went?

The fall was all my fault. I knew I had problems, and I pushed too hard anyway. Throughout the race, I had to manage the rear and entering corners. When I fell, my speed was the same, the angle was different. Luckily, I landed on my head, my body is safe,” he said laughing.

But a 5th place wouldn’t have been bad, considering that you started in 11th.

I had started in the back and, for the whole race, I had to manage the bike, so I would have been happy with a fifth place, but in the last three laps, I was the fastest rider on the track. The Superpole didn’t go well today. The conditions were clearly not wet, and there were several tire choices among the riders. My best time in wet conditions was a second faster than what I did in the Superpole.

What could your strategy be for tomorrow’s race? Would you like it to be sunny?

I’d prefer the rain because for us, at Honda, it would be more difficult now to make a new set-up for dry conditions because this is the first time we’re here with this bike. If it rains, I think I’ll get  on the podium given my last laps.

 

Translated by Leila Myftija
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