Round 06 #CZEWorldSbk TISSOT CZECH ROUND
August 4, 2021
Round 06 #CZEWorldSbk SUPERPOLE & RACE 1
August 7, 2021
The sixth Superbike World Championship round officially opened today at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic, with Team HRC taking part in the first timed practice sessions with Alvaro Bautista.
This morning saw the Superbike field head out for its first practice at what is a new circuit for almost everyone, Most having never featured on the WorldSBK calendar before now.
Conditions remained ideal this morning, the weather dry and not too hot. Bautista used the opening session to familiarise himself with the layout of the Czech track and start to make modifications to the set-up of his CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES. By the end of this phase, Bautista was lying eighth with a time of 1’34.085, just over four tenths off a provisional front row spot.
A light rain unfortunately affected the afternoon’s second session, the majority of the riders opting to remain in the garage before heading out with around 15 minutes left to run. Despite having lost out on a good part of the practice, Team HRC attempted to make the most of the remaining track time, but it was of course the morning’s lap times, recorded in dry conditions, that remained the quickest of this opening day.
Alvaro Bautista #19
“Today was spent discovering a new track and I must say I really like it. Even though I raced here twenty years ago, I had no clear memories of the layout and I didn’t expect it to be so enjoyable. It’s quite fast except for the first chicane, which is the only part I don’t like because it’s very tight and the asphalt is quite bumpy and worn. That sector is nothing like the rest of the track. So this morning we worked to try and find good feeling. We were lacking something in terms of our turning and rear grip but we had clear ideas to try in the afternoon. Unfortunately, as soon as we went out for the first run in FP2, the rain began and disrupted our plans. I eventually made a few laps in the wet but with those conditions the track has no grip at all and the bike was spinning a lot. Anyway, the weather forecast looks better for tomorrow so we will use the third free practice to work to improve before the Superpole and Race 1”.
