VAN DER MARK WARMS-UP FOR DEMANDING THAI ROUND
Pata Honda World Superbike rider Michael van der Mark got the ball rolling for round two of the 2015 championship season in Thailand by visiting one of the world’s most prestigious Honda dealerships in Bangkok. Before driving 400km north-east to the new Chang International Circuit at Buriram the heart of Thailand’s interior, the Pata Honda rider met fans and staff at the Honda BigWing store in the Thai capital. Like most of their rivals, Van der Mark hasn’t raced in Thailand before but he is eager to test his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machine around the Hermann Tilke-designed 4.554km circuit.
Weather conditions are likely to have a powerful effect on the riders at Buriram as temperatures over the race weekend are expected to be in the high thirties centigrade with humidity levels approaching 90%.
Michael van der Mark: “I really enjoy riding new tracks, especially ones where everyone is new to the circuit, so we’ll see who is fast and who gets the best set-up. I think we left Australia with a really good feeling, which was a really amazing experience for me where the bike felt really great. I know this weekend will be just as difficult but I’m looking forward to it because I’m usually quite fast at new tracks. I watched a few races on the internet and I think it’s a track that’ll really suit me because, from the videos I’ve seen, it looks really fast. Now I’m here, I just can’t wait to get out there and see how it is.”