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Michael van der Mark - Phillip Island

VAN DER MARK READY FOR PHILLIP ISLAND OPENER

  |   News Racing

The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team concluded a positive preseason at the two-day official test in Phillip Island on Tuesday as Michael van der Mark ended the two-day test in seventh position. Van der Mark is keen to get his 2019 WorldSBK campaign off to a flying start with a strong performance in Australia this weekend. Michael was a regular frontrunner in 2018, taking two race wins and 10 podiums on his way to finishing third in the championship standings and, after a solid winter test program, he heads into the new season determined to repeat, or even improve upon, this success.

The opening round of the 2019 WorldSBK season gets underway at 10.30 local time on Friday 22nd February with Free Practice. On Sunday morning the riders will contest the first ever Tissot Superpole Race, a 10-lap sprint to decide the grid for Sunday afternoon’s WorldSBK Race 2.

Michael van der Mark – Pata Yamaha WorldSBK: “I was quite happy with the test here in Phillip Island, especially as we were able to make a step forward and improve quite a lot on the second day after trying a lot of things on the bike. The main thing for us was to work on a strategy to save the rear tyre because the races here are quite long and this track is particularly hard on the rear. It’s a big challenge, but one that the electronics can help us with considerably. We are ready for the weekend ahead and I’m looking forward to racing again after a winter of testing. Testing is one thing but racing is always different and I can’t wait to line up on the grid for the first race of the 2019 season here in Phillip Island.”