VAN DER MARK SATISFIED AFTER FIRST PRACTICE DAY AT PORTIMAO
Michael van der Mark is determined to repeat and even improve on his podium performance from the previous round in Jerez, and challenge for victory at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve during the third FIM Superbike World Championship round this weekend. The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team with Rizla pairing threw down the gauntlet during Free Practice 1 by delivering a team 1-2 at the top of the timesheets in the first 50-minute session of the day, with Michael in second place.
Van der Mark, whose quickest lap was a 1’42.722, focused solely on bike set-up with used tyres during the afternoon session to finish sixth overall. Both riders recorded among the highest top speeds of the field on the undulating start-finish straight – 312.3kph for Van der Mark (third) and 314.1kph for Razgatlıoğlu (second).
Michael van der Mark: P6 – 1’42.722 – Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team: “I’m quite happy with the bike now, and already from the start it felt quite good. We were struggling a little bit on corner entry and this morning we couldn’t really find the solution. In the afternoon, during the session we made a big change on the front of the bike and immediately I felt a lot better, I could stop the bike and this was what I was looking for from the R1. There are still some areas to improve, but to be honest my pace in the afternoon, after this morning, I was quite happy with it and the feeling of the bike means I can ride it easily and focus on the areas we have to improve.”