The Honda WorldSBK Team has arrived at the Sepang International Circuit, where this weekend the sixth round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship takes place. Nicky Hayden and Michael van der Mark will attack the recently resurfaced Malaysian circuit aboard their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines, with the aim of mixing it up in the battle for honours in the two races, scheduled this Saturday and Sunday at 4pm local time (GMT+8).
Hayden is the rider on the WorldSBK grid with the most experience at Sepang, having raced there thirteen times in his MotoGP career. The American rider has yet to step on the podium in Malaysia, although his results there are nevertheless impressive: he was fourth on six occasions, four of them consecutively from his 2003 debut.
After winning the World Supersport race in style in 2014, Michael van der Mark wrapped up last year’s WorldSBK weekend at Sepang with a top-5 finish less than two tenths of a second ahead of former teammate Leon Haslam at the line. The 23-year-old Dutchman is eager to battle again for top positions, in order to try and increase his 2016 tally of four podiums.
Nicky Hayden 69
In Malaysia, motorcycle racing is becoming more and more popular, especially as motorcycles are increasingly being used as the main vehicle of transportation in the country. The track is one I know well: it’s big, long, wide and has a bit of everything. It’ll be interesting to try it again after the recent resurfacing and to see how the tyres will perform with the new asphalt, whether it’ll increase or lower the tyre wear and the general grip. This is a top-class venue and the event is always great fun for riders and fans, so I can’t wait to get started!
Michael van der Mark 60
I’m looking forward to Sepang and curious to try out the new track surface. The circuit has put together a great deal of work on resurfacing and reprofiling some of the corners. The new surface is much needed, as the old asphalt was a bit too bumpy last year. I’m confident that we will be able to return towards the front of the field, as last year the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP performed really well on this track. Compared to Imola, this is a completely different track and our base set-up should work well here. We are ready to get going and are hungry for some good results.
Pieter Breddels
Technical Manager
Sepang is a track that layout-wise suits the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, and the results we had in Thailand – a circuit that is in some ways similar to it – boosts our confidence for the weekend ahead. Last year’s results were not that bad and, knowing that the bike has improved considerably, we will surely be looking for more. With the new track surface and the different camber of some corners, things won’t be exactly the same but that applies to everyone. We have some small adjustments scheduled around the pivot point of the bike, but the base set-up of this year should work well there anyway, so hopefully we can build on from that and have a successful weekend in Malaysia.
