Following a perfect weekend at Round Four of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Kawasaki Racing Team head to Imola with a positive spirit and the hope they can continue to build on their 2017 form. Securing a 1-2 finish in both races at TT Circuit Assen, the Barcelona-based team are on an unstoppable run so far this season.
Heading to Autodromo Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola – a circuit both riders have won at in the past – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) are hoping to get their bike set-up secured early on in the weekend in order to secure a fast pace for the all important Race One.
Leading the championship by 64 points, Rea is looking forward to the warmer weather which is bound to greet riders and hopes he can improve on his 2016 performance around the Italian circuit. Last taking the victory at the circuit in 2015, he will hope to repeat this heading to the Motul Italian Round.
“I enjoy the track and the atmosphere at Imola,” states Rea. “It is normally the first round in Europe where we see the nice weather. After the last few races everything has been going in the right way. We faced a really difficult Imola last season and had many challenges, but this year our bike has been even more competitive – so I am excited to see how the ZX-10RR works there. We will just go about our plan and try to make a good package for both races. Our bike is working in a much bigger window than last year and that gives me a lot of confidence.”
Taking six podium finishes out of eight races this season, Sykes is also looking to Imola full of optimism whilst he continues to shake off the illness which has hampered the British rider in the previous rounds.
Ready to bring the fight to the historic circuit, Sykes adds: “I have had some improvement in my physical condition in the run up to Imola so fingers crossed we can do a bit better job. I do feel like things have improved, hopefully now we are headed in the right way. Overall I am really looking forward to Imola and we have had some good success there in the past. With recent events I am quietly confident we can try and make a strong race weekend this time. We have a good package so we will definitely be there for the fight.”