Haga returns to scene of double triumph

From Yamaha Racing

The World Superbike Championship moves from the classic circuit of Assen to an even more historic one - Monza - for the fifth round of the series this Sunday.

Built in 1922, as first a speed bowl and then a fast parkland circuit, Monza is the oldest permanent race circuit in Europe still in regular use. A combination of flat out straights, similarly quick corners, a variety of chicanes and intense braking areas make Monza a unique stop on the WSB trail, especially as its Italian parkland cousin Imola is no longer on the calendar.

For the Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team, Monza is its literal home base, with the Lesmo corners at the north of the track situated very close to the squad's race workshops in Gerno di Lesmo.

Team riders Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser are proven winners at Monza, with Haga particularly keen to see lighting strike twice again at his team's home round. Last year Haga took his YZF-R1 to a magnificent double win, reasserting himself as a serious title challenger before going on to finish two points from the title itself.

After a sometimes difficult start to this year, Haga is currently sixth overall, with a win and a second place to his credit.

Top placed Yamaha rider is the vastly experienced Corser, who is third in the championship after scoring three podiums so far. Corser won at Monza in 2005.

The team has tested at Monza in 2008, but its two-day session was virtually washed out by torrential rain.

"We have had some small problems in the past races but as far as the season goes I would say we can mark ourselves as eight out of 10," Corser said. "Although I haven't won a race yet I am still sort of up there in the championship standings, in third right now. My form is good and my motivation is still high and I just try as hard as I can to win races.

"I like Monza. The track itself is different from all the others on the calendar. We need to have the bike set-up for hard braking after the long and fast straights and there will be a lot of slipstreaming involved. Overtaking options are limited around there, mainly on braking."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Team YZF) enters the Monza round 21st in the rankings, but Yamaha GMT94 rider Davide Checa will not be able to race after dislocating his hip at Assen. Twenty-year-old regular AMA Supersport rider Michael Beck, from California, will replace Checa at Monza. The team hopes that Checa will return for the Salt Lake WSB round, on June 1.

Yamaha GMT94 regular Sebastien Gimbert will be out to add to his points scores in Australia, at a Monza circuit he has previous experience of.