The heat is on for Team HRC at Mandalika, Indonesia

The thirteenth and final round of the 2021 Superbike World Championship is underway at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia, with Team HRC getting its first taste of this brand-new track during the day’s first practice sessions.

In the hot and humid conditions (air 35°C, track 62°) typical of south-east Asian racetracks, factory riders Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista eventually got going during the first of the day’s timed practices after a short delay, a knock-on effect of a delayed start to the earlier IATC practice. 

While the riders started to get to grips with this new layout, the technicians began to adapt the set-up of the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE to the Indonesian track. Bautista made a good start, setting a 1’37.084 to place sixth at the end of this first session. 

Haslam finished a little further back, the fastest time of 1’37.423, placing him twelfth. Having undergone surgery on his bicep, the British rider has been deemed fit to compete here in Indonesia but is still working to rebuild his strength.

Although black clouds threatened rain before the second session, conditions remained dry for the duration, with lap times tumbling right across the board and the frontrunners from session one improving on their references by more than a second. 

Team HRC continued its work to equip both bike and rider with the necessary tools to perform at this new circuit, and significant progress was made on both sides of the garage, particularly in the final stages. 

Both riders took a big step forward in the last minutes, each improving on their FP1 times by more than 2.5 seconds and projecting themselves into an auspicious fourth and sixth place, Bautista with a 1’34.460, just ahead of Haslam, who set a 1’34.601.

Quotes

Alvaro Bautista 19

P4 

“Riding at Mandalika is much fun, the track offering a bit of everything, with solid braking and fast corners. There are still a couple of places where I don’t have a clear idea of the best reference points, but generally, it’s a fun track. 

This morning we lacked a little grip, primarily through turn one and another couple of corners, but the conditions gradually improved, and we set some good times in the afternoon. 

We worked on the gearbox, and the feeling was positive. And we have two rear tyres for the race, but choosing is difficult because the track will change again tomorrow. 

It’s just a shame I didn’t digest my food well between sessions, as this left me with stomachache both during FP2 and afterwards when I got off the bike. 

Stomachache and a headache that I hope will disappear quickly after some rest so that I can be one hundred per cent tomorrow and ready to take full advantage of this enjoyable track with our bike”.

Leon Haslam 91

P6 

“The situation with my shoulder is frustrating because it looks like the circuit suits the Honda, and I’m enjoying the track, but I need to be able to do 21 laps and not just one. 

Unfortunately, I’m in some pain after surgery, so we need to plan with the Clinica to see how we can manage the situation this weekend. 

That said, today’s lap times aren’t bad, and we’re just a few tenths from the front, time that I think we’re losing through the last two corners. 

So I feel competitive over most of the lap, and now we’ll see what we can do tomorrow. 

The layout and flow of the circuit are great, and the Honda likes this kind of track, as I’ve said, so it can be an exciting and enjoyable one for us, shoulder depending”.

Free Practices Combined Results after FP2