The FIM Superbike World Championship arrives for the first time in its history at the Cremona Circuit to compete in the Italian round that will take place next weekend. The Cremona Circuit thus becomes the seventh Italian circuit to host the World Championship for production-derived bikes.
For the Superbike class, Pirelli has decided to keep in the allocation the development innovations for the dry tyres that made their debut in the last round at Magny-Cours, in France: the front SC1, in specification D0715, which differs from the standard version in terms of structure, and the rear SCX, in specification D0820, which has a new compound compared to the standard solution.
GIORGIO BARBIER INGLESE: “The Cremona round is a great opportunity to get further feedback on the two development solutions introduced at Magny-Cours, the front SC1 in D0715 specification and the rear SCX in D0820 specification, taking advantage of the fact that the riders still have the sensations they had in France and can put them to the test on a different track. Such a close comparison is very useful for us to consolidate data on new solutions and define future development. Having received positive feedback from the riders at their first contact with the new options, we also felt it was important to give the teams some continuity, so as to offer them a good choice on a circuit that has some unknowns. Cremona is in fact a circuit that we know well, if only because it is located an hour’s drive from our headquarters in Milan, but we have never raced there with the Superbikes of the World Championship and, in preparation for this important event, it has undergone considerable improvements. Already in the two tests that were carried out, one in mid-May and the other in mid-June, we found that the track, as often happens in these cases, still needs a bit of break-in to reach the optimal level of grip. This means that in the first sessions we could witness accentuated wear and tear that will then fall within the parameters we are used to over the weekend, as the track cleans and rubbers.”
KEEP AN EYE ON
· Development SC1 and SCX: again, for the Cremona races Pirelli offers the allocation of the two development options introduced in the Magny-Cours round, namely the front SC1 in specification D0715 and the rear SCX in specification D0820, both in quantities of 8 units each. For the front, 8 units of the standard SC1 and 6 of the SC2 will also be available, while for the rear there will be 8 units of standard SCX and 4 units of both SC0 and SCQ, the latter reserved for qualifying and the Superpole Race. In case of rain, the riders will have 3 units of Intermediate tyres and 8 of SCR1 tyres, both for the front and rear.
· WorldSSP allocation: all the solutions chosen for this class are represented by standard tyres. For the front, each rider will have 7 units of SC1 and 6 of SC2 available, while for the rear there will be 7 units of SCX and 6 of SC0.
· Wear and track evolution: in recent months, the circuit has undergone important changes, with some revised corners and the increase in total length up to the current 3,768 metres. Since the end of these works, not many motorsport events have taken place on the track, so the surface could be not yet “rubberized” perfectly. This means that the patina of rubber that integrates into the grain of the asphalt with the passage of motorcycles and cars and that contributes to increasing grip has not yet formed. With the intense activity expected from Friday’s practice, and the consequent cleaning and rubberization of the track, the situation is destined to evolve over the weekend.