In stark contrast to the fast and flowing Phillip Island Circuit in Australia which hosted the WorldSBK season opener, the venue for round 2, Chang International Circuit, is a relatively flat circuit with a tight infield section mixed with hard braking and acceleration zones. The high ambient and track temperatures and sweltering humidity also makes the Thailand WorldSBK round a stern test for both man and machine.
Rising to the challenge this weekend, both Camier and Gagne are primed for another strong result after scoring points in both races in the season opener riding the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2. Although Camier has plenty of experience at the Thai circuit since its inception on the WorldSBK calendar back in 2015, this weekend will be Gagne’s first visit to the Asian venue.
The first WorldSBK session of the weekend, Free Practice 1, gets underway on Friday at 09:45 local time (GMT +7) with the two races scheduled to start at 16:00 on Saturday and Sunday.
Leon Camier 2
I had a good first round at Phillip Island with the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team and I’m looking to continue that in Thailand this weekend. It’s a completely different kind of track compared to Phillip Island and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Fireblade and I get on this weekend. The team and I will continue to work on things to make the bike more competitive and I can’t wait to get going again.
Jake Gagne 45
Thailand will be another new track for me to learn but it’s been a long wait between races and I can’t wait to get back on track with the team and continue our progress. The track layout and weather will be a lot different to what we had in Australia but it’s all great experience for me to get more familiar with the Fireblade and the team. I’ll be going out there looking to improve and score more points this time around.
Kervin Bos
It has been a long break since Phillip Island but we’ve been keeping very busy preparing for this race and the rest of the season. The riders have shown us at Phillip Island that the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 has great potential and at Buriram we hope to unlock more of that potential this weekend. Both riders and the whole team are highly motivated heading into the Thailand round, so we hope to have another strong result and continue to build our momentum.
Thai RoundChang International Circuit, Thailand
WorldSBK 2018, Round 2
| # | Rider | Num | Nationality Nat. | Points Pts. | Team | Constructor Constr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco MELANDRI | 33 | ITA | 50 | Aruba.it Racing | Ducati |
| 2 | Tom SYKES | 66 | GBR | 33 | Kawasaki Racing Team | Kawasaki |
| 3 | Jonathan REA | 65 | GBR | 31 | Kawasaki Racing Team | Kawasaki |
| 4 | Xavi FORES | 12 | SPA | 29 | BARNI Racing Team | Ducati |
| 5 | Alex LOWES | 22 | GBR | 21 | Pata Yamaha | Yamaha |
| 6 | Leon CAMIER | 2 | GBR | 19 | Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team | Honda |
| 7 | Chaz DAVIES | 7 | GBR | 16 | Aruba.it Racing | Ducati |
| 8 | Michael VAN DER MARK | 60 | NDL | 16 | Pata Yamaha | Yamaha |
| 9 | Loris BAZ | 76 | FRA | 12 | Althea BMW Racing Team | BMW |
| 10 | Leandro MERCADO | 36 | ARG | 10 | IodaRacing Team | Aprilia |
| 11 | Eugene LAVERTY | 50 | GBR | 9 | Milwaukee Aprilia | Aprilia |
| 12 | Toprak RAZGATLIOGLU | 54 | TUR | 9 | Grillini Racing Team | Kawasaki |
| 13 | Jordi TORRES | 81 | SPA | 8 | Althea BMW Racing Team | BMW |
| 14 | Román RAMOS | 40 | SPA | 7 | Team Go Eleven | Kawasaki |
| 15 | Jake GAGNE | 45 | USA | 7 | Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team | Honda |
| 16 | PJ JACOBSEN | 99 | USA | 2 | Triple M Honda World Superbike Team | Honda |
| 17 | Ondrej JEZEK | 37 | CZE | 1 | Grillini Racing Team | Kawasaki |
