It was clear from the start that the new season wouldn't be easy for Sarah Heide. Last year, the IDM Superbike rider injured her knee in a bicycle crash in Assen, tearing her cruciate ligaments and meniscus. Nevertheless, the team had hoped for a better performance at the season opener in Oschersleben.
On her first day of training in the Magdeburg Börde region, Heide tested the new Kit electronics on the Suzuki GSX-R 1000. She also had to get used to the rear brake, which was specially developed for her and which she now operates with her left hand due to her knee injury.
A lot went wrong during qualifying. After two laps, Heide’s right leg gave out and went numb. Her lap times fell far short of her potential. They were only good enough for the 21st starting position. In the two races, the native of Saxony finished 17th and 19th.
Her conclusion:
“I had to admit to myself that my stamina was fading too quickly and that I wasn’t living up to my Suzuki’s potential. I gave it my all—unfortunately, that was all I could do.”
Team manager Stefan Laux added:
“It was hard to watch Sarah struggle and not make any progress, but sitting around isn’t going to make things any better either. The only solution here is riding practice. It’s hard to simulate the physical demands of riding a motorcycle in the gym. Next weekend, we’ll go out for more testing. We also still have a few issues to work out with the new electronics. I hope we’ll perform better at our next race in Oschersleben.”