Riders from six countries and all four participating motorcycle brands in the top ten: that’s how the first qualifying session in the IDM Superbike 1000 turned out. Leading the pack is Marc Moser, the surprise standout from Oschersleben so far, riding the Yamaha for the Bonovo Action by MGM Racing team. Florian Alt (Wilbers-BMW-Racing) posted the second-fastest time in Q1. Two-time IDM Superbike champion Ilya Mikhalchik (EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW) briefly led the timesheets but was then relegated to third place.
“At some point, I saw on the pit board what was happening behind me,” Moser said afterward. “My lap timer wasn’t working. At first, I had no idea where I stood.” The Frankfurt native reported that he initially took to the track on Pirelli SC1 tires, and later switched to the SCX. “With those, I was another second faster than yesterday.” Moser had already dominated impressively in free practice.
He attributes his success to improvements made to the wheelie control system. “It doesn’t hold me back anymore—it actually slows me down. The front wheel lifts slightly, and then the system kicks in.” Moser has also been working on his own technique, specifically “my posture coming out of corners.”
For BMW rival Ilya Mikhalchik, who is hungry for victory, the third-fastest practice time is not at all to his liking. But team manager Werner Daemen reports that the entire team has only tested once in Spain: all four of the team’s riders (Ilya Mikhalchik, Jan Mohr, Pepijn Bijsterbosch, Tim Eby) on three motorcycles. “We still have so much to do.” And then there’s the quarantine when Daemen heads home. In Belgium, he’ll have to wait ten days before he can get back to work.
Results of the 1st IDM SBK 1000 Qualifying Session
1. Marc MOSER (D/Yamaha)
2. Florian ALT (D/BMW)
3. Ilya MIKHALCHIK (UKR/BMW)
4. Valentin DEBISE (F/Kawasaki)
5. Dominic SCHMITTER (CH/Yamaha)
6. Bastien MACKELS (B/Yamaha)
7. Luca GRÜNWALD (D/BMW)
8. Marco FETZ (D/BMW)
9. Alessandro POLITA (I/Honda)
10. Phillipp STEINMAYR (D/Yamaha)