It’s the first day of the IDM round at the TT Circuit in Assen, and Florian Alt already knows this: No matter how good his lap times are in free practice and qualifying, he’ll start from the back of the grid in both IDM Superbike races on Sunday on his Wilbers BMW. That’s what the rules say.
The reason for this is that the current second-place rider in the premier class is using his fourth engine at Assen instead of one of the three generally permitted engines. Because Alt has been plagued by bad luck so far this season, three of his engines are already worn out or not in optimal condition. Most recently in Schleiz, the 26-year-old lined up with the still-functional—but also the weakest—engine from his available collection. On the straights, championship leader Markus Reiterberger pulled away from him in plain sight.
Things can’t go on like this. That’s why the next engine will be installed in the Wilbers BMW at Assen, which means Florian Alt has to bite the bullet and start from the back of the grid. The engine will be broken in during free practice. Despite the unfavorable starting position, there’s only one goal for Sunday’s races: “The podium.”