Ilya Mikhalchik (BCC ALPHA VAN ZON BMW RACING TEAM) will start from pole position in the first Superbike race tomorrow, Sunday. Joining him on the front row are the usual suspects: Florian Alt (Holzhauer Racing Promotion) and Hannes Soomer (Enemat Enos Motorsport).
Following Ilya Mikhalchik’s crashes, his team boss Werner Daemen—who is no stranger to success—has written off the championship title in Germany’s top motorcycle racing class. The plan was for the Ukrainian to come, win, and become Superbike champion for the fourth time in his career. But even Mikhalchik has his weaknesses. Now it all comes down to individual results.
With a 0.262-second lead, he secured pole position on the BMW M 1000 RR at Most ahead of Florian Alt on the Honda CBR 1000 RR-R. The German, in turn, was three-tenths of a second behind his brand-mate Hannes Soomer from Estonia.
Toni Finsterbusch (GERT56, BMW) will start from the second row and described his qualifying performance as “rock-solid,” even though he knows full well that he’s at his best in the braking zone. Next to him is his teammate Patrick Hobelsberger. “That’s good for the first corner,” nods team boss Karsten Wolf, “that’s where it gets critical, and the further up the grid you are, the better.” He’s also certain that tomorrow, the only way to win is to manage tire wear the best. According to forecasts, temperatures are expected to climb even higher on Sunday. And then, whoever manages their tires skillfully will have the advantage.
Leandro Mercado (Kawasaki Weber Motos Racing Team) is back in action. “Unfortunately, I missed two races and, of course, lost a lot of time during which we could have made progress. At the Sachsenring, I managed to complete ten laps before my crash. That’s what we’re missing now,” says the Argentine, who nevertheless remains committed to his goal of finishing in the top 5.
In the second qualifying session, the Hertrampf Yamaha Racing team—with Vladimir Leonov and Daniel Kartheininger—managed to improve their times despite even higher temperatures. Between Q1 and Q2, adjustments to the electronics and suspension settings helped bring more stability to the bikes. Nevertheless, the team is keeping expectations in check. “We’re not racing for the podium tomorrow,” the team says, but adds that Leonov could secure a spot in the top five. In any case, a Pirelli tire battle is expected on the very demanding and bumpy track in the Czech Republic.
IDM Superbike Qualifying
1. Ilya MIKHALCHIK (UKR/BMW)
2. Florian ALT (GER/Honda)
3. Hannes SOOMER (EST/Honda)
4. Toni FINSTERBUSCH (GER/BMW)
5. Patrick HOBELSBERGER (GER/BMW)
6. Bastien MACKELS (BEL/Yamaha)
7. Leandro MERCADO (ARG/Kawasaki)
8. Vladimir LEONOV (UAE/Yamaha)
9. Daniel KARTHEININGER (GER/Yamaha)
10. Balint KOVACS (HUN/BMW)