PORTIMÃO - PORTUGAL - After two days of mixed sunshine and rain, race day was dry and warm the whole day. Warmup went well, giving the team a positive feeling to take into the races.
Race 1 saw Shuhei get a poor start as he got boxed in off the line, and it took him some time to find his rhythm and really get up to speed. But once he got going he was spectacularly fast, gaining places consistently, lap after lap, and producing lap times similar to the leaders. His final finishing position of 18th really does not reflect his pace during the race, and a better start would have seen him comfortably in the points.
Race 2 started much better, with Shuhei in the mix and fighting for positions from the very beginning. A similar pace to race 1 made it seem for a while that great things might happen, but a deteriorating rear tyre forced the battling Japanese rider to back off in his last ride for the team, finishing 24th in a disappointing end to a hard fought season.
Shuhei AOYAMA: ”This weekend was difficult because the track wasn’t always dry because of the inconstant weather (sometimes wet and sometimes dry), however we could prepare a nice bike. In race 1 I made good start but in first lap I lost positions and spent the rest of the race fighting with other riders, but it was hard to keep the pace and pass them. In race 2 I also made a good start, and I kept a good lap time, but at the end the tires were not good anymore, no grip and it was hard to keep the pace. This year was a hard one, because it was the first time in Superbike for me, and also with a new bike. But I’d like to thank the Team, the sponsors and my family for making me to be this year in the World Superbikes. Thank you.”
PORTIMÃO - PORTUGAL - A second day of changeable weather saw ALTO EVOLUTION HONDA having similarly changeable fortunes. Initially things were going very well on the dry and warm Algarve circuit, but as the rain made an unwelcome return towards the end of qualifying, the team again struggled to find a setting which gave Shuhei the confidence to push harder and they slipped outside the cutoff for Superpole.
Shuhei AOYAMA: “Today was frustrating and disappointing for me. I felt good on the bike and we were getting faster when the rain came again. I couldn’t get the right feel and was not able to push hard enough to qualify in Superpole. But the weather is supposed to be better tomorrow so we will see.”
PORTIMÃO - PORTUGAL - The last round of the 2008 World Superbike Championship is also the last round of the Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Team. Next year will see a reborn team making a new assault on the title. But we should finish this year first. Portimão (the Circuito Internacional do Algarve) is a new circuit which ALTO EVOLUTION HONDA likes very much. It is in a beautiful location and well designed with every different type of situation on the track to give us the most information for getting a good setup. In truth, it’s one of the best circuits on the calendar already, and we are really happy to be part of the first World Superbikes round here.
The fact that it is a new track means that we have to try and adjust our bikes to our rider’s taste without any previous knowledge of the layout, which makes our jobs more difficult, though of course everyone else is in the same position. Shuhei was about to get to fifteenth position in qualifying, but when it started to rain some riders changed their tyres and managed to get quicker times. The team took a gamble and made the decision to not change tyres as they did not feel that the track surface was wet enough, with the rain looking as though it would pass. Sadly this was not the case.
Shuhei AOYAMA:
This was a difficult day because it was dry and then raining. In the middle I felt I was going faster and I tried to push more but then the rain came. I didn’t get the time I hoped to get and was disappointed, but when we sat down and looked at the results in detail it wasn’t so bad. So I’m happier now, but tomorrow we will see.
BUTI - ITALY - Alto Evolution was present in the first edition of Motorsport Tech show in Modena, Italy on the 16th and 17th of October, with Shuhei Aoyama’s bike. The Honda Fireblade Superbike was placed inside the Wladoil stand, and the show was an ideal start to the 2009 season and continuing the relationship between the Team and the Italian company, which has been our fuel, oil and lubricant provider. We would like to thank Messrs Andrea and Wladimiro Soldà and the entire Wladoil staff for supporting and sponsoring us during the 2008 season and we are looking forward to continuing to work together.
MAGNY-COURS - FRANCE - Both races saw strong starts from Shuhei Aoyama and excellent performance from the ALTO EVOLUTION Honda. The performance of the bike was, sadly, not reflected in the final results as Shuhei became bogged down in fights for position and consequently did not finish as high up the field as he should have done. The rain stayed away for most of the weekend, allowing the team to get the most out of the setup data available to them, as well as proving that the bike is capable of being both reliable and fast.
With one race of the season remaining, the team is looking forward to a positive result based on their performance overall this weekend.
Shuhei AOYAMA: “Today was not so good for us. Race 1 I tried to pass people but it was difficult. At the end I tried to pass Tamada and Silva but made a mistake on the last lap and though I got past Silva it was too late to take another place.
It started to rain early in race 2 and I backed off too much. Some people came past and I could not think about this mistake any more.
The next race is the last one for us all. It is a new track for everyone so this might be good for us. I am now looking ahead and hoping to get points in Portugal.”
MAGNY-COURS – FRANCE – The second day of qualifying for the penultimate round of the 2008 SBK championship was frustrating for the Alto Evolution Team as they struggled to find a setup for the bike while Shuhei AOYAMA was unable to establish a comfortable rhythm on the unfamiliar circuit in changeable conditions. The damp, but drying, track made it difficult for Shuhei to be confident about the grip available and the Japanese rider was not able to make the most of his abilities as a result.
Shuhei Aoyama: “ Today was not a good day, because we are the last ones on the grid. We have changed some settings from yesterday, and this afternoon we had the chance to improve when the track was dry. But it was just one-hour free practice, and I didn’t really have enough time to find a good pace. This will be the setting for the races tomorrow and I feel confident with it. I hope tomorrow will be hotter than today but whatever happens I’ll do my best to improve a lot from what we have done today, and try to get some points.”
MAGNY-COURS – FRANCE – For the first time this season Alto Evolution presents itself in the Superbike World Championship with only one rider. This decision was taken after the races in Vallelunga and it is part of the project for 2009, where the Team will change its name and colors and take part in the championship with one rider. But even with one rider, it was not an easy start. The uncertain weather made a tough working day for everybody. In the morning practices, the raining kept on coming and going, leaving the track extremely slippery and for sure not too trustful. Shuhei tried hard to make a good lap time, but it was difficult to find some reference for the qualifying, since 8 riders didn’t appear in the free practice results and the lap times were far from the real ones that will take riders to Superpole tomorrow. In the afternoon, things started to be unfolded during the qualifying, but at this time a strong rain came and disrupted the lap times and pace meaning no rider was able to make more than 9 laps.
Aoyama made 8 laps and got the 27th position on the results, and the ones that could take advantage of the few dry track moments made better lap times. The weather forecast says that tomorrow the sky is going to be partly cloudy and the temperature goes from 3 up to 12 degrees Celsius, without rain. We all hope that it’ll be confirmed and Alto Evolution will get its chance to improve and then may grab a place in Superpole.
Shuhei Aoyama: “Today was very difficult, because during the morning the track was half dry and half wet. I was trying to push, but the track condition did not help much. In the afternoon, I could not make many laps because it started raining a lot and I couldn’t improve my lap time. But I like this track and I am confident about the bike. I’ll try hard tomorrow morning in the qualifying 2, cause I really want to be in Superpole.”
MAGNY-COURS – FRANCE– Alto Evolution Honda Superbike officially communicates that the Team is will close its doors by the end of 2008 season.
This decision was taken after a meeting last week in the Alto International Holding headquarters in London, UK and marked the end of a two-year activity in the Superbike World Championship of the companies that constitute the Alto Group (Alto International Holding, Alto Fin and Alto-re). The Team Alto Evolution was sold to its General and Technical Manager, the Italian Eng. Marco Nicotari, and a new company will be created in Italy to hold the present structure and the staff for next season. The agreement was signed between Alto Group and Mr. Nicotari last week in the Alto Evolution workshop, placed in Buti, Italy. The reason for changing the ownership of the company was due to bringing to the World Superbike paddock more expertise in the racing business, ending up the presence of Alto Fin in the motorsport area.
The new Team will be named and presented to the press only by the end of the year, however a new warehouse is already being adapted into a workshop to receive its structure and technicians and will be still based in Tuscany, Italy.
It is important to be set that the two companies responsible for the current Team, i.e. Alto International Holding Ltd. (England) and Alto Evolution srl (Italy), will keep and respond to the professional and commercial commitments taken during 2008.
The new Team will be Honda and continue the technical work developed in 2008. Many problems and challenges were faced and solved, what became an important data for 2009. It certainly means that we intend to keep the technical package, looking forward to improving and growing. That is why we have chosen to participate in the next season with only one rider. The idea is focusing all our efforts on this project, offering a better structure to the entire staff. We have talked to three strong and important riders during the past weeks and the official name will be announced by the end of November. The project plans a two-rider team only for 2010.
This transition did not take the Team by surprise, since it is something that has been debated for the past months, and we are excited about the idea of renewing most of the structure and refreshing our image, what can be seen by the words of Eng. Nicotari: “I’ve been managing this Team since March 2007 and the relationship between Alto Group and me was always positive. We have faced together many difficult and delicate moments, what brought us lessons for the future. This important shift was actually a consequence of a process that has been started in the beginning of the season and we hope it will be beneficial for both parts. I am very happy and pleased, it is for sure not only a professional but also a personal dream that is coming true. The team know how hard it will be, but we are ready for this challenge.”
As soon as the new rider is chosen and also the other structural items of this process are decided, a press release will be launched and our press office is available to solve any question related to this subject. The name Alto Evolution, its website and emails will be kept until the end of the season.
VALLELUNGA - ITALY - Another tough weekend for the ALTO EVOLUTION HONDA team, which saw some significant improvements and some heartbreaking disappointments. After a wet and treacherous Friday, Saturday’s practice and qualifying was dry and sunny. Both riders immediately set about improving their positions, gaining valuable dry data and experience at the same time. A couple of minor component failures during qualifying practice, both resulting in oil spillages and red flags, resulted in the unprecedented situation of both riders being excluded from the rest of the session, denying Shuhei an almost certain place in Superpole.
Starting further down the grid than was ideal, both riders made strong starts to Race One and then got their heads down to keep pushing through. Shuhei fought his way through the field, having a race long duel with another Honda rider and finishing a respectable seventeenth while Matt struggled with the circuit, running wide on a couple of occasions but still finishing the race.
Race Two again saw both riders making strong starts before a first corner incident caused the field to bunch up, forcing Shuhei to roll off the throttle and pushing him back a little. But again, both riders fought hard and again Shuhei pushed up through the field, finishing seventeenth again while closing on the riders ahead of him. Matt improved on his pace from the first race and again finished close to the riders ahead.
Despite the obvious frustration of Saturday’s incident, this must be seen as a positive weekend for the team who can take some solid data and good experience on to the next round in Magny Cours.
Shuhei AOYAMA: Yesterday morning in second qualifying we found ourselves in a hard position because we had a big oil leak and, as you know, the FIM said we could not continue the session. I couldn’t get a better qualifying time – I was a long way back on the grid when we could have been in Superpole, so really for us it was just another practice session. I made a good start in Race 2 but then there was a crash in front. Everyone went right and I had to close the throttle so I had to do it again. In both races I think we would have got points if we had not had the problem yesterday. We have tested here and we had data but it was all wasted. Now we just look forward to the next round.
Matt LYNN: This weekend was tough. It was wet when we first went out but then the sun came out and we got a few dry laps in. The positive thing is that I’ve now got some dry laps on the bike. This last two days were the first hard laps I’ve had and now we have a direction we can go in and improve upon because I was able to give the guys some feedback on the bike. I think we can make the bike better and just get ready for France. This weekend was a learning experience but, overall, a positive one. We went faster every session so though I wasn’t where I wanted to be in lap time or track position we got data and we finished both races, and that’s good.
VALLELUNGA - ITALY - Team ALTO EVOLUTION would like to give our side of the decision taken against our Riders Shuhei Aoyama (nr. 88) and Matt Lynn (nr. 50) in Superbike, during the 2nd qualifying session on Saturday at Vallelunga. After the second red flag stopped the session and both riders were in the pit box with their bikes, both Shuhei and Matt were “black flagged” and excluded from the restarted session. We are struggling to understand why this happened when the riders were not even on the track at the time.
Both riders had a problem with their engines, related to a simple fastener on an oil pipe, allowing oil to leak onto the engine and out onto the track. A simple analysis of the problem by FIM Technicians while the red flag was in force could have easily shown this. This is the first time in two years that this has happened to us, and in our opinion the decision to exclude the riders was too severe. Other teams during this year (and also last year) have created similar problems (some of them breaking 4 engines during a day, or even stopping a race)and never been prevented from continuing.
Of course, RACE DIRECTION decide this kind of thing, but this decision, in a qualifying practice, could cause the exclusion of our riders from the race, once this practice decides the 107% of the pole time to be reached. In this case, the decision also denied our rider Shuhei Aoyama a real possibility to be in to be in Superpole for the second time this year, so now the decision takes more significance.
We confirm that the technical problem of our bikes are fixed and that no engine has been broken (it can be easily checked by FIM), but we reaffirm our deep disappointment about this decision.
Once we are on racing, we search for limits. Sometimes things happen as a result, not because we are careless or foolish but because sometimes that is how we find the limit. We repeat that our bikes never had a real problem caused by us or our preparation in 2 years of SBK. We have been to Vallelunga testing twice this season. All that time and effort to get a good base to work from has been taken away by this decision.
Both riders are disappointed but will continue to do their best to demonstrate that ALTO EVOLUTION prepare and maintain their bikes properly. In the final free practice, Shuhei ran eighth fastest, which would have put him thirteenth in Superpole. We hope that tomorrow’s results will better reflect the effort we have put in than we have seen so far this weekend.
