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German racer Kevin Wahr is currently in his second season of the FIM Supersport World Championship, this time for SMS Racing. In 2014, the now 29-year-old had to organise and oversee his own squad, riding a Yamaha YZF-R6, whereas he now sits on a Honda CBR600-RR in an established team.

Following nine of the 12 World Supersport races in 2015, Wahr sits 18th in the World Championship. Last year he was able to fight for the top ten on a regular basis, but this season he has enjoyed points finishes on only four occasions.

Wahr takes time out to catch up with WorldSBK.com…

Kevin, how would you summarise the opening two thirds of this year’s World Supersport season?
To be honest, I am not 100% satisfied with the job I have done. Last year I was able to fight for the top ten on every weekend, but this season I struggled with that and I haven’t finished in four races. Of course there was also some bad luck, but at the end of the day it is me sitting on the motorbike and I am mainly responsible for delivering the results. Together with the team, we need to up our game for the remaining races - otherwise I can’t be satisfied.

Last year you ran your team on your own, whereas this season you are riding for an established squad. What is the difference in that, for you as a rider?
I am still very happy I got the chance by my team boss to ride this full season. Last winter I thought I would be out of the World Supersport Championship. The main difference now, for sure, is that I’ve got more time to focus more on the sporting side of things. Last year, all of the organisational work was huge and actually more than my actual job as a rider, but for me that was the only possibility to get a real foothold in this championship. I do not regret anything, even though it was damn hard at times.

How about the Honda versus the Yamaha you raced last year? Is it harder to ride? Or has the competition improved? You have had a run of bad luck for four races in succession…
The Yamaha’s advantage is the ride-by-wire, but the Honda has got a more handy chassis. Both bikes work well. I was able to accustom myself very quickly to the new bike. For sure, the results don’t reflect what I was expecting, but there are still three races remaining and I won’t leave anything out to try to show my potential and gain the best possible results.

Are any plans in place for next season? Do you want to stay in the Supersport World Championship?
Definitely. I want to stay in World Supersport. I know that I have more potential than what I have been showing so far. I am optimistic my team boss knows what we can achieve together and that’s why I am hoping for another chance next year.