Russia makes first real mark with Leonov
When Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) splashed his way confidently to third place at the recent Assen Supersport World Championship race he made a clear footprint on virgin territory for Russian riders.
His was the first podium in the history of this class for a rider from the Russian Federation, and yesterday - Thursday 26th April - he celebrated his 25th birthday knowing that his continual improvement is coming at a great time in his career, with a race near his home city of Moscow about to take place in late August.
He knew he was in a battle in the wet race at Assen, and eventually used a wise head to withdraw from to prevent potential disaster. He knew third place would be an incredibly important result for all involved in his 2012 racing effort, but like all racers his heart wanted more. "There was a real battle between me and Sofuoglu and I tried to overtake him, but after it was better for me to stay behind him," said Leonov. "If I rode alone I could make a mistake so I kept cool and third place is enough for me now. I am so happy. I like racing in the wet but now I prefer to race in drier conditions next time!" In August near Moscow, conditions should hopefully be better than at Assen in April.
With a first Russian SBK race weekend about to become a reality and the first podium in WSS for a Russian rider, things are working well for Leonov - a rider with a lot of experience in a wide range of classes.
He was a European Superstock 600 rider in 2007, then raced in IDM Supersport in 2008, scoring a podium at the Salzburgring race. A 250GP rider in 2009 and a Moto2 rider in 2010, he made appearances last year in the Supersport World Championship as a wildcard and raced in Italy, as he does again this year, to gain additional experience in Supersport.
