Melandri takes the fight to BMW's home round
Marco Melandri returns to the Nürburgring in a totally different situation from last year. What in 2011 could be considered as a round like any other now assumes a totally different significance, seeing as the Nürburgring is the home round for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team, for whom the man from Ravenna is the points leader. It's a new situation for Melandri, in World Superbike at least, but also for the German manufacturer, which in its four seasons in the championship had never had one of its riders at the top of the table. There are many reasons therefore that make this round important for Melandri, who is aware of the high expectations he will encounter throughout this weekend.
"It is great to come to the BMW home round at the Nürburgring leading the championship. However, this may also mean even more pressure, because everybody will expect a good result. I am sure the races will be difficult, because Aprilia will work hard and try to regain the lead. We will see though. Last year was my first time at the Nürburgring and I really like the track. Race one was good for me, I finished second. In race two it was very wet, so it was quite difficult. The track is good fun. It is very technical. The first section is pretty tight, but after that the layout is quite fast and smooth and I think it will suit my riding style."
Three rounds remaining and 150 points still up for grabs can in no way be considered as a sure thing, especially in a season, the 25th in the history of SBK, marked by a strong equilibrium on the track and numerous potential race winners and podium finishers. For this reason Melandri aims to continue one step at a time in order to get the best results possible from here until the end of the season.
"We have to improve our pace in qualifying, because we still struggle with the soft tyre. But I am happy, I feel good and I am ready to fight again. We still have six races to go, which is a lot. It is never easy because there are many fast riders and there is always the possibility of mistakes. The last few races have seen a lot of major changes in the championship. You can score many points, but you can also drop points. We need to focus on each individual race and to do our best to pick up some more wins and stay in front."
