With the summer all but over and final preparations for the last leg of the season complete, Honda WorldSBK Team’s Nicky Hayden and Michael Van Der Mark reflect on their summer and their goals to see out the rest of the 2016 season.

It has been a very long summer break, how did you spend it?
Nicky: “It has certainly been a big break. This is something I wasn’t used to. In the end it went faster than on paper, first with the Suzuka test, the 8 Hour race and the Lausitzring test. Now I’m looking forward to getting back into it because there are still eight individual races to go and we will be racing every two weekends. I tried to stick to the program and follow along with training. I spent some time in my own bed and with friends and family, which is always nice. At home in Kentucky we have a good group of guys who live around there, mostly racers, who I can get out and train with, have fun with while trying to push each other.”

Michael: “To be honest, we had a long summer break after Suzuka. Luckily enough we were able to do a two-day test at Lausitzring, which for us has been really important. Now, of course, I cannot wait get back on track. I slowed down a little bit during the break and spent some days in Spain. Since I came home I resumed my usual daily training program.”

How do you feel the summer test at Lausitzring has prepared you for the coming race?
Nicky: “I look forward to the next race! Not only did we test a couple of items, but I also got to reacquaint myself with the WorldSBK-spec Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP after racing at Suzuka. It was good also to reunite with the team, learn the track and get ready for the last part of the season.”

Michael: “It was really important for us, because given the new weekend schedule there is less time available for setting up the bike. Our Fireblade is not well set up for the Lausitzring track and the weather during the test was good, so we could put in a lot of laps and gather a considerable amount of data.”

Of the four rounds ahead, which is the one that you’re looking forward to the most?
Nicky: “I’m looking forward to them all! Haven’t been to Magny-Cours yet, but I know Jerez and Qatar like the back of my hand. After the first nine rounds things have sort of got to the point where everything flows the right way with the team, the championship and the bike; there are still, though, some things I want to learn and try in order to be at my very best.”

Michael: “I’m looking forward to Qatar. It’s always a special round or me. It’s the season finale and we race at night under floodlights, something we don’t get to experience anywhere else. And this year has gone really quick, but I think these last four races are crucial to achieve fourth place in the championship standings.”

The Honda WorldSBK Team will join the rest of the WorldSBK field on track at Lausitzring for their first outing on Friday 16^th of September at 10:15am local time (GMT+2).