Toth: "We Have a Plan to Enter the World Supersport 300 Category"
Big plans lie ahead for Team Toth in 2017
This season was a somewhat challenging year for the Hungarian Toth squad. The team switched from BMW to Yamaha for the 2016 season and struggled in somewhat a similar way to the factory team in terms of finding the right set up and package that would be competitive against the longer standing teams. Imre Toth describes the hardships they experienced at the beginning of the season and how they overcame them.
“It wasn’t easy at the start of this season because you know, to change the bike is not easy,” said Toth. “As the Yamaha is new this year in WorldSBK we struggled a little bit at the start but step by step we are getting closer to the front riders who we are within 3 seconds of. It’s a step forward I think with this bike, because now we are using standard electronics. The chassis is good and the engine is not so bad it could be better. So for what we have, I think Péter Sebestyen and Pawel Szkopek have done the maximum they can do with this bike for the moment.”
Looking ahead though, Toth has big plans for the team that will see them extend their reach into the new World Supersport 300 category in 2017. The team will continue working with Yamaha, but Toth stays reserved about the finer details that are in store for them.
“Yeah we have a plan for the 2017 season, we want to continue with Yamaha and still have two riders,” revealed Toth. “We also have a plan to enter the new World Supersport 300 category, so we will see what happens. It hasn’t been confirmed yet but I hope to finalise our plans soon because then we can communicate what our bigger plans are to everyone. We want to be more competitive with the Yamaha in terms of using more factory electronics or something like that.“
The first step in Team Toth’s 2017 plan to success is to recover from injuries that hindered them this year. Various injuries marred their season, none more so than for Imre Toth, who’s shoulder injury became so severe that Szkopek had to step in and replace him numerous times throughout the season.
“It wasn’t easy this year, especially for myself,” explained Toth. “I can’t use my shoulder now. I don’t have the power to ride the bike how I want. I can’t go fast and when I change direction I have no power. I’ll have one more operation in the winter and then we will see what happens for next year. Also Péter has a little problem with his foot but he’s recovered and is 100% fit now.”
