SBK Safety Commission prepares for season ahead
First meeting of 2018 held at Phillip Island as WorldSBK continues to plan for the future
The first SBK Safety Commission meeting was held in 2013, and since then the commission has gone from strength to strength, as 2018 sees the sixth season of regular meetings between MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders and Dorna representatives.
In a vote held at the opening riders briefing of the season in Australia, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia), Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) are the elected WorldSBK representatives on the Safety Commission for 2018, whilst Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Jules Cluzel (NRT) are the chosen riders from World Supersport. Having six riders – all elected by their fellow competitors – ensures decisions can be made by trusted members of the paddock efficiently, however any rider is welcome to attend.
Alongside Franck Vayssié (FIM WorldSBK Safety Officer), Daniel Carrera (WorldSBK Executive Director), Gregorio Lavilla (WorldSBK Sporting Director), Gian Franco Carloia (WorldSBK Race Director) and Stefano Carloia (Deputy Race Director) the commission meets during every round to work on improving track conditions for the future. However, in some circumstances the commission will implement changes for the current weekend, in order to keep riders as safe as possible.
Meetings are held each Friday of the Round weekend to discuss and evaluate the condition of the track, improvements needed for the future or any immediate issues needing addressing, weather conditions of the weekend and even sporting regulations in some circumstances. Building a strong relationship throughout the season, the Commission allows decisions to be made with ease, and in the best interest of all riders throughout the 11 countries WorldSBK visits.
With some decisions needing to be made in a short space of time, on rare occasions riders will be asked to head out on track throughout practise sessions and report back to the SBK Safety Commission, or even alert a member of the team on the grid which then in turn can lead to fast decisions being made for the safety of the riders out on track.
Continuing to be a proven success, the SBK Safety Commission will run well into the future of the WorldSBK Championship, and is just another part of what makes it a World Class series.
