Brendan Roberts

www.brendan-roberts.com

Brendan Roberts secured a narrow two point lead in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup Championship this weekend, after finishing in fourth place at Donington Park. He now has a two point lead from eventual race winner Xavier Simeon and three points from Max Berger, leaving the Championship wide open for the final two rounds of the Championship, at Magny-Cours (France) and Portimao (Portugal).

Roberts riding on the 1098R for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team finished a lonely fourth place after struggling with his tyres in the wet race conditions. The 23-year-old Australian battled hard over the weekend in the torrential conditions at Donington Park and eventually qualified in fifth place on the grid for the 12-lap race.

A good start in the race saw Roberts to third by the first corner and second as he went down Craner Curves. In a dramatic first lap, with riders crashing out in all directions Roberts settled into a rhythm and was sitting in second place at the end of the opening lap.

By the end of lap three Simeon and Giugliano had worked their way past and pushed Roberts back to fourth place, where he managed to keep a distance from Brands Hatch winner and Championship contender Max Berger. Berger was eventually caught and passed on the final lap by Jon Kirkham, giving Roberts a few more vital points in the overall Championship table. 

Commenting he said “I’m a bit disappointed not to have gained a podium position, as Donington is a track I like and I was hoping for a good result. With the weather conditions changing throughout the weekend it was a hard decision to know which tyres to run with during the race, as the track was wet in some places and dry in others. We choose to run wets and in the closing stages of the race I had no grip on the rear tyre. Despite my best efforts to try and catch Giugliano I was unable to and had to settle for fourth place. We have two rounds left and there is on eight points between myself and fourth place and anything can happen. I need to keep focused on the job in hand and do the best I can at the remaining rounds and hope for a good result at them.”

-END-

Donington Park (UK), Sunday 7th September 2008 – in today’s eighth round of the Superstock 1000 World Cup, the Ducati Xerox Junior Team and Brendan Roberts achieved a fourth place finish while Robert’s team-mate Domenico Colucci finished the race in eleventh position. The Australian rider Roberts retains his championship lead thanks to today’s result.

Today’s was a very difficult race for the riders at Donington Park due to the strange weather conditions. The rain stopped just before the race began, meaning that teams had to hedge their bets and make a choice between rain or intermediate tyres. Brendan Roberts, after the positive results achieved in the warm-up this morning, preferred to stick with a wet tyre, not trusting the unstable conditions. Having made a great start, the Australian stuck behind race leader Polita for the first few laps, but then an anomaly with the rear tyre meant he was forced to slow somewhat, which allowed Simeon and Giugliano to gain. In the final stages Roberts dealt admirably with the loss of grip to finish in fourth thus collecting more valuable points that consolidate his championship lead.

BRENDAN ROBERTS – “It was a very difficult race because the tyre choice we had to make, in the absence of heavy rain, was a bit of a risky decision. We opted for rain tyres because parts of the track were still wet and in the warm-up the bike had been going well set up like that. In the initial phases of the race everything was going ok but pretty soon I realised that I was gradually losing grip at the back. I couldn’t take a podium place but I did all I could to chase Giugliano. It is an important result nonetheless as it means I remain in the lead but there are four of us riders with just 8 points between us, so the next races will truly be battles!”

Race Result
1.X.Simeon (Suzuki) in 21’30’’092; 2.A.Polita (Ducati) 16’’109; 3.D.Giugliano (Suzuki) 34’’318; 4.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 37’’319; 5.J.Kirkham (Yamaha) 44’’199….11.Domenico Colucci (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 52’’516….

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1.Brendan Roberts 122 points; 2.X.Simeon 120; 3.M.Berger 119; 4.A.Polita 114; 5.M.Pirro 83…..15.Domenico Colucci 23….

 

Brendan Roberts left Brands Hatch at the weekend as joint Championship leader in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, after finishing in fourth place at the British round of the Championship. He is now equal in the series with Brands Hatch winner Max Berger. Roberts riding the 1098R for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team had to fight hard to secure fourth place after dropping back to ninth position at half distance.

Roberts was riding strong throughout the weekend and qualified in third position on the grid for the 14-lap race. Despite racing at the circuit since he came to the UK in 2005, Roberts has never had great results at the Kent track and was looking at breaking that tradition at the weekend. Only scoring one podium there, this was in 2006 with a third place.

As rain hit the circuit on Sunday morning, the young Australian was second in the wet morning warm up and looking good for a strong result. With the conditions changing and the Superstock race being the first on the timetable the track was part wet and part dry, forcing Roberts to choose a dry rear and intermediate front tyre, a gamble which only worked in the closing stages of the race.

A good start saw Roberts in a strong position but that soon came to an end as he was struggling for grip on the damp parts of the circuit. Falling down to ninth place by lap six he had a lot of work to do to ensure he kept his Championship hopes alive. Working his way back through the pack he took a comfortable fourth place at the end of the race and setting his fastest lap times of the race in the closing stages.

Roberts commented “It was a tough weekend and things were running well at the start but it all seemed to go wrong on race day. Typical British weather caused a frantic decision just before the race started and it was a gamble on what tyres we used. Brands has always been an interesting circuit for me and I’ve never got the results there that I’d hope for, but the next round is at Donington, which is one of my favourites so hopefully I can get a good result there. I would like to send my condolences to the family and friends of Craig Jones, from the times I met him around the paddock he always had nice things to say and was a good guy. I’m sorry his life has been cut so short and I’m thinking of them all at this sad time.”

-END-

 

Brands Hatch Circuit (UK), Sunday 3rd August 2008 – in the seventh round of the Superstock 1000 World Cup, Brendan Roberts today took a fourth place finish. Domenico Colucci, having taken part in the morning’s warm-up, decided to sit the race out, still suffering from the bad fall that he took yesterday.

The unstable weather conditions characterised this, the first of the two UK rounds of the 2008 season. Rain stopped just minutes before the start, leaving the track damp in some places and very wet in others. Roberts made a conservative choice of tyre, opting for an intermediate at the front and a slick rear.

After maing a great start, the Australian couldn’t keep up with the pace of the frontrunners Berger, Baiocco and Smrz but he was a protagonist of the chasing group. After various changes of position between those in the leading pack, Brendan coped well with the tyre-wear and wining the battle for fourth place. With this result, Roberts maintains the lead in the championship, albeit a shared lead with Berger.
BRENDAN ROBERTS – “It was a very challenging race because the weather conditions were totally unpredictable just minutes before the start and so choosing tyres, knowing that we were starting on a damp track but could be finishing in the dry, was risky. We chose an intermediate front and a slick rear, in the hope that the weather would hold. Baiocco, Berger and Smrz got away from me and I realised I had to stay calm and hold my position in the chasing group. The track dried out completely but any slight error would have been enough to cause a fall, as happened to some of the guys. I got ready for a final push, aware that my front tyre was suffering, and was able to get ahead of Polita, Pirro and Burrell. I hoped to do better today but this result is important for the championship as with it I hold my championship lead.”

The physical condition of Domenico Colucci, after his fall yesterday, had improved after a night’s rest but after serious consideration, the Italian rider decided not to take part in today’s race.

DOMENICO COLUCCI – “I had the ok from the doctors and so I went out in this morning’s warm-up. I soon realised however that I wasn’t 100% and, considering my grid position for the race, I reluctantly decided to sit it out today. It is a very unfortunate season for me, I hope things go better at Donington.”
Race result
1.M.Berger (Honda) in 21’56’’050 in an average of 141,773 km/h; 2.S.Morais (Kawasaki) 4’’172; 3.A.Antonelli (Honda) 5’’808; 4.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 18’’391; 5.A.Polita (Ducati) 18’’629….

Championship classification
1.M.Berger 109 points; 2.Brendan Roberts 109; 3.X.Simeon 95; 4.A.Polita 94; 5.M.Pirro 83….17.Domenico Colucci 18….

www.brendan-roberts.com
 
Brendan Roberts now leads the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup by one single point after a stunning ride at Brno in the Czech Republic, finishing second in the 12-lap race behind Max Berger. Roberts riding the 1098R for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team rode an extremely thoughtful race to take a confident second place, 0.05 in front of Alessandro Polita.
 
Roberts who qualified on pole position on the Ducati was eager to secure a strong result at round six of the fiercely fought out series. The young Australian got a terrible start and was sitting in seventh position into the first corner, he worked his way through to fifth by the end of the opening lap and was keen to get in the mix and fight for a podium position despite the poor start.
 
It was a fraught race and the riders were changing positions on every lap, Roberts wanted to make sure that he stayed in front Xavier Simeon, who lead the Championship going into the round at Brno, Simeon eventually finished the race in fifth position allowing Roberts to take the lead in the Championship.
 
On lap nine of the race Roberts suffered with tyre problems and after working extremely hard to make his way through up to a strong second position, sadly a mistake, forcing him to run wide and losing him three places saw the youngster have to do all the hard work again to regain his position. Battling hard he knew that he would have to pull something out the bag to gain a podium position. A couple of last lap manoeuvres thankfully pulled off for Roberts and he secured second place in the demanding tough race.
 
Commenting afterwards, “I’m really pleased with the result that I got today as I knew I’d struggle with tyres during the race. The new surface on the track isn’t very forgiving with the tyres and so I’m pleased that they went the distance when it mattered the most. I got a really bad start and fell back through the pack and knew that I would have my work cut out. I dug deep and was locked in a tight battle for the entire race; I had to work hard to get the result I did. I had a bit of a moment in the later stages and lost a few places, I had to make a couple of interesting passes on the last lap but luckily it paid off and worked in my favour. The team have worked really hard this weekend and it’s great to go away leading the Championship, even if it’s only by one point! The next two rounds are Brands and Donington so I’m hoping my previous knowledge from my time in the British Championship will become of benefit there.”
 
Race Result
 
Berger             Honda
Roberts           Ducati Xerox Junior Team
Polita               Ducati
 
Championship Standings
 
Roberts           96
Simeon            95
Berger             84
Polita               83

Automotodrom Brno (Czech Republic), Sunday 20th July 2008 – Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) and his 1098R now lead the World Superstock 1000 championship after the young Australian rode a gutsy race to take a second place finish. Domenico Colucci completed his race in the points zone, in eleventh position.

Roberts rode perfectly, navigating his way through a technically very challenging race. Fifth at the end of the first lap, he was trapped in the chasing group, which became a battle won by Berger as he began to get away. The confrontation with Polita, Antonelli and Simeon was difficult and meant that the riders were asking a lot from their front tyres. Despite a lack of grip at the front, Brendan prepared himself for the final push to complete a faultless last lap. Roberts is the new championship leader.

BRENDAN ROBERTS – “I knew that it would be a difficult race, and due to my bad start Berger was able to get away from me and the fight I was caught up in with Simeon, Polita and Antonelli meant that I lost some valuable time. From mid-race the front tyre began to suffer but I maintained my concentration in preparation for the final laps. On the last lap I was careful not to make any errors and took a precious second place finish. I leave Brno as the championship leader, a great satisfaction that I want to share with the team because they worked really hard all weekend.”

Domenico Colucci didn’t manage to perform as he had during the practice sessions. The Italian rider made a bad start and immediately lost several positions. It was therefore impossible to break into the front half of the field due the sheer number of riders in the pack. Domenico finally got past a few riders to take eventual twelfth place.

DOMENICO COLUCCI – “I am disappointed and really hoped for a better outcome. Unfortunately I made a bad start and was then forced to run quite wide on the first curve, an error that meant several riders got past me. There were so many of us that it was difficult to make passes. At the end of the race my pace had picked up and I began to catch up a few places which allowed me to earn a few more championship points. I hope to be able to repay the team with a good run at Brands Hatch.”

Race result
1.M.Berger (Honda) in 24’58’’402 at an average of 155,772 km/h; 2.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 3’’043; 3.A.Polita (Ducati) 3’’100; 4.A.Antonelli (Honda) 3’’367; 5.X.Simeon (Suzuki) 5’’709….12.Domenico Colucci (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 20’’959….

Championships points
1.Brendan Roberts 96 points; 2.X.Simeon 95; 3.M.Berger 84; 4.A.Polita 83; 5.M.Pirro 73…14.Domenico Colucci 18….

www.brendan-roberts.com
 
Despite a serious groin injury, which required five stitches, Brendan Roberts fought through the pain barrier to finish fourth in the FIM 1000 Superstock Cup round at Misano at the weekend. The young Australian crashed heavily during free practice on Friday morning and sustained injuries, which required stitches on Saturday evening. Not letting this trouble him too much Roberts still managed to qualify in fourth position on the grid for the 14-lap race.
 
Using the same gearing he used at Nurbergring a couple of weeks ago Roberts was unable to get the Ducati 1098 R off the line and fell back to seventh place after the opening lap. Avoiding the melee of first lap incidents he soon got his head down and was working his way back through the field. Eager to narrow the margin between him and Championship leader Simeon, who was also riding injured. Roberts knew that he had to finish ahead of his nearest rival.
 
Getting held up by two riders Roberts riding for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team was struggling to find any good passing places but by lap seven he had finally worked his way through to fifth position. The race leaders had already bridged too much of a gap for them to be caught. Giugliano crashed out of the race promoting Roberts to a comfortable fourth place.
 
Roberts who is now sitting only eight points behind Championship leader Simeon commented “I was really pleased with the result and narrowing the gap in the Championship. I would have liked to gain another podium but my start was so bad at Misano that I knew I would have to settle with the fourth place. It was a tough race and although I was setting consistently fast times throughout the weekend the start really let me know, I managed to pull through and now looking forward to the next round at Brno. Thanks again to all the team at the Ducati Xerox Junior Team and fingers crossed for the remaining rounds.”
 
Race Result
 
Polita               Ducati
Pirro                Yamaha
Berger             Honda
Roberts           Ducati Xerox Junior Team
Simeon            Suzuki
 
Championship Standings
 
Simeon            84
Roberts           76
Polita               67

 

Misano World Circuit (Italy), Sunday 29 June 2008 – The Ducati Xerox Junior Team have collected a good deal of points at Misano today with a fourth place finish for Brendan Roberts and seventh place for Domenico Colucci. The Australian has, as a result, maintained his second position in the championship and has reduced the gap between himself and Simeon, the current leader, to just eight points.

After treatment at the Clinic Mobile, due to a bad fall on Friday, Brendan was back on the grid for the start of the fifth round of the Superstock 1000 Cup. A less than perfect start made things a little difficult, as the Australian was trapped in the leading pack. Having managed to pass Perotti and Antonelli, Brendan rode the second half of the race at the same pace as the leaders but was unable to make up the gap, having lost too much time at the start. In taking fourth place, Roberts consolidates his second place in the championship and means he is still very much in the running for the title.

BRENDAN ROBERTS – “Unfortunately I made a mistake at the start and found myself behind both Antonelli and Perotti. I tried to stay calm because the guys again of me were riding very aggressively and once when I managed to pass them, those that were leading were already too far in front. Five laps from the end, the bike began to slide a lot and at that point I had to try to complete the race without making any mistakes. I could be happier but we gained more points and, seeing as I wasn’t in great shape physically, it didn’t go so badly. Brno is a track that suits my style of riding so we’ll do well there I hope!”

A positive race for Domenico Colucci. Unfortunately the Italian rider didn’t have the best start but made a great finish, making up several positions to conclude the race in seventh place.

DOMENICO COLUCCI – “A disastrous start affected my whole race. I am disappointed because after that I was able to maintain a fast pace making up several places. In the last laps I was the fastest rider on track and this led to my seventh place finish. This is a result that gives me hope for the next race at Brno. Last year I won the 600 category with the 749 – it’s a track that I like a lot!”

Race result
1.A.Polita (Ducati) in 23’37’’092 in an average of 150,301 km/h; 2.M.Pirro (Yamaha) 1’’471; 3.M.Berger (Honda) 2’’382; 4.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 5’’234; 5.X.Simeon (Suzuki) 6’’999; 6.A.Antonelli (Honda) 7’’826; 7.Domenico Colucci (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 11’’349….

Championship standings
1.X.Simeon 84 punti; 2.Brendan Roberts 76; 3.A.Polita 67; 4.M.Pirro 63; 5.M.Berger 59….15.Domenico Colucci 14….

 

 

Misano World Circuit (Italy), Sunday 29 June 2008 – The Ducati Xerox Junior Team have collected a good deal of points at Misano today with a fourth place finish for Brendan Roberts and seventh place for Domenico Colucci. The Australian has, as a result, maintained his second position in the championship and has reduced the gap between himself and Simeon, the current leader, to just eight points.

After treatment at the Clinic Mobile, due to a bad fall on Friday, Brendan was back on the grid for the start of the fifth round of the Superstock 1000 Cup. A less than perfect start made things a little difficult, as the Australian was trapped in the leading pack. Having managed to pass Perotti and Antonelli, Brendan rode the second half of the race at the same pace as the leaders but was unable to make up the gap, having lost too much time at the start. In taking fourth place, Roberts consolidates his second place in the championship and means he is still very much in the running for the title.

BRENDAN ROBERTS – “Unfortunately I made a mistake at the start and found myself behind both Antonelli and Perotti. I tried to stay calm because the guys again of me were riding very aggressively and once when I managed to pass them, those that were leading were already too far in front. Five laps from the end, the bike began to slide a lot and at that point I had to try to complete the race without making any mistakes. I could be happier but we gained more points and, seeing as I wasn’t in great shape physically, it didn’t go so badly. Brno is a track that suits my style of riding so we’ll do well there I hope!”

A positive race for Domenico Colucci. Unfortunately the Italian rider didn’t have the best start but made a great finish, making up several positions to conclude the race in seventh place.

DOMENICO COLUCCI – “A disastrous start affected my whole race. I am disappointed because after that I was able to maintain a fast pace making up several places. In the last laps I was the fastest rider on track and this led to my seventh place finish. This is a result that gives me hope for the next race at Brno. Last year I won the 600 category with the 749 – it’s a track that I like a lot!”

Race result
1.A.Polita (Ducati) in 23’37’’092 in an average of 150,301 km/h; 2.M.Pirro (Yamaha) 1’’471; 3.M.Berger (Honda) 2’’382; 4.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 5’’234; 5.X.Simeon (Suzuki) 6’’999; 6.A.Antonelli (Honda) 7’’826; 7.Domenico Colucci (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 11’’349….

Championship standings
1.X.Simeon 84 punti; 2.Brendan Roberts 76; 3.A.Polita 67; 4.M.Pirro 63; 5.M.Berger 59….15.Domenico Colucci 14….

 

                      www.brendan-roberts.com
 
Australian Brendan Roberts took a stunning win at round four of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup at Nürbergring, Germany. Roberts on the Ducati 1098R gained the full hat-trick over the weekend with Pole Position, fastest lap/new lap record, (with it being a new circuit) and also the race win, his second of the season. This places the youngster in second place in the overall Championship standings.
 
Roberts riding for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team looked extremely strong throughout the weekend at the 5.1-km circuit. After a number of changes were made to the circuit he was eager to make an impression and did just that throughout the weekend. A strong start from the Australian saw him sitting in second place into the tight first corner and he was led by Davide Giugliano and was being hunted down by Championship leader Xavier Simeon. The trio were dicing with each other throughout the 11-lap race were swapping positions at various stages through the race.
 
Roberts set a fastest lap time on lap five of 1:59.970, making him the only rider in the Superstock class to go under the two minutes time over the entire weekend. He managed to bridge a gap from the hounding pair on lap six but they were soon back on his tail and fighting hard for the race victory. By lap nine Roberts had once again pushed through to the front after dropping to third place momentarily and he was eager to secure his second win of the season. Battling hard Roberts fought off the pressure from Giugliano and Simeon and gained a fantastic win by only 0.3 from Giugliano.
 
A delighted Roberts said “I’m really pleased to have taken the win today, things have gone really well throughout the weekend and the team worked very hard to make sure everything was right and went to plan. I needed to win this for the team and also to keep my Championship hopes alive. We’re back on track now and hopefully the bike gremlins that we had at the last round are behind us and things will continue going like this for the rest of the season. My next stop is Misano so it’d be good to go for another win or a podium there, fingers crossed.”
 
Race results:
 
1.         Brendan Roberts       Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team
2.         D.Giugliano                 Suzuki
3.         X.Simeon                    Suzuki
4.         M.Pirro                       Yamaha
 
Championship Standings:
 
1.         X.Simeon                    73 points;
2.         Brendan Roberts       63;
3.         D.Giugliano                 48;
4.         M.Berger                     43;