The 10h round of this year's Superbike World Championship is a 'home' race for both Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli - and one they are both looking forward to this weekend.
It is a home race for Haslam because he is a Briton and lives in Derbyshire, but it is also a home race for Guintoli as the Frenchman has lived in the UK for some time and is married to an English girl. He will be making the short trip from his home near Melton Mowbray, while Haslam will have a slightly further journey.
Both have raced in the British Superbike Championship and have been to Silverstone before, but this will be their first time on the "new" circuit. The historic Silverstone circuit has undergone major reconstruction this year and the new layout is very different to that which was used when World Superbikes were last there in 2007.
"I was at the launch of the new track at Silverstone earlier this year and it's very different to what it was before," Haslam said. "It seems to be a fast and flowing high-speed track and I'm sure the racing is going to be very close. I am looking forward to the weekend and although some might say that there is extra pressure on me to do well in front of my home fans, I do not see it that way.
"I want to do well at all tracks and although I'd obviously like to do well at Silverstone, my main concern will be to finish in front of Max Biaggi in both races. The ideal situation would be for me to win both races and the other six Brits to finish ahead of Max!"
Sylvain Guintoli added, "It's always good to race at home and because I have been in England so long, I feel like it is my home, which in fact it is because I live here! I have raced at Silverstone before, but now the track is very different and all of us will have to learn the track before we can really charge.
"Normally, I am quite good at learning tracks, so hopefully things will go well for me in practice and qualifying, so that I can do a good Superpole and end up with a good grid position. If I do that, I have a very good chance of giving my 'home' fans and friends something to shout about."
Main Photo: Leon Haslam
