Table of contents for 20 July 2016 in MCN

Harry Schmidt – Designer of the BMW R nineT Scrambler “We started the Scrambler project about two years ago, after the R nineT Roadster was already on sale. The Roadster was always designed to be a platform with which to build upon, something BMW said when it was launched, and so we had to prove this! Although other people got there first. “I designed a scrambler as we see a lot of custom scramblers in the scene, and also when I first rode an R nineT Roadster I thought about making it a little bit more comfortable, which comes with the off-road look. I was really excited to design the bike as I love this style of machine and I think it will appeal to more riders than a café…

Let’s mix up MotoGP Despite being a huge fan of MotoGP it always seems to be that the same old faces are at the front of every race and the podium is normally a repeat picture every week. So how about the organisers surprise the riders every so often by making them start in the reverse order to the one they finished the last race in? Martin Pope, Southampton Fed up with bad finish on bikes Why do motorcyclists keep on accepting poor durability of finish on their bikes when the car industry has been forced by the market to up its game? I am now reunited with my GS Adventure after Allan Jefferies carried out what must have been a very expensive warranty job owing to the extensive failure…

It’s hard to accept when something once so loved, seems to be on the verge of extinction. News that Honda are about to axe the CBR600 from its range has sparked much sadness (see Letter of the Week, left). And with it being such a red-hot favourite since it first hit the road 30 years ago, it’s easy to see how sorely it will be missed. And yet, the world has changed. In 2003, nearly 23,000 new 600s were sold while in 2015 just 1198 supersport 600s were snapped up. The companies that make supersport 600s are facing a tough decision. With Euro4 insisting on major revamps to keep these bikes legal, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and co would have to invest heavily to meet the new regulations. And with…

‘There are BSB teams running efforts as slick as top WSB squads’ It’s often said that BSB is the best domestic championship in the world. Is this true? I think so and it’s for a number of reasons. The first is the close racing. This year we’ve already had six different winners from 10 races, a tally that is sure to increase as the season goes on. And it’s not just that: the gap between the top 10 or 15 riders is so close! In the dry FP2 session at Snetterton, the top 13 were covered by just a second, and in the second race the gap from winner Shane Byrne to tenth-placed Tommy Bridewell was 12 seconds, while that same gap at Laguna Seca for World Superbikes was 22…

Michael Rutter Most BSB races 424 “You need a good team to get anywhere. The bikes are pretty much equal so it’s down to the team to get the best out of both rider and bike. I would say it is the closest and best domestic championship in the world. It looks like a GP paddock, there are so many artic lorries and posh hospitality units. Even I watch the races and really enjoy it because it’s so close. You do not know who will win, if I was to place a bet for any weekend I wouldn’t know who to bet on.” Shane Byrne Most BSB wins 71 and titles 4 “I remember being against the traction control ban as I’d dreamt of us going back to WSB as…

‘I could enjoy the TT without the feeling I could disappear over the edge’ SUZUKI SV650 £5495 FUEL 13.8 litres @ 55mpg = 167 miles WEIGHT 197kg SEAT 785mm POWER 75bhp TORQUE 47ftlb TONY HOARE Experienced rider and former racer who seems to be losing his appetite for going fast HEIGHT 5ft 10in WEIGHT 95kg tony.hoare@motorcyclenews.com It’s not often that everything goes to plan, but my time with Suzuki’s SV650 is working out exactly as I had hoped. The idea was to go for a lower-powered bike in the hope of recovering a little more fun from my riding rather than feeling that both bike and rider were floating around at a fraction of their capability. And that’s exactly what the 650cc V-twin has brought back into my life. We’ve…

‘Wearing my race leathers for the trip I travelled light and stuffed a few clothes into my rucksack’ KAWASAKI ZX-10R KRT REPLICA £13,799 FUEL 17 litres @ 45mpg = 168 miles WEIGHT 197kg Seat 813mm POWER 197bhp Torque: 84ftlb MICHAEL NEEVES Long-time sportsbike lover who also races in the white-hot Thundersport GP1 championship HEIGHT 6ft WEIGHT 72kg michael neeves@motorcyclenews.com My Kawasaki was in its element demolishing the continent on a recent 1754-mile blast to the Sachsenring circuit in Germany. It’s the king of ton-up, sweeping corners and has ZZR1400-like stability flat-out on the autobahn. Top-notch traction and wheelie control make zapping GT3s at the Nürburgring a piece of cake, too. I went to the Sachsenring to race in the World GP Bike Legends on an ex-Randy Mamola Cagiva…

Fully armed Unlike the original, the modern Barbour’s thermal lining has sleeves Zip to fit Gusseted zips at the sides of the jacket allow extra room for manoeuvre Added protection Comes with CE-approved Forcefield armour at the elbows and shoulders Barbour Black Shadow International Jacket £399.99 Tester Simon Relph Miles covered/time Two years What’s good? This is an absolute classic of a jacket, originally developed in 1936 for the International Six Day Trial (ISDT), it has been the popular choice for trials and road riding ever since. Made from heavyweight 8oz waxed cotton this jacket has been brought into the 21st century with a few modern additions, namely protective body armour. Well-known British protection specialists Forcefield have provided the jacket with CE-approved armour, this is great but do go and…

Ivan Lintin and Dean Harrison are good friends and both men are aiming for the same goal in trying to fight their way into the top ranks of road racing. “You can certainly see things beginning to open up,” the Lincolnshire man says. “Because the established order are doing less and less meetings nowadays, picking and choosing their races, it enables us to get our names into the results. Guy wasn’t here and hopefully I won’t retire before all the old ones retire even if I’m no spring chicken at 31!” Lintin won both Supertwin races on the Devitts/RC Express Kawasaki at the Southern 100 to add to his 2016 NW200 and TT victories in the class. From his seven starts during the Manx meeting the Lincolnshire man enjoyed six…

• Gary Dunlop, the eldest son of 31-times Southern 100 winner Joey, made his debut on a 125cc Honda at the Isle of Man event this year. A broken crank in the opening practice session saw him miss the first race and a slipping clutch forced the Ballymoney man’s retirement from the second event. • The races of the week at Billown were the two sidecar events on Wednesday and Thursday. Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance (DMR Klaffi Honda) won both encounters which involved fierce battles with TT winners, Ben and Tom Birchall LCR Honda), John Holden and Andrew Winkle (LCR Honda) and Dave Molyneux and Dan Sayle (DMR Honda). Wednesday’s four-way tussle was cut short after being red-flagged on lap five but Thursday’s thrilling championship race saw Reeves, Birchall…

A gamble to switch to intermediate tyres rather than slicks failed to pay off for Scott Redding during Sunday’s German MotoGP, denying him a second consecutive podium after an impressive ride last time out in Assen. Redding was one of the first riders to come into the pits for new tyres during the flag-to-flag race. After what looked like being an inspired move the Brit seemed well placed, but the pre-agreed plan to use intermediates instead of slicks sickeningly cost him a podium on the final lap. “It maybe wasn’t the wrong choice of tyres, but it was maybe just too early. I always tell the crew, if it’s before ten laps put the slicks in, because that gives me time to work with them. But it was right on…

Eugene Laverty Qualified: 18th Finished: 11th Disappointed with his result, which was hampered by an electrical issue, it was nonetheless another strong finish that sees him join Marc Marquez and Hector Barbera as the only men in MotoGP not to have crashed out of a race this year. “From the pit stop, my race was good, but before that it felt like I was riding a 250! The traction control was really strong and wouldn’t let me go. I had to slip the clutch like I was back in my 125GP days just to speed up, and it cost me seconds per lap.” Bradley Smith Qualified: 14th Finished: 13th Tangled up in someone else s crash, Smith was left fighting for the first half of the race without a left…

There’ll be one huge change to Cal’s life before the next round of the series in Austria in three weeks’ time, with the Isle of Man resident set to become a dad in the days leading up to the Red Bull Ring race. The 30-year-old, who wasn’t joined by wife Lucy at the weekend, says he’s planning a quick escape if needs be from this week’s scheduled test at the Austrian circuit. “It was disappointing not to have Lucy in Germany, because it’s only the second time in nine years she’s missed a race. She works as hard for me as I do to win – but we’re so excited to have a baby on the way. It’s going to be a different summer break, though, and I might be…

One of the calls Valentino Rossi made in the aftermath of Sunday’s disastrous race for him was for ship-to-shore communications as used in the car-racing world. Last tested by MotoGP nearly a decade ago, Rossi says that it could make the sport safer by allowing pit crews to tell riders when they’re able to back off. “This is not Formula One, but if we had the communication with the box it would be a lot easier. Sometimes with the pit board it’s difficult – in Assen, if they had told me I had already two seconds of an advantage I could have slowed down and not made the mistake. It could be important to have it in the future.” However, his suggestion was quickly shot down by Marc Marquez, citing…

To call Sunday’s MotoGP race an unmitigated disaster for the factory Movistar Yamaha duo of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo would perhaps be understating just how much the two hugely experienced riders failed to deliver. Rossi has a reputation befitting someone with his experience: the nine-time world champion is widely cited as one of the most naturally talented and intelligent racers in the paddock, able to think at light speed all while wrestling a 275bhp motorbike around at 200mph. And, on top of that, he’s surrounded by a crew with years of experience and countless world titles to their names, headed by Yamaha bosses Lin Jarvis, Massimo Meregalli and crew chief Silvano Galbusera. So it almost beggars belief that Rossi would ignore their instructions during Sunday’s race, staying out on…

Andrea Dovizioso has admitted that Sunday’s race was a case of what could have been, with his third place being scant consolation after leading for much of the 30-lap battle. Failing to take the opportunity to pit for slick or even intermediate tyres earlier in the race, the Italian instead continued to battle with Rossi until it became apparent that it was too late to stop the charge of Marc Marquez. “I’m happy, but I’m also disappointed. In the wet conditions I thought I took a wrong decision and went with the extra-soft tyre. It might not have been too bad a choice, because I was able to keep a few seconds to the riders behind. But we made a decision to pit at the wrong time. “I was so…

MCN were the first in the world to reveal that Honda are considering building an exotic V4 1000cc to sit above the Fireblade in the lineup, when the firm’s R&D boss Tetsuya Suzuki confirmed it was a project under consideration. When we broke the story we explained the idea Honda were investigating was adding the V4 as a model to sit between the new Fireblade and the wildly expensive and unattainable RC213V-S. No decision had been made at that point as to whether the project would definitely go ahead, and as far as MCN has been able to determine from speaking with Honda sources this hasn’t changed. But the V4 is currently classified as a ‘research’ project rather than an ‘engineering’ project while further work is carried on the viability…

Suzuki’s vintage parts programme supports Team Classic Suzuki. It’s been going for three years and has proved such a success they’ve sold £1.5 million-worth of new ‘old’ parts in the past year alone. Starting four years ago with the RGV250L and GT750, it’s grown from strength to strength and now you can buy new spares for the ‘Slabby’ GSX-R750, GSX750F, GS1000S, X7, AP50, TL1000S and Bandit 1200. The GSX-R1100L and RG500 will be catered for soon. It takes Suzuki GB around three to four months to create a parts catalogue. Suzuki have built a complete GSX-R750F and TL1000S from spares at the last two Motorcycle Live shows, and they’ll be building another classic at this year’s show. They won’t say exactly what it will be but have hinted it will…

2005 Speed Triple 1050  Colours Black, blue, yellow Dealer £4499 Private good £4395 Private average £4100 This one 2005 model, two owners, full Triumph service history, 10,235 miles, £3900 2007 Speed Triple 1050  Colours White, black, green Dealer £4999 Private good £4200 Private average £4000 This one 2007 model, low mileage, 4563 miles, £4200 2008 Speed Triple 1050  Colours White, black, green Dealer £5495 Private good £4400 Private average £4750 This one 2008 model, good condition, lots of accessories, 11,788 miles, £4350 2010 Speed Triple 1050  Colours Orange, black, green Dealer £6749 Private good £5795 Private average £5200 This one 2010 model, Dream Machine paintjob, 16,250 miles, £5250 Insurance Sample MCNCompare.com quotes for £5000 super-nakeds, from cheapest to costliest and where the Speed Triple fits in.…

‘I have a new love, she’s loud, fast, a head turner – and she’s got a twin’ Suzuki have tuned the SV to make more power than the Gladius it replaces, to make it match the benchmark Yamaha MT-07, but the hunt for extra power has moved the peak torque up from 6400rpm to 8100rpm. Concerned this would be a backwards step for newer riders, I set out to find a newcomer for a back-to-back test. Instead, MCN reader John Dayman found me. After learning to ride on a Gladius, John bought a new SV. Here are his thoughts… “For a rider of my experience and personality the SV is practical, affordable and definitely fun. I’d only ridden the Gladius when training and had a quick ride on a Yamaha…

TRIUMPH THRUXTON R £11,700 FUEL 14.5 litres @ 47mpg = 149 miles WEIGHT 203kg (dry) SEAT 810mm POWER 95.6bhp TORQUE82.6ftlb RIDER Simon Relph. Forty-one years of experience, both on and off road. Passionate bike-builder. HEIGHT6ft 1in WEIGHT 98kg simon.relph@motorcyclenews.com Another of 128 accessories listed for the Thruxton R can be ticked off. I have fitted a pair of Vance and Hines Brushed Stainless Steel slip-ons (£600). These pipes are beautifully made, and I really don’t think you can beat stainless pipes for their sound that they produce. These come with removable baffles, with them in they sound very similar to the stock pipes (I tried). Without they sound just right, letting the mighty twin sing! One thing you must do is get Triumph to re-map the ECU, which took about…

LEON HASLAM JG Speedfit Kawasaki Equal on wins with Byrne, Haslam has been the favourite to take the fight to the Ducati man this season, but a tough weekend at Snett saw him lose the title lead. Hampered by technical issues, Haslam was on the back foot throughout. A return to the top at Thruxton will be essential if he’s to keep Byrne within his grasp. CHRISTIAN IDDON Tyco BMW Surprise championship leader after the opening two rounds, Iddon has been off the pace since Brands, but a fightback isn’t inconceivable. He remains in the top six and following a breakthrough in feeling with his Tyco BMW at Snetterton, he’ll go to Thruxton full of confidence. DAN LINFOOT Honda Racing Linfoot has really come into his own over the last…

‘I was only 0.8 slower than the leaders with a destroyed bike’SAM LOWES Sunday’s Moto2 race at Sachsenring saw the low point of Sam Lowes’ 2016 season so far, as the Federal Oil Gresini rider crashed not once but twice, conceding a big gap in the title fight to reigning champion and race winner Johann Zarco. Sachsenring in one of Lowes’ bogey tracks and the Brit says he’s still confident that he can bounce back into title contention. “It’s a shame, because if I’d just stayed on the bike we’d have done OK. Rins unfortunately made a mistake too though, and Johann [Zarco] is only 30 points away. We can come back from that. “We’ll come back strongly now in Austria. I have three bad tracks, and they’re done now.…

‘It takes a rider with balls to jump straight on to the slicks!’CAL CRUTCHLOW Cal Crutchlow reminded the MotoGP paddock just how good he is by taking a stunning podium in Germany. The Honda riding Brit cleverly turned the wet conditions and tyre choice to his advantage to return to the rostrum for the first time since Argentina last year. Fast throughout the weekend but balked in qualifying after losing his best lap to a cruising rider in free practice three, he had to join Jorge Lorenzo and Danilo Petrucci in Q1 and didn’t progress to Q2 at the Sachsenring. But despite starting the race 13th on the grid, Crutchlow was able to make the most of his tyres in the race to match his best-ever result in the premiere…

Husqvarna have shown a completely revamped enduro range for 2017, which includes both two and four-stroke machines. Husqvarna claims the new models have been redesigned from the ground up and have reduced weight, the best handling in class and a stack of new technology. The new range includes the TX125, TE250 and 300 two-strokes along with the FE250, 350, 450 and 501 four-stroke models. All of the bikes have lighter and more compact engines, with all of the four-stroke bikes getting traction control as standard, and all get revised chassis layouts which also include composite subframes that are 1kg lighter than the previous models’. Revised steering head angles, new front and rear WP suspension and new minimal plastic bodywork also give the whole range a fresh look. The new range…

‘Nakeds mix sense with silliness’ Naked bikes have come an awfully long way from the old days of overweight retros and parts-bin budget commuters. Machines like the Kawasaki Z250, Triumph Street Triple R and Yamaha MT-10 show how successfully the streetfighter lunatic fringe, kickstarted by Suzuki’s brilliant Bandit 1200 in 1996, has evolved to the point that they now make more sense as road bikes than pure sportsbikes. Naked bikes are more fun and, in most cases, more practical. And they’re cheaper (not too mention, slightly less costly if you do crash one). You know it makes sense (and silliness).…

The mission Ducati say their new-for-2016 XDiavel is the bike they had in mind when they started the Diavel project, but has its feet-forward riding position changed the attitude of Bologna’s nutty super-cruiser? The riders Emma Franklin Production Editor Age 35 Height 5ft 7in Is riding the Ducati XDiavel S on long-term test this year Bruce Dunn MCN tester Age 50 Height 5ft 6in First big bike was a Suzuki GSX750 ET, so loves a naked roadster Ducati Diavel £14,495 1198cc | 162bhp | 96.3ftlb 239kg | 770mm seat The original. An insane combination of cruiser-esque seating position and styling, but with pegs under your arse, a pleasing dose of aggression blended seamlessly with complete control. Ducati XDiavel S £18,523 (standard model £15,932) 1262cc | 156bhp | 95ftlb | 247kg…

1 Rymer smokes ’em! Year 1996 Rider Terry Rymer Circuit Thruxton What happened? Rymer had been forced to miss qualifying due to World Endurance commitments so he was forced to start Race 1 from the back of the grid, having had no time to set up his Old Spice Ducati 916. Undeterred, he carved his way through the pack to take the lead from eventual champion, Niall Mackenzie. With three laps to go. Mackenzie tried to out-brake Rymer at the chicane on the last lap but overshot and assured the Englishman of the win. 2 Emmett blows it Year2004 RiderSean Emmett CircuitThruxton What happened? Emmett led out of the final chicane on the last lap of Race 1 and decided to celebrate by taking his left hand off the bars…

2015 Josh Brookes (AUS) YamahaYZF-R1 2014 Shane Byrne (ENG) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2013 Alex Lowes (ENG) SamsungHondaCBR1000RRFireblade 2012 Shane Byrne (ENG) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2011 Tommy Hill (ENG) YamahaYZF-R1 2010 Ryuichi Kiyonari (JAP) HondaCBR1000RR 2009 Leon Camier (ENG) YamahaYZF-R1 2008 Shane Byrne (ENG) Ducati1098 2007 Ryuichi Kiyonari (JAP) HondaCBR1000RR 2006 Ryuichi Kiyonari (JAP) HondaCBR1000RR 2005 Gregorio Lavilla (ESP) Ducati999F04 2004 John Reynolds (ENG) SuzukiGSX-R1000 2003 Shane Byrne (ENG) Ducati 998 R 2002 Steve Hislop (SCO) Ducati 998 R 2001 John Reynolds (ENG) Ducati996 2000 Neil Hodgson (ENG) Ducati996 1999 Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati996 1998 Niall Mackenzie (SCO) YamahaYZF750 1997 Niall Mackenzie (SCO) YamahaYZF750 1996 Niall Mackenzie (SCO) YamahaYZF750…

Neil Murray makes a living buying & selling pre-loved metal ‘Mid-Noughties Beemers suffer sinking prices’ If you bought a new BMW 1200/1300 four, or almost any of the 1200 twins a few years ago, you’re probably wondering where your money’s gone. There have been some fast-depreciating bikes, but BMWs built from 2005-2009 are some of the worst. BMW’s quality control took a knock as the company tried to keep up with demand and increased production and cut the spec on some components. Gearboxes, final drives, oil seals, ABS, electronics, rear hubs and the notorious and now discontinued servo brakes all gave trouble. Actually, the servo brakes were OK if the service schedules were religiously adhered to, but few second or third owners bothered with the annual/6000-mile brake fluid changes…

‘I’m a big fan – I always have been. They’re excellent bikes’ I’m a big Speed Triple fan – I always have been. They’re excellent bikes. I love all the models, from the original carb’d version, through to the T509, T595, right the way through to the new 2016 bike. When I was working at Webbs Lincoln we had a team in the old race series, which we won. I had the old race bike to use and the handling on that was phenomenal. When the fuel-injected 1050 version arrived in 2005 it was a big step up from the out-going model. Now that they’ve been around for a while it’s safe to say they’re pretty bulletproof as long as they’re regularly serviced. The motor is fantastic. If they’re not…

Ducati ST4S The most desirable ST4 – the last of the line S model gets the ST3’s looks, and the 996's engine. This one boasts a good spec and the best colours. Cagiva Raptor 1000 These quirky Cagivas were one of many to steal the Suzuki TL1000 engine and do something different with it (there was also an SV-powered 650). This one looks super-tidy, with low miles and great originality. Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom Another TL1000 engine thief. Never an emotional fire-starter, but it was a superbly dependable everyday workhorse. Comfortable, frugal, sensible, and uglier than a broken dustbin. Aprilia Tuono 1000 Pilfering the engine from the RSV1000, the Tuono helped define the super-naked class. This one has done a few miles (a good thing), and looks tidy.…

DUCATI XDIAVEL S £18,395 FUEL 18 litres @ 44mpg = 173 miles WEIGHT 247kg SEAT 755mm POWER 156bhp TORQUE95ftlb EMMA FRANKLIN 250GP racer with a love of sports and performance HEIGHT 5ft7in WEIGHT 59kg emma.franklin@motorcyclenews.com The Bologna brand made no secret of the fact that their new XDiavel was designed to appeal to the US cruiser-loving market. With its feet-forward pegs, V-twin engine, belt final drive and traffic-stopping looks, it’s got all the right ingredients to lure the tempted away from Harley. But what do those who have bought one of Milwaukee’s finest think about it? I took a ride down to my local Harley-Davidson dealership, Sycamore in Uppingham, to find out. On a sunny Sunday, Sycamore’s forecourt was rammed. Patches, raked forks, chrome; I suddenly felt like a bit…

 Shane Byrne took command of the 2016 MCE British Superbike title fight in what was close to a perfect weekend for the four-time British champion at Snetterton last time out. ‘There’s no reason we can’t have more weekends like Snetterton’SHANE BYRNE His fight back from an off-track excursion to third in race one, and subsequent race two win means that he’s now leading the title table by four points. Speaking to MCN, the new championship leader said: “At Snetterton we had the best package we’ve had so far this year and if we can continue trying to achieve that kind of feeling with the bike and I feel as comfortable riding it, then there is no reason we can’t have more weekends like that.” While Byrne has been quick with…

“It was a perfect week for us,” Buildbase Hawk BMW race boss, Steve Hicken smiled after the Southern 100. “That was four out of four and seven out of seven for this bike,” he added, referring to the fact that Dunlop and his squad’s BMW superbike-spec S1000RR haven’t been beaten on the roads during 2016 “Hopefully it will put us in good stead for the Ulster as it is somewhere that has eluded us for the last couple of years.” Dunlop has not won a superbike race at Dundrod since joining Hicken’s Buildbase backed team in 2014 and the team will be determined to beat the official BMW-backed Tyco team in the Northern Irish squad’s own back yard. The squad have been tweaking the chassis but say the engine is…

 Scotsman John McPhee has finally recaptured his front-running form on the Saxoprint Peugeot machine in this year’s Moto3 championship, riding to a strong sixth place in Sunday’s race despite treacherous conditions. ‘The nicest thing all weekend was that we were strong in all conditions’JOHN McPHEE Acknowledged as a wet weather specialist, the 22-year-old admitted afterwards that he half wished the race had been dry, to give him a chance to show just how much difference the French-branded Mahindra’s new gearbox had made to his pace. “I think the nicest thing all weekend was that we were strong in all conditions, not only in the dry but in the wet too. I was almost hoping for a dry race, because it felt like the first time all year I could fight…

• The much-loved Day of Champions event will go ahead at this year’s OCTO British Grand Prix despite the reorganisation of partner charity Riders for Health. Exclusive paddock and pit-lane tickets cost £50 and include access to the paddock, the entertainment zone and the legendary auction, and are on sale now on the Silverstone website (www.silverstone.co.uk). • The MotoGP circus travelled straight from Germany to Austria for a private test at the new Red Bull Ring circuit yesterday and today. Organised by Ducati, it’s believed that the Honda team were not invited, possibly as retaliation for the instigating the ban on winglets for next season. • The Red Bull Ring has also been in the news for other reasons, with the new track reported to be a hot topic of…

LCR Honda team boss Lucio Cecchinello says that after a difficult start to the 2016 season, Crutchlow’s podium during Sunday’s race couldn’t have come at a better time. “It is a brilliant moment after so many days of hard work and failure after failure. We keep trying though, and to be paid by your own efforts is really good. It means that everything you do, all the hard work, makes sense to you again. “I’m so happy for Cal, because he deserved it after we made some mistakes and had some misfortune. My heart rate was going so fast at the end of the race though! I didn’t even have the courage to look at the screens, because we needed that finish. We’ve only finished twice in the previous eight…