After a three-week break the 2010 World Superbike series will resume action as the championship turns to Great Britain for Round 10. The Silverstone circuit has been visited by the World Superbike paddock on six separate occasions, but riders will encounter a very different track this time around as there have been drastic modifications and improvements in its layout. One key element which will prove crucial in the upcoming round is speed. So far Aprilia’s Max Biaggi has been having a fairytale season with a total of nine race wins and four double victories. Will his luck continue as the series heads into its final four rounds of the championship?
 
Biaggi’s season has included winning half the races on schedule and placing no lower than eighth in 18 races, with only five non-podium finishes on the year. As a result the Italian is crushing his competition with a 68-point advantage as he heads to Silverstone. But the Roman Emperor will have his hands full this weekend as the series makes its way into the UK, the home circuit of no less than seven riders, one of them being Suzuki Alstare’s Leon Haslam. 

Haslam will be presented with the perfect opportunity to chisel away at Biaggi’s lead in points at his home circuit. He has plenty experience at Silverstone, which could prove a significant factor in helping the Englishman claim his fourth win of the season.
 
“I am looking forward to Silverstone as it is the only time we get to race at home,” said Haslam. “With the new developments it is effectively a new circuit for everyone so there is no real track advantage, but hopefully the home advantage and the fans will give us a boost to get us onto the top step of the podium.”
 
Currently third in the championship is Irishman Jonathan Rea. The Honda Ten Kate rider has had a total of three race wins, two of which occurring at the Assen circuit where he took the double victory. Rea has been enjoying strong results recently, taking a victory in Race 1 at the Czech Republic and coming in second-place during Race 2. After Brno, Rea competed in the Suzuka 8 Hours World Endurance contest (read the full report in our Suzuka 8 Hours Results) where he and his TSR Honda team placed third.
 
“It felt so nice to win a race again,” Rea commented about Brno. “Our bike is difficult to take from track to track, but we definitely got the best out of it in Brno. I'm looking forward to getting back in front of my home fans in a couple of weeks at Silverstone.”

Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa will especially be looking for a strong ride in the hopes of making up ground on Rea in the championship and also to create breathing room from Noriyuki Haga, who remains just 17 points behind in fifth. Checa began his season on the right foot by earning a victory during Round 1 in Australia. Recently, however, the Spaniard has fallen off the pace, and went 6-9 in the last round at Brno.
 
Ducati Xerox’s Haga is another rider who’s had a solo win this season which was earned at Valencia. At this point the Japanese rider remains a staggering 180 points adrift of Biaggi. Nitro Nori scored a decent 6-5 result in the Czech Republic and approaches Silverstone with an air of optimism, having enjoyed past success on the old Silverstone layout.
 
“We haven't been to Silverstone for a few years but we've heard that they've made some great track modifications and I'm looking forward to going back there,” Haga said. “I've had some good results there in the past, quite a few podiums from what I remember and it was always a track that seemed to suit my riding style. We'll have to wait and see just how much it's changed but I'm looking forward to the event and hope we can do well.”
 
Meanwhile Haga’s teammate, Michel Fabrizio, had a strong second race at Brno, finishing on the podium in third. Currently eighth in the championship, Fabrizio’s last visit to the Silverstone circuit in 2007 was a rough one that saw the Ducati rider crash out. Despite this, he has high hopes for the revised layout and looks forward to the possibility of advancing ahead of Troy Corser in the series.
 
“With the changes to the track layout it will be interesting to see how everyone goes,” said Fabrizio. “I guess we’ll all be starting on a level playing field, and so I am confident that we can put together two great races.”
 
Yamaha Sterilgarda duo James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow will both look to make inroads at Silverstone this weekend in front of their home fans. Toseland and Crutchlow are currently sixth and tenth in the series respectively, and both could stand to benefit in the championship by a good showing in Great Britain.
 
"The home race is no different to any other race," said Crutchlow. "I always want to do well and give it my best shot. We had some tire issues at Brno; hopefully these won't be repeated this round and we can focus on being fast the fastest all weekend and delivering two race wins."
 
Meanwhile Toseland was very simplistic in his comments about the upcoming race, saying: “I'm going to Silverstone with nothing to lose; the icing on the cake would be to win at home.”
 
After injuring himself in the last round at Brno, BMW’s Troy Corser will be making a return in Great Britain and has high  expectations for his S1000RR at Silverstone, where speed will be a dominant factor. Just two points ahead of Fabrizio in the championship, Corser needs a good performance in the upcoming round to keep his position.

Supersport

With a championship lead that has changed hands five times already, the close of the Supersport series is sure to be a barn-burner. After winning his third race of the season at Brno Honda Ten Kate’s Kenan Sofuoglu is currently first in the championship, but Kawasaki Motocard.com rider Joan Lascorz remains only 15 points behind and is still within striking distance. Parkalgar Honda’s Eugene Laverty took third in the Czech Republic Round and has been one of the riders to lead the series this season. With a 7-point deficit on Lascorz and 22 points keeping him from Sofuoglu in first, Laverty needs to ratchet up some victories in the remaining rounds.