Brake issues force Corser to play safe

Brake problems in both World Superbike races were at fault for Troy Corser being unable to continue BMW's recent progress at Imola, the Australian even being forced to retire during the second encounter for safety reasons.

Starting ninth on the grid after another promising Superpole session, Corser made a good start to run as high as fifth in the early stages of race one, before realising he was experiencing a technical issue with the brakes.

Forcing him to go too fast into the entry of the corners, Corser would eventually favour a cautious approach for the remainder of the race as he backed off to cross the line an eventual 11th position.

"The first race started fine and I was up to fifth by the end of the third lap, but then began having problems with the brakes. The lever was coming back to the bar and I was having to exert heaps more pressure than normal. I was also heading into the turns and chicanes faster than I wanted to and that got a bit scary.

"I didn't want to crash and I didn't want to cause a crash, so I just had to ride carefully and keep a watch out for the other riders. To get 11th, in those circumstances, was good, to say the least."

Getting the whole Brembo brake system changed between the races, Corser was confident of a better second outing, but was shocked to find the problem had gotten worse. Worried about his own and other rider's safety, he decided to pull in on lap four.

"Between race one and race two, the Brembo technicians completely changed the brake system. Our team let them do that and watched in case they had done anything wrong before, but the work was exactly the same.

"However, the result in race two was much worse. Right from the start, I knew that things were not going better and the brakes were a problem straightaway. After four laps of running off the track, I decided that it would be safer if I pulled out so, reluctantly, that's what I did.

"I don't know what to say really, because this weekend should've been one where we showed the progress we've made with the bike. Instead, brake problems messed up any chance of getting a solid pair of top seven finishes before further improvement at Magny-Cours and Portimao.

"When you make a mistake, it is one thing, but when you have technical problems like this, it is very frustrating. I could crashed a dozen or so times in either race and I certainly spent quite a bit of time off the track.

"It was a great shame because the lap times we did on race rubber would've given us top seven or eight. Instead, a solution has to be found to the problem, and quick, as Magny-Cours is only next weekend. Hopefully, a solution will be found and I can give myself and the team the results we all now expect."

Team-mate Ruben Xaus marked his return to competition with a solid run to 12th and 13th.