Leon Haslam has set his sights on a podium finish when the new-look Silverstone plays host to the World Superbike Championship next weekend. The BMW Motorrad rider has endured a frustration season on board the S1000RR with only two podium finishes to his name.
The factory BMW squad have struggled to match the pace of Aprilia, Ducati and Yamaha whose riders lead the way in the championship and recent events have seen them slip behind the Motorrad Italia team, with Ayrton Badovini fast improving.
Haslam did enjoy success here last year though, finishing third in the first race of a weekend dominated by the Brits, particularly Cal Crutchlow who did the double. The Derbyshire man is hoping that the inspiration of racing at home will drive him to a strong result next weekend.
“I'm really looking forward to Silverstone. The new circuit is really fast and flowing and it's a great place to race – there are plenty of opportunities for passing. There was some really close racing last year and the Brits did particularly well. I finished on the podium in Race One and will be pushing hard to get back up there again this year. It's also the first time we'll be using the new Pit and Paddock complex. It looked amazing at MotoGP. It's always special to race in front of your home crowd and it would be great to christen the new podium with a top three finish.”
Tickets are still available with advance tickets starting from just £20. Paddock and Pit Lane passes also available to purchase in advance. For further information, or to book tickets, visit www.silverstone.co.uk or call 0844 3728 260.
