Leon Haslam secured pole position for the opening race of the Assen BSB weekend by expertly navigating the wet conditions at the TT Circuit, leveraging his extensive experience. However, he lost ground off the start following a prolonged red light delay but managed to claw his way back, engaging in a fierce battle for second place with Kyle Ryde, ultimately finishing on the podium.
Riding for Moto Rapido Ducati, Haslam is a familiar face at Assen, a track regularly featured in both the BSB and WSBK calendars throughout his career. Having previously won at Assen as a Kawasaki rider, he was well-equipped to handle the mixed weather conditions that impacted the weekend. After his wet Q2 qualifying secured him pole, Haslam faltered at the start, with Ryan Vickers taking the lead into the first corner while Scott Redding aggressively pursued a needed win in the championship. Reflecting on his race start during the British Superbikes post-race interview, Haslam said, “I felt pretty good all weekend and believed we had the pace to keep up with Scott, but a poor start saw me drop behind three or four riders. By the time I caught back up to Kyle and made some passes, it cost us the chance to catch Scott.”
This setback led Haslam into a prolonged duel for second place with championship leader Ryde, both of whom ride Ducatis. Passing opportunities were scarce, and despite multiple attempts to overtake Ryde at the final chicane, Haslam was unsuccessful. Both riders posted faster lap times than Redding in the closing laps, and Had Haslam not lost time at the start and then been caught in the battle, he believed he could have contested for the victory. He added, “That sequence basically set where we finished. I played a bit of yo-yo with Kyle, making passes that didn’t really help us close the gap to Scott. It was a good fight, and while I’m a bit frustrated because I thought we had the pace to challenge Scott, we ended up third and on the podium, which is still positive. We just need to fine-tune a few things.”
Although pleased with a third-place finish, Haslam recognized his strengths and areas needing improvement ahead of Sunday’s sprint and feature races. He noted, “Kyle was very strong in the corners approaching the pits, like the double right and long-radius turns, whereas I performed better in the left-handers, which helped me gain some ground. But when I did make a pass, I struggled to hold my line, often drifting wide at the chicane and making errors at Turn 1. So, the mistakes were more on my side than due to a lack of speed—I just need to ride smoother.”
Fan Take:
Haslam’s performance highlights the importance of experience and composure in challenging conditions, reminding fans that races are won and lost not just by outright speed but by starts and consistency. His close battle with Ryde adds more excitement to the championship race, setting the stage for an intense and strategic showdown in the coming rounds.
Source: www.crash.net
