<table width="680" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="font-size:19px;font-weight:bold;color:#000000;padding:0" valign="top" width="680">World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli joins Pata Honda</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style="font-size:0" height="21" width="680" bgcolor="#ffffff"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style="padding-bottom:22px;font-size:14px;color:#333333;line-height:21px" valign="top">The 2014 World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli has signed an agreement to ride for the Pata Honda team alongside Michael van der Mark in the 2015 championship aboard Hondas CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machine. Guintoli is one of the most widely experienced riders in the World Superbike paddock and won the 2014 title in yesterdays final round at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The French rider, who lives in the UK with his English wife Caroline and their four children, has also ridden at the highest level in MotoGP. The 32-year-old has a total of nine World Superbike wins to his credit, five of which have come this season: at Phillip Island in Australia, Assen in the Netherlands, his home round of Magny-Cours in France last month, and a double race win in Qatar yesterday to end the season in some style. He boasts a total of 40 WSBK podium finishes. Although the 2015 season will be Guintolis first ride for Honda, he has a strong historical relationship with the teams title partner Pata, having ridden for a Pata-sponsored Ducati team in 2012, taking two race victories to finish seventh that season in the World Superbike standings. The announcement of Guintolis appointment to the Pata Honda World Superbike team and his new partnership with 2014 World Supersport champion, Michael van der Mark, means that the team will bid farewell to both Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam. The entire Pata Honda team and Honda Motor Europe offer their very best wishes to both riders in the future careers. Sylvain Guintoli - profile Date of birth <wbr> 24 June 1982 Height <wbr> 179cm Weight <wbr> 65kg Place of birth <wbr> Montélimar, France Home town <wbr> Market Bosworth, UK Race number <wbr> 50 Race machine <wbr> Pata Honda CBR1000RR First race <wbr> 2000 World Superbike debut 2009 Portimao, Portugal World Superbike races 129 World Superbike pole positions 4 First World Superbike podium 2011 Miller Motorsports Park, USA Total World Superbike podiums 40 First World Superbike win 2012 Assen, the Netherlands Total World Superbike wins 9 Career Highlights 2000 250cc French champion 3rd, 250cc European championship 2001 14th, 250cc world championship 2002 Test rider Yamaha GP 2003 10th, 250cc world championship - Aprilia 2004 14th, 250cc world championship - Aprilia 2005 10th, 250cc world championship - Aprilia 2006 9th, 250cc world championship - Aprilia 2007 16th, MotoGP world championship - Yamaha 2008 13th, MotoGP world championship - Ducati 2009 8th, British Superbike championship - Suzuki 2010 7th, World Superbike championship - Suzuki 2011 6th, World Superbike championship - Ducati 2012 7th, World Superbike championship - Ducati 2013 3rd, World Superbike championship - Aprilia 2014 World Superbike champion Aprilia </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>
He was brought in to help Van der Mark get acquainted with the superbike. Van der Mark will be a force next year. Hopefully. If Honda can get a little more grunt out of the corners. Haslam... Not surprised he got dropped. Since Melandri bowled him over in the UK race a few years back on the BWMs, ruining his chance of winning a race and giving BMW their first win, he hasn't been anywhere near the front. Funny. The more I look back, the more Melandri looks like an asshole.
where? Aprilia will not have a WSBK team in 2015, they will only support the Red Devils Roma team with Haslam and Guianoni
Could we source a link to the most recent update on next year's rules? I found this but was wondering if there was any more information. http://motomatters.com/news/2014/06/14/2015_world_superbike_regulations_release.html
http://www.nieuwsmotor.nl/motornieuws/20297-honda-rc213v-s-en-true-adventure-prototypes.html I think Guintoli will be very pleased with this RC-213V and van der Mark also
Hey Krop, heard anything about Yams plans? The new R1 looks the Biz, and then some, but it seems all the rides are settled......
I'm confused as to why Honda would waste their time on it then? Possibly why Jonathan Rae signed with Kawasaki?
We talk about Honda here, they will convince Dorna that if they produce them in september 2015 they can be approved for racing at the start of the season. But seriously....it is my understanding also that Honda (for now) has no plans to put this bike into production. It was just wishful thinking from my side, still I hope van der Mark will do well this year.
Exactly. It's what they call a halo bike. When you buy a Fireblade or a CBR600RR, a little bit of the RC213V-S rubs off on you.
I understand that they intend to race the R1. The Milwaukee team in BSB will be racing them, as will GMT94 in Endurance racing. I've not heard anything specific in WSBK yet, though.
Well, it's a "motoGP bike" they say you COULD, possibly, maybe, buy, if they decide to actually produce it. Which they haven't commited to. So, don't hold your breath. Meanwhile the R1, and R1M will definately be available to sell to the public. As will the new Aprilia RSV4, that no one seems to be talking about. Oh yeah, and the newly updated BMW S1000RR.
Or buying. The Aprilia RSV4 is proof that the adage "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" is a load of garbage. They can barely shift the minimum homologation numbers required, despite the bike have many, many titles. Racing success may have some small effect, but a decent dealer network will do a lot more.