Preseason testing marked P.J. Jacobsen
as one of the favorites to take the Supersport World Championship in
2017. But in hindsight, the Phillip Island round may have been a
harbinger of things to come. Undeniably fast, Jacobsen's season has
not gone to plan.
In a wide-ranging conversation in the
paddock at Lausitzring in Germany, Jacobsen reflected on his career,
his season to date, and his desire to move into the premier class of
the series.
"It's been up and down. It started off pretty good at Phillip Island, with the testing and all, and a silly mistake from myself. I should have had a win. Truthfully, I feel bad, it was an easy win,” Jacobsen says.
"It's been up and down. It started off pretty good at Phillip Island, with the testing and all, and a silly mistake from myself. I should have had a win. Truthfully, I feel bad, it was an easy win,” Jacobsen says.
“I've had a lot of pole positions this year. On the down side, we've had a couple of DNFs which have affected us in the Championship. It's just been up and down. The team's trying really hard. I'm working really hard. It's a new bike for me. But also new teams have come in and stepped up the level a bit. So it's right now a bit hard to compete. But I'm trying to do my best, keep pushing, and Sunday's what counts. We keep trying to get as many points and keep the flow going and try to click off podiums."
Jacobsen broke through in 2015 after
his team collapsed mid-season. The New Yorker jumped onto a different
team, immediately put his Honda CBR600RR onto the podium first race
out and ran off two wins and two more seconds to close out the season
second in the Championship. It was an amazing accomplishment after an
insane season, and much was expected in 2016, especially after
Jacobsen joined the immensely successful Ten Kate team.
But 2016 was a struggle, and four podiums were not the results Jacobsen expected. Jumping to the factory-backed MV Agusta squad to race its F3 675 seemed like an excellent move, as competitive as the MV had been in 2016.
The landscape for 2017 has changed, however. Yamaha, eager to demonstrate the superiority of its new YZF-R6, hired the reigning Endurance World Champion and a host of other supremely talented riders and put them on full factory-backed bikes.
"In the past couple of years, it's been me, Jules (Cluzel) and Kenan (Sofuoglu, the five-time and defending Supersport World Champion). Since the new teams and other riders have come in, and the new YZF-R6 has come out, I think it's had a big impact on the class," Jacobsen says. "It's a very good bike. Everyone knows that it's a really good bike. I was teammates with a couple of riders who are in front of me in the championship, and um ... It's hard to race against them right now. It's a very competitive bike."
But 2016 was a struggle, and four podiums were not the results Jacobsen expected. Jumping to the factory-backed MV Agusta squad to race its F3 675 seemed like an excellent move, as competitive as the MV had been in 2016.
The landscape for 2017 has changed, however. Yamaha, eager to demonstrate the superiority of its new YZF-R6, hired the reigning Endurance World Champion and a host of other supremely talented riders and put them on full factory-backed bikes.
"In the past couple of years, it's been me, Jules (Cluzel) and Kenan (Sofuoglu, the five-time and defending Supersport World Champion). Since the new teams and other riders have come in, and the new YZF-R6 has come out, I think it's had a big impact on the class," Jacobsen says. "It's a very good bike. Everyone knows that it's a really good bike. I was teammates with a couple of riders who are in front of me in the championship, and um ... It's hard to race against them right now. It's a very competitive bike."
And Jacobsen has had to adapt, after a
year and a half on the Honda, to the demands of the MV Agusta.
"You have ride them differently. The Honda's a more aggressive bike to ride,” he says. “The MV is more like a 250 GP bike - you have to be more relaxed on the bike, real corner speed and flow, not so aggressive with the bike. I notice that when I get more aggressive with the bike I start going backward with my lap times. You relax more, the lap times come easily."
Jacobsen has raced literbikes in the Endurance World Championship, and has impressed. He's happy with his riding style on the bigger machines, and is looking to move up to Superbike.
“I'm not here to just make up the numbers. I've been four years in the Supersport class. I'm trying to move up to Superbike. Obviously, you need to be challenging for the Championship to move up,” Jacobsen says. “I've been second in the Championship before. Last year didn't quite go as planned. Hopefully this year I can continue to show people I can move up. The ultimate goal is to be in Superbike and ride in front of American fans. I think it would be cool to be up there one day.
"You have ride them differently. The Honda's a more aggressive bike to ride,” he says. “The MV is more like a 250 GP bike - you have to be more relaxed on the bike, real corner speed and flow, not so aggressive with the bike. I notice that when I get more aggressive with the bike I start going backward with my lap times. You relax more, the lap times come easily."
Jacobsen has raced literbikes in the Endurance World Championship, and has impressed. He's happy with his riding style on the bigger machines, and is looking to move up to Superbike.
“I'm not here to just make up the numbers. I've been four years in the Supersport class. I'm trying to move up to Superbike. Obviously, you need to be challenging for the Championship to move up,” Jacobsen says. “I've been second in the Championship before. Last year didn't quite go as planned. Hopefully this year I can continue to show people I can move up. The ultimate goal is to be in Superbike and ride in front of American fans. I think it would be cool to be up there one day.
"I'm getting older - I'm 24 now -
and I've been in the class four years. The class has changed so much,
with different rules, and 600s aren't such a big thing right now, as
manufacturers seem like they're not focusing on it right now. Yamaha
is, but ... I don't know. A lot of things are changing, I'm getting
older, and it's time to move up to Superbike.”
Jacobsen was among the front-runners every time he got on the Endurance bike, demonstrating that he could race literbikes and do it well. In the past, Jacobsen has raced for a front-line Superbike team in the British Superbike series and has won in Superstock 1000 in that series.
"I rode for Honda in Suzuka and I did very well there. I came from British Superbike. I like the Superbike. I like riding the Superbike better, and I think I ride it better,” Jacobsen says. "Every time I did an endurance race we were in the podium positions, and we always had a mechanical. I was the fastest Honda rider in Suzuka last year, and we were always in the top three - we just needed the bike to last."
With MV Agusta reportedly considering adding a second bike to its one-rider Superbike effort, a move up to the premier class and the manufacturer's F4 1000 would seem to be a natural step for Jacobsen. He's interested, but there has been nothing settled.
"I'd like to stay with a manufacturer and be loyal. That's one thing I believe in. Hopefully they have a Superbike spot open,” Jacobsen says.
Jacobsen was among the front-runners every time he got on the Endurance bike, demonstrating that he could race literbikes and do it well. In the past, Jacobsen has raced for a front-line Superbike team in the British Superbike series and has won in Superstock 1000 in that series.
"I rode for Honda in Suzuka and I did very well there. I came from British Superbike. I like the Superbike. I like riding the Superbike better, and I think I ride it better,” Jacobsen says. "Every time I did an endurance race we were in the podium positions, and we always had a mechanical. I was the fastest Honda rider in Suzuka last year, and we were always in the top three - we just needed the bike to last."
With MV Agusta reportedly considering adding a second bike to its one-rider Superbike effort, a move up to the premier class and the manufacturer's F4 1000 would seem to be a natural step for Jacobsen. He's interested, but there has been nothing settled.
"I'd like to stay with a manufacturer and be loyal. That's one thing I believe in. Hopefully they have a Superbike spot open,” Jacobsen says.
No comments:
Post a Comment