Confident Melandri looking to have fun
BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Marco Melandri says if the upcoming SuperBike season is to be a successful one for him then it is important that he has fun.
With the new season set to start in little under a month at Australia's Phillip Island, Melandri was asked what goals or targets he had set himself for the season.
"To have fun," was his simple response.
"When I am fast I score good results - and I always enjoy doing that.
"That is why that is my target. I would like to have some good fights, score good results and feel good on the bike. Then it is a lot of good fun - and the good results will also be there."
Melandri will spend 2012 racing alongside Leon Haslam, a rider he has known for a long time.
"I have known him since the time I lived fairly close to him in England," said Melandri, who said he was looking forward to being part of the same team as the Britain who finished fifth in last season's championship.
"I think it is good for the team for us to be teammates because it means we can push each other, which is good for results.
"We do have different riding styles, but we have agreed on what changes to make to the bike so that we can work in the same direction in order to move the team forward."
He added that the partnership was already taking shape nicely and that as a result the BMW S1000 RR would be race ready come the season opener on the 27th of February.
"When I jumped on the bike for the first time I discovered some difficult areas, but I was also pleasantly surprised by many of its positives," said Melandri.
"During the test with the 2011 bike I saw that it is a 'normal' bike without any pitfalls. We just need to take the pieces and put them together in the best way to provide the optimal package.
"Of course it was a lot of work over the winter, and we will see how long it takes us to have this optimal package. However, I am happy about the bike and about how it feels, so I am very confident.
"I think good confidence is the only thing a rider needs to be fast."