Effenbert-Liberty Racing team looks back before looking forward
The team's Marketing Director, Roberto Bocchiola, explained why the 2011 season was bittersweet for the Czech-based squad, when most others only saw it as a great debut. "We all wished and hoped we could do better, that is why we went into racing, not to end up sixth or fourth or whatever, but we have to understand that it was our first WSBK season," he said. "We had some lucky and unlucky moments, but we should be quite happy, even thought we wished, hoped and thought we could have managed even better results. If we look back and consider this is our first season we should not be too hard on ourselves and now we will fight to do better next year."
Several team members are experienced WSBK campaigners and the core of the squad is indeed the former Sterilgarda team, who evidently know how to make Ducatis go fast, but the impact the overall team made was impressive, especially as Guintoli was injured for much of the early season. Despite this he finished on the podium three times from MMP onwards, and was sixth in the final points tally, ahead of many factory riders. His team-mate Smrz was also on the podium three times, but inconsistency in overall performance kept him in 14th place.
"In 2012 we want Kuba to have the right season, not to repeat a similar season like 2011," continued Bocchiola. "We want him to ride at his standards, so he will have a good season, a regular season at a good level. Sylvain, if things go his way then next year he will improve again. When you look at this year, when he recovered his strength and confidence after his early injury, results were coming and it could have been even a little bit better, because he got close to winning a couple of times. We believe that with the experience we have accumulated and with Sylvain and the team knowing each other better, with no bad luck Sylvain is going to improve a bit more. Surely, we hope Sylvain can get into the top five, if not the top three."
In 2012 the team will expand on two fronts, WSBK and in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, and maybe things are still to grow in one side of the Effenbert - Liberty Team. "We have confirmed three riders in Superbike, including Maxime Berger, in two official teams," said Roberto. "We have also confirmed Brett McCormick in Superstock. There will be no more in Superbike but and we are not completely closed in Superstock. There is a 50% possibility that we will maybe have one more Superstock rider."
