INDIA in F1

Category: WSBK

FIM Superbike World Championship, World SuperSport…

  • All you need to know about the Australian round of #WorldSBK

    Philip Island, 14 Feb 2019:

    1. For the eleventh year in a row, Phillip Island will be the opening round of the season. The Australian race track is where the most season openers in the Championship history have taken place so far, followed by Donington, Valencia, and Losail, at four each.

    2. Phillip Island is the circuit with most WorldSBK races run: 55. The first appearance of the Australian race track in the calendar was back in 1990.

    3. In the history of the Championship, in 17 seasons out of 31, the winner of the opening race has gone on to win the title at the end of the year. That was not the case for Marco Melandri last year. The Italian took his only two wins of the season in Australia and finished 5th in the standings.

    4. Rea starts his 2019 campaign after having led the championship 100 times in total. Now he is on a streak of 20, began in Buriram 2018.

    5. Last year Marco Melandri broke a string of 6 consecutive British wins at Phillip Island. The same record for a country goes to Australia with a string of 6 consecutive wins from 2004 Race 2 to 2007 Race 1.

    6. Tom Sykes will start his 260th WorldSBK race at Phillip Island when the lights will go off on Saturday 23rd February.

    7. Jonathan Rea is on a winning streak of 11 straight races, a record sequence. None of these wins came with the advantage of a pole position start.

    8. The fastest ever top speed recorded at Phillip Island is 324.6 kph, set by Max Biaggi on board his Aprilia in 2012.

    9. In all the 31 seasons run so far, the eventual champion always finished the opening race in the first five places, with Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea being the only champions to start their winning campaigns with a fifth, in 2013 and last year.

    10. Australian riders have won their home race here 23 times out of 55, the last one in 2008 with a double win for Troy Bayliss. Since then, riders from seven different countries have won at Phillip Island.

  • Jonathan Rea returns to the top on the final day of testing at Jerez: WorldSBK

    Jonathan Rea returns to the top on the final day of testing at Jerez: WorldSBK

    Busy two-day test comes to an end at Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto with reigning World Champion back at the top of the charts.

    Rea faced some stiff competition but he was able to return at the top of the timesheets at Jerez on Thursday. A WorldSBK image

    Jerez, 24 Jan 2019: 

    Sun shone down on the final day of testing at the Spanish circuit of Jerez, where the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders were able to continue their final arrangements ahead of the 2019 season opener that will be held in less than a month in Australia.
    With the temperature being warmer than yesterday day two around Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto saw many riders improving their paces and the top ten riders of day closing in less than a second at the front.Facing some stiff competition from the Yamaha and Ducati rivals, reigning World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took to the track early this morning working on the small 2019 updates for his ZX-10RR. The four-time world champion didn’t lose any time and, in the end, he was able to return at the top of the timesheets, thanks to a fastest lap time in 1’39.160, just a few seconds ahead of the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes.Stunning with his consistency and overall pace during both the two days, the Yamaha rider closed second in 1’39.372 and he continued to make progress with his machine as he completed 102 laps around the Andalusian race track today. Working on improving the acceleration of his bike and testing new parts for the YZF R1 machine, his teammate Michael van der Mark closed in seventh position with a fastest lap time of 1’40.145.

    Focusing on getting more comfortable on his new bike, Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a positive two-day test, as he closed also just 0.342 s off his teammate in third position. The British rider was able to be fast on both days, building on his confidence with the ZX-10RR.

    Making an important step forward, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) brought his Ducati Panigale V4 R in fourth position, closing 0.460 s off Rea’s lap time. The Spaniard had a busy day gathering as much information as possible to work on, and design the best base set-up for their all-new Ducati machine. On the other side of the garage, Chaz Davies sat out on the opening hours of the day and took to the track later in the afternoon putting in only a few laps, closing the day in tenth. As he was feeling some pain in his back after the crash he had yesterday, Davies decided to take it easy as he aims to be back at his full strength for the next pre-season test that will be held at the end of this week in Portimao.  Both independent team riders Michael Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) and Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven), who finished respectively ninth and twelfth, worked alongside their new teams producing valuable feedbacks that will be used also by the factory team to improve their Ducati beast.

    Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continued to impress, stunning with his performance along the two days. The Turkish rider finished in fifth position, with a fastestlap time in 1’39.942.

    Continuing to work with the new team structure GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider Marco Melandri had a busy day as he put in a total of 87 laps onboard his Yamaha finishing eighth overall, while his teammate Sandro Cortese had his progression slowed down by a small crash he suffered early in the morning. The German walked away from the accident on his feet but had to wait for his bike to be recovered and repaired before returning to the track in the afternoon and setting the sixth fastest time.

    Towards the end of the day, the BWM Motorrad WorldSBK riders Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger had their transponders finally recording a few of their lap times. Happy with the progresses made over the two day, they closed respectively in fourteenth and fifteenth position.

    Among the WorldSSPriders Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) continued to lead the way also on day two with Frenchman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) closing second just 0.222 s behind him.
    Making her debut in the class, Maria Herrera was also out testing aboard the Yamaha YZF R6 of MS Racing. The Spaniard focused on getting acquainted with the new bike and finished her second day of testing with a fastest lap time in 1’46.957.

    Whilst the Jerez Test may have finished some of the WorldSBK and WorldSSP riders who attended the two days will now head down to Portugal for the final pre-season test on European soil from 27th-28th January at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve Portimao before the first round of the 2019 FIM Superbike World Championship season in Australia.

    Jerez Day Two Unofficial Times:

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.160
    2. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’39.372 +0.212
    3. Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.502 +0.348
    4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’39.620 +0.460
    5. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) 1’39.942 +0.782
    6. Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’40.075 +0.915
    7. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’40.145 +0.985
    8. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’40.469 +1.309
    9. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) 1’40.540 +1.380
    10. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.621 +1.461
    11. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 1’40.794 +1.634
    12. Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) 1’40.879 +1.719
    13. Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) 1’41.066 +1.906
    14. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’41.206 +2.046
    15. Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’41.231 +2.071
    16. Alessandro Delbianco (Althea MIE Racing Team) 1’42.353 +3.192
  • Alex Lowes closes opening day at Jerez on top: WorldSBK Jerez test Day 1

    Alex Lowes closes opening day at Jerez on top: WorldSBK Jerez test Day 1

    Alex Lowes tops Day 1 times. A WorldSBK image

    Jerez, 24 Jan 2019: Making their final preparations ahead of the 2019 season opener, 16 WorldSBK and 12 WorldSSP riders were out on track around Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto for the opening day of testing at the Andalusian circuit.

    Despite the chilly temperature, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders were able to take full advantage of the good weather, putting in a considerable number of laps and working all day through their testing programs. With the track having been resurfaced over the winter break they all had to wait for the tarmac to warm up, before continuing with the work they had planned for the day.

    Completing a positive day one of testing, Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes closed the day at the top of the timesheets, impressing with a flying lap in 1’40.422. The British rider was not really focusing in making the lap times, but as the work on the bike was proceeding well for the rider, the fast lap times were achieved consistently, next steps are now all focused towards Phillip Island.  after that.

    Waiting for track condition to progress reigning world champion Jonathan Rea sat out the opening hours of the day and came out of his garage around 2 pm. Working on testing different components for his ZX-10RR, the Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK rider has been focusing in getting is the overall package ready for Australia and he will continue with the same program tomorrow. After a few laps done in the afternoon he was soon at the top of the timesheet before Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took the lead of the opening day, pushing the WorldSBK champion back into second position just 0.008 s behind him.

    Sitting in third the new Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK team recruit Leon Haslam, continued the familiarization process with the WorldSBK machine. The British rider focused in putting in as many laps as possible, adapting to the new bike and learning the electronics. Thanks to a fastest lap in 1’40.885 he ended the day just 0.435 s off his teammate.

    Impressing with his overall pace, Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) finished the day in fourth position, after returning in the saddle of his ZX-10RR for the first time for 2019. Leading during the first part of the day, the Turkish rider put in another strong lap in the afternoon closing in 1’41.001.

    Testing a combination of chassis part, settings and electronics Dutchman Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) set the fifth fastest lap in 1’41.047, just 0.605 s behind his teammate.

    Working on their full factory configuration for the first time, the brand new GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team took their time to get acquainted with the new package. Both Marco Melandri and Sandro Cortese were able to get used with their machine updates early on and finished the day respectively in sixth and seventh position.

    Following just behind the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista had a lot of things to work on as they continued to improve their Ducati Panigale V4 R. Back at his full strength, as he was riding injured last time, Davies completed a positive first day, despite suffering a small crash through turn 5 late in the afternoon, meaning he couldn’t improve more. The Ducati rider ended the day eighth with a best lap in 1’41.375.  Spanish star Alvaro Bautista took his time to get used to the WorldSBK machine as he had only two days on the V4 before returning to Jerez today. The Spaniard set a lap time of 1’41.857 after 44 laps ending the day in ninth position.
    Davies and Bautista were not the only Ducati riders on track as also Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) were out taming their Ducati Panigale V4 R. The Irishman, who made the debut on the new Bologna factory bike today, finished in 12th position, while Rinaldi, who was working also on new suspensions, finished the day thirteenth.

    Closing the top ten Spaniard Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) ended the day in tenth position. The Spaniard put in 82 laps as he was testing new components for his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. Another Kawasaki rider, Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) finished eleventh as he was working with a different crew from last season.
    Completing the timesheet, WorldSBK rookie Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Mie Racing Team), who was the first SBK® rider to take to the track this morning, closed the day in 14th position.

    The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team were also out on track testing today. Both Markus Reiterberger and Tom Sykes were working on getting familiar with their bikes as well as a trying different electronic strategy. With their focus on these aspects and not on the times, both the two riders had not been using a transponder today, meaning they didn’t have they unofficial lap times recorded.

    The WorldSBK riders were not the only one testing, as there were also FIM Supersport World Championship top team taking to the track around Jerez today. Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) closed on top, followed by Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse) and teammate Randy Krummenacher. Frenchman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished fourth with fellow Hikari Okubo close behind.
    GMT94 Yamaha riders Cluzel and Perolari put in 49 laps respectively and closed the day behind the two Kawasaki riders.

    Action resumes on track tomorrow for day two of testing at Jerez.

    Jerez Day One Unofficial Times:

    1. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’40.442
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.450 +0.08
    3. Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.877 +0.435
    4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) 1’41.001 +0.559
    5. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’41.047 +0.605
    6. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’41.119 +0.677
    7. Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’41.203 +0.761
    8. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.375 +0.933
    9. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.857 +1.415
    10. Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) 1’41.973 +1.531
    11. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 1’42.886 +2.444
    12. Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) 1’43.376 +2.934
    13. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) 1’43.973 +3.531
    14. Alessandro Delbianco (Althea MIE Racing Team) 1’45.437 +4.995

  • German Sandro Cortese crowned 2018 WorldSSP Champ; WorldSBK Race 2 on Sunday cancelled

    German rider comes out on top of sensational WorldSSP fight
    Making the switch over into the FIM Supersport World Championship from prototype machines can always be a risk, but Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing) made it look effortless in 2018 to be crowned World Champion. Bringing his experience, pure speed, racing talent and tenacious fighting spirit, the German rider has ensured fans were entertained to the very last lap and took the title in sensational style in Qatar.

    Meanwhile, following a severe rain and sandstorm on Saturday morning in Qatar, it has been announced that WorldSBK Race 2 has been cancelled at Losail International Circuit.

    Heading over the Phillip Island for his WorldSSP debut in February, Cortese was recharged and ready for the fight after a difficult winter. Taking to his YZF-R6 for only the second time in the official test, he finished top four overall ahead of the start of the season. And what followed in the Yamaha Finance Australian Round was sensational from Cortese, fighting with the experienced front runners for the podium which boiled down to a breath-taking final lap as he took a podium position, and the fastest lap of the race from Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team). Cortese had already arrived in round one.

    Heading west to Thailand for round two, this was a new track for the 28 year old so a true test of his skills with his new bike. Facing the heat as well as the circuit, he took home a fourth position finish from a fourth place grid start. An impressive effort for a rookie in the ever competitive class. But he was now preparing for tracks he was familiar with and was full of motivation. MotorLand Aragon marked the start of the European season, and for Cortese this marked the start of his championship charge. Coming out and dominating the field in northern Spain, he took pole position and the race win in only his third race, crossing the line 1.4s ahead of his rivals. But as the championship headed straight to TT Circuit Assen, Cortese struggled to match his pace around a track he is so familiar with. Starting from pole position, he couldn’t emulate this into a podium, after a slow start off the line meant he suffered in the 18 lap battle.

    Dusting himself off heading to the historic Imola circuit, the rookie was only seven points off the top of the standings and the battle in WorldSSP was as tense as ever. A new track for the German, Imola is notoriously tight, twisty and technical and it was set to be a hard task for a newbie. But Cortese showed a true champions attitude, starting from ninth on the grid and fought to secure a top four finish around a circuit which is difficult to overtake. But it was a return to the top in the UK, as he set to take on Donington Park for the first time since 2009 when he was racing in the 125cc World Championship.
    Sunny skies welcomed the paddock at Donington Park, and sunny smiles were met off it from Cortese and his team. Securing third on the grid as he continued to get used to the Superpole format of a 15 minute ‘dash’, he was a man determined out on track. Crossing the line 1.3s ahead of his main title rival Jules Cluzel (NRT), it was clear that when all the packages came together, Cortese was unstoppable. His grand performance in Great Britain meant he now led the world championship standings for the first time, with an advantage of seven points over Cluzel.

    There were now two new tracks ahead of him, putting him in a strong position to extend his championship lead. In the humid conditions at Automotodrom Brno, the German was unable to convert his pole position into a win; but secured second as he was unable to catch Cluzel to the line. In the final race before the summer break, Misano proved a tough track for Cortese and his Yamaha but he could convert a fifth on the grid to third in the race, taking home another trophy and as a result a five point championship lead into the break.

    Returning ready to fight in Portugal, tests throughout the summer helped him to understand the rollercoaster nature of the track. But drama struck in the opening laps as a hot-headed Cortese was unable to make a move up the inside of Cluzel stick, and the pair crashed out as a result. Not giving up, the German put on a sensational fightback as he was able to get back on his bike and take a fifth position finish, salvaging 11 points and keeping a hold of his lead in the standings. Another new track of Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours followed, and for Cortese it was time to start thinking of the title. Unable to catch Cluzel on his home turf, he secured a second position finish meaning he now had the first opportunity to take the title in Argentina, heading with an 11 point advantage.

    With all riders on even ground at Circuito San Juan Villicum, it was a welcomed change for the Yamaha rider. But despite putting his all into the race, he was unable to stop Cluzel and the fight went down to Qatar. All the German had to do in Qatar was finish in the top two to take the title, which was done with his usual tenacious battling out on track, to crown him 2018 FIM Supersport World Champion.

    Only the second German to ever win the WorldSSP title, the story of Cortese’s sensational season has been consistency and will go down in history as the first man to win the Moto3™ and WorldSSP crown.

    You can congratulate Cortese on social media using #CorteseChamp.
    Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing):
    “I am so speechless! I am so happy and I can enjoy this moment. I have to say thank you to my team, they picked me up after such a difficult winter, I had no ride and they believed in me. I think we did the maximum we could this year, we gave everything all year, and the people in my team are great. And a final thank you to my family, they helped me in hard times and I cant wait to get back home!”WorldSSP Race at Losail
    1. Lucas Mahias Yamaha
    2. Sandro Cortese Yamaha  +2.000
    3. Federico Caricasulo Yamaha  +3.137WorldSBK Race 2 cancelled in Qatar

    Following a severe rain and sandstorm on Saturday morning in Qatar, it has been announced that WorldSBK race two has been cancelled at Losail International Circuit. With the storm hitting the Losail track in the morning, conditions deteriorated and therefore a difficult decision was taken to cancel the final race of the day.

    Unfortunately, this signals an early end to the 2018 season, and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will end the season with 545 points and 17 victories. Whilst Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) takes second position in the championship, 23 points ahead of Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team).

    Race direction statement: “Following the World Supersport race, the safety commission (FIM, Dorna WSBK Organization and SBK® riders) met. Due to an increase of standing water, as well taking into account the difference between power and tyres of WorldSBK and WorldSSP bikes, this led us to decide racing would not be safe in these conditions.”

  • Mahias reinstated as winner in Portugal: WorldSSP

    Frenchman gets 25 points following the appeal

    25 Oct 2018: Following the disqualification of Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) from the Nolan Portuguese Round, it has been decided following an appeal to the CAS to partially reform the initial decision. This means Mahias will be reinstated as the winner of the ninth round of the FIM Supersport World Championship, after the appeal on the 24th October.

    The decision now means Mahias has been awarded 25 championship points, moving him up into third overall in the world championship standings. But on top of this championship leader Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing) now only leads by five points, as he was demoted by one position down to sixth in the Portimao race.

    This change of standings results in a change in the title chase at the Pirelli Qatar Round, as a win in the race for second position rider Jules Cluzel (NRT) would see him secure the crown. Cortese and Cluzel would be joint on points, but Cluzel has won more races in 2019 and therefore would be made the champion.

     

  • Kawasaki secure manufacturers title for fourth consecutive season: WorldSBK

    Kawasaki secure manufacturers title for fourth consecutive season: WorldSBK

    The ZX-10RR has continued to dominate throughout the season. A WorldSBK image

    Japanese manufacturer take sought-after crown once again

    With two rounds remaining on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar, Kawasaki has secured the manufacturers’ world title for the fourth year in a row following another season of stunning domination. Finishing first or second in all but two races of 2018, their title defense was never at risk.

    Seven riders have been on track scoring points for the Japanese manufacturer, with 520 points accumulated throughout the season, beating their closest rival Ducati by 92. Despite facing challenges with the new regulations for 2018, riders taming the ZX-10RR beast have impressed in great scathes and the factory outfit of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK have once again reigned supreme. But it’s not only KRT who have secured a podium for the green conglomerate, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) taking his debut podium finish at Donington Park.

    Entering the debut WorldSBK race back in 1988, Kawasaki has been regular podium finishers in the 1990’s and early 2000’s but were never able to secure the manufacturers crown until the unstoppable duo of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea came along. Taking 376 podiums, 125 victories, 120 fastest laps and 80 pole positions overall, Kawasaki are truly making their mark in the WorldSBK history books. With their first victory coming around the Hungaroring in 1988 from France’s Adrian Morillas, the 1990’s welcomed a successful run with Scott Russell. However, their recent surge of results came after signing Tom Sykes in 2012, and from there the success has not stopped.

    Another British rider added to their successes, as Jonathan Rea joined the factory in 2015 and has smashed records along the way. Sykes shot them back into success, but Rea was able to add to their tallies, and the combination of the British duo has proven to be a strong one. Helping to take Kawasaki to the top of the manufacturer’s standings in 2015, 2016 and 2017 – alongside others – they have been Ninjas on their ninjas.

    Aiming to top what was a stunning 2017 has proven difficult, but the green machines have been making a good effort at doing so. Fans have seen the ZX-10RR’s on the podium 29 times, with 16 wins and seven pole positions – and there are still two rounds remaining! Alongside some stunning performances from Sykes and Rea, Razgatlioglu has begun to emerge as a new talent following his podium finish, and the wins just keep on coming for the KRT riders.

    Overtaking Honda in the all-time win records this season, they firmly have Honda in their sights as they look to overtake their all-time podiums record, as well as equal their world titles at the end of this season. With two rounds left and 100 points on the table, can they end the season on even more of a high? And will anyone bring the fight to the green machines next year?
  • Carrasco wins WorldSSP300 title to become first female world champion

    Carrasco wins WorldSSP300 title to become first female world champion

    Ana Carrasco becomes the first female to win a world championship on Sunday. A WorldSBK image

    Magny-Cours, 30 Sept. 2018: At just 21 years of age, Ana Carrasco (DS Junior Team) has made history in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as she secured the world title in the final race of the season at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. Becoming the first female to secure a world title, her performance this season has been nothing short of stunning, and it will be one that won’t be forgotten in a while.

    Beginning her career in 2011, the Spanish sensation began in the CEV 125 championship and her points scoring performances saw her secure a seat in the Moto3™ World Championship for 2013. Making the move over to WorldSSP300 in 2017, she has been showered in success.

    Returning to the scene of her historical debut victory, Carrasco signed off the title with an impressive fight in France. But she hasn’t had a totally smooth season, which makes the achievement an even stronger one. In an unpredictable championship such as WorldSSP300, her tenacious racing nature and skill have got her to the top.

    Beginning the season at MotorLand Aragon, the Spaniard took a top six finish in her debut with the DS Junior Team but was only 0.4s off the race winner. With a strong pace established on-board the Kawasaki Ninja 400, she then headed straight to Assen with points to prove. Crossing the line in fourth position around the historic circuit, she was again just over half a second behind the race winner as the unpredictable nature of a final WorldSSP300 lap can make for a difficult race.
    But it was the third round of the season around Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola that ignited her title chances, winning the 11 lap race by a dominant 11 seconds over her rivals. Leaving them for dust, Carrasco put on a sensational performance under the Italian sunshine and left with a three point championship lead.

    Carrasco’s sensational form continued over to Donington Park, which is a very different style of circuit to Imola, proving her pace was there to stay. Crossing the line this time by a mere four seconds ahead of the rest, the 21 year old was looking unstoppable as they hit the half way point of the season. Stretching out her championship lead to 22 points, it was hers to throwaway.

    However, she faced two tough races in the upcoming rounds and it was a big challenge for the rider from Murcia. Only able to leave Automotodrom Brno with a top 11 finish, and Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli with a top 10, Carrasco entered the summer break with a 16 point championship lead and two races remaining.

    With strong memories of Portimao from her debut victory in 2017, she was ready for the battle and prepared to seal the title in Portugal. But the luck didn’t fall in her favour in the penultimate round of the season, and the fight continued on to France. Heading to the final round with a 10 point lead, Carrasco put on a memorable performance to prove she was the worthy champion.

    In an emotional display following the 12 lap battle, Carrasco will forever go down in history as she became the first female to take a world title, with a 13th position finish in France.

    Congratulate Carrasco and celebrate the history maker using #UnstoppableAna

    Ana Carrasco (DS Junior Team) 
    “Its unbelievable for me, we worked so hard to be here. I can only say thank you to all the Kawasaki team, I can only say thank you to David Salom and all the team, they worked hard to help me arrive here and also to my family because they gave me everything this year, and my friends. I wanted to dedicate this title to Luis Salom, we were good friends and the day we lost him I promised myself to dedicate my first title to him.”

    WorldSSP300 Race at Magny-Cours
    1. Daniel Valle Yamaha 
    2. Mika Perez Kawasaki +0.168
    3. Manuel GonzalezYamaha +0.259
  • Jonathan Rea wins fourth title in a row slicing past Tom Sykes

    Jonathan Rea wins fourth title in a row slicing past Tom Sykes

    Jonathan Rea celebrates after winning the fourth title on Saturday. A WorldSBK image

    Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) took the 2018 WorldSBK crown in style at the Acerbis French Round, slicing past teammate Tom Sykes in the early stages of Race One and imperious from there on in to take victory number 13 of the year. Unlucky for some, but far from it for the now four-time Champion. Sykes took second from his record-breaking pole, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) completing the podium after a three-way fight for third.

    It was Sykes who got the holeshot from pole, getting a lightning start and leaving teammate Rea to trail him in second – albeit in very close company. Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) kept his P3 from the front row as they shot off the line, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) slotting into fourth as the field made their way around Lap 1. But Rea remained threatening in second and feinted a number of moves, before the reigning Champion pounced for the lead not long after.

    Just off that fight at the front, Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) took an early tumble, followed not long after by a DNF for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) in that same mid top ten group. Rea was then pulling away from Sykes and Sykes from those on the chase as Fores hustled past Savadori and took over in third, but the Italian stayed close and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was beginning to hone in on that battle.

    Rea crossed the line for win number 13 and his fourth crown in style, with Sykes just behind his teammate in another impressive 1-2 for Kawasaki. Fores was able to fight off Savadori, and both just stayed ahead of Davies by the flag. Davies needed to finish second to stop Rea taking the crown, but after a mid top ten qualifying and still recovering from a broken collarbone, it was a tall order. The Welshman nevertheless put together an impressive ride in difficult circumstances – much like his races in Portugal. His teammate Marco Melandri , after a tough qualifying, moved through from p12 on the grid to take sixth.

    Seventh went to Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) as he moved up from tenth on the grid, getting past Toprak Razgatliouglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) at mid-distance and steadily pulling away from the Turk, who came home in P8. Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW) had been fighting him in the latter stages but couldn’t make it stick, and just at the end was pipped to ninth by Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia).

    Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) took P11, ahead of Jordi Torres in P12 for MV Agusta Reparto Corse.

    Four titles in a row, 13 race wins this season and two rounds still to go make for another amazing season for Jonathan Rea. See him race as the 2018 champion for the first time on Sunday in Race Two from Magny-Cours.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It’s absolutely incredible, I don’t have many words, we just played our cards perfectly this weekend with one lap pace and trying to be fast over the race but  feel so blessed and lucky right now. I was just a young kid with a dream from Northern Ireland and now I’m four times world champion and its beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks to everyone for believing in me over the years, I couldn’t have done it without you all. Thank you.”P2 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSK)
    “Not a bad but slightly disappointed, for whatever reason we struggled a little bit in the race, we struggled at the beginning and when I wanted to attack we missed it. I spoke with the boys and I think we know what it is, but I enjoyed the race and like I said, when I tried to push I lost the front a couple of times and couldn’t do what I wanted. I am happy with the race and for tomorrow I am very excited and motivated, starting from the third row tomorrow is all about aggression. But today is all about Jonathan Rea!”P3 – Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team)
    “It was a very hard race because the pace was so fast during all the race. At the beginning I was able to stay with Tom, but I felt a small drop on the front tyre and I decide to make my rhythm to the last part of the race. In the final laps I tried to defend my position and it was so good for me to be back on the podium after some hard races, and its good for me to have a good feeling for the rest of the season, and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
  • Flawless Rea extends Portimao winning streak: WorldSBK Race 1

    Flawless Rea extends Portimao winning streak: WorldSBK Race 1

    Jonathan Rea wins Race 1 at Portimao. A WorldSBK image

    Portimao, 15 Sept. 2018: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has extended his incredible winning streak at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve with another victory in Race One on Saturday, his sixth consecutive win at the Portuguese rollercoaster and his eleventh of the 2018 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season. The Northern Irishman was stunningly dominant at Portimao, taking the lead inside the first lap and crossing the line comfortably ahead of Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in second and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) in third.

    There was drama very early on at Portimao for polesitter Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia). The Irishman had started from the front for the first time since 2013, but a slow move off the blocks saw him get caught up in the field of riders behind at turn 1. A few seconds later, Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) misjudged his turn, clashing with Laverty and taking both men out early.

    Jonathan Rea took advantage of the early chaos, flying into the lead ahead of Melandri through the exit from turn 1, with Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia)  – in search of his first podium finish in WorldSBK – close behind, while Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) suddenly found the form that had evaded him since Friday, shooting up to fifth position inside one lap from fourteenth on the grid.

    While Rea was eventually beaten for the Superpole earlier in the day, the Northern Irishman’s strength at Portimao this weekend and at the official test three weeks ago is his unbelievable consistency. Coupled with the best overall pace on track – keeping his lap times under 1’43 for the entire first half of the race – there was no stopping Rea in Race One, as he swept away into a 2-3 second gap.

    There was the promise of a thrilling Tricolore battle behind for second, but it lasted just half the race: Savadori slid out at the end of the main straight in lap 12 and put an end to a miserable afternoon for the Milwaukee Aprilia team, just hours after their best qualifying performance of 2018.

    With one Italian out, the other, Melandri strolled to his best result since the Acerbis Czech Round in the second, turning good pace into a fantastic result. Michael van der Mark, completing a quiet yet professional race behind, took the remaining podium place, his eighth of the season; Davies followed with an incredibly valuable fourth place that takes him straight to P1 on tomorrow’s grid, in what had previously been a very difficult race weekend.

    Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made it to the checkered flag in fifth, completing a solid points haul for the green machines. Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team) meanwhile finished Race One in the sixth, his best result since returning to WorldSBK this season.

    Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) celebrated his future debut in MotoGP™ with the seventh position at the Portuguese rollercoaster, which pushes him ahead of Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) in the championship standings, after a mechanical failure ended the Brit’s race early.

    Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the best independent rider in Race One at Portimao, coming in eighth and just ahead of fellow 2018 debutant Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in ninth. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) completed the top ten after struggling through the early stages of the race.

    Race Two in Algarve kicks off at a later time tomorrow as the grand finale of the Nolan Portuguese Round.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “What a cool number to hit – 65! I want to thank all my team for a great bike this weekend. We hit the ground running at the test a few weeks ago and this weekend was all about finalising those few details. But the big thanks to all the travelling support out there from Northern Ireland, it really means a lot and it was nice to put on a nice race for those lads.”P2 – Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 
    “I knew Jonny had better pace than me so the first few laps I was pushing hard to stay with him, but I was dreaming that he slowed down a bit and I tried to follow him! But when the tyres dropped off I slowed down a bit, so second today is like a win and I cannot have something better. I will try to work on the bike and make it better for tomorrow.”

    P3 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 
    “For me, it was a big surprise as I struggled a lot with the bike from the start but anyway Jonny and Marco had a really good pace and Lorenzo was pushing really nicely. I was pushing a lot but I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike. At the end I must be happy with this podium, it’s really important for the championship so hopefully, we can improve for tomorrow and fight for the podium again.

    #PortimaoWorldSBK at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve: Race 1
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.575
    3.  Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) +4.215
  • 10 things you need to know before the Nolan Portuguese Round: WorldSBK  

    10 things you need to know before the Nolan Portuguese Round: WorldSBK  

    #PortimaoWorldSBK
    Check out the top ten stats as WorldSBK is back

    Image courtesy WorldSBK

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) comes from four wins in a row, secured at Laguna Seca and Misano. His only string of five was set last year, with two doubles at Phillip Island and Buriram, followed up with Aragon Race 1.

    2. Round numbers for Kawasaki: they recorded their 120th win at Misano Race 2 with Jonathan Rea, which was also their 370th podium finish. They have others at hand as well: they currently hold 79 pole positions and 259 front row starts in qualifying.

    3. Rea won his 49th race for Kawasaki at Misano. In WorldSBK history only two riders so far have won 50 or more races with a single manufacturer: Carl Fogarty for Ducati (55) and Troy Bayliss, also for Ducati (52).

    4. There are nine different winners out of 18 races held in the Algarve. The only rider who has won more than twice is Jonathan Rea with five. His closest rivals with two wins are: Troy Bayliss, Max Biaggi, Marco Melandri, Eugene Laverty and Tom Sykes.

    5. Rea’s podium tally is stunning in Portugal: on 12 occasions out of 18 he finished in the top three. This is more than the double of his best competitor, Sylvain Guintoli with five.

    6. Only the current pair of KRT riders have recorded more than one pole in qualifying here: Tom Sykes with three and Jonathan Rea with two. So far there have been six different polesitters out of the nine qualifying sessions held in Portugal.

    7. The double win has been recorded by only three riders here: Troy Bayliss in 2008; Max Biaggi in 2010 and Jonathan Rea in 2015 and 2017. They were all crowned champions the same season which saw them record the double in Portugal.

    8. Seven different manufacturers have been able to record at least one podium placement in Portugal: Ducati, Honda, Aprilia, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, BMW.

    9. Great Britain is the most successful country in Portugal, as it has obtained seven wins here with the current Kawasaki duo of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea. The couple won the last six races run here.

    10. Only one third of the races run at Portimao were won from pole position: six out of 18. In the last four weekends here, only two of them came from pole: Tom Sykes in Race 1, 2014 and Jonathan Rea last year in Race 1.