INDIA in F1

Category: WSBK

FIM Superbike World Championship, World SuperSport…

  • Jonathan Rea wins despite losing Superpole: WorldSBK

    Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had his Superpole snatched away in the closing seconds of Superpole, but that mattered little to the reigning champion by the time Race One rolled around. A fantastic start from the Kawasaki rider shot him ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the lights, and with an open track ahead, Rea proved to be unbeatable once again. There was a stunning battle for the podium however as Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) completed the podium in the 21 lap race.

    Rea was the only rider to make it into the 1’34s at the start of the race, opening a comfortable gap with the large group of pursuers. There was plenty movement behind inside the opening laps, with Laverty and Davies, who had blasted up the field at the lights from seventh on the grid, making quick work of Sykes, while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) also put his name in contention for a rostrum spot with a stunning start from eleventh.

    With Rea flying away into the distance, Davies finally managed to catch the Aprilia by lap 16. Laverty went very wide going into Turn 16, a mistake that Davies welcomed going through the straight. It’s the Welshman’s third consecutive second position and yet another solid ride this season.

    While his teammate’s Aprila RSV4 RF suffered from performance issues in the final third of the race, there were no such problems for Laverty, who takes his second consecutive podium. After four years without a WorldSBK top three finish, this time it has only taken the Irish rider two weeks to claim a return to the rostrum.

    Van der Mark completed an excellent Race One with fourth position, less than five seconds off of Rea despite his row four start, and making it four manufacturers in the four top spots. He crossed the line ahead of Sykes and will start from pole tomorrow, with the Englishman only able to make it through in fifth after starting from the front of the grid.

    Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team), in special ‘tricolore’ livery for the Misano race, was the best independent rider in Race One, making his way to the line in sixth, ahead of the home duo of Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in seventh and Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) in eighth.

    Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) returned to the top ten after a disappointing GEICO US Round with ninth place on Saturday. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) meanwhile scored only his fourth top ten finish of the season, coming in behind the Honda in tenth. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), who was until today the sole rider to score points in every race of 2018, crashed twice and was unable to finish.

    WorldSBK is back tomorrow with Race Two, live from Misano at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT).
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was super nice, I want to thank my team because they gave me a really good bike, we’ve been working well all weekend. I could ride well within my limits and really enjoy the race. I came out the last corner and picked up a cool wheelie, it was really fun, but I just want to thank all my mechanics.”

    P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “It was a hard faught battle  and we had a good start to make and we did that, I launched the bike off the line and got a good track position. The first few laps of the race I really felt the full fuel load and was pushing with some of the guys but then it started coming to me and I felt better towards the back end of the race. Overall I’m really happy, the team gave me a good bike.”

    P3 – Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia)
    “Its nice to back a Laguna podium up, to get the podium here as well as the front row; I was feeling so good in the middle of that race, I was reeling in Jonny, but we had a rear sensor break and that cost me, and cost me second as well, but a few rounds ago I’d have bitten your hand off for a podium so we’ll take that.”

    World Championship Standings after Race 1, Round 9
    1. Jonthan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (345 points)
    2. Chaz Davies (GBR) Ducati  (265 points)
    3. Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki (228 points)

    eom/db

  • Jonathan Rea rolls to Misano glory in Race 1: WorldSBK

    Misano, 7 July 2018: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had his Superpole snatched away in the closing seconds of Superpole, but that mattered little to the reigning champion by the time Race One rolled around. A fantastic start from the Kawasaki rider shot him ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the lights, and with an open track ahead, Rea proved to be unbeatable once again. There was a stunning battle for the podium however as Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) completed the podium in the 21 lap race.

    Rea was the only rider to make it into the 1’34s at the start of the race, opening a comfortable gap with the large group of pursuers. There was plenty movement behind inside the opening laps, with Laverty and Davies, who had blasted up the field at the lights from seventh on the grid, making quick work of Sykes, while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) also put his name in contention for a rostrum spot with a stunning start from eleventh.

    With Rea flying away into the distance, Davies finally managed to catch the Aprilia by lap 16. Laverty went very wide going into Turn 16, a mistake that Davies welcomed going through the straight. It’s the Welshman’s third consecutive second position and yet another solid ride this season.

    While his teammate’s Aprila RSV4 RF suffered from performance issues in the final third of the race, there were no such problems for Laverty, who takes his second consecutive podium. After four years without a WorldSBK top three finish, this time it has only taken the Irish rider two weeks to claim a return to the rostrum.

    Van der Mark completed an excellent Race One with fourth position, less than five seconds off of Rea despite his row four start, and making it four manufacturers in the four top spots. He crossed the line ahead of Sykes and will start from pole tomorrow, with the Englishman only able to make it through in fifth after starting from the front of the grid.

    Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team), in special ‘tricolore’ livery for the Misano race, was the best independent rider in Race One, making his way to the line in sixth, ahead of the home duo of Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in seventh and Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) in eighth.

    Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) returned to the top ten after a disappointing GEICO US Round with ninth place on Saturday. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) meanwhile scored only his fourth top ten finish of the season, coming in behind the Honda in tenth. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), who was until today the sole rider to score points in every race of 2018, crashed twice and was unable to finish.

    WorldSBK is back tomorrow with Race Two, live from Misano at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT).
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was super nice, I want to thank my team because they gave me a really good bike, we’ve been working well all weekend. I could ride well within my limits and really enjoy the race. I came out the last corner and picked up a cool wheelie, it was really fun, but I just want to thank all my mechanics.”

    P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “It was a hard faught battle  and we had a good start to make and we did that, I launched the bike off the line and got a good track position. The first few laps of the race I really felt the full fuel load and was pushing with some of the guys but then it started coming to me and I felt better towards the back end of the race. Overall I’m really happy, the team gave me a good bike.”

    P3 – Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia)
    “Its nice to back a Laguna podium up, to get the podium here as well as the front row; I was feeling so good in the middle of that race, I was reeling in Jonny, but we had a rear sensor break and that cost me, and cost me second as well, but a few rounds ago I’d have bitten your hand off for a podium so we’ll take that.”

    #RiminiWorldSBK at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli: Race 1
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.791
    3.  Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) +3.700

  • 10 things for you before the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round: WorldSBK

    10 things you need to know before the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round
    Check out the top ten stats ahead of Round Nine

    1.  At Laguna Seca, Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) became the ninth different rider on the podium this year, and put an Aprilia back on the rostrum for the first time since the second Lausitzring race in 2016 (Alex de Angelis).

    2. Kawasaki recorded their 118th win in Laguna Seca’s Race 2, and in Misano they will have the first chance to equal Honda at the second all time spot (119 WorldSBKwins).

    3. There is only one rider in the current field who has qualified from pole at Misano: Tom Sykes, with six pole positions. He has recorded pole in all his last six race weekends here. He can become the first rider in history with seven poles at any given track. At the moment he shares the record with Troy Corser (six poles here in Misano) and with…himself, as he was on pole six times in Donington Park.

    4. This is the track in which a single manufacturer has won the highest number of races, as Ducati have won here 29 times. They also sit in second in the table, with 25 wins at Assen. The best number of victories for another manufacturer is 15 from Kawasaki at Donington.

    5. The podium placements from Ducati riders in Misano so far are 77, an all-time record for a single track. The Assen value for the Italian manufacturer is 73.

    6. Misano has hosted 50 WorldSBK races so far, and will equal Donington at 52 – third overall. Only Phillip Island (55) and Assen (54) have hosted more races.

    7. Troy Bayliss is the most successful rider around Misano, with six wins spanning from 2001 to 2007, all scored with Ducati. The second place rider with four wins is shared by Max Biaggi, and the current Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK pair: Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes.

    8. There are only two riders with double digit podium figures here at Misano: Troy Corser (16) and Troy Bayliss (11). Jonathan Rea can join the party as he has stood on the podium eight times here.

    9. Nine years ago, Rea got his maiden WorldSBK win at this track. 61 more and three World Championships have since followed.

    10. Ruben Xaus is the only rider who has won around here after starting outside the top 10 grid spots. In 2003 he recorded the double starting both races from 12th on the grid.

  • US World SBK Day 3 – Masterful Rea does a Laguna Seca double

    US World SBK Day 3 – Masterful Rea does a Laguna Seca double

    Jonathan Rea leading the pack in Race 2 on Sunday. A World SBK image

    Monterey, 25 June 2018: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) took his second win of the weekend at the WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca, becoming the most successful rider in MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history at the US racetrack in the process. The Northern Irishman was again unstoppable in the GEICO US Round, flying to the lead in the opening eight laps despite having to start from the back of row three. Second went again to Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with a sensational performance from Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) to complete the podium in third.

    Rea wasted no time at the lights. By the end of lap one he had managed to climb from ninth on the grid to fifth; three laps around Laguna Seca later, he was already up to second and chasing race leader Laverty. Sitting behind the leading group was Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who crashed out in the early stages of the race making it the third time in the last seven races that the Italian has failed to score any points.

    It didn’t take much longer for the Race 1 leader to pass Laverty either, picking off the Aprilia rider with ease through Lap eight. A similar story to yesterday: two thirds of the race left, an open track ahead, and an unbeatable race pace. When Rea finds his groove and is this confident, the three time champion is second to no one. Even Davies, who put in another stunning climb through the ranks and passed Laverty into second with eight laps to go, couldn’t close the gap and had to settle for second.

    In a similar performance to Sunday however, there was plenty of action for the remaining rostrum place. Laverty, who was now in third, was quickly hunted down by the two Pata Yamaha riders. But the pair battled amongst themselves for just enough laps for the Irishman to keep them both at bay, meaning he was able to clinch his first podium of the 2018 campaign, also a first since Sepang 2014.

    The battle between Round Six and Seven’s race winners van der Mark and Lowes, saw the Brit finally emerge victorious with two laps to go thanks to a brave pass in the run-up to the Corkscrew. A bit of magic from the Lincolnshire rider means he is able to close the gap to his teammate in the standings to just 32 points. Van der Mark meanwhile couldn’t make the best of a fantastic start, which saw the Dutchman rise to second at Turn One, and crossed the line in fifth.

    Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) repeated his Race One performance with sixth at the flag, a sign that the Spaniard is building back his form after two forgettable rounds. Behind him was fellow Spaniard Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in seventh, ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in eighth. Sykes is a three time winner at Laguna Seca, but on Sunday he found himself collapsing down the ranks from the start and it never quite worked out throughout the 25 laps for the Kawasaki rider, closing a disappointing weekend.

    Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) went one better than on Saturday, crossing the line in ninth and taking his personal best result in WorldSBK. A fantastic weekend at home for the Californian, who crossed the line ahead of Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team) in tenth and Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura). A special mention for Karel Hanika (Guandalini Racing), who crossed the line in a promising 14th, scoring points in both races at Laguna Seca on his WorldSBK debut.

    Rea said: “I’m super happy, I don’t know what to say, a massive hanks to Pere, they gave me an even better bike today, in the last five laps I took a step back and thought that I’m here in Laguna Seca, riding a ZX-10RR, I felt so cool to be riding out here. Thanks to all the fans, its certainly a case of California dreaming here.”

    Davies said: “That was an enjoyable race, its never easy coming from the third row of the grid but you’ve got to make the passes stick and some of those passes we’re certainly a little bit tight and thats the nature of this grid and with this grid rule. I just missed that but in the early stages to run with Jonny and then we got there and the damage was already done, its great to see Eugene back on the podium.”

    Laverty said: “It is so nice to get that podium we’ve been talking about for so long, it’s been getting closer and closer since my injury, its been getting back into the swing of things, I’m happy for myself but more happier for the team, its been a long time coming and its their first podium.”

  • Alex Lowes of Pata Yamaha takes his debut win in style around Brno

    Alex Lowes of Pata Yamaha takes his debut win in style around Brno

    WSBK 2nd race winner Alex lowes at brno on Sunday. A WorldSBK image.

    Brno (Czech Republic), 10 June 2018: Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) took his first ever MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race win at the Acerbis Czech Round, in an astonishing Race two which saw championship leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crash out early on. The thousands of Czech fans present at the Automotodrom Brno witnessed a wild, unpredictable affair, ending in a Yamaha one two and a sixth race winner in 2018.

    The front row all kept their positions at the start, with van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) holding off his teammate through the first corners. Lowes would make his move into the race lead the following lap however, gaining the inside line through the first corner. Meanwhile, Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) climbed all the way from eighth on the grid to third by lap two, and past van der Mark a few corners later.

    The next couple of laps saw three dramatic, almost unbelievable twists. First, championship leader Jonathan Rea went down at turn 12, apparently after coming in contact with teammate Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The Northern Irish rider couldn’t make it back on track, retiring for the first time this season. If yesterday his lead seemed almost unsurmountable, after Sunday there was more than a glimmer of hope.

    Next, Marco Melandri, having just passed Lowes for the race lead, lost control of his Ducati and rode through the gravel, immediately dropping the Italian to the back of the field and denying Melandri a return to the top of the rostrum when he was the fastest man on track. And then Sykes slipped in lap 6, leaving all of yesterday’s podium men  off the rostrum in Race two. In four seasons together, never had both British KRT riders left a race empty-handed. Melandri was able to salvage a point, putting him in 15th.

    With a dozen laps left, the stage was thus set for a Yamaha battle to the end, as Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), in third, was unable to match the pair’s pace. But this time, unlike when he led at Donington, Lowes’ YZF-R1 did not drop off in the final third: a smart, consistent and overall flawless ride by the Brit kept him ahead of his Dutch teammate all the way to the checkered flag with two seconds to spare. The man from Lincolnshire made his debut at Brno in 2011 – seven years on, he can finally call himself a WorldSBK winner.

    With van der Mark claiming another podium finish in second, the Dutchman moves into third in the championship standings, above Sykes; while for Davies, who took an excellent third at Brno considering the issues that have plagued his weekend on the Panigale, cut Rea’s lead to 65 points.

    Behind the rostrum riders, Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) took fourth, his best result of the season, with his teammate Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) also a season-best in fifth. Brno welcomed more good results for the Italian manufacturer, adding their bikes to the long list of podium contenders this season.

    Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) had a career-best of sixth at Brno, rising from eleventh on the grid in just his tenth WorldSBK race. He finishes above Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), in seventh. Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) returned to the top-ten in eighth, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in ninth, and Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) tenth.

    WorldSBK is back in two weeks from Laguna Seca, a special circuit with some of the best sections of the championship. Join us there on Saturday 23rd of June.
    P1 – Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    “It’s amazing, I don’t want to talk too much because I’ll get upset. But honestly, its fantastic, thank you to the team and hopefully we can get a few more now!”P2 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    “I’m really happy with this result, I changed the front tyre compared to yesterday and Alex was so fast. I knew he had a really good pace so I tried to catch him and stay calm but in the end he was stronger, but anyway I am really happy with this podium, Alex’s first win is something he deserves and its a really great day for the Yamaha team.”

    P3 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “Its been such a tough weekend, probably one of the most difficult weekends that I’ve endured as a Ducati rider in recent memory, after some harsh words last night we regrouped and came back with a bike that was able to fight for the podium. I think we got a little bit lucky today but we made a step forward and that was important and it’s fantastic. Thanks to everybody involved because it’s been a really tough weekend.”

    #CzechWorldSBK at Automotodrom Brno: Race 2
    1. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    2. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)  +2.167
    3. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +7.649
  • Jonathan Rea’s big 60 puts him above the legendary Carl Fogarty

    Jonathan Rea’s big 60 puts him above the legendary Carl Fogarty

    Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) celebrates making history in style, after grabbing sweet sixtieth win
    Jonathan Rea celebrates after creating a record winning the first race on Saturday. A WorldSBK image

    Brno (Czech Republic), 09 June 2018: When the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship last graced the flowing hills of the Automotodrom Brno, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was a promising 25-year-old with 10 race wins to his name, no world championships. The contrast this Saturday, six years later, was startling: the KRT rider led a perfect race to take his sixth race win of the season, winning more WorldSBK races than any other rider in history, as the big 60 put him above the legendary Carl Fogarty.

    Around the longest track in the season, it was fitting for the action to be more extended than usual. Rea overtook teammate Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the start, but crashes from Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) forced a red flag and race restart – twice, due to technical issues on the grid.

    At the third time of asking, with the race length now down to 16 laps, Sykes defended his position at turn 1, but Rea was in front a couple of corners later, keeping Sykes behind and jetting off. The Northern Irishman was also helped by the action behind, with Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) putting Sykes under pressure. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) also joined the fight, swapping positions several times with his teammate in a thrilling battle.

    Rea went untroubled from this point forward, leading a composed ride to the finish line. He was the only rider managing laps times under two minutes, keeping a 4-5 second gap from his closest pursuers. The defending champion has now opened an 81 point gap over Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who took a top eight today, as his championship pursuit becomes even tougher.

    Behind the leader, Melandri finally got the best of Sykes in lap 4, taking his best result since Phillip Island in February with second. It’s the fifth podium for Melandri at Brno in WorldSBK, and a fantastic comeback after a difficult Donington weekend. Sykes crossed the line in third, two seconds off the Italian.

    The rostrum was finally just not close enough for the Yamaha riders, with van der Mark beating Lowes to fourth place. Both men will sit at the front of the grid in Race 2, a fantastic opportunity to move their personal tussle to podium fighting positions tomorrow.

    A thrilling battle for sixth midway through the race saw Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) emerge triumphant and back into the top positions. He got the best of teammate Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia), who still managed to beat Davies in the final laps for seventh.

    Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) netted himself another top 10 finish. Still not 100%, the Brit has managed to come in ninth at the flag, ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in tenth, the first independent rider at Brno. Yonny Hernández (Team Pedercini Racing) confirmed his good form at the Czech circuit, returning to the WorldSBK paddock in eleventh after missing the UK Round.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was nice to take my 60th win in a race like that, I was so happy and my guys gave me an awesome bike. I want to say a big thanks to KRT for bringing us to the test here – that gave us a big advantage and meant this weekend was more calm, and we could understand our Pirelli tyres and base set-up. The race was perfect, they don’t come like that a lot and its incredible, 60 race wins is a huge story that I’ve had, each and every one is special and I couldn’t do it without my team.”P2 – Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “It was a very good race, as I expected it was difficult, as the track was warm and the grip was quite low after three to four laps. We had a lot of understeer and lost the grip, so it was hard to not push too much. But I had a look and I saw Jonny was gone, so I just tried to check my gap with Tom from my pit board. and tried not to make a mistake, it was a long race but I will try to do better tomorrow.”P3 – Tom Sykes (Kawaskai Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “Today is Jonathan’s day, it’s a fantastic achievement and I want to say a big congrats to him, to get 60 is some achievement! But unfortunately we didn’t have the pace to match him, and tomorrow is another day. We really struggled with understeer today, but we didn’t lost too much once the pace settled, but initially I couldn’t dig the front in. Third is the best I could do today, it’s great to have all the support in the Czech Republic, great to have the podium here and hopefully tomorroe we can have a lot to cheer about.”

  • Double Dutch delight for van der Mark: WorldSBK Race 2

    Donington, 27 May 2018: The floodgates were opened on Saturday, and now there’s no stopping Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team). The Dutchman closed an extraordinary weekend at Donington for the Pata Yamaha team with the second win of his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship career, a win against oll-odds in another fascinating race at the Prosecco DOC UK Round. A first double for van der Mark, and a first podium for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), beating none other than Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the closing stages.

    A poor start from Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) saw him gobbled up in the mix at the first turn, ceding two places to Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) and Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). The Yamaha managed to pick both off in short order however, Haslam at the Fogarty Esses (before the wildcard crashed at Melbourne), and the Italian in lap 2. Meanwhile, the two KRTs held a surprisingly aggressive battle, while the other Yamaha quietly made it through to the leading group from ninth on the grid.

    Quickly, one third in, the battle for the race turned into a three-way fight, with Lowes sticking strong but Rea taking ghost shots around Craner and Melbourne. Meanwhile, van der Mark, much like he did on Saturday, stalked the front two, biding his time. At the back, Razgatlioglu and Savadori fought nail and tooth for fourth, a few seconds back on the leading group.

    After two perfect thirds to the race, it all came apart for Lowes at the end. On lap 17, Rea found a spot at the Melbourne loop, where so many moves have been made this weekend, and pushed in front from the inside of Lowes, with van der Mark picking off the scraps at Redgate and moving to second. And just like yesterday, one lap later, van der Mark made his race-winning move at that same turn 11. The Ductchman shot off from there, giving his pursuers no option to take away his incredible double.

    There was one more surprise left at Donington, however. Amidst the front group bickering, Razgatlioglu found himself with the gap now non-existent. Showing an impressive late-race pace, the Turkish rider picked off Lowes with ease, before setting his sights on the three-time WorldSBK champion. And with one lap to go, he moved up to second. A fitting epilogue to Kenan Sofuoglu’s retirement in the last Round: Turkey has a new hero for years to come.

    With Rea finally in third, his worst result since the Thai Round, and Alex Lowes repeating his Saturday performance in fourth, there was another comeback behind. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found his way all the way back to twelfth at the start, but a neat ride from the Welshman pushed him back to fifth, ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who couldn’t continue his incredible Donington streak and leaves with his first finish outside the podium since 2011.

    Savadori made it to the checkered flag in seventh, just ahead of Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), who pipped Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) to eighth at the final turns, and leaves the UK Round with two top-ten finishes on his return. Closing the top ten was Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team), with Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ending a weekend to forget down in eleventh.
    P1 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    “It just incredible, I can’t believe it, I had quite a good race, I struggled a bit but I didn’t feel as good as yesterday. So I followed Alex and Jonny,  just used my head and in the last few laps they had a battle and I managed to pull away. To take the first win yesterday and now the double, its just incredible.”P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
    “Today is my team bosses birthday, so a big happy birthday to him! But this position is very good, I am really happy: It’s my first podium so I am really happy, thank you!”P3 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was a huge battle, I really enjoyed it and it was quiet close, I hope everyone out in the crowd and at home enjoyed it. But unfortunately I am disappointed with myself, I ran into arm pump issues which meant I found it hard to change direction and, I had to back off. Third was all we could manage, I’m sorry to my team as they gave me a bike that could win but that as all I could do.”

    #UKWorldSBK at Donington Park: Race 2
    1. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +2.328
    3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.614
  • Van der Mark shocks Donington with first WorldSBK win

    Van der Mark shocks Donington with first WorldSBK win

    Van der mark, Pata Yamaha, takes his first win on Saturday. A WorldSBK image.

    Donington, 26 May 2018: No non-British rider had won at Donington Park since 2012, and from the Free Practice sessions and Superpole, few would have predicted that would change today in Race 1. But Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) threw out the script for the Prosecco DOC UK Round with a sensational ride, flying from sixth on the grid to his first ever win in the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship.

    Van der Mark is the first Dutch rider to win in the top class, and the first win for a Yamaha rider since Algarve 2011, Race 2. The Dutchman left both Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) shocked and fighting for the remaining podium places, with the Northern Irishman in second and ‘Superpoleman’ in third.

    The psychological battle between the KRTs, leading the first row, started right from the start. Rea made it ahead at the lights, with the pair squabbling through sector 1. Sykes struck back three laps later at the Old Hairpin, but went wide at the Melbourne loop. Two laps later, an aggressive Sykes made it back in front, same move, same spot.

    The Kawasakis were poised – and had been widely predicted – to dominate Donington weekend, but van der Mark threw a spanner in the works immediately, the only rider able to keep up with Rea and Sykes after passing his teammate Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team). But stalking the KRTs was not enough for the flying Dutchman – Rea went wide at Melbourne in lap 13, the same he’d done a few laps earlier, and van der Mark shot ahead into second.

    A couple of laps later, he attacked again. Van der Mark stuck the nose in at Melbourne, yet again, closed the line over Sykes, and blasted away in the lead. But the battle was far from over here: Rea picked his teammate’s pocket around Schwartz with 6 laps to go, and shot after van der Mark, smelling blood. Yet today it was not to be for the defending champion, the Yamaha rider making no mistakes and meeting the flag.

    Behind the sensational podium battle, Lowes finished in fourth, behind his teammate but scoring a fantastic finish at his home race. He will also have the consolation prize of leading the line at Race 2. Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) finally translated his great qualifying and free practice performances into a great race finish, making it in at Donington in fifth, ahead of his teammate, Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia), in sixth.

    With the Kawasaki, Yamaha and Aprilia bikes all phenomenal ahead, it was a sorry day for Ducati, with just Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) making it into the top ten, in eighth position. Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashed with five laps to go, and goes into Race 2 with no points.

    Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team) made it in in seventh, with Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finishing ninth following a thrilling battle with his teammate at Donington, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who went to the floor on the final lap. Closing the top ten was Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) on his full WorldSBK return after injury.
    P1 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    “Its amazing feeling, we’ve been working for this for a long time, last year I came close and finally after four years we’ve done it. I can’t thank the team enough. The bike was working really good this morning and I was pushing so hard, so a big thank you to the team. Its been three ears on this project and we’ve finally got the victory.”P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “I could see all race that Mikey wasn’t dropping off the pace and when Tom missed a gear I made a mistake and Mikey came through. I could see he had a lot more pace than Tom, so I tried to get past. He pulled a good gap and had a lot more rubber, I tried to pull it back, but I couldn’t beat him. He was unbelievable today and congratulations to him.”

    P3 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “Its not what we need but a great race from all of the top three, Micheal rode exceptionally well and there was no substitute. I was out the seat a couple of times, I had some issues I tried to ride around. I had a good battle with Jonathan, I enjoyed the race and tomorrow we can give more. I’m disappointed with our overall performance but happy with a podium.”

    #UKWorldSBK at Donington Park: Race 1
    1. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.136
    3.  Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.193
  • A big win for Rajini Krishnan in Race 1: Malaysian SBK 1000cc Open Class

    A big win for Rajini Krishnan in Race 1: Malaysian SBK 1000cc Open Class

    India’s Rajini Krishnan holds aloft the winner’s trophy.

    Sepang (Kuala Lumpur), 14 May 2018: Indian racer Rajini Krishnan won the opening round Race 1 of the Pirelli Malaysian Superbike series Round 1 of the 2018 season at Sepang International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Krishnan started from P3, but the 2015 Malaysia Super bike champion in the 1000cc open class, took the lead early by Lap 2 and won with ease for a big win in almost one year.

    The Indian talent suffered a high slide and fell on Lap3 while in second position and fell back to 18th place. However, he managed to race hard to climb back into the fifth place and had to be content with the same position in Race 2 for some valuable points.

    The RACR Team also had racers taking part in the Super 250 , 600cc Supersport and the Superbike 1000cc open categories.

    Another talented racer, Vishwadev Muralidharan finished 8th in Race 1 of the Super 250cc category and improved to 7th place in the second race in the evening.

    In the Supersport 600cc class, Abhijith Prasad came 5th in Race 1 while another RACR racer Ritesh Sapre came 11th. Prasad, however, could only finish 9th in Race 2 while Sapre ended up 18th.

  • Masterful Rea wins Imola WorldSBK Race 1

    Masterful Rea wins Imola WorldSBK Race 1

    Jonathan Rea wins WorldSBK first race on Saturday in the Pata Round. A WorldSBK image

    Imola (Italy), 12 May 2018: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took his first win at Imola since 2015 with a dominant performance at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola, controlling the race from the start and not giving anyone on the track any opportunities. His teammate Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) completed the second consecutive KRT one-two of the season, with Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) returning to the podium in third.

    The Kawasaki riders shot out from the lights, quickly opening up distance with the riders behind. That gap would increase to 3-4 seconds between the British pair at the halfway point, with both riders leading the race from that point forwards. Rea is now just one win away from the all-time win record in MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history, and opens up a 42-point lead at the top of the standings.

    Sykes too gave no option to the rest of the field, showing that his Assen pace was no fluke and that, when he’s got room in front, his ZX-10RR’s pace is almost unparalleled. It will be interesting to see how the rider from Yorkshire fares starting from 8th in Race 2, given the issues that have plagued him in the past. He now moves up to fourth in the championship.

    The first two laps were a nightmare for Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), looking for his fifth consecutive win here. Following his crash in the Superpole 2, the Welshman struggled at the lights, falling back from third to seventh. After climbing back to fourth, Davies went straight through the Variante Bassa chicane, losing several positions along the way and any chance of a victory. He later redeemed himself with two wonderful passes at that same turn 21, but by then the podium was out of sight, thanks to the fantastic rhythm shown by Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in front of his home fans. The Italian equaled his best WorldSBK result here in third, while Davies’ fourth will at least have the consolation prize of starting from P1 tomorrow.

    Behind the two teams that have dominated proceedings throughout the weekend, Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) repeated his 2017 Race 1 finish with fifth place, finding the pace to hold off Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) in sixth. The Dutchman will however be pleased at his performance, after starting from the back of row 4.

    Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) had an extraordinary start to Race 1, moving up to third in lap one. He fell back as the race progressed, but his seventh-place finish equals his best result in WorldSBK. Just behind, Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) completed his best finish of the season in eighth.

    Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished a successful return to the WorldSBK paddock in ninth, pipping ahead at the line of fellow Brit Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team). Haslam beat his teammate for this weekend in Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), whose WorldSBK Imola debut finished with him in eleventh.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was a perfect race, I was able to take a step back and enjoy that race. It was difficult compared to the beginning of the day, we lost a bit in the race so it’s something to work on for tomorrow, I ran into some issues with the temperature. I’m super happy with the way the team have been working and I just want to try and do it again tomorrow.”P2 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “Its always nice to come home first, but I was running very strong and very consistent. But I was missing a few tenths per lap which is a lot less than I was expecting. But we worked hard yesterday with tyre and set up information and we will try and fix the bike a bit tomorrow, and push again and try and go one better.”P3 – Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “It was very difficult race today, this was as good as I could get at the beginning, as with a full tank it was hard to get the bike into the turn. But in the end with less fuel the bike was a lot better, but it was too late to get a good pace. I hope to get back tomorrow at the beginning of the race but we will need to make a good start because, its important to get good start at Imola.”

    #ImolaWorldSBK at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo d Dino Ferrari di Imola: Race 1
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.755
    3.  Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.906