Category: WSBK

The six-time World Champion continues to make history with a lights-to-flag victory at MotorLand Aragon

Aragon, 22 May 2021: The start of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season brought more history for the record books as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed a stunning victory in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon to claim his 100th race victory in WorldSBK, the first man to win 100 races in a single class of FIM road racing world championships.
 
Rea led a Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK 1-2 with Alex Lowes coming home in second place, four seconds away from Rea after challenging him in the early stages of the races. Lowes was under pressure from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) and finished in second place by just 0.043s ahead of the Turkish rider, who had battled through from tenth on the grid.
 
Rea was able to retain the lead of the race but was immediately put under pressure by teammate Lowes – looking to be the one who would deny Rea his 100^th WorldSBK victory for the time being.
 
Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) ran in third in the early stages of the race but was unable to keep up with the pace of the Kawasakis out in front, ensuring Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Razgatlioglu, who started tenth, were able to stay in podium contention but not challenge the Kawasakis in the early stages.
 
Razgatlioglu was the first rider to get by Redding on the inside of the left-hander of Turn 1, allowing the Turkish rider to start chasing down the Kawasakis out in front. Davies followed a lap later with a sensational overtake on Redding at Turn 2 with Davies looking to add to his win total at Aragon.
 
After getting past Redding, the Turkish star had his eyes set on Lowes who was his next target for second place, with Razgatlioglu able to get past Lowes before he started to move his target towards Rea. Razgatlioglu was unable to break away from Lowes and Davies but started lapping faster than Rea with around five laps to go, although not fast enough to put pressure on Rea in the closing stages of the race.
 
On Lap 16, Lowes tried to re-pass Razgatlioglu at Turn 4 and briefly got ahead but the Turkish rider was able to brake later on the brakes, a theme that ran throughout the last few laps of the race, keeping Davies in contention for second place. At the final corner, Lowes again briefly got ahead but Razgatlioglu was able to just about defend his position although the British rider finaly got by at Turn 1 on Lap 17. The battle was not over as the race came to a conclusion as the pair duelled it out, with Lowes winning out on a drag race to the line for a KRT 1-2; both Lowes and Razgatlioglu claiming their 25^th WorldSBK podium.
 
The battle allowed Redding and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) to close in on the battle for second, although Redding dropped Bautista as he approached the battle creating a four-way battle for second place; although Bautista crashed out of the race on the final lap at Turn 2, forcing the Spanish rider to retire. After losing out earlier in the race, Redding was able to get by former teammate Davies for fourth place as the final lap started, with Redding finishing fourth and Davies fifth.
 
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was unable to convert third on the grid to a podium finish but, after a difficult start, was able to manage his SCX tyre to come home in sixth place in the M 1000 RR’s first race. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) was another who managed the SCX tyre with seventh place, around two seconds clear of Leon Haslam (Team HRC).
 
American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed a top ten finish at MotorLand Aragon, seven seconds clear of factory Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) who claimed a top ten finish in his first WorldSBK race. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished 11^th on his debut for BMW, with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 12^th.
 
Three more rookies secured points finishes on their WorldSBK debut with Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) rounded out the top ten, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action), Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) and Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) the last of the runners.
 
Rookie Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) was the first to retire from the race with a technical issue in the early stages of the race after securing a top-12 starting grid spot, while Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) brought his Honda machine into the pitlane on Lap 8 with the Argentinean rider not finishing the race. Rookie Samuele Cavalieri (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was another retirement from the race around the halfway stage, bringing his Kawasaki machine into the garage. Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) brought his BMW machine back to the garage on lap 14 of 18 with an issue after running close to the top ten for the majority of the race.

P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
 
“Incredible, what a race! I just felt from the start, I really wanted it, so I put my head down and it just came. The rhythm at the beginning was good and I was going away, not too stressed, but then at the end I was surprised how much everyone was dropping because I felt really slow but the gap was increasing. What a way to be in the race, it doesn’t happen like that normally. To reach 100 victories… that’s a career milestone. I’m so, so happy with that and to do it here in WorldSBK is amazing. I guess it’s Lewis Hamilton next, so good luck Lewis!”

WorldSBK at MotorLand Aragon – Race 1

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.965s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +4.008s
4. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.242s
5. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) +4.615s
6. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +6.784s

Barcelona, 31 March 2021: It was left late to go top of the times in day one of the Supported Test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the first day of action for MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship machines but, with around an hour left of the session, six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) stormed to the top of the timesheets to take day one honours.
 
It had been a quiet start for Rea as he found himself in the middle of the timesheets but slowly worked his way up the order, culminating with the Northern Irishman topping the day. Rea had spent the day confirming items on the chassis as well as front forks from Showa on his brand-new 2021 ZX-10RR, but posted a time of 1’40.793s to go fastest as he completed 68 laps, lapping almost one second faster than the 2020 Tissot Superpole fastest time, albeit on a revised layout.
 
Rea finished ahead of Leon Haslam (Team HRC) with the Honda rider trying new exhaust systems on his CBR1000 RR-R, as well as running with a torque sensor on his bike, with Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) running them close. Gerloff had gone top of the session with around an hour to go but found himself usurped by Rea and Haslam in the latter stages. The American had focussed on longer runs as well as trying a new fairing and brakes on his YZF R1.
 
Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) had topped the times throughout most of the day with the British rider trying new items around the seat area of his Ducati Panigale V4 R, but finished the day in fourth place, less than two tenths off the pace. He was joined inside the top ten by teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi with the Italian taking eighth in the classification.
 
The brand-new BMW M 1000 RR immediately showed its potential as Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) finished fifth and seventh respectively, with Sykes’ BMW teammate, Michael van der Mark, 13^th for his new team. BMW had brought a new swingarm, exhaust and winglets to the test as well as durability improvements to the electronics packages. It was an eventful day for Folger who lost crucial track time after a crash around two hours into the session, but he was able to return to the track with a couple of hours left.
 
Turkish star Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) finished in sixth for the day as he focussed on refining the package he has with the Yamaha YZF R1, with small details to work on. Teammate Andrea Locatelli, who was focusing on race simulations with the aim of doing one full race simulation per day to continue his evolution from WorldSSP into WorldSBK; Locatelli completing the most laps of anybody with 93.
 
Making his debut on track with his new team, Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) completed 65 laps as he posted the ninth best time, almost matching Rinaldi’s time during the day, with very few new parts on the bike for Davies. The Welshman was using this test to get back up to speed after not riding a bike on track for around five months. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was 11^th for the day, also trying a new exhaust system on his bike, but after the day admitted he was not at 100% following a small motocross accident last week. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was in 12^th place as his recovery from a shoulder injury continues, as he completed 81 laps during the day as looked to confirm items he had tested at Jerez and Aragon in previous tests, including trying the new Brembo callipers.
 
Rookie Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) finished in 14^th place with the Ducati Panigale V4 R trying a new exhaust system, while Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 15^th as he continues to gear up for his maiden WorldSBK campaign. Tito Rabat’s (Barni Racing Team) session was ended over an hour early with the Spanish rider in 15^th place; the team still searching for a base setup for the 2014 Moto2™ World Champion.
 
Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) got his hands on the 2021 Kawasaki ZX-10RR as he tested both the 2020 and 2021 models which features big electronic and engine changes. Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) finished in 18^th place with his team having undergone a restructure over the past few weeks, while new MIE Racing Honda Team signing Leandro Mercado was 19^th on his debut for the team. Samuele Cavaliere (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) rounded out the 20-strong field as the Italian focussed on race simulations and long runs to get up to speed on Kawasaki machinery.
 

Estoril, 17 October 2020: After a hotly contested 2020 season, reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) stormed to his sixth consecutive World Superbike Championship title at the Circuito Estoril. He’s the first rider to achieve this record in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and the first rider since Giacomo Agostini in the 350cc Grand Prix World Championship to do it in an FIM Road Racing World Championship.

The Northern Irishman clinched the title having been under the strongest of pressure from WorldSBK’s star rookie Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) during the 2020 season; the British rider adapting quickly to the category and showing strong race pace from Phillip Island onwards. Rea did not let it go and met the challenge as an opportunity to continue to showcase his relentless attitude and his tenacious attributes; a prime example being after his worst ever finish with Kawasaki in Race 2 at Jerez, he took a magical hat-trick at Portimao to bounce back in style. He then managed the season and scored valuable Championship points every round; taking the Championship lead from the Prosecco DOC Aragon Round and not letting it slip away.

Being a part of the Championship since 2009, Rea has become one of the Championship’s legends, clinching record after record. Already the rider with most wins and most podium places (183) in WorldSBK, he is one win away to reach the impressive milestone of 100 career victories in 2020, one of his hardest seasons yet with competition and rivals coming at all angles. Magny-Cours’ Tissot Superpole Race also marked his 300^th race in the category.

Jonathan Rea started his career within the WorldSSP Championship in 2008.  On his first season, he claimed solid results, winning three races and standing six times on the podium. It was also in 2008 that he made his debut in WorldSBK; finishing in fourth place at the Portuguese Round. The following season, he made the move to the blue riband class with the Ten Kate Honda Team and took the first win at Misano. He achieved many strong results with the Dutch team during their six-year partnership before joining the Kawasaki squad in 2015, the first of six thrilling years for the Ulsterman. In the last two seasons, he has faced the challenge of Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding to add two other crowns to his career records.

The 2020 season didn’t start in the best way Down Under at the wonderful Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, the Australian track being like a home round for Rea with his family connections. He didn’t finish in Race 1, but his strong motivation brought him to win the Tissot Superpole Race and a second place in Race 2, narrowly pipped by teammate Alex Lowes – Lowes led the way in the standings whilst Rea lay fourth.

When the action resumed at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Rea bounced back with a podium place in Race 1 and a victory in the Tissot Superpole Race despite his rivals’ strong shape; Scott Redding having won Race 1 and 2. Rea left the Spanish venue second in the Championship Standings, 24 points behind Redding after a difficult Race 2 combined with Redding’s success. As a five-time World Champion, Rea’s response to Redding was a triple at Portimao. He beat the competition by more than five seconds in Race 1, whilst Redding struggled. Rea took back the Championship lead, four points ahead of Redding.

In Aragon, he lost his advantage over Redding on Saturday; Redding claiming Race 1 victory while Rea finished in third place, giving the Englishman the Championship lead. With two victories in Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2, Rea bounced back to regain the top spot in the Championship standings; a position that he wouldn’t relinquish. The following weekend, with two second places in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race, the latter being the first of 2020 he didn’t win, and a win in Race 2, he increased his lead to 36 points over Redding.

The five-time World Champion arrived to the first ever Catalunya Round at the majestic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the round being the home event for his Kawasaki Racing Team squad. Rea became the first ever winner in WorldSBK in Barcelona after his victory in Race 1. His second place in the Tissot Superpole Race and a fourth in Race 2 allowed him to put one hand on the 2020 trophy, building his lead to 51 points.

Arriving at the French venue with a comfortable advantage, Rea started his French campaign with a win in a wet Race 1. Heading into Sunday’s action, it was again Rea claiming victory in the Tissot Superpole Race, securing himself a pole position start for the afternoon. In Race 2, Redding took a crucial win and Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) took third place; whilst Rea finished in fourth place, meaning the fight for the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship went to the season finale at Estoril where Rea took the crown on Saturday afternoon in Race 1.

Following a crash in a dramatic Tissot Superpole session, Rea started Estoril Race 1 from 15^th place. He managed to recover eight positions in one lap, being able to fight for a podium position. He crossed the finish line in fourth place to claim his sixth consecutive World Championship at the Portuguese track whilst Scott Redding retired with a technical issue. It’s a weight off his shoulders for Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2, aiming to win his 100^th race.

The six-time World Champion will remain with the Kawasaki team for the 2021 season and both will aim to continue winning many records. Their target will be set on making it seventh heaven together and who would bet against them?

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK):
“I’m numb after this because I’ve got races tomorrow and my focus goes towards them already. I couldn’t imagine being here six months ago after crashing in Australia and then the lockdown. When I saw the calendar I couldn’t have picked a worse group of tracks for us. Last year was one of the toughest in my career because we came from so far back. We wanted to win but we didn’t understand how to win. We worked hard to do that and this year was different but the crash in Australia was a blessing in disguise and so was the lockdown because I could throw myself into my training. Looking back on the season, it’s been incredible.”