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Category: WSBK
FIM Superbike World Championship, World SuperSport…
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Rea holds off Baz for victory in dramatic WorldSBK Race 1
Thrilling wet race at Magny-Cours won by Jonathan Rea after the two BMW riders crash out from first and second on Lap 1
Magny-Cours, 3 Oct 2020: Thrilling action up and down the grid was the order of the day during Race 1 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with wet conditions greeting the 21 riders for the opening race of the Pirelli French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed his 10th victory of the 2020 season.
The drama started at Turn 1 as both Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Eugene Laverty retired from the race on the opening lap; Laverty was taken out by a falling Sykes after the British rider was hit by Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team).
The incident left Rea, Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Gerloff battling for victory after Gerloff fell back following a mistake at Turn 5. Gerloff recovered to third place but a crash at the Turn 6-7 Nürburgring chicane forced him to retire; the American star taken to the medical centre for a check-up. It meant Rea and Baz duelled it out for victory with Rea coming out on top by around three seconds while Baz secured his first podium at Magny-Cours. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) finished in third place as he secured his first podium since the Australian Round; Lowes securing his third podium of the season.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) followed up his victory at Catalunya with fourth at Magny-Cours as he continued to his strong end to the season as the Welshman finished ahead of the battling trio of Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team), Leon Haslam (Team HRC) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Redding finished in fifth place ahead of Razgatlioglu in sixth after Haslam passed Razgatlioglu into Turn 12 before crashing straight after; Haslam retiring from the race.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) finished in seventh place ahead of Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) equalling his best result of the 2020 season with eighth place. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) finished ninth after the Dutchman crashed on Lap 15 at Turn 13 while battling in the top four positions, ahead of Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) in tenth.
Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finished the 21-lap race in 11th place with Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) finishing just ahead of French rider Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) finishing in 13th place as he scored more points. Valentin Debise (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) scored his first ever WorldSBK points with 14th place and Xavier Pinsach (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) claiming points in his first WorldSBK race.
Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) finished the race in 16th; equalling his best result of his races in the 2020 season with Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing HONDA Team) rounded out the classification in 17th place, with Haslam, Gerloff, Sykes and Laverty all retiring from the race.
P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK):
“I felt pretty good out there straight from the get-go, but to be fair Loris and Garrett and Alex were in the group and the pace was incredible. Doing 48, 48, 49, 48. Every time I saw my dashboard, I thought I’d be able to get a gap but they were right there. It was a really fun race, Loris pushed me right to the end. He made a small mistake, I think, with five or six laps to go.”
P2 Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha):
“I’m so happy. It was a crazy race. I know I had a fantastic pace all weekend, but I took a gamble in Superpole, I went for the intermediate tyre. I just missed out on the right lap by a few seconds, so I was a bit annoyed at that. I had a great race, great pace and tried to be as close as possible. The pace he was putting was crazy, every lap he improved the time and for 12 or 13 laps we were going faster and faster. I had a moment on the kerb going into the last chicane, I lost a second, and then I just tried to manage the gap with Alex and then staying close to Jonny in case he made a mistake. He doesn’t make many mistakes so hats off to him because it’s not easy to put this kind of pace when you’re playing for a Championship. We have some fans here and it’s my first podium at Magny-Cours so I’m happy for them and we try again tomorrow.”
P3 Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK):
“I felt good in the wet all weekend. The start was a bit hectic, Gerloff got a bit too aggressive on the inside and I was lucky to miss that altercation. After that, I felt quite good. I got onto the back of the group and then from about half the race I struggled with the front. It’s been a long time since I was on the podium, so I had to manage the second part of the race. I’m happy to be back up here!”
#FRAWorldSBK at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours – Race 1.
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +3.342s
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +9.707s
4. Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) +14.045s
5. Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) +16.427s
6. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +16.976s -
10 facts for you ahead of the WorldSBK Pirelli Round
Magny Cours, 29 Sept 2020: The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the penultimate round of the 2020 season. A regular track on the WorldSBK calendar since 2003 after debuting in 1991, Magny-Cours promises to host thrilling races across the event. Get ready for the Pirelli French Round with ten headlining stats ahead of the weekend’s commencement.
1. Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) milestones for race starts go in pairs: in the Tissot Superpole Race, he is set for his 300th WorldSBK start, his 160th for Kawasaki. Rea is the fourth man to reach the milestone of 300 WorldSBK starts after Troy Corser (377), Tom Sykes (currently 314) and Noriyuki Haga (313). There is a recurring “160” for Rea in Magny-Cours: last year he recorded here his 160th career podium
2. It’s countdown time for Rea, as he recorded his 97th win in Catalunya, Race 1. At 99 he would be 40 ahead of second-placed in the all-time standings, Carl Fogarty.
3. This year, there’ve been ten podium finishers so far, the highest number since 2015. An eleventh different rider on the podium would take us back to 2013 (12).
4. Sometimes numbers don’t happen by chance: Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), racing with #31, is the 31st podium finisher for Yamaha in WorldSBK history. This all in the same race as Chaz Davies’ 31st win.
5. Fittingly, as he races with #7, Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) became the seventh different winner in 2020, the highest number of different winners since 2013. There haven’t been eight different victors since 2012.
6. At Catalunya, Garrett Gerloff scored his maiden podium: he is the 14th American on the podium in WorldSBK, the first since the late Nicky Hayden, third at the Lausitzring in 2016’s Race 1. Gerloff is the 124th podium finisher in history.
7. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) is the only rider who raced 23 times in WorldSBK at Magny-Cours. He made the most out of his starts, as he climbed on the podium in nearly half of them, eleven times.
8. Great Britain is the most successful country at Magny-Cours with 16 wins. That is three times more than their best competitor, Japan, at five wins, all by Noriyuki Haga.
9. The most successful rider here is Jonathan Rea, with six wins: he surpassed Noriyuki Haga (5) last year.
10. The only French winner at Magny-Cours is Sylvain Guintoli (2012 Race 1; 2014 Race 1). -
Will more history be written as WorldSBK heads to Magny-Cours?
Magny Cours, 28 Sept 2020: The 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is all packed and ready to go to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the penultimate round of the 2020 season for the Pirelli French Round. Reigning five-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has his first chance to claim his sixth World Championship.
Should Rea leave Magny-Cours with a points lead of 63 points or greater, Rea will be crowned Champion for a sixth consecutive time, although he could win it after the Tissot Superpole Race with an 87-point lead. Magny-Cours is a circuit Rea has finished on the podium in five consecutive races, as well as clinching titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019, so he has good form and good reason to believe that a heroic sixth title could be clinched here. Teammate Alex Lowes will be looking to get back onto the podium, something he has not done since his Phillip Island victory. He secured three top-ten finishes at Catalunya and will be hoping to build on that at a track where he has two podiums – including in Race 2 last year.
Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) is still in title contention and currently sits 51 points behind Rea. After securing a podium in Race 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Redding fell back in the next two races and will be hoping he can carry more of his speed from Race 1 across to the Magny-Cours weekend. Coincidentally, Redding leads teammate Chaz Davies by 51 points in the standings with Davies scoring four podiums, including a win last time out, in his last seven races as he hauled himself up the standings. Davies has won three times at Magny-Cours and will be hoping to add to that tally, although he’s not been on the top step of the rostrum there since Race 2 in 2017.
Just behind Davies is Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team), who occupies fourth in the Championship after his win in Barcelona and will be hoping he can claim more podiums at a circuit he has five already. Teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu has won twice in only five races at the French track, both from 16th in 2019, his first ever wins, but was declared unfit after a high-speed Warm Up crash at Catalunya; the Turkish rider will need to be declared fit after he was diagnosed with a chest injury but hopes he can return to action at a track he won his first ever race in the WorldSBK paddock at, back in 2014 in STK600.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) is the highest placed Independent in the Riders’ Championship standings despite being outscored by Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) at the Acerbis Catalunya Round; Rinaldi suffering a technical issue towards the end of Race 2 when fighting at the front while French star Baz was able to secure his second podium of 2020 with third place in the Tissot Superpole Race. Baz was a podium contender at Magny-Cours last year on his way to fourth in Race 1 and hopes for a first home rostrum in front of his fans this weekend coming.
Another rider who had an up and down weekend was Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), who finished fifth in Race 1 and was leading the Tissot Superpole Race until a spectacular highside just a few corners later ended his race. Unable to start Race 2 due to a technical issue, Bautista will be hoping to better last year’s showing at Magny-Cours, when he secured two top-five finishes. Teammate Leon Haslam has lots of experience at Magny-Cours, having raced at the circuit back in 2003 for the first time, with three podiums to his name – his last coming on a Honda in 2014.
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team duo Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty come into the Pirelli French Round full of confidence having both secured their best finishes of the year in Race 2 in Barcelona. Sykes has 11 podiums at Magny-Cours and shares the record of pole positions with Rea, with four each, meaning Sykes will be hoping he can score more top five finishes. Sykes’ most recent podium of his career came at Magny-Cours, also the most recent for BMW. Laverty also has three podium finishes at Magny-Cours and after his strong showing last time out, will be hoping for another good weekend.
After securing his maiden WorldSBK podium, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) comes into the French Round full of confidence; the rookie became the first American to stand on a WorldSBK podium since the late, great Nicky Hayden in 2016. His teammate, Federico Caricasulo, has raced at the circuit four times in WorldSSP and secured one podium, in 2017, and aims to use this experience to help him secure a top ten finish.
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) comes to the Pirelli French Round with four consecutive point scores and hopes to be competitive given his past podium pace from 2018. Valentin Debise (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) will continue to substitute for the injured Sandro Cortese having scored a best finish of 14th at Catalunya. Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) will be looking to make a step forward on a circuit he secured his joint-best WorldSBK result on, with tenth. Barrier and Debise being on the grid mean there are three French riders lining up for their home race.
Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) finished just outside the points in Race 1 in Barcelona but retired from the Superpole Race and Race 2 with the Italian youngster looking to bounce back at Magny-Cours. Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) underwent successful surgery on a right wrist injury and is aiming to return for Magny-Cours, while Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) will be not be racing after he underwent surgery on a separation of the right acromioclavicular joint injury and aims to be back for Estoril. He will be replaced by Xavier Pinsach this weekend.
Championship Standings after Race 2, Round 6
1. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (290 points)
2. Scott Redding (GBR) Ducati (239 points)
3. Chaz Davies (GBR) Ducati (188 points) -
Pirelli announced as Event Main Sponsor for the Estoril Round
Estoril, 22 Sept 2020: Pirelli and Dorna WSBK Organization are delighted to announce the Italian brand as Event Main Sponsor for the Final Round of the WorldSBK Calendar, in Estoril at the Circuito Estoril from the 16th to the 18th October. The Pirelli Estoril Round will be the final Round to the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and promises to be an exciting finale as the Championship returns to the circuit for the first time since 1993, previously being on the Calendar back in 1988 the first year of the WorldSBK Championship.
Since 1872, Pirelli provides bikes and cars with tyre solutions at a variety of levels and is a leading company in the motorsport industry since 1907. Always at the core of innovation, the Italian company uses racing as its R&D platform across all disciplines to create the latest technological innovation to provide a high-quality product portfolio and demonstrate its motto of: “We sell what we race, we race what we sell” . Pirelli has been the Official tyre supplier of the Championship for 17 seasons; a record in the history of world motorsport making Pirelli the longest-running sole tyre supplier at an international level.
This Event Main Sponsor agreement is a great opportunity for the Italian brand to pursue its highly successful partnership with the world’s fastest production-based Championship and will ensure a bespoke experience for everyone operating within the paddock, whilst the products are ultimately passed onto fans and motorcycle riders on the roads, following the philosophy that has always distinguished Pirelli’s approach to two-wheeled racing.
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Davies pips van der Mark in titanic Catalunya battle
Chaz Davies became the seventh different winner of the 2020 WorldSBK season while American star Garrett Gerloff scores his first WorldSBK podium
Catalunya, 20 Sept 2020: Race 2 from MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s was full of drama and intrigue at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT) Racing – Ducati) claimed his first win of the 2020 season and became the seventh different winner in 2020, while American rookie Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) claimed his maiden World Superbike podium at the Acerbis Catalunya Round.
Davies was able to get to the front in the early stages of the races before taking the lead and controlling the race, withstanding pressure from Tissot Superpole Race winner Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) after the pair passed each other in the first half of the race. Van der Mark then fell into the clutches of Gerloff after the American made a sensational start from fifth place to run in the top three, putting pressure on van der Mark all race.
Gerloff passed van der Mark for second place on the last lap but a mistake from Gerloff on Lap 10 allowed the Dutchman through for second; Gerloff coming home in third place. Davies held on to win his 31st race in his career, equalling Colin Edwards on the all-time list of winners. Gerloff’s podium means he becomes the first American to stand on the WorldSBK podium since Nicky Hayden in 2016.
Championship leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) extended his lead at the top of the standings with fourth place, finishing five seconds clear of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) finished in sixth place after being passed by Sykes with just a couple of laps to go. Rea had lost ground at the start, but was able to regroup to finish in fourth place and take a 51 point lead into the next round at Magny-Cours.
Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) secured his best result of the season with seventh place as he showed more impressive pace, ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in eighth. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) was the sole Honda rider in Race 2 and finished in ninth, with Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in tenth after losing lots of ground at Turn 1 at the start.
Jonas Folger’s (Bonovo Action by MGM Racing) impressive wildcard weekend continued as he battled his way from the back of the grid to 11th place; Folger not setting a time in Tissot Superpole and missing out on a top nine starting grid for Race 2 by the smallest of margins. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) was 12th after starting from the back of the grid; Caricasulo penalised for irresponsible riding in the Superpole Race after a collision with Haslam
Lorenzo Zanetti (Motocorsa Racing) scored points after being called up to the Championship on Friday evening with 13th place while Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing HONDA Team) and Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed the points-scoring positions.
Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) did not start the race following a technical issue on the sighting lap; the Spanish rider, who was declared fit following his dramatic highside crash in the Tissot Superpole Race, pulling off the track shortly after leaving the pit lane. Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) crashed out in the early stages, while Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) and Valentin Debise (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) had a coming together on Lap 17 while battling for 15th place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN), who had been running in the top four for the majority of the race, had a technical issue in the latter stages of the race forcing him to retire from the race on Lap 19.
P1 Chaz Davies, Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
“Amazing! What can I say? That was such a good race from start to finish. I had an amazing feeling with the bike. After yesterday and the Superpole Race a little bit, I was just constantly chasing something, and it was traction yesterday and it was zero. Today it was in my hands. It was a slippery track out there, but I think I had more grip out there than those around me and I was able to manage the tyre but go fast. Just so happy. First, win as a dad, so I think it’s only right to dedicate this to my beautiful baby daughter and my wife.”P2 Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team)
“It’s been a fun Sunday, but I wanted to win this afternoon! I’m really happy with the race, I had a fantastic start and good speed straight away. I think Chaz and Rinaldi passed me, but I was just staying behind them, I didn’t want to destroy the tyres at the start. I had a good rhythm. I passed Rinaldi and tried to catch up with Chaz. I didn’t know it was Garrett who wanted to have a battle! I was a bit surprised by him and got passed again. I was trying to catch Chaz but in the middle part he was pulling away, in other parts I was closing in on him so we both had our strong points. At the end of the race, I was struggling so much with the front tyre and one lap before the end I made a massive mistake. On the last lap, it was Garrett again. I did everything to stay calm and into Turn 10 he ran a bit deep, so I got underneath. In the last three corners I had to be really smart and really stop the bike to finish on the podium again. Really happy with this second place and also an awesome race by Garrett, a well-deserved podium for him.”P3 Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team)
“It doesn’t feel real! I’m trying to pinch myself. For a while, it didn’t feel like it would be possible this year, but to have it happen is just crazy. I don’t even have words! I’ve always dreamed of being on the podium in a World Championship and to have it happen, it’s like… it’s not real! I am kicking myself a little bit because if I wasn’t so stupid and just braked like I normally do into Turn 10 I probably would’ve made the corner and had second place. That’s something I’ll be thinking about for the next week and a half! I’m just so grateful that Yamaha gave me the opportunity to race in the World Championship, to Filippo in the GRT team for taking me on and being an awesome group of guys and girls, and for supporting me and always being positive. It’s been an amazing environment and I know I wouldn’t be here without them.”#CatalanWorldSBK at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – Race 2.
1.) Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
2.) Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +2.460s
3.) Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) +2.559s
4.) Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +8.040s
5.) Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +13.196s
6.) Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) +14.232s -
Jonathan Rea takes a commanding lights-to-flag win in Race 1
Catalunya, 19 Sep 2020: The first ever MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was won by Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) as the reigning Champion claimed victory in Race 1 for the inaugural Acerbis Catalunya Round; extending his Championship lead to 41 points.
Rea started from pole position after going quickest in this morning’s Tissot Superpole session and held position off the line as the lights went out, maintaining and increasing a gap to his nearest rivals on track. Scott Redding (Aruba.it) acing – Ducati) finished in second place after getting a superb launch off the grid after starting from seventh place; the British rider taking advantage of a close call between Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) and teammate and Michael van der Mark at Turn 1 with both able to stay on their bike.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) and Redding battled in the early stages of the race before trying to work together to close the gap to Rea but they were unable to do so with Rea extending his lead to eventually win by 2.6s. Redding came home to finish in second place while Rinaldi fell down the order in the latter stages, eventually finishing in seventh.
Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) battled his way through the field to finish in third place meaning British riders have now locked out the podium on 54 occasions in WorldSBK, with Davies finishing ahead of van der Mark in fourth. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) lost ground compared to his starting position, finishing in fifth place with Razgatlioglu in sixth after the incident with his teammate at Turn 1. Bautista lost a position to Davies on Lap 15 of 20 when he went wide into Turn 1, allowing Davies to sweep around the outside of Bautista.
Rinaldi finished in seventh place after losing lots of time in the final few laps, being passed by Davies, van der Mark and Bautista in three successive laps. He finished ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) as the American continued his strong performances in dry conditions in Barcelona.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was in ninth place with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) completing the top ten. Eugene Laverty picked up points for his efforts with 11th place, just one tenth away from a top ten finish. Wildcard Jonas Folger (Bonovo Action by MGM Racing) battled his way through the field after not setting a time in qualifying, moving up from 21st to finish 12th.
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) completed the points paying positions by rounding out the top 15. Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) finished in 16th on his first appearance in 2020, ahead of last-minute call up Lorenzo Zanetti (Motocorsa Racing).
Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance), Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing HONDA Team) and Valentin Debise (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) were the rest of the finishers in the race with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) retiring from the race in the early stages.P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I had a lot of motivation in this race. It’s my team home race. Obviously, Ana Carrasco can’t be here with us in the team, so this race win is for her and also for my grandfather. It is his anniversary today, 27 years ago he died so I was using that as a lot of power in the race to just never give up. I am super happy for me, my team. I wish the fans could be here, and their families to celebrate with us but lot of info for tomorrow. I am looking forward to that one because in the last laps, the front was moving quiet a lot. In this temperature with this grip level, we just need a bit more for tomorrow. So, looking forward to sleeping on that and coming back stronger tomorrow.”
P2 Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
“In qualifying I struggled a bit, I think the qualifying tyre was not so good so I started seventh on the grid which is not ideal but I got off to a mega start, then van der Mark came through and made some space for me so it made it a little bit easier. I was behind Rinaldi and I felt good. I needed to get passed him and I got by him, and I lost the rear in Turn 3. This is a corner where we suffer a lot and I tried to push and that’s what happened. He came back, passed me again. He tapped the seat so I thought he was a bit faster than me in some sectors, I tried to see something. I saw the tyre drop and I thought he needed to go and close the gap and had a good run to close the gap a little bit to Jonny, but it was just give and take all the time. So, from seventh to finish second, I am happy with that I must say. It’s a shame we couldn’t fight for the win but in this point of the Championship, we have to get the best results we can, when we can.”
P3 Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
“Yes, a bit steady the first ten laps, I think. I was giving it everything, but I just didn’t seem to have the ability to get it hooked up in some of the longer corners in the early parts. And then it seems that everybody dropped, well the people I was riding with dropped to my sort of grip and then I was able to move forward, and I stayed maybe a bit more consistent than those who were around me. It is the first 10 laps where we are missing out. Start was good, I was in a good position, I was well placed to go forward but had a lack of traction.”
#CatalanWorldSBK at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – Race 1.
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +2.625s
3. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +4.459s
4. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +6.078s
5. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) +6.989s
6. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +8.770s -
Jonathan Rea wins battle with Rinaldi to extend lead
A thrilling battle in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship between Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) was the story of the day at the Pirelli Teruel Round as the reigning Champion extended his Championship lead to 36 points. The pair duelled throughout the majority of the 18-lap race with Rea coming out on top; Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) finishing in third place.
Redding passed Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the opening lap but two corners earlier than he managed in the morning’s Tissot Superpole Race, with Redding passing the reigning Champion at Turn 13 to take the lead of the race having lost out to Rea at the start of the race.
It was Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) who took advantage of the Redding and Rea battle on Lap 6 when Redding and Rea went wide at Turn 8 fighting each other, allowing Rinaldi to cut back through Turn 9 and get the run on both riders; eventually diving down the inside of Redding to take the lead.
Rea was able to get ahead of Redding and pull out a gap of around one second to Redding, allowing the five-time Champion to start applying pressure to Rinaldi. It would take Rea until three laps left of the race before he could pass Rinaldi; the Italian rider not buckling under the pressure of racing with Rea, coming home to finish second behind Rea and claiming his third podium in three races. Rea had a couple of huge moments during the race; making a superb save after running wide while trying to pass Rinaldi while he also had to make another save at Turn 1 shortly after passing Rinaldi.
Redding was unable to respond to the leading duo and came home in third place, securing a podium place but finds himself now 36 points behind Rea in the Championship standings. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) secured his best result of the 2020 season with fourth place, finish more than a second clear of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in fifth. The duo finished five seconds ahead of Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team); the Dutchman coming home in sixth place.
Michael van der Mark’s teammate, Toprak Razgatlioglu, finished in seventh place ahead of Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha); Baz finishing more than five seconds behind Razgatlioglu and holding off the challenge from GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team duo Federico Caricasulo and Garrett Gerloff as five Yamaha machines finished inside the top ten.
Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) just missed out on a top ten finish with 11th place, less than a second away from Gerloff. Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) scored a points finish with 12th place, with Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 13th. Matteo Ferrari (Motocorsa Racing) secured another points finish on his WorldSBK debut with 14th place, ahead of Roman Ramos (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR). Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) was the last classified runner in 16th place.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) became the first retirement from the race when he pulled into the pits on the opening lap while Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) crashed out on Lap 4. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) crashed out at Turn 7 on Lap 5, forcing the Spanish rider to retire from the race. Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) was another retirement from the race after a crash on Lap 13 while he was running in the top five, while Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) also did not finish the race.
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Michael Rinaldi claims maiden WorldSBK win
Aragon, 5 Sept 2020: A new face stepped on top of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) claimed a sensational maiden victory in Race 1 for the Pirelli Teruel Round at MotorLand Aragon. Rinaldi had started from second on the grid and had topped all three Free Practice sessions as he continued his impressive pace.
Despite appearing to get a bad start, Rinaldi held second place on the opening lap but used the straight-line speed advantage of his Ducati machine to pass Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the run to Turn 16 on the opening lap and from there, he did not look back; lapping consistently faster than the reigning Champion.
Rea finished the race in second place, almost six seconds behind Rinaldi but the 20 points gained on Championship rival Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati), with Redding crashing out on Lap 7 while under pressure from Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), means the five-time Champion is now 30 points clear of Redding.
Redding’s ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati teammate, Chaz Davies, claimed a podium as two Ducati machines finished in the top three. Davies was in a battle for third with Bautista before the Spanish rider crashed at Lap 14 on Turn 14 and retired from the race. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) finished in fourth place for the 18-lap race as the lead Yamaha rider, one place ahead of teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled both the field and illness to take a sixth place finished after a titanic battle with numerous riders. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his best result of the season with eighth place with Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) claimed a top ten finished ahead of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).
Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finished in 11th place ahead of Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in 12th. Just four seconds separated Lowes in sixth and Baz in 12th to show how competitive the WorldSBK field is in 2020. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) secured a 13th place finish while Matteo Ferrari (Motocorsa Racing) secured a points finish on his WorldSBK debut, finishing ahead of Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) to complete the points.
Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) was the last classified rider in 16th place after an incident in the early stages of the race, with Bautista and Redding not completing the race alongside Roman Ramos (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR), Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) and Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) also not retiring from the race.P1 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN)
“It’s unbelievable! I’m very happy but I don’t know how to explain this emotion right now. It was a difficult year last year but this year I’ve found a family. Always I’ve had some people behind me who support me in difficult times. Now we are here! I couldn’t hope for a better race and I will enjoy this.”
P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I did my best. Yesterday, I tried a long run with the soft tyre and we made it work to the end but something in my head was telling me it was too much of a gamble. When I saw Michael and his pace, with the SCX tyre, the rhythm he could do was incredible. Maybe tomorrow we could do a more aggressive strategy but super happy to pick up 20 points. I feel like we got the best out of the bike today.”
P3 Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
“I was so undecided; I don’t think I’ve ever been so undecided on the grid over a tyre choice. It was just at that cut off temperature where the SCX tyre starts to work. In any case, it was a risk. I knew Alvaro was going to run it and I knew Michael was going to run it. With their size and weight being a lot less, I think it’s an easy decision for them whereas for me it was a bit of a roll of the dice. In some ways it worked, in other ways it didn’t. We have to evaluate how to improve our package to make better use of that tyre tomorrow if we’re going to run it. Overall, I’m satisfied. It was a tough race, conditions were really different compared to last week. Really hot, really greasy. Happy to be on the podium! Congratulations to Michael Ruben Rinaldi, he rode awesomely and absolutely disappeared. No one had an answer for him. He’s been somewhat of a little brother in the Aruba Ducati fold in the last few years, so the annoying little brother has come into his own!” -
Rea resists Davies pressure for Aragon Race 2 victory
Aragon, 30 August 2020: It was a thrilling battle for MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) reclaimed his Championship lead with a 10 point gap after Race 2 victory at MotorLand Aragon for the Prosecco DOC Aragon Round, despite a late-race mistake allowing his rivals to close in on the reigning Champion.
Rea had started the race from pole position and, despite pressure from Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) in the early corners, was able to pull away from the chasing group. Rea led every lap throughout the race despite a mistake on Lap 14 which allowed Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) to close the gap from around two seconds to just two tenths. Despite Davies attempting a move into Turn 1 on Lap 15, Rea held on to take victory by over one second ahead of Davies. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), who started the race from fourth, got ahead of Redding in the early stages, claimed his first podium for Honda and Honda’s first podium since Magny-Cours in 2016; Bautista and Honda showing good pace throughout the weekend.
Redding would finish the race in fourth place after being passed by Bautista and Davies, but the British rider also had to make a move on Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) on Lap 4 to help secure fourth place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) made it three Ducati machines in the top five with fifth place as he also got by van der Mark, with the Dutchman finishing in sixth place.
Leon Haslam (Team HRC) made it two Hondas in the top seven with a seventh-place finish after a titanic battle with a group of five riders. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) claimed eighth place with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in ninth and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) completing the top 10. There was just one second separating Haslam, Razgatlioglu, Lowes and Gerloff.
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had a strong result in 11th place, finishing less than a tenth of a second behind American rider Gerloff as part of the group of five riders fighting for seventh place. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the lead BMW rider in 12th place as the final rider in that battle; Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finishing around three seconds behind Sykes in 13th. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) completed the points with 15th.
Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance), Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing), Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) and teammate Lorenzo Gabellini all finished the race while Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) retired from the race following a crash on Lap 4 of 18 at Turn 15; the French rider unable to re-join the race following the incident where he came off on his bike on his own. He was not the only non-finisher as Marco Melandri (Barni Racing) who retired with a technical issue and Roman Ramos (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) retired from the race on the penultimate lap.
P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I can’t believe the pace; I didn’t expect that. We kept the bike the same as yesterday, just changed the front tyre. We went for the SC1 front compound instead of the harder one and in this hotter temperature it seemed to work a little bit better. At the end, Chaz was coming, and I made a massive mistake in the last corner. I went in fourth gear and had no engine braking to stop me. I thought I was going to go down, but I just couldn’t get that last shift. I lost the position as Chaz came through, but I knew I needed to go straight back past and put my head down because I had a little bit extra.”P2 Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
“I got a poor start and left myself with work to do. I was able to pull Jonny in and it was kind of similar to yesterday in that we didn’t have much tyre left at the end, front and rear. It seemed like Jonny was able to dig in during those last couple of laps. Full credit to him because he did a good job. I was on my limit; I couldn’t do anything more. I think I cooked everything coming through the pack and that’s all the bike had. I’m really happy with that, it was a solid weekend. The bike, in many ways, is feeling pretty solid and it’s a good base to start from for next weekend.”P3 Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC)
“The test helped us to make a step forward, but everybody tested here so we’re all in the same condition. I’m so happy with this podium as this is the result of the hard work we are doing. We are on the way to our target, which is to win. We are still a bit far away, but I am so happy. I want to thank HRC, Honda and my team. My mechanics worked hard during the weekend because we had a lot of problems and they spent a lot of time working on my bike, so they deserve this podium.” -
Top contenders battle it out as Redding claims victory
Aragon, 29 August 2020: A titanic battle between the two Championship leaders ended with Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) taking victory as well as the points lead in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship after the sensational battle at the Prosecco DOC Aragon Round at MotorLand Aragon after holding off multiple challenges throughout on Saturday.
Redding started the race from third place and held the position in the early stages while polesitter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) fought his way back through the field after a poor start, Rea back in the lead after just a couple of laps. Rea was passed by Redding on Lap 7 of 18 but was able to keep with Redding after the overtake although not able to make the move; the Ducati’s straight-line speed helping keep Redding ahead. As Rea continued to pressure Redding, the pair went side by side with Rea looking to make his way back into the lead but a mistake on Lap 14, where Rea went wide, allowed Redding to stay in front.
Davies was able to get by Rea just a few laps later and started to close in on Redding, finishing the race just three tenths behind Redding as they battled for the lead; the pair claiming a Ducati 1-2 finish after Davies battled through from ninth, with Rea claiming a podium on his 150th start for KRT. The result means Redding moves back into the Championship lead but with plenty of points still available to claim.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) once again secured a fourth-place finish in 2020 as his impressive form continued, with the Italian rider putting on a late-race move on Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) finishing in fifth place. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) was another rider who fought his way back through the field as he finished in sixth place, after starting outside the top 10, although finished ten seconds behind his teammate.
Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was classified in seventh place despite starting on the front row and taking the lead at the start as Baz looked for another podium in 2020. There was a battle between Baz and Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) towards the end of the race with the pair separated by just a second at the end of the race. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finished in ninth place with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) completing the top ten.
It was a strong race performance from Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) as the Argentinian rider claimed an 11th place finish, ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) in 12th. Roman Ramos (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) marked his 100th WorldSBK start with a points finish as the Spaniard completed his first race since his return to the Championship, ahead of another mid-season returnee in Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team). Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) secured his first points finish of the season with 15th in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon and also claimed the team’s first points of 2020.
Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Official Team) finished in 16th place after a dramatic rush to start the race; the Irish rider coming off his bike on the lap to the grid with the team fixing his machine on the grid. Laverty was given a ride-through penalty during the race but was able to finish ahead of Lorenzo Gabellini (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team).
Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) had a crash during the race at the corkscrew section which put the Frenchman out of the race on his Aprilia while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) also retired from the race; Lowes coming off his bike as he came over the crest of the hill. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) pitted in the early stages of the race with the British rider retiring while Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) also suffered a crash in the first half of the race. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) and Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) both retired from the race after separate incidents on the same lap.
