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History made as Lowes claims titanic Phillip Island victory
Three different riders win three races as thrilling action comes to an end Down Under
Phillip Island (Australia) 1 March 2020: The final MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race of the Yamaha Finance Australian Round ended with a drag race between Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK teammates Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea. Rea had been leading the race until the latter stages before Lowes overtook him at Turn 1 with two laps to go.
It means Lowes claimed his first win for Kawasaki and his first WorldSBK win since Race 2 at Brno in 2018. The pair ran to the line nose-to-tail with the Englishman hanging on to take the win by just 0.037s from his teammate. Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) claimed his third podium of the weekend in his WorldSBK debut.
Rea had started the race from pole position but lost out to Lowes at Turn 1, with new Kawasaki rider sweeping around the outside, attempting to make gains at the start. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) also tried around the outside of Turn 2 to gain positions before Rea re-passed van der Mark soon after.
Five-time Champion Rea was controlling the pace at the front of the race in order to preserve tyre life around the demanding Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. There was a lead battle of more than ten riders in the first half of the race, and it looked as if Rea’s strategy was going to pay off but he was unable to stop Lowes overtaking him with two laps to go.
Lowes got into Rea’s slipstream down the start and finish straight before making a move on the inside of Turn 1. The pair were fighting hard for the next two laps with Rea looking to pass his teammate at the final corner – a move he successfully pulled off to win the Tissot Superpole Race. Lowes, however, was able to defend hard enough through the final corner. It looked like Rea was attempting to go around the outside of Lowes but was unable to make the move stick.
Redding was less than a second behind the top three as he claimed his third podium of the weekend. It means Redding matches Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) in securing three podiums in his debut weekend for the Ducati outfit, a feat Bautista achieved at Phillip Island in 2019. Chaz Davies ( Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) finished in fifth place from 15th on the grid after a miraculous comeback. Bautista ended the race in sixth having stormed through from 14th on the grid, proving the potential of the brand new Honda.
Chilean rider Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) continued his impressive debut weekend with a seventh place finish. He earlier became the first Chilean rider to finish in the top ten of a WorldSBK race and looked impressive during Race 2 as he kept pace with the leading group. He finished less than five seconds off race winner Lowes, proving himself to be a revelation in Australia.
French rider Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had an eventful race; eighth place not telling the full story. He showed quick pace at the start of the race and was fighting in the leading group, even taking the lead at Turn 4 on Lap 9 as he overtook Rea. His top-speed disadvantage showed on the start and finish straight although he was re-passed by Rea shortly after.
A late-race incident with Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) meant Baz fell down the order and finished just ahead of Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) in ninth place. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished tenth after an incident on Lap 4 of the race as he went off the track and fell down the order. He was ahead of Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who also had an incident at the same time as Sykes, and Leon Haslam (Team HRC). Haslam was involved in an incident with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) on Lap 2, with Rinaldi not being classified in the rac while Haslam finished 12th.
Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team), Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and Razgatlioglu all retired from the race while Rinaldi was not classified. There was a curtailed starting grid as Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and Leon Camier (Barni Racing Team) were all ruled out of the race.
P1 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I feel fantastic. Been a great first weekend with the team. The race was tricky because the temperatures were so high, it made the grip quite low. But I really enjoyed it! I needed to be patient all throughout the race because people were banging into me, hitting me wide. Baz hit me a few times, then Toprak, then Michael. Fun racing but it was hard to find a rhythm, I was back in 8th then Baz came past me, Alvaro came past me. All the time I felt quite strong on the bike. I was focussed on being smooth, looking after the tyre and coming forward at the end. The plan paid off, it doesn’t always happen like that. Really happy to get my first win with Kawasaki Racing Team, I’m going to enjoy it tonight before recharging my batteries for Qatar.”
P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“Race 2 was strange because I didn’t do 22 laps yesterday so I didn’t know what to expect from the tyre in the race. We had done 22 laps on a tyre during the tests but never in one stint and with this high a track temperature. I was riding so slow at the front and doing all the work but it seemed like no-one wanted to come through and do the work. he guys behind me could all manage their tyres better than me and they had the slipstream. Last year we were 15s from the race win so I feel more competitive now. We could have given up a lot of points this weekend after a 220kmph crash in Race 1 but I was able to walk away relatively unhurt. I’m looking forward to Qatar because today we did the best that we could.”
P3 – Scott Redding ( Aruba.IT Ducati Racing)
“I’ve been on the podium three times, on two occasions I finished within a tenth of a second off the winner: not bad for my first Superbike weekend. I gave it everything that I had but my biggest problem was trying to manage the front tyre in the races. We were strong and the bike worked well. We need to improve in some small areas but we’re in the battle for the win. We’re only a tenth off the win here and that’s not bad going but I was struggling in Race 2 with the tyre temperature. I learned so much this weekend and that’s the biggest thing. I’m satisfied and confident after this weekend because I held my own this weekend and that’s what was important.”
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Navarro strikes back, Ogura and Salač end Sunday in a dead heat
The final day of Moto2™ and Moto3™ testing teases plenty ahead of the season opener
Losail (Qatar), 1 March 2020: The final day of the Moto2™ and Moto3™ Test at Losail International Circuit is complete, with Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up) going fastest in the intermediate class and the lightweight class ending in a dead heat as both Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) and Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) set the exact same laptime.
In Moto2™, Navarro pulled a tenth and a half clear of Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) as both continued to flex their 2020 pace. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Beta Tools Speed Up) moved up into third as Speed Up chassis impressed once again on Sunday.
Most of the fast laps came late in the day, with the top 16 setting their quickest laps in Session 9. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was next up behind the top three as he made the most of his time attack, with Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) completing the top five to do the same.
Sixth was another impressive performance from rookie superstar Aron Canet (Aspar Team) as the Aspar Team got their hands on the new Speed Up fairing, although teammate Hafizh Syahrin sent it down the road. Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) was seventh, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completing the top ten.
In Moto3™, Ai Ogura, who was fastest in Jerez, ends the test with an identical laptime to Salač, who was fastest on Saturday, as the timesheets tightened up. Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was third quickest, only 0.024 back, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing a top four split by only 0.036.
It was almost a mock qualifying session to end the test, with many of the riders’ fastest laptimes set late on – but wind catching a few out, including Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46). But there was no big drama, and the stage is now set for the season opener.
Behind the incredibly tight top four, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) took P5 as the veteran Scot once again showed good pace, with Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) next up – and Arenas once again fastest KTM, with the same man on his tail. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) was eighth quickest, ahead of compatriot Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46).
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) once again completed the top ten and was the fastest rookie.
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Rookie Jehan Daruvala, returning after an injury, makes impressive F2 debut in third
Bahrain, 1 March 2020: Experience wasn’t a barrier on the first day of pre-season testing, with rookie Pedro Piquet the fastest man in Sakhir, Bahrain. The Charouz driver was the only man to break 1m 42s, finishing ahead of Nobuharu Matsushita and fellow rookie Jehan Daruvala.
It didn’t take Piquet long to get to grips with the new Pirelli 18-inch tyres either, as the Brazilian set an instant impression amongst the new-look F2 field with the morning’s first fast time, taking the lead with 1:44.331.
A large chunk of the field opted to remain in the garage for much of the early stages, with a flow of short runs providing the teams with valuable data to work on. Matsushita was the man to take control of those runs, thumping around in less than 1m 43s to claim an early advantage, with Felipe Drugovich lining up behind him in the second MP Motorsport machine.
Louis Delétraz is known for his invaluable ability in testing and had dominated the post-season sessions in Abu Dhabi with Charouz. He continued in the same vein in Bahrain, overtaking his former teammate for top spot with a tour of 1:43.583.
According to personal injury law firm located in Sugar Land, TX, returning for the first time from a leg injury sustained in training at the end of last year, Jehan Daruvala impressed in his debut F2 stint, propping up the leading duo in third, half a second behind. Nimmons Malchow Johnson – Personal Injury Lawyers give the best guidance and assistance regarding how to deal with injuries legally. The Mike Massey Law – Personal Injury Law Firm in Houston can be of legal assistance. For any kind of pains, like pains from injuries, QC Kinetix (Asheville) doctors can help with their relief.
At the start of second session, it was once again the dominant force of Delétraz who set the early standards, before being usurped by Callum Ilott in the UNI-Virtuosi machine. Their running was briefly halted as Nikita Mazepin spun on track and caused a red flag, after battling for track position with Dan Ticktum.
When they resumed, Marcus Armstrong broke the quickest time from the morning to take control of the standings, but Delétraz simply upped his game and retaliated by taking the times below 1m 43s for the first time.
For much of the grid, focus shifted onto long runs and Delétraz was left on his own out in front. Squeezing in between him and ART Grand Prix substitute Sergey Sirotkin in the top three was Carlin rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who impressed in his first pre-season tests.File photo of Jehan Daruvala in action during Race 1 at Monza F3 in 2019. Photo by James Gasperotti With 45 minutes to go, faster laps began to pile in and Delétraz was usurped by Matsushita in his new MP Motorsport machinery. The Japanese racer nearly broke the 1m 42s barrier, running just seven-tenths over. Armstrong didn’t quite reach the duo in first and second with his next fast run and sat third behind them, as Tsunoda fell to fourth.
Their fast laps were followed by the continually impressive Daruvala, whose time was good enough for second, ahead of Sean Gelael. These were broken up by a red flag as Luca Ghiotto stopped on track.
When the running recommenced, Piquet ended the day as he started it, at the top of the times. The Brazilian was the only racer to break the 1m 42s mark and finished ahead of Matsushita, Daruvala, Roy Nissany and Armstrong. Just behind them was Tom Dillmann, who replaced Marino Sato for the afternoon session. Delétraz, Artem Markelov and Tsunoda completed the top ten.
After an intriguing first day of testing and exciting first run on the 18-inch rims, teams will return for Day 2 even stronger, packed with more knowledge and expertise, when the morning session begins at 11.45am. -
Razgatlioglu takes thrilling victory Down Under as Rea crashes out; #AUSWorldSBK – Day 2
Phillip Island (Australia), 29 Feb 2020: The 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship roared into action at Phillip Island with an action-packed opening encounter. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) claimed the victory by one of the smallest margins in WorldSBK history. Just 0.137s separated the top four riders at the end of a thrilling opening race to the season.
At the start of the race polesitter Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) lost the lead to reigning Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), with the pair coming together on track. Sykes was able to continue without leaving the track but Rea’s race was disrupted after a trip through the gravel. He was able to continue but re-joined the circuit in 18th and last place. Rea’s race came to an end after five laps when he crashed at Turn 8.
On lap two of 22, Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) passed Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) at Turn 1 for second place as Sykes maintained his lead throughout the first half of the race. Sykes would continue to maintain the lead before rookie Redding made a move on him at Turn 1, slicing ahead in style.
Van der Mark followed Redding through for second place shortly afterwards before race winner Razgatlioglu passed Sykes Turn 4, meaning the polesitter had fallen from first to fourth in the space of just four corners. On Lap 12, Sykes found himself moving further down the order to sixth as both Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Leon Haslam (Team HRC) passed him.
Redding’s lead at the front of the race lasted just three laps as he got passed by both Razgatlioglu and van der Mark on Lap 14. With eight laps to go Razgatlioglu was leading the race with teammate van der Mark. Razgatlioglu’s lead lasted four laps as he traded positions with teammate van der Mark, who looked to be building a gap at the front.
However, the gap stretched to a few tenths at most as Ragatlioglu, Redding and Lowes kept up with van der Mark’s pace throughout the latter stages of the race. All four riders were able to pull away from Sykes and Haslam towards the end, meaning a group of four were chasing victory in the first race of the season.
Razgatlioglu was able to hold on to victory from Lowes and Redding with the trio separated by just 0.041s at the end of the race and van der Mark just a tenth back in fourth place; it was the second-closest podium in WorldSBK history. Lowes was third going into the final corner but took advantage of van der Mark getting slightly off line as he looked to pass Razgatlioglu. With Toprak getting a slight twitch leaving the final corner, he and Lowes had a drag race to the line with Redding and van der Mark trailing just behind.
Haslam was able to hold on to fifth from Honda teammate Alvaro Bautista, who started in 15th, as the Spanish rider charged his way through the field. After a crash in the Tissot Superpole left him without a chance to set a time on the qualifying tyre, Bautista recovered to finish only half a second behind his teammate.
Loris Baz (Ken Tate Racing Yamaha) finished as the top Independent rider by finishing where he started the race in seventh. Redding’s Ducati teammate, Chaz Davies, finished the race in eighth after making his way through the field in a similar fashion to Bautista with polesitter Sykes eventually taking the flag in ninth.Italian rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) finished just 0.012s behind Sykes, who lost a lot of ground at the end of the race. His BMW teammate, Eugene Laverty, finished in 11th place just 0.027s behind his teammate. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) held off Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) to finish in 12th while his teammate, Garrett Gerloff, finished in 14th place, both on their debut.
Gerloff had been running as high as seventh place during the race but fell back down the order as the race approached its conclusion, perhaps highlighting inexperience around a circuit that places high demands on tyres. He finished ahead of Chilean Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura), who also started the race strongly and ran as high as ninth place.
Scheib was the last classified runner with Takumi Takahashi, Xavi Fores and Rea all not finishing the race. Fores crashed out on Lap 10 while Takahashi had a mechanical issue in the latter stages.
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Navarro top in Moto2; Rodrigo takes the reins in Moto3: Test Day1
Losail (Qatar), 28 Feb 2020: Jorge Navarro (Speed Up Racing) topped Day 1 of Moto2™ testing in the desert at Losail International Circuit, with the Spaniard putting in a 1:59.168 to pull two tenths clear of Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing). Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) locked out the top three just 0.021 further back, with American Joe Roberts a similar gap behind in fourth after an impressive showing for the American Racing Team rider. Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3’s) reigned in Moto3™, the veteran pulling clear of the field.
For the lightweight and intermediate classes, the test is in pure daylight as they race earlier than MotoGP™, with track time alternating between Moto3™ and Moto2™ sessions. And Navarro flew the flag for experience in Moto2™, as did Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) in Jerez as the veterans start to show their colours. Vierge is another expected to be strong, with Bastianini the sophomore on point as the second test begins.
Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top five, with another impressive 2019 rookie for close company: teammate Jorge Martin. Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), another expected to challenge in 2020, was seventh.
Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completed the top ten, pushing out Jerez’s impressive rookie Aron Canet (Aspar Team) just behind in an interesting mix of pacesetters.
In Moto3™, Gabriel Rodrigo was fastest, with the Argentinean in the driving seat and enjoying a gap of over three tenths at the top. Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) was next up and once again the fastest KTM, with Jerez’s fastest man, Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia), rounding out the top three as he showed some impressive pace once again.
Rodrigo, who left Jerez early on Day 3 already satisfied with his programme, set a 2:05.593 in session three to top the timesheets in Qatar, a whopping 0.350 clear of Arenas. Ogura, whilst also fast, was the first man outside the half second bracket.
Fourth place on Day 1 went the way of John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), who was also near the top in Jerez, as experienced runners crowd out Ogura in the top five. That top five was completed by Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse).
Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was sixth as he moved back up the timesheets into the top ten after some lower key showings last time out, with impressive rookie Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) slotting into seventh. Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team), Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) locked out the fastest ten on Day 1.
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Bottas sets quickest lap time on final day of testing
Barcelona, 28 Feb 2020: Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas set the quickest lap of the final day of pre-season testing ahead of the 2020, with the Finn posting a lap of 1:16.196 to beat Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen by just seven hundredths of a second.
Daniel Ricciardo set the pace in the morning session, with the Renault driver setting a time of 1:16.269 to head the timesheet at the lunch break.
At that point Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was in third place, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with a time of 1:16.410.
However, midway through the afternoon Bottas steered Mercedes W11 out on a set of C5 compound tyres and went 0.080s quicker than Ricciardo to claim P1.
With half an hour remaining in the session Ricciardo was edged out further when Verstappen bolted on a set of brand C4 tyres to beat his former team-mate by seven thousandths of a second.
Leclerc took fourth sport on the timesheet with his morning time of 1:16.360 but while he missed out on being quickest on the day the Ferrari driver did top the mileage chart, posting a huge total of 181 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Hamilton was fifth behind Leclerc, while Esteban Ocon finished the day in sixth place thanks to a lap just two hundredths of a second slower than the six-time champion.
Sergio Pérez ended an impressive test phase for Racing Point with seventh place, with Carlos Sainz eighth for McLaren, whose form has also looked positive over the six days in Barcelona.
Williams, too, can return home happy with how their pre-season has gone, especially when compared to their woes of last season, and on the final day of testing George Russell ended the day in ninth place, a little over four hundredths of a second behind Sainz and more than a tenth ahead of AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat.
Romain Grosjean was 11thfor Haas with the Frenchman posting 86 laps in the morning, but it was a tougher afternoon for team-mate Kevin Magnussen, with the Dane restricted to the garage for a long spell by clutch issues. He finished in P13, behind Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Räikkönen and ahead of last-placed Alex Albon of Red Bull Racing.
2020 Formula 1 Pre-Season Test 2, Day 3
1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:16.196s 79
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:16.269s +0.073 45
3 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1:16.276s +0.080 65
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.360s +0.164 181
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.410s +0.214 90
6 Esteban Ocon Renault 1:16.433s +0.237 75
7 Sergio Perez Racing Point 1:16.634s +0.438 154
8 Carlos Sainz McLaren 1:16.820s +0.624 163
9 George Russell Williams 1:16.871s +0.675 146
10 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri 1:16.914s +0.718 160
11 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:17.037s +0.841 86
12 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 1:17.415s +1.219 115
13 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:17.495s +1.299 29
14 Alex Albon Red Bull 1:17.803s +1.607 59 -
Redding tops frantic WorldSBK FP2 session as 2020 kicks off
The British rookie led the way as 12 riders were covered by a second after Day 1 in Australia
Phillip Island (Australia), 28 Feb 2020: After the first Free Practice session, topped by Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati), ran in mixed conditions, the second session was completely dry. It was a disrupted session following a Red Flag ten minutes into the session for debris on the track, but Redding was able to top the session as the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is well and truly underway in frenetic fashion.
Scott Redding tops Friday times at Phillip Island. A WorldSBK image Redding was one of several riders who set a flurry of fast laps at the end of the 50-minute session as he finished first by almost half-a-second from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team). Turkish rider Razgatlioglu held off teammate Michael van der Mark who finished third in the session. Razgatlioglu and van der Mark were leading the onslaught to British rider but he was able to resist, slamming in a strong lap time to put a healthy margin between his rivals.
Leon Haslam (Team HRC) had been top of the session until the final flurry of laps but finished fourth on his Honda. While Haslam was top of the order, he faced competition from Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). Baz was consistently setting fast laps and lapped within 0.037s of Haslam but was unable to usurp the British rider. Baz finished the session in fifth place ahead of five-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in sixth place and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in seventh. Rea’s Kawasaki teammate, Alex Lowes, finished just outside the top ten in 11th place.
Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) started off the session in the lower half of the field but improved his pace throughout the session and finished in eighth place. Bautista’s run throughout the session included a slide through Stoner Corner, the third corner on the circuit. The 35-year-old Spaniard seems to have found a breakthrough following the Official Test and will be one to watch throughout the rest of the weekend.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) finished in ninth despite a mechanical issue at the start of the session which meant he returned to the pits minutes after joining the track. He was able to re-join the action around halfway through the session and kept improving his lap time to eventually finish in ninth place ahead of Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who rounded out the top ten in the second practice session on his return to the Championship.
German rider Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) finished the session in 12th place, the last rider to finish within one second of pace setting Redding. Chaz Davies ( Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) finished the session in 13th place ahead of Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and American rider Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team); Gerloff particularly impressing on his first time at the track in a race weekend.
Gerloff’s teammate Federico Caricasulo finished the session in 16th place, a tenth of a second behind his teammate, and 0.024s ahead of Chilean rider Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura). Leon Camier (Barni Racing Team) and Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) rounded out the field in 18th and 19th respectively.
#AUSWorldSBK at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit – Friday
Top six combined below.- Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) 1’30.436
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) +0.418
- Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) +0.469
- Leon Haslam (Team HRC) +0.500
- Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.537
- Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.542
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Vettel tops timesheets on Day2: Formula 1 Test
Barcelona, 27 Feb 2020: Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time of the penultimate day of 2020 pre-season Formula 1 testing, while defending champions Lewis Hamilton’s session ended early due to a suspected engine issue.
Vettel tops timesheets on Day 2 Barcelona test. An FIA image Vettel jumped to the top order in the morning with a time of 1:16.841 set on C5 compound Pirelli tyres, and the Ferrari driver’s effort remained the benchmark until the end of running. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly took second place with a late lap on the same compound with just 15 minutes left in the session to finish 0.225s behind Vettel. Racing Point’s Lance Stroll took third place with a lap of 1:17.118 on C3 tyres from the morning session.
It was a tough day for Hamilton, however. Having taken over from team-mate Valtteri Bottas for the afternoon session, after the Finn had posted 47 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Hamilton stayed put in the Mercedes garage for the first hour of the afternoon. The champion eventually took the track and set about a long run but that ended after 12 laps when he ground to a halt on the run to Turn 7.
Hamilton did not reappear again after that as Mercedes revealed the issue had been caused by an oil pressure problem.
With Stroll third, fourth place went to Williams’ Nicholas Latifi, with McLaren’s Lando Norris fifth. That left sixth place to Max Verstappen. With the track damp after overnight rain, the Red Bull sat out the first hour of running and when he did go out on track he seemed to find the damp track and the strong winds tricky as he spun twice, the second bringing out the red flags midway through the morning.
With no damage sustained he returned to the action but only managed a total of 31 laps. Things went better for team-mate Alex Albon in the afternoon and the Thai driver was able to add 61 laps to the team’s total on his way to P10.
Bottas took seventh place with his morning best of 1:17.985 and that wasa good enough to put him clear of Renault’s Esteban Ocon and ninth placed Kevin Magnussen of Haas
2020 Formula 1 Pre-Season Test 2, Day 1
1 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:16.841s 145
2 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1:17.066s +0.225 139
3 Lance Stroll Racing Point 1:17.118s +0.277 130
4 Nicholas Latifi Williams 1:17.313s +0.472 160
5 Lando Norris McLaren 1:17.573s +0.732 113
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:17.738s +0.897 31
7 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:17.985s +1.144 47
8 Esteban Ocon Renault 1:18.013s +1.172 37
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:18.225s +1.384 111
10 Alex Albon Red Bull 1:18.393s +1.552 61
11 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1:18.395s +1.554 59
12 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 1:19.670s +2.829 92
13 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:22.425s +5.584 14 -
2020 WorldSBK season officially launched at Phillip Island
The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit played host to the official WorldSBK season opening ceremony
Phillip Island (Australia), 27 Feb 2020: The 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season got underway at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on Thursday with the traditional Official Media Conference set on the unique stage of WorldSBK Paddock Show.
WorldSBK riders attend the launch Press Conference on Thursday. A WorldSBK image Attending the 2020 Championship launch, WorldSBK stars Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati), Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha World Superbike Team), Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), and WorldSSP riders Randy Krummenacher (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team), who spoke about the new 2020 season and their expectations from the new season.
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit General Manager David Bennet and Yamaha Motor Finance Representative opened the ceremony, welcoming the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in Australia, as the Championship opens its curtains for the new season for the 12th consecutive time at the Australian venue.
Then it was the turn of Marc Saurina, WorldSBK Commercial, Marketing and Media, Executive Director to speak: “It is always a fantastic and highly anticipated moment for us and people around the world, but this year we are perhaps even more excited, as the Yamaha Finance Australian Round marks the start of a new and very exciting chapter for the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship.”
Reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK Team) also spoke about the new season: “I feel great. I spent a lot of time here so it’s really nice to be here. Also, it’s the nicest circuit on the calendar, it’s very unique, very fast and has lots of corners. We got to play with the elements, being so close to the sea because some days, the bike is working really well and you wake up the next day and it’s a little bit different. We had a really good test where I felt good with the bike. I’m looking forward to start with the year. So it’s nice to start with and get some points to the board.“
The FIM Supersport World Championship will kick off in Australia this weekend too. The new season will see a lot of competition and many riders aiming for the title, as reigning WorldSSP Champion Randy Krummenacher (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) also confirmed: “It’s a big challenge but I really love challenges. We had some good testing here. We tried a lot of things. Obviously, we still have lots to do but we’re already on the good speed. Of course, the other riders are strong as well so we’ll see what will happen. The goal here is to win again.”
Action will begin on Friday morning with WorldSBK Free Practice 1 at 10.30 local time (LT, GMT +11) before the first race of the 2019 season will take place on Saturday afternoon at 15.00 LT. The battle will continue into Sunday with the Tissot Superpole Race in WorldSBK history at 12:00 followed then by Race 2 again at 15.00LT -
Rea edges Baz as Phillip Island Official Test ends with a flurry
Phillip Island (Australia), 25 Feb 2020: The final pre-season test for the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been completed with the action too close to call ahead of the first round of the season. The spectacular Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit brought in wet weather at stages, whilst numerous crashes and red flags occurred, including offs for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC). Despite the crash, it was Rea who pipped Independent sensation Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) to the top ahead of the first round.
Jonathan Rea who topped the time sheets in Phillip Island on Tuesday. A WorldSBK image Leading the way into the weekend, Jonathan Rea moved into top position and put in a strong lap time of 1’30.448, coming in the morning session. The Ulsterman used today for long runs, showcasing his ability to work well and return to first place. However, his day wasn’t without incident and was one of a handful of riders who crashed at Turn 4. He was OK and the bike was virtually undamaged. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) continued his switch to the KRT squad but was down in 12th and suffered a crash at Turn 6 in the morning, giving him plenty of work ahead of the racing weekend.
Flying the flag for the Independent teams once again was Loris Baz as the Frenchman continued to be quick in the pre-season tests and finished second. What is impressive for Baz is that he hasn’t used the 2020 engine yet, so his pace is done purely on the 2019 engine; he expects a big step forward come Friday and his race pace is already looking strong. Other Independent revelations inside the top ten included Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) in eighth.
2013 WorldSBK Champion Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) led the BMW charge as he continued to shine at the sharp end. Having struggled with rear grip in the 2019 races, Sykes can now run comfortably for longer in the 1’31s. He’s been working on the balance of the bike, whilst also using a new rear shock, placing him third. Teammate Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) completed his swingarm and chassis work and is now focused on electronics and short runs. He finished ninth overall.
Having been flying high at the head of the field on day one, Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team’s day two was slightly different. Toprak Razgatlioglu couldn’t replicate his day one pace in the tricky conditions, but was focused on settling in a good race pace and not just setting a strong one-off lap time. However, his ability to set a strong one-off lap time with the Q tyre itself confirms the strides he has made over the pre-season at a time attack in Tissot Superpole style. Michael van der Mark crashed in the morning session at Turn 10 but was OK. The Dutchman didn’t put a fast time in on Monday but set 15 consecutive laps in the 1’31s, demonstrating a good race pace. Toprak was fourth whilst van der Mark was seventh.
‘Pocket Rocket’ Leon Haslam (Team HRC) was once again in the top six, making it all six manufacturers inside the top half dozen once again. His lap time of a 1’30.882 was right on his race pace from last year, so there’s plenty of promise from Honda and their new CBR1000RR-R already. On the other side of the garage, Alvaro Bautista wasn’t up at the sharp end and suffered a crash at Turn 4 during the morning. He was in the top ten however, which is an important step forward ahead of the weekend.
There was a vast improvement in lap time from Scott Redding, despite the more inconsistent weather at the start of the day. The WorldSBK rookie managed to get into the 1’30 bracket as he perfected the balance of his bike. Still learning the Q tyre, Redding is aiming to be on the pace come the start of the weekend. His teammate Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) struggled to keep pace with his rookie teammate but worked away nonetheless. Redding finished in sixth but with big gains, whilst Davies was 11th on combined times.
Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki – TPR) was just outside the top ten in 13th, 0.005s behind Lowes. Cortese was impressive, considering this was his first testing on the ZX-10RR. Behind Cortese in 14th was returning Spaniard Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), whilst Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) continued to impress in 15th. He was just ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and his teammate Federico Caricasulo, whilst Leon Camier (Barni Racing Team) and Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) were just behind. In all, the top 17 were covered by just 1.5s.
#AUSWorldSBK at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit – Tuesday
Top six combined from day two below.- Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’30.448
- Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.078
- Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.120
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) +0.304
- Leon Haslam (Team HRC) +0.434
- Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) +0.437
