INDIA in F1

Tag: Jonathan Rea

  • Rea and Bautista split the spoils on opening day: WorldSBK

    Rea and Bautista split the spoils on opening day: WorldSBK

    Reigning WorldSBK Champion Razgatlioglu’s main rivals take the spotlight on Day 1

    Aragon, 8 March 2022: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) set the fastest lap on Friday at MotorLand Aragon with a 1’49.301 lap time claimed in Free Practice 1: “We focused on which tyre we could use for the race. We built up step by step, a longer run in the afternoon. We have to see what tomorrow brings because we are in a strange window. We could be fast with both tyres but tomorrow, depending on the temperature, we face during the race will determined our final tyre setup”.

    Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ended Day 1 in second place, despite having improved his morning lap time by two tenths in Free Practice 2 and led the second session; “We changed the setup of the bike this morning because after the test here we thought we could improve the feeling with the bike. But I didn’t feel so great with the new set up. In FP2, we switched back the same set up as the test, which gave me better feeling.I did almost a Superpole Race distance and the pace was not too bad.We made race distance with both tyres, and I’m quite happy.”

    Reigning WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was third at the end of Friday, 0.364s behind Jonathan Rea. “We used the SCX tyre, but we weren’t happy with it. This afternoon we tried a race simulation but after 10 laps, the front tyre dropped. We need to improve this tomorrow for the race. But the feeling with the rear was great.”

    Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished fourth overall. “I feel good. Conditions were a bit different today, but we were good at adapting.I feel confident that we can be up there fighting for a podium.”

    Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished inside the top five in the afternoon, finishing fifth on the combined times; “I’m quite happy about today, and with the race tyre we are pretty fast.”

    Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was sixth overall at the end of Friday; “My race pace and my consistency is not so bad. If I have a good qualifying, make a good start, if I can stay there for a few laps, I think the second part of the race I can be strong.”

    Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was the top BMW rider and just over a second off Rea’s top time but over three tenths quicker than the next BMW. As for Honda and Team HRC, it was tenth overall for rookie Iker Lecuona and 13th for teammate Xavi Vierge, although Lecuona could only place in 17th at the end of FP2. Seven tenths slower in FP2 than FP1, Lecuona will hope that the cooler temperatures in FP3 and Tissot Superpole allow him to improve once more. As for Vierge, he did improve his time in the afternoon session, putting him 11th in the session.

    WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’49.301s
    2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.305s
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.364s
    4. Garrett Gerloff (GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.599s
    5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.699s
    6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.709s

  • Redding heads historic Ducati 1-2-3 in epic wet race

    Redding heads historic Ducati 1-2-3 in epic wet race

    A late surge from Scott Redding allowed him to take victory while Axel Bassani took his first World Championship podium

    Catalunya, 18 Sept 2021: A pre-race rain downpour provided the perfect recipe for Race 1 at the Hyundai N Catalunya Round as Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) put in a late surge for victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) claiming his first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium, as the fight for the Championship took yet another twist in Spain.
     
    At the start of the race, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) found himself down in tenth at the first timing point but battled his way back to the lead after Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), who was forced to retire from the lead of the race on Lap 15 with a technical issue. The final results mean Rea has a six-point advantage over Razgatlioglu in the Championship standings.
     
    As Rea pulled away at the front, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) battled his way to the front and fought with Razgatlioglu in the first half of the race before the pair closed the gap to Rea while battling. Eventually they bought found their way past the six-time Champion before Bassani took the lead when Razgatlioglu pulled over with the technical issue. As the 20-lap race progressed, the two factory Ducati riders of Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found pace.
     
    In the closing stages, Redding passed teammate Rinaldi for second before making a move on the Independent Ducati of Bassani for the lead with a handful of laps to go as he claimed the lead of the race, ahead of Bassani and Rinaldi who secured Ducati’s first 1-2-3 finish since Assen 2012.

  • Razgatlioglu dazzles to head Rea on combined times after Catalunya Day 1

    Razgatlioglu dazzles to head Rea on combined times after Catalunya Day 1

    The title duel has come alive once more as Razgatlioglu pipped Rea, with the two enjoying a small margin over the rest of the field, led by Michael Ruben Rinaldi

    Barcelona, 18 Sept. 2021: The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is well underway as day one at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the Hyundai N Catalunya Round comes to a close. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was in mighty form once more and topped the overall times from title rival Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), as the next chapter of their fierce rivalry awaits in Barcelona this weekend.

    IT’S HAPPENING: Razgatlioglu leads Rea

    Toprak Razgatlioglu was in good form again, with the Turkish rider on the pace from the start. The Championship leader was second in the morning session before topping the afternoon’s FP2, putting in a strong run at the end which saw him dip into the low 1’42s. As for Andrea Locatelli, the Italian was also showing his strengths, having been fifth in FP1 before leading FP2’s opening half of the session. Working together with slightly different tyres before swapping over, Toprak and Andrea worked together as they looked to settle into their rhythm, showcasing Yamaha’s strengths to have both riders help each other to make the ultimate race package. Within the final ten minutes, Locatelli crashed at the final corner, the bike tumbled through the gravel. He was OK and, on his feet, finishing fifth overall.

    Leading the way in FP1, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a very strong opening day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the reigning six-time World Champion giving his team something to cheer about at their home round. The Ulsterman did an impressive run during the middle part of the session and was running second for most of it, holding it on the overall timesheets but only fourth in FP2, suffering a Turn 10 run-off too on his final cool-down lap. Teammate Alex Lowes was also showing well, up finishing seventh in FP2 and in sixth overall.

    DUCATI, BMW AND HONDA CHALLENGE: it’s close at the front…

    Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was formidable in the afternoon, running second for almost the entirety of the session. Having been top Ducati in the morning, Rinaldi’s pace translated into FP2 and as the chequered flag dropped on Friday, he concluded it in third and was once more, top Ducati. Having struggled away in the opening session, teammate Scott Redding was back inside the top five for the first part of FP2. Redding’s first session saw him down in 13th but bouncing back and setting his fastest time of the weekend in the afternoon almost immediately, finishing eighth.

    It was a mixed day for BMW and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the British rider third in FP1 before crashing in the opening phase of the afternoon’s FP2. Tucking the front at Turn 5 and with the bike bouncing through the gravel, Sykes returned to the track in the final ten minutes and almost immediately, was on the pace he demonstrated in the morning session. Teammate Michael van der Mark was having a consistent day, lapping within a second of the leading riders but remained in eighth going into Saturday, whilst Sykes was fourth overall.

    Flying the Honda flag, Leon Haslam (Team HRC) finished in eighth place with a flying lap right at the end of the afternoon’s session, putting him seventh overall. Haslam, having been sixth in the morning, is a firm fixture inside the top ten. It was a mixed day for Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) with the Spanish rider popping into the top ten in the afternoon session, before crashing at the final corner in the closing stages. Tucking the front early on in the corner, Bautista barreled through the gravel before hobbling to the barriers. He was ninth come the end of FP2, but eleventh on the combined times.

  • Metronomic Razgatlioglu romps to victory: WorldSBK Race 1

    Metronomic Razgatlioglu romps to victory: WorldSBK Race 1

    Dramatic racing, incredible battles and more featured throughout Race 1 at the French Round

    Magny-Cours (France), 4 Sept 2021: The first race of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours delivered action throughout the 21-lap encounter with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) taking victory with an incredible performance of pace and consistency to win by more than four seconds as he gained a five-point swing over nearest rival Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the Motul French Round, while title rival Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) endured a difficult Saturday in France as he finished 12th in Race 1.

    Razgatlioglu got a good start and took the lead through Turn 1 but soon found himself shuffled back thanks to the run down to the Turn 5 hairpin of Adelaide. He responded when Rea took the lead and made a move on Lap 4 at Adelaide to reclaim the lead of the race before he was able to pull out enough of a gap to keep Rea at arm’s length.

    Rea was able to respond as the laps progressed, closing the gap to just a couple of tenths but could not make a move stick before Razgatlioglu extended his lead out in front to more than a second ahead of Rea, holding on to secure his second victory in a row following on from his win in Race 2 at Navarra. Rea’s second place extends his winless drought to seven races since he won at Assen in Race 2. Razgatlioglu showed remarkable consistent pace throughout the 21-lap encounter, always lapping in the 1’37s bracket and he also becomes the first Yamaha rider to take 18 podiums in a single season.

    Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed his third podium in WorldSBK with third place after he got a good start to the race to move up the field from fifth place, before battling the even faster-starting Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for fourth place; eventually passing the Italian at Turn 5 on Lap 12. He then gained a position on Lap 17 when Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 17, forcing the British rider out of the race. It meant Locatelli was able to claim third place with Rinaldi being promoted to fourth. 

    WorldSBK Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours – Race 1

    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +4.467s
    3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +10.285s
    4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi +13.283s
    5. Michael van der Mark +15.535s
    6. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) +17.824
  • Rea claims 13th victory at Assen in curtailed Race 1

    Rea claims 13th victory at Assen in curtailed Race 1

    Rea prevails in WorldSBK title fight as he becomes the first rider in history to win at one track 13 times

    Assen, 24 July 2021: As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned to the TT Circuit Assen, a titanic three-way battle for the podium welcomed fans back to the circuit as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) continued to make history with his 13th victory in Race 1 at the Prosecco DOC Dutch Round.

    It means Rea becomes the first rider in WorldSBK history to win 13 times at a single circuit, having converted pole position into a win after he held off the challenge from his nearest rivals to claim more WorldSBK history. The race was Red Flagged with just a few of the scheduled 21 laps following a crash for Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) at Turns 6 and 7; after the German rider was on course for a career best WorldSBK result. Folger was conscious and taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. The German rider will be transported to Assen Hospital for further assessments and has been declared unfit for the remainder of the round.

    Rea fended off the challenge from both Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) throughout the duration of the race, with the trio battling each other throughout various stages of the race. Nothing could separate the three as the race entered the second half of the race, although a mistake from Redding allowed Razgatlioglu through for second place, but it also allowed Rea to jump ahead by a couple of seconds ahead of the battling duo, with Razgatlioglu and Redding continue to fight until the end; Redding finishing the race in second place ahead of Razgatlioglu after passing the Turkish star on Lap 16 to secure second place.

    P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
     
    “I felt good from the get-go. Just a little bit of battling with Toprak. I wanted to get a clear track and do my rhythm because I knew that I could be a little bit faster and try to push away. At the end, I just had to manage a little bit as the rear tyre was dropping. I already took the best performance out of it. So happy, so happy to have these guys here in the grandstands. Looking forward to tomorrow. Now we have almost 21 laps under our belt because of the Red Flag. I hope the guy that went down is okay. Come back tomorrow with more info and try again.”
     
    P2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
     
    “First of all, it’s great to have all the fans back here. It really gives emotion when you battle, you really feel the adrenaline, you push for every centimetre on the track. I hope you guys were entertained. I struggled a little bit in the beginning and then I got my pace. Then I started to fight Toprak and we gave Jonathan the time to go away. I felt I had the pace to close the gap but because I was fighting, I used a lot of the tyre. We ended up P2 and I’m happy with that. It’s good to be back on the podium and great to be here in Assen.”
     
    P3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
     
    “Normally, in the race, I was waiting until the last lap because I can follow Scott and see which corners he is slower in. I was waiting until the last lap, but we saw the Red Flag. I am not happy because in the first laps I was feeling good, but after the front tyre was destroyed and it wasn’t possible to follow Jonny. Tomorrow, we will see.”

    WorldSBK TT Circuit Assen – Race 1

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.093s
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +3.214s
    4. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +4.478s
    5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +6.139s
    6. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +7.901s

    Championship Standings (after Race 1, Round 5)

    1. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (206 points)
    2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) Yamaha (199 points)
    3. Scott Redding (GBR) Ducati (137 points)

  • Rea fights back for Race 2 victory as Redding crashes

    Rea fights back for Race 2 victory as Redding crashes

    Sensational Race 2 at Estoril with drama throughout as Rea avoids chaos around him to take his 103rd WorldSBK victory

    Estoril, 30 May 2021: The final race of the Gaerne Estoril Round was full of drama, excitement and tension as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed his second victory of the weekend after rival Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashed out from second place.

    The race started with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) being given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start, while Redding was able to get the leap on the rest of the field on the run into Turn 1, while reigning Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) lost ground when Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) forced the British rider wide at Turn 4.

    It enabled Rinaldi to move into second place, behind teammate Redding, and the young Italian had a look at his teammate into Turn 1, he backed out of the move. It meant he lost time to American Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) before the American lost control of his Yamaha YZF R1 at Turn 6 and made contact with the Italian; forcing both to retire from the race on the second lap.

    With Razgatlioglu’s penalties served, it enabled Rea to close in on Redding as the 21-lap race reached the halfway stage with the duo racing on different tyres; Rea once again on the SC0 and Redding attempting to complete the race on the SCX tyre as he did on Saturday when he claimed victory in Race 1.

    On lap 14, Rea tried to make his first move at Turn 1 but, despite the advantage of the slipstream, with Redding just holding on. Rea got briefly ahead at Turn 1 before Redding used the cut back move to stay ahead. Redding then ran wide at Turn 3, allowing Rea to get back ahead, before Redding lost the front of his Ducati Panigale V4 R at Turn 4, forcing the British rider to tumble down the order.

    Redding’s crash allowed Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) to close in on long-term rival Rea in the closing stages of the race although Rea was able to hold on to claim his second victory of the Estoril Round and fourth of 2021, with Davies on the rostrum for the first time in 2021. Razgatlioglu recovered from his double Long Lap Penalty to claim his third podium of the weekend.

    Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came home in fourth place in Race 2 as his strong start of the season continued, finishing 1.6 seconds clear of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) in fifth; the Italian picking up his best result in WorldSBK so far in his debut season. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed sixth place on his BMW; three of the four BMW M 1000 RR bikes finished inside the top ten. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) battled through from 18th on the grid again to claim seventh place, ahead of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK).

    Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) was ninth with his second top ten finish of the weekend and the third BMW rider in the top ten. 2014 Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) claimed his second top ten finish of the weekend with tenth while Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) equaled his best finish of the 2021 season with 11th.

    Team HRC’s Leon Haslam came home in 12th place on his Honda machine, finishing just ahead of Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team).

    Redding finished the race in 14th place at the line, but was given a six-second penalty, the equivalent of two Long Lap Penalties, for a jump start in Race 2, meaning he was classified in 16th place behind Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura). Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) and Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) completed the race of classification with 17 and 18th.

    Apart from Gerloff and Rinaldi from their Lap 2 crash, there was only one more retirement from the race with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) retiring in the early stages of the race with a technical issue with his BMW M 1000 RR. Samuele Cavalieri (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) retired on lap 17 of the 21-lap race.

    P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
     
    “It’s a really difficult track. We just need to look at where we were last year and where the other Kawasakis have been. I can’t credit my team enough. Every decision we’ve made this weekend has been the right one, in a positive way, because on Friday we were really struggling. Struggling to make the rhythm, struggling to make the pace but if you said this on Friday, I would’ve snapped your hand off! Super happy. Of course, I was riding with Jason on my mind in the last few laps of the race because motorsport can be so beautiful but so tough as well. Still, sending lots of strength to his family, his team and all his friends.”
     
    P2 Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven)
     
    “That was a hard-fought podium, especially because we had an awful Saturday yesterday with everything that happened. We’ve kept plugging away, we worked really hard last night, we tried to pull some more info out of the data and tried to put together a better package this morning. I want to say a huge thank you to the GoEleven guys because they’ve been grafting really hard all winter and here, we are, second round and on the podium. Obviously, very happy to be there and I think today, these results are almost irrelevant with the tragedy that’s happened at Mugello, so my thoughts go out to Jason Dupasquier and his family”
     
    P3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
     
    “I’m really surprised today because first I jumped the start, and I’m really sorry for my team because then I got two Long Lap Penalties. I tried in the whole session afterwards but, although I’m on the podium, I’m not happy because I’m also surprised. We took good points for the Championship.”

    WorldSBK at Circuito Estoril – Race 2

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) +2.787s
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +9.484s 
    4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +12.401s
    5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +14.011s
    6. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +15.189s

    Championship Standings (after Race 2, Round 2)

    1. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (110 points)
    2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) Yamaha (75 points)
    3. Scott Redding (GBR) Ducati (72 points)

    WorldSBK at Circuito Estoril – Tissot Superpole Race.

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +0.690s
    3. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.180s
    4. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +2.059s
    5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.583s
    6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.623s

  • Rea takes 100th WorldSBK with Race 1 victory at Aragon

    Rea takes 100th WorldSBK with Race 1 victory at Aragon

    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 100th 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 25th 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 11th on his debut for BMW, with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 12th.
     
    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

  • Jonathan Rea tops times on Day 1: WorldSBK support Test

    Jonathan Rea tops times on Day 1: WorldSBK support Test

    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, 13th 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 11th 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 12th 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 14th place with the Ducati Panigale V4 R trying a new exhaust system, while Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 15th 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 15th 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 18th place with his team having undergone a restructure over the past few weeks, while new MIE Racing Honda Team signing Leandro Mercado was 19th 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.
     

  • Jonathan Rea crowned 2020 WorldSBK Champion as he wins 6th consecutive World title

    Jonathan Rea crowned 2020 WorldSBK Champion as he wins 6th consecutive World title

    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 300th 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.

    Six in a row for Jonathan Rea. A WorldSBK image

    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 15th 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 100th 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.”

  • Rea holds off Baz for victory in dramatic WorldSBK Race 1

    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