INDIA in F1

Tag: Kawasaki

  • Kawasaki secures fifth WorldSSP300 Manufacturers’ Title

    Kawasaki secures fifth WorldSSP300 Manufacturers’ Title

    With Jeffrey Buis’ (MTM Kawasaki) victory in Race 2 at MotorLand Aragon, Kawasaki has once again asserted its dominance in the WorldSSP300 class by securing its fifth Manufacturers’ Title. With an outstanding performance throughout the year, amassing a remarkable total of 306 points, Kawasaki reaffirmed its dominance in the motorcycle racing arena.A key factor in Kawasaki’s remarkable success this season has been the outstanding contributions from several key riders, who consistently delivered exceptional results. 2020 WorldSSP300 Champion and current Championship leader Jeffrey Buis, teammate Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki), Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki), Misano’s Wildcard Burno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing), Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) and Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) all scored crucial points for the manufacturer, contributing significantly to Kawasaki’s title.

    Steve Guttridge – Race Planning Manager – Kawasaki Motors Europe, expressed their pride in this achievement, stating “There are multiple reasons for Kawasaki and fans to celebrate our fifth manufacturer title within the WorldSSP300 Championship. Four rider championships since the series was inaugurated is something we are very proud of plus over one hundred and fifty podium places. Perhaps the two things we are proudest of are the facts that WorldSSP300 is a widely recognised feeder route for riders to aspire to a Superbike ride and that this series is so closely related to the Ninja machines that fans can buy in any Kawasaki dealership. Now our goal is manufacturer title number six!”

  • Rea victorious in Race 1 ahead of Davies, Lowes

    With Rea 15th victory of the season, Kawasaki secures a fifth consecutive Manufacturers’ Championship

    Qatar, 25 Oct 2019: The 2019 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship launched racing action at the Motul Qatar Round, with the first of three races getting underway on Friday night. With first and second in the title race already sorted out, the attention and all eyes were on the battle for third, with the three protagonists spread out across the top ten. Taking the win in convincing fashion, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) led from lights to flag, giving Kawasaki the Manufacturers’ Championship.

    Before the race even began, Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) crashed on the exit of Turn 1 on the Warm Up Lap. The Spaniard highsided all on his own accord in the middle of the pack was thankfully OK. However, his race was run before it started, as he retired to the pits after the eventual completion of his Warm Up Lap.

    Steaming off from pole position, Jonathan Rea took the holeshot down into Turn 1, fending off a fast-starting Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). However, Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) got ahead of the BMW rider and the front four were as they were. Other good getaways came from Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT  Racing – Ducati), up from 12th to sixth and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing), from tenth to seventh.

    At the beginning of Lap 2, there was drama for Sykes, as he clipped the back of Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at Turn 1, as the two outbroke themselves. Chaz Davies had now picked up the pieces and was up to fourth, whilst Haslam had slipped back into the clutches of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.IT  Racing – Ducati) courtesy of his collision with Sykes, as both of them were seventh and eighth. By the end of Lap 2, Bautista was seventh and Haslam had dropped to eighth.

    It would be heartache for Cortese on Lap 6, as the German rider crashed out of fourth place at Turn 7, after just being passed by Davies. This promoted Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) to sixth, before the Dutchman scythed ahead of Razgatlioglu to pinch fifth. The battle for third however was looking like it would go the way of Alex Lowes, who was up in second, whilst teammate van der Mark and 2020 Pata Yamaha replacement Razgatliolgu were fifth and sixth. There was more despair downfield for Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), who suffered a technical problem on the front straight.

    Into the second half of the race, the gap at the front was still the same, with no move made from Lowes just yet. The duelling Brits at the front were running their own pace, whilst Lowes was getting the time to see where his rival was strong. Chaz Davies was still running a solid third, although he was incrementally closing the gap to the leaders.

    With eight laps to go, Haslam took sixth place from Razgatlioglu at Turn 1, using the slipstream to get the job done. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ now set his sights on van der Mark ahead of him, whilst Razgatlioglu had to keep his eyes open behind him, as Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha) zeroed-in, just ahead of a revitalised Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

    With six laps to go, Toprak Razgatlioglu got it all wrong going into Turn 6, with his bike snapping sideways in an aggressive manner. The Turkish rider took to the gravel and somehow kept it upright, but slipped from seventh to 13th, seriously hurting the 23-year-old’s chances of third overall in the Championship. In the battle for fifth, Leon Haslam was now ahead of van der Mark, passing the Dutchman at Turn 1 with five laps remaining.

    Five laps to go and Davies passed Lowes at the final corner, parking his Ducati down the inside and now, began to hunt down Jonathan Rea out front, immediately slicing the gap to under a second. Davies was particularly quicker in the middle sectors. All the time, Alvaro Bautista was having a lonely race in fourth place.

    Despite closing down the gap to Rea, Davies couldn’t get the better of the Northern Irishman’s metronomic consistency. Rea took another victory in 2019, his fourth at Losail and gave Kawasaki the Manufacturers’ Championship. Davies came from 12th to second in an impressive fightback, whilst Alex Lowes came home third. Alvaro Bautista was fourth in a quiet race for the Spaniard behind the all-British podium, whilst prevailing in the battle for fifth was Leon Haslam, seeing off Michael van der Mark on the run to the line.

    Loris Baz was a strong seventh place, whilst it was a classy eighth place for Markus Reiterberger, with his first top ten since the Tissot Superpole Race at Imola. Ninth place went to Ireland’s Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven), who had a strong ride into the top ten, whilst Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) made it all manufacturers represented inside the top ten. Toprak Razgatlioglu recovered to 11th.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

    “It feels like we reached our target. It has been an incredible season so far and to wrap up the manufacturers’ title, which I know is really important for Kawasaki, is incredible. I felt really good with the bike today. I settled into a comfortable rhythm at the beginning and I was able to stay in high 1’57 and low 1’58 during all the race. I kept controlling my pit board and ride accordingly. Now we’ll save some energy for the rest of the weekend. Thanks to my team for making the bike a little bit better, and we will try to improve the front performance because I am sure is going to be a big fight tomorrow”.

    P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)

    “My poor performance in qualifying left me with a little bit of work to do, but I got a good start and made some ground in the first corner. Obviously coming from behind I used up a bit of tyre, but same as San Juan I got to a point where I felt really good, but when I tried just to step up the pace a little bit more the tyre was already past its best. I am overall really happy! Finishing second its a good way to nearly finish the season and I look forward to tomorrow races”.

    P3 – Alex Lowes (PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team)

    “Today was really good. The second part of the race I wasn’t too strong. I struggled a little bit with the front of the bike, but these guys have done a fantastic job all year and they have been improving the bike overnight. I am quite confident we can make a step forward for tomorrow. I am really proud of what we have done today and I look forward to tomorrow”.
    #QATWorldSBK at Losail International Circuit: Race 1
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) +2.732
    3. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +5.423
  • Kawasaki secure manufacturers title for fourth consecutive season: WorldSBK

    Kawasaki secure manufacturers title for fourth consecutive season: WorldSBK

    The ZX-10RR has continued to dominate throughout the season. A WorldSBK image

    Japanese manufacturer take sought-after crown once again

    With two rounds remaining on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar, Kawasaki has secured the manufacturers’ world title for the fourth year in a row following another season of stunning domination. Finishing first or second in all but two races of 2018, their title defense was never at risk.

    Seven riders have been on track scoring points for the Japanese manufacturer, with 520 points accumulated throughout the season, beating their closest rival Ducati by 92. Despite facing challenges with the new regulations for 2018, riders taming the ZX-10RR beast have impressed in great scathes and the factory outfit of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK have once again reigned supreme. But it’s not only KRT who have secured a podium for the green conglomerate, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) taking his debut podium finish at Donington Park.

    Entering the debut WorldSBK race back in 1988, Kawasaki has been regular podium finishers in the 1990’s and early 2000’s but were never able to secure the manufacturers crown until the unstoppable duo of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea came along. Taking 376 podiums, 125 victories, 120 fastest laps and 80 pole positions overall, Kawasaki are truly making their mark in the WorldSBK history books. With their first victory coming around the Hungaroring in 1988 from France’s Adrian Morillas, the 1990’s welcomed a successful run with Scott Russell. However, their recent surge of results came after signing Tom Sykes in 2012, and from there the success has not stopped.

    Another British rider added to their successes, as Jonathan Rea joined the factory in 2015 and has smashed records along the way. Sykes shot them back into success, but Rea was able to add to their tallies, and the combination of the British duo has proven to be a strong one. Helping to take Kawasaki to the top of the manufacturer’s standings in 2015, 2016 and 2017 – alongside others – they have been Ninjas on their ninjas.

    Aiming to top what was a stunning 2017 has proven difficult, but the green machines have been making a good effort at doing so. Fans have seen the ZX-10RR’s on the podium 29 times, with 16 wins and seven pole positions – and there are still two rounds remaining! Alongside some stunning performances from Sykes and Rea, Razgatlioglu has begun to emerge as a new talent following his podium finish, and the wins just keep on coming for the KRT riders.

    Overtaking Honda in the all-time win records this season, they firmly have Honda in their sights as they look to overtake their all-time podiums record, as well as equal their world titles at the end of this season. With two rounds left and 100 points on the table, can they end the season on even more of a high? And will anyone bring the fight to the green machines next year?
  • Reigning champ Jonathan Rea puts Kawasaki on top: #THAIWorldSBK– Day 2

    Reigning champ Jonathan Rea puts Kawasaki on top: #THAIWorldSBK– Day 2

    Rea wins Race1 in Buriram 24mar2018 Photo: WorldSBK

    Buriram: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took an excellent victory in Race One of the Motul Thai Round, continuing a dominant weekend that has now seen him take pole position, a race win and fastest lap.  The 3-times World Champion certainly didn´t have things all his own way, with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who was narrowly pipped for pole position in Superpole 1, twice overhauling his teammate to hit the front.  But when Rea finally repaid the compliment he was able to stretch away and then manage his advantage to the finish.

    Sykes, meanwhile, dropped gradually backward as the race went on.  He was unfortunate to slip from third to first as Rea took command at the front of the peloton, Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) coming through and running second for some time, and Sykes eventually only able to manage sixth.

    Camier, meanwhile, was one of the stars of the show, as he put in a masterclass in defensive riding and for some time looked set to end a barren run with a first podium finish since 2013.  In the end, he lost out to Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who made a perfect block pass for his second podium of the campaign.  But Camier, with the fourth position, has the consolation of pole start when the grid positions are re-set for tomorrow´s Race Two.

    After a disappointing Tissot Superpole performance and fall, Australia´s double winner Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) rose to the fifth position by the end of the opening lap but steadily dropped back to eighth despite showing inconsistently strong pace.  Victory for Jonathan Rea means Melandri retains the Championship lead, but the Italian´s advantage is cut to just two points.

    Meanwhile, Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team), with an excellent runner-up result, moves above Tom Sykes and into the third position in the series overall.  The independent runner passed Sykes on the track into turn three for a provisional place on the race podium and picked off Leon Camier on lap twelve to secure his best result in 69 starts.  Meanwhile, the line-up´s other main Spaniard, Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), faded quickly after a strong qualifying, ran wide and off the circuit whilst seventh and was later passed on the penultimate lap for ninth by Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia).

    The same lap saw Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) take the fifth position from Tom Sykes, completing an excellent second half of the race in which he recovered from eighth.  Lowes had earlier enjoyed another side-by-side combat with his teammate Michael Van Der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), before the Dutchman slipped back to seventh.

    With the top ten separated by just eleven seconds in Race One, and plenty of change in the rankings compared to results last time out in Australia, Race Two promises to be a similarly entertaining affair.

    With the reversed grid format, lights go out for race two at 16.00LT (+7 GMT) for the Buriram Battle.

    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “I am so so happy, where we started the weekend was behind with the set-up but I had 100% faith in my team, so thanks to everyone. We are starting to head in the right direction, and my team have worked really hard all weekend, it was a long 40 minutes for me too, I think I deserve a cold bath after that!”P2 – Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) 
    “It was a really hard race with the weather and the battle with Leon at the beginning of the race, he was hard to overtake. When I got into my rhythm I was pushing hard to catch Jonny, but he was riding perfectly and I was not able to arrive with him, but this is like a victory for me. It’s like a victory for me and we will see what happens tomorrow.”

    P3 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 
    “I made it hard work for myself from the third row, it was a good scrap with Leon in the closing laps, I showed him the wheel a few times and he was so late on the brakes. I was able to bide my time and got past Leon, but then it was too late to do anything about Xavi and Jonny but we will see what we can do tomorrow.”

    #THAIWorldSBK at Chang International Circuit: Race 1
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) +1.550
    3. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.118