INDIA in F1

Tag: WorldSBK

  • 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?
  • Jonathan Rea wins fourth title in a row slicing past Tom Sykes

    Jonathan Rea wins fourth title in a row slicing past Tom Sykes

    Jonathan Rea celebrates after winning the fourth title on Saturday. A WorldSBK image

    Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) took the 2018 WorldSBK crown in style at the Acerbis French Round, slicing past teammate Tom Sykes in the early stages of Race One and imperious from there on in to take victory number 13 of the year. Unlucky for some, but far from it for the now four-time Champion. Sykes took second from his record-breaking pole, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) completing the podium after a three-way fight for third.

    It was Sykes who got the holeshot from pole, getting a lightning start and leaving teammate Rea to trail him in second – albeit in very close company. Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) kept his P3 from the front row as they shot off the line, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) slotting into fourth as the field made their way around Lap 1. But Rea remained threatening in second and feinted a number of moves, before the reigning Champion pounced for the lead not long after.

    Just off that fight at the front, Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) took an early tumble, followed not long after by a DNF for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) in that same mid top ten group. Rea was then pulling away from Sykes and Sykes from those on the chase as Fores hustled past Savadori and took over in third, but the Italian stayed close and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was beginning to hone in on that battle.

    Rea crossed the line for win number 13 and his fourth crown in style, with Sykes just behind his teammate in another impressive 1-2 for Kawasaki. Fores was able to fight off Savadori, and both just stayed ahead of Davies by the flag. Davies needed to finish second to stop Rea taking the crown, but after a mid top ten qualifying and still recovering from a broken collarbone, it was a tall order. The Welshman nevertheless put together an impressive ride in difficult circumstances – much like his races in Portugal. His teammate Marco Melandri , after a tough qualifying, moved through from p12 on the grid to take sixth.

    Seventh went to Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) as he moved up from tenth on the grid, getting past Toprak Razgatliouglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) at mid-distance and steadily pulling away from the Turk, who came home in P8. Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW) had been fighting him in the latter stages but couldn’t make it stick, and just at the end was pipped to ninth by Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia).

    Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) took P11, ahead of Jordi Torres in P12 for MV Agusta Reparto Corse.

    Four titles in a row, 13 race wins this season and two rounds still to go make for another amazing season for Jonathan Rea. See him race as the 2018 champion for the first time on Sunday in Race Two from Magny-Cours.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It’s absolutely incredible, I don’t have many words, we just played our cards perfectly this weekend with one lap pace and trying to be fast over the race but  feel so blessed and lucky right now. I was just a young kid with a dream from Northern Ireland and now I’m four times world champion and its beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks to everyone for believing in me over the years, I couldn’t have done it without you all. Thank you.”P2 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSK)
    “Not a bad but slightly disappointed, for whatever reason we struggled a little bit in the race, we struggled at the beginning and when I wanted to attack we missed it. I spoke with the boys and I think we know what it is, but I enjoyed the race and like I said, when I tried to push I lost the front a couple of times and couldn’t do what I wanted. I am happy with the race and for tomorrow I am very excited and motivated, starting from the third row tomorrow is all about aggression. But today is all about Jonathan Rea!”P3 – Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team)
    “It was a very hard race because the pace was so fast during all the race. At the beginning I was able to stay with Tom, but I felt a small drop on the front tyre and I decide to make my rhythm to the last part of the race. In the final laps I tried to defend my position and it was so good for me to be back on the podium after some hard races, and its good for me to have a good feeling for the rest of the season, and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”
  • Flawless Rea extends Portimao winning streak: WorldSBK Race 1

    Flawless Rea extends Portimao winning streak: WorldSBK Race 1

    Jonathan Rea wins Race 1 at Portimao. A WorldSBK image

    Portimao, 15 Sept. 2018: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has extended his incredible winning streak at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve with another victory in Race One on Saturday, his sixth consecutive win at the Portuguese rollercoaster and his eleventh of the 2018 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season. The Northern Irishman was stunningly dominant at Portimao, taking the lead inside the first lap and crossing the line comfortably ahead of Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in second and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) in third.

    There was drama very early on at Portimao for polesitter Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia). The Irishman had started from the front for the first time since 2013, but a slow move off the blocks saw him get caught up in the field of riders behind at turn 1. A few seconds later, Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) misjudged his turn, clashing with Laverty and taking both men out early.

    Jonathan Rea took advantage of the early chaos, flying into the lead ahead of Melandri through the exit from turn 1, with Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia)  – in search of his first podium finish in WorldSBK – close behind, while Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) suddenly found the form that had evaded him since Friday, shooting up to fifth position inside one lap from fourteenth on the grid.

    While Rea was eventually beaten for the Superpole earlier in the day, the Northern Irishman’s strength at Portimao this weekend and at the official test three weeks ago is his unbelievable consistency. Coupled with the best overall pace on track – keeping his lap times under 1’43 for the entire first half of the race – there was no stopping Rea in Race One, as he swept away into a 2-3 second gap.

    There was the promise of a thrilling Tricolore battle behind for second, but it lasted just half the race: Savadori slid out at the end of the main straight in lap 12 and put an end to a miserable afternoon for the Milwaukee Aprilia team, just hours after their best qualifying performance of 2018.

    With one Italian out, the other, Melandri strolled to his best result since the Acerbis Czech Round in the second, turning good pace into a fantastic result. Michael van der Mark, completing a quiet yet professional race behind, took the remaining podium place, his eighth of the season; Davies followed with an incredibly valuable fourth place that takes him straight to P1 on tomorrow’s grid, in what had previously been a very difficult race weekend.

    Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made it to the checkered flag in fifth, completing a solid points haul for the green machines. Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team) meanwhile finished Race One in the sixth, his best result since returning to WorldSBK this season.

    Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) celebrated his future debut in MotoGP™ with the seventh position at the Portuguese rollercoaster, which pushes him ahead of Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) in the championship standings, after a mechanical failure ended the Brit’s race early.

    Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the best independent rider in Race One at Portimao, coming in eighth and just ahead of fellow 2018 debutant Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in ninth. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) completed the top ten after struggling through the early stages of the race.

    Race Two in Algarve kicks off at a later time tomorrow as the grand finale of the Nolan Portuguese Round.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “What a cool number to hit – 65! I want to thank all my team for a great bike this weekend. We hit the ground running at the test a few weeks ago and this weekend was all about finalising those few details. But the big thanks to all the travelling support out there from Northern Ireland, it really means a lot and it was nice to put on a nice race for those lads.”P2 – Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 
    “I knew Jonny had better pace than me so the first few laps I was pushing hard to stay with him, but I was dreaming that he slowed down a bit and I tried to follow him! But when the tyres dropped off I slowed down a bit, so second today is like a win and I cannot have something better. I will try to work on the bike and make it better for tomorrow.”

    P3 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 
    “For me, it was a big surprise as I struggled a lot with the bike from the start but anyway Jonny and Marco had a really good pace and Lorenzo was pushing really nicely. I was pushing a lot but I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike. At the end I must be happy with this podium, it’s really important for the championship so hopefully, we can improve for tomorrow and fight for the podium again.

    #PortimaoWorldSBK at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve: Race 1
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.575
    3.  Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) +4.215
  • 10 things you need to know before the Nolan Portuguese Round: WorldSBK  

    10 things you need to know before the Nolan Portuguese Round: WorldSBK  

    #PortimaoWorldSBK
    Check out the top ten stats as WorldSBK is back

    Image courtesy WorldSBK

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) comes from four wins in a row, secured at Laguna Seca and Misano. His only string of five was set last year, with two doubles at Phillip Island and Buriram, followed up with Aragon Race 1.

    2. Round numbers for Kawasaki: they recorded their 120th win at Misano Race 2 with Jonathan Rea, which was also their 370th podium finish. They have others at hand as well: they currently hold 79 pole positions and 259 front row starts in qualifying.

    3. Rea won his 49th race for Kawasaki at Misano. In WorldSBK history only two riders so far have won 50 or more races with a single manufacturer: Carl Fogarty for Ducati (55) and Troy Bayliss, also for Ducati (52).

    4. There are nine different winners out of 18 races held in the Algarve. The only rider who has won more than twice is Jonathan Rea with five. His closest rivals with two wins are: Troy Bayliss, Max Biaggi, Marco Melandri, Eugene Laverty and Tom Sykes.

    5. Rea’s podium tally is stunning in Portugal: on 12 occasions out of 18 he finished in the top three. This is more than the double of his best competitor, Sylvain Guintoli with five.

    6. Only the current pair of KRT riders have recorded more than one pole in qualifying here: Tom Sykes with three and Jonathan Rea with two. So far there have been six different polesitters out of the nine qualifying sessions held in Portugal.

    7. The double win has been recorded by only three riders here: Troy Bayliss in 2008; Max Biaggi in 2010 and Jonathan Rea in 2015 and 2017. They were all crowned champions the same season which saw them record the double in Portugal.

    8. Seven different manufacturers have been able to record at least one podium placement in Portugal: Ducati, Honda, Aprilia, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, BMW.

    9. Great Britain is the most successful country in Portugal, as it has obtained seven wins here with the current Kawasaki duo of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea. The couple won the last six races run here.

    10. Only one third of the races run at Portimao were won from pole position: six out of 18. In the last four weekends here, only two of them came from pole: Tom Sykes in Race 1, 2014 and Jonathan Rea last year in Race 1.

  • Jonathan Rea wins despite losing Superpole: WorldSBK

    Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had his Superpole snatched away in the closing seconds of Superpole, but that mattered little to the reigning champion by the time Race One rolled around. A fantastic start from the Kawasaki rider shot him ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the lights, and with an open track ahead, Rea proved to be unbeatable once again. There was a stunning battle for the podium however as Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) completed the podium in the 21 lap race.

    Rea was the only rider to make it into the 1’34s at the start of the race, opening a comfortable gap with the large group of pursuers. There was plenty movement behind inside the opening laps, with Laverty and Davies, who had blasted up the field at the lights from seventh on the grid, making quick work of Sykes, while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) also put his name in contention for a rostrum spot with a stunning start from eleventh.

    With Rea flying away into the distance, Davies finally managed to catch the Aprilia by lap 16. Laverty went very wide going into Turn 16, a mistake that Davies welcomed going through the straight. It’s the Welshman’s third consecutive second position and yet another solid ride this season.

    While his teammate’s Aprila RSV4 RF suffered from performance issues in the final third of the race, there were no such problems for Laverty, who takes his second consecutive podium. After four years without a WorldSBK top three finish, this time it has only taken the Irish rider two weeks to claim a return to the rostrum.

    Van der Mark completed an excellent Race One with fourth position, less than five seconds off of Rea despite his row four start, and making it four manufacturers in the four top spots. He crossed the line ahead of Sykes and will start from pole tomorrow, with the Englishman only able to make it through in fifth after starting from the front of the grid.

    Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team), in special ‘tricolore’ livery for the Misano race, was the best independent rider in Race One, making his way to the line in sixth, ahead of the home duo of Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in seventh and Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) in eighth.

    Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) returned to the top ten after a disappointing GEICO US Round with ninth place on Saturday. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) meanwhile scored only his fourth top ten finish of the season, coming in behind the Honda in tenth. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), who was until today the sole rider to score points in every race of 2018, crashed twice and was unable to finish.

    WorldSBK is back tomorrow with Race Two, live from Misano at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT).
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was super nice, I want to thank my team because they gave me a really good bike, we’ve been working well all weekend. I could ride well within my limits and really enjoy the race. I came out the last corner and picked up a cool wheelie, it was really fun, but I just want to thank all my mechanics.”

    P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “It was a hard faught battle  and we had a good start to make and we did that, I launched the bike off the line and got a good track position. The first few laps of the race I really felt the full fuel load and was pushing with some of the guys but then it started coming to me and I felt better towards the back end of the race. Overall I’m really happy, the team gave me a good bike.”

    P3 – Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia)
    “Its nice to back a Laguna podium up, to get the podium here as well as the front row; I was feeling so good in the middle of that race, I was reeling in Jonny, but we had a rear sensor break and that cost me, and cost me second as well, but a few rounds ago I’d have bitten your hand off for a podium so we’ll take that.”

    World Championship Standings after Race 1, Round 9
    1. Jonthan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (345 points)
    2. Chaz Davies (GBR) Ducati  (265 points)
    3. Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki (228 points)

    eom/db

  • Jonathan Rea rolls to Misano glory in Race 1: WorldSBK

    Misano, 7 July 2018: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had his Superpole snatched away in the closing seconds of Superpole, but that mattered little to the reigning champion by the time Race One rolled around. A fantastic start from the Kawasaki rider shot him ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the lights, and with an open track ahead, Rea proved to be unbeatable once again. There was a stunning battle for the podium however as Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) completed the podium in the 21 lap race.

    Rea was the only rider to make it into the 1’34s at the start of the race, opening a comfortable gap with the large group of pursuers. There was plenty movement behind inside the opening laps, with Laverty and Davies, who had blasted up the field at the lights from seventh on the grid, making quick work of Sykes, while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) also put his name in contention for a rostrum spot with a stunning start from eleventh.

    With Rea flying away into the distance, Davies finally managed to catch the Aprilia by lap 16. Laverty went very wide going into Turn 16, a mistake that Davies welcomed going through the straight. It’s the Welshman’s third consecutive second position and yet another solid ride this season.

    While his teammate’s Aprila RSV4 RF suffered from performance issues in the final third of the race, there were no such problems for Laverty, who takes his second consecutive podium. After four years without a WorldSBK top three finish, this time it has only taken the Irish rider two weeks to claim a return to the rostrum.

    Van der Mark completed an excellent Race One with fourth position, less than five seconds off of Rea despite his row four start, and making it four manufacturers in the four top spots. He crossed the line ahead of Sykes and will start from pole tomorrow, with the Englishman only able to make it through in fifth after starting from the front of the grid.

    Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team), in special ‘tricolore’ livery for the Misano race, was the best independent rider in Race One, making his way to the line in sixth, ahead of the home duo of Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in seventh and Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) in eighth.

    Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) returned to the top ten after a disappointing GEICO US Round with ninth place on Saturday. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) meanwhile scored only his fourth top ten finish of the season, coming in behind the Honda in tenth. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), who was until today the sole rider to score points in every race of 2018, crashed twice and was unable to finish.

    WorldSBK is back tomorrow with Race Two, live from Misano at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT).
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was super nice, I want to thank my team because they gave me a really good bike, we’ve been working well all weekend. I could ride well within my limits and really enjoy the race. I came out the last corner and picked up a cool wheelie, it was really fun, but I just want to thank all my mechanics.”

    P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “It was a hard faught battle  and we had a good start to make and we did that, I launched the bike off the line and got a good track position. The first few laps of the race I really felt the full fuel load and was pushing with some of the guys but then it started coming to me and I felt better towards the back end of the race. Overall I’m really happy, the team gave me a good bike.”

    P3 – Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia)
    “Its nice to back a Laguna podium up, to get the podium here as well as the front row; I was feeling so good in the middle of that race, I was reeling in Jonny, but we had a rear sensor break and that cost me, and cost me second as well, but a few rounds ago I’d have bitten your hand off for a podium so we’ll take that.”

    #RiminiWorldSBK at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli: Race 1
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.791
    3.  Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) +3.700

  • 10 things for you before the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round: WorldSBK

    10 things you need to know before the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round
    Check out the top ten stats ahead of Round Nine

    1.  At Laguna Seca, Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) became the ninth different rider on the podium this year, and put an Aprilia back on the rostrum for the first time since the second Lausitzring race in 2016 (Alex de Angelis).

    2. Kawasaki recorded their 118th win in Laguna Seca’s Race 2, and in Misano they will have the first chance to equal Honda at the second all time spot (119 WorldSBKwins).

    3. There is only one rider in the current field who has qualified from pole at Misano: Tom Sykes, with six pole positions. He has recorded pole in all his last six race weekends here. He can become the first rider in history with seven poles at any given track. At the moment he shares the record with Troy Corser (six poles here in Misano) and with…himself, as he was on pole six times in Donington Park.

    4. This is the track in which a single manufacturer has won the highest number of races, as Ducati have won here 29 times. They also sit in second in the table, with 25 wins at Assen. The best number of victories for another manufacturer is 15 from Kawasaki at Donington.

    5. The podium placements from Ducati riders in Misano so far are 77, an all-time record for a single track. The Assen value for the Italian manufacturer is 73.

    6. Misano has hosted 50 WorldSBK races so far, and will equal Donington at 52 – third overall. Only Phillip Island (55) and Assen (54) have hosted more races.

    7. Troy Bayliss is the most successful rider around Misano, with six wins spanning from 2001 to 2007, all scored with Ducati. The second place rider with four wins is shared by Max Biaggi, and the current Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK pair: Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes.

    8. There are only two riders with double digit podium figures here at Misano: Troy Corser (16) and Troy Bayliss (11). Jonathan Rea can join the party as he has stood on the podium eight times here.

    9. Nine years ago, Rea got his maiden WorldSBK win at this track. 61 more and three World Championships have since followed.

    10. Ruben Xaus is the only rider who has won around here after starting outside the top 10 grid spots. In 2003 he recorded the double starting both races from 12th on the grid.

  • Alex Lowes of Pata Yamaha takes his debut win in style around Brno

    Alex Lowes of Pata Yamaha takes his debut win in style around Brno

    WSBK 2nd race winner Alex lowes at brno on Sunday. A WorldSBK image.

    Brno (Czech Republic), 10 June 2018: Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) took his first ever MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race win at the Acerbis Czech Round, in an astonishing Race two which saw championship leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crash out early on. The thousands of Czech fans present at the Automotodrom Brno witnessed a wild, unpredictable affair, ending in a Yamaha one two and a sixth race winner in 2018.

    The front row all kept their positions at the start, with van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) holding off his teammate through the first corners. Lowes would make his move into the race lead the following lap however, gaining the inside line through the first corner. Meanwhile, Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) climbed all the way from eighth on the grid to third by lap two, and past van der Mark a few corners later.

    The next couple of laps saw three dramatic, almost unbelievable twists. First, championship leader Jonathan Rea went down at turn 12, apparently after coming in contact with teammate Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The Northern Irish rider couldn’t make it back on track, retiring for the first time this season. If yesterday his lead seemed almost unsurmountable, after Sunday there was more than a glimmer of hope.

    Next, Marco Melandri, having just passed Lowes for the race lead, lost control of his Ducati and rode through the gravel, immediately dropping the Italian to the back of the field and denying Melandri a return to the top of the rostrum when he was the fastest man on track. And then Sykes slipped in lap 6, leaving all of yesterday’s podium men  off the rostrum in Race two. In four seasons together, never had both British KRT riders left a race empty-handed. Melandri was able to salvage a point, putting him in 15th.

    With a dozen laps left, the stage was thus set for a Yamaha battle to the end, as Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), in third, was unable to match the pair’s pace. But this time, unlike when he led at Donington, Lowes’ YZF-R1 did not drop off in the final third: a smart, consistent and overall flawless ride by the Brit kept him ahead of his Dutch teammate all the way to the checkered flag with two seconds to spare. The man from Lincolnshire made his debut at Brno in 2011 – seven years on, he can finally call himself a WorldSBK winner.

    With van der Mark claiming another podium finish in second, the Dutchman moves into third in the championship standings, above Sykes; while for Davies, who took an excellent third at Brno considering the issues that have plagued his weekend on the Panigale, cut Rea’s lead to 65 points.

    Behind the rostrum riders, Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) took fourth, his best result of the season, with his teammate Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) also a season-best in fifth. Brno welcomed more good results for the Italian manufacturer, adding their bikes to the long list of podium contenders this season.

    Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) had a career-best of sixth at Brno, rising from eleventh on the grid in just his tenth WorldSBK race. He finishes above Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), in seventh. Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) returned to the top-ten in eighth, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in ninth, and Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) tenth.

    WorldSBK is back in two weeks from Laguna Seca, a special circuit with some of the best sections of the championship. Join us there on Saturday 23rd of June.
    P1 – Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    “It’s amazing, I don’t want to talk too much because I’ll get upset. But honestly, its fantastic, thank you to the team and hopefully we can get a few more now!”P2 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    “I’m really happy with this result, I changed the front tyre compared to yesterday and Alex was so fast. I knew he had a really good pace so I tried to catch him and stay calm but in the end he was stronger, but anyway I am really happy with this podium, Alex’s first win is something he deserves and its a really great day for the Yamaha team.”

    P3 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “Its been such a tough weekend, probably one of the most difficult weekends that I’ve endured as a Ducati rider in recent memory, after some harsh words last night we regrouped and came back with a bike that was able to fight for the podium. I think we got a little bit lucky today but we made a step forward and that was important and it’s fantastic. Thanks to everybody involved because it’s been a really tough weekend.”

    #CzechWorldSBK at Automotodrom Brno: Race 2
    1. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    2. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)  +2.167
    3. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +7.649
  • Jonathan Rea’s big 60 puts him above the legendary Carl Fogarty

    Jonathan Rea’s big 60 puts him above the legendary Carl Fogarty

    Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) celebrates making history in style, after grabbing sweet sixtieth win
    Jonathan Rea celebrates after creating a record winning the first race on Saturday. A WorldSBK image

    Brno (Czech Republic), 09 June 2018: When the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship last graced the flowing hills of the Automotodrom Brno, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was a promising 25-year-old with 10 race wins to his name, no world championships. The contrast this Saturday, six years later, was startling: the KRT rider led a perfect race to take his sixth race win of the season, winning more WorldSBK races than any other rider in history, as the big 60 put him above the legendary Carl Fogarty.

    Around the longest track in the season, it was fitting for the action to be more extended than usual. Rea overtook teammate Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the start, but crashes from Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) forced a red flag and race restart – twice, due to technical issues on the grid.

    At the third time of asking, with the race length now down to 16 laps, Sykes defended his position at turn 1, but Rea was in front a couple of corners later, keeping Sykes behind and jetting off. The Northern Irishman was also helped by the action behind, with Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) putting Sykes under pressure. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) also joined the fight, swapping positions several times with his teammate in a thrilling battle.

    Rea went untroubled from this point forward, leading a composed ride to the finish line. He was the only rider managing laps times under two minutes, keeping a 4-5 second gap from his closest pursuers. The defending champion has now opened an 81 point gap over Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who took a top eight today, as his championship pursuit becomes even tougher.

    Behind the leader, Melandri finally got the best of Sykes in lap 4, taking his best result since Phillip Island in February with second. It’s the fifth podium for Melandri at Brno in WorldSBK, and a fantastic comeback after a difficult Donington weekend. Sykes crossed the line in third, two seconds off the Italian.

    The rostrum was finally just not close enough for the Yamaha riders, with van der Mark beating Lowes to fourth place. Both men will sit at the front of the grid in Race 2, a fantastic opportunity to move their personal tussle to podium fighting positions tomorrow.

    A thrilling battle for sixth midway through the race saw Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) emerge triumphant and back into the top positions. He got the best of teammate Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia), who still managed to beat Davies in the final laps for seventh.

    Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) netted himself another top 10 finish. Still not 100%, the Brit has managed to come in ninth at the flag, ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in tenth, the first independent rider at Brno. Yonny Hernández (Team Pedercini Racing) confirmed his good form at the Czech circuit, returning to the WorldSBK paddock in eleventh after missing the UK Round.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was nice to take my 60th win in a race like that, I was so happy and my guys gave me an awesome bike. I want to say a big thanks to KRT for bringing us to the test here – that gave us a big advantage and meant this weekend was more calm, and we could understand our Pirelli tyres and base set-up. The race was perfect, they don’t come like that a lot and its incredible, 60 race wins is a huge story that I’ve had, each and every one is special and I couldn’t do it without my team.”P2 – Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “It was a very good race, as I expected it was difficult, as the track was warm and the grip was quite low after three to four laps. We had a lot of understeer and lost the grip, so it was hard to not push too much. But I had a look and I saw Jonny was gone, so I just tried to check my gap with Tom from my pit board. and tried not to make a mistake, it was a long race but I will try to do better tomorrow.”P3 – Tom Sykes (Kawaskai Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “Today is Jonathan’s day, it’s a fantastic achievement and I want to say a big congrats to him, to get 60 is some achievement! But unfortunately we didn’t have the pace to match him, and tomorrow is another day. We really struggled with understeer today, but we didn’t lost too much once the pace settled, but initially I couldn’t dig the front in. Third is the best I could do today, it’s great to have all the support in the Czech Republic, great to have the podium here and hopefully tomorroe we can have a lot to cheer about.”

  • Double Dutch delight for van der Mark: WorldSBK Race 2

    Donington, 27 May 2018: The floodgates were opened on Saturday, and now there’s no stopping Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team). The Dutchman closed an extraordinary weekend at Donington for the Pata Yamaha team with the second win of his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship career, a win against oll-odds in another fascinating race at the Prosecco DOC UK Round. A first double for van der Mark, and a first podium for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), beating none other than Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the closing stages.

    A poor start from Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) saw him gobbled up in the mix at the first turn, ceding two places to Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) and Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). The Yamaha managed to pick both off in short order however, Haslam at the Fogarty Esses (before the wildcard crashed at Melbourne), and the Italian in lap 2. Meanwhile, the two KRTs held a surprisingly aggressive battle, while the other Yamaha quietly made it through to the leading group from ninth on the grid.

    Quickly, one third in, the battle for the race turned into a three-way fight, with Lowes sticking strong but Rea taking ghost shots around Craner and Melbourne. Meanwhile, van der Mark, much like he did on Saturday, stalked the front two, biding his time. At the back, Razgatlioglu and Savadori fought nail and tooth for fourth, a few seconds back on the leading group.

    After two perfect thirds to the race, it all came apart for Lowes at the end. On lap 17, Rea found a spot at the Melbourne loop, where so many moves have been made this weekend, and pushed in front from the inside of Lowes, with van der Mark picking off the scraps at Redgate and moving to second. And just like yesterday, one lap later, van der Mark made his race-winning move at that same turn 11. The Ductchman shot off from there, giving his pursuers no option to take away his incredible double.

    There was one more surprise left at Donington, however. Amidst the front group bickering, Razgatlioglu found himself with the gap now non-existent. Showing an impressive late-race pace, the Turkish rider picked off Lowes with ease, before setting his sights on the three-time WorldSBK champion. And with one lap to go, he moved up to second. A fitting epilogue to Kenan Sofuoglu’s retirement in the last Round: Turkey has a new hero for years to come.

    With Rea finally in third, his worst result since the Thai Round, and Alex Lowes repeating his Saturday performance in fourth, there was another comeback behind. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found his way all the way back to twelfth at the start, but a neat ride from the Welshman pushed him back to fifth, ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who couldn’t continue his incredible Donington streak and leaves with his first finish outside the podium since 2011.

    Savadori made it to the checkered flag in seventh, just ahead of Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), who pipped Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) to eighth at the final turns, and leaves the UK Round with two top-ten finishes on his return. Closing the top ten was Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team), with Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ending a weekend to forget down in eleventh.
    P1 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    “It just incredible, I can’t believe it, I had quite a good race, I struggled a bit but I didn’t feel as good as yesterday. So I followed Alex and Jonny,  just used my head and in the last few laps they had a battle and I managed to pull away. To take the first win yesterday and now the double, its just incredible.”P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
    “Today is my team bosses birthday, so a big happy birthday to him! But this position is very good, I am really happy: It’s my first podium so I am really happy, thank you!”P3 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was a huge battle, I really enjoyed it and it was quiet close, I hope everyone out in the crowd and at home enjoyed it. But unfortunately I am disappointed with myself, I ran into arm pump issues which meant I found it hard to change direction and, I had to back off. Third was all we could manage, I’m sorry to my team as they gave me a bike that could win but that as all I could do.”

    #UKWorldSBK at Donington Park: Race 2
    1. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +2.328
    3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.614