INDIA in F1

Tag: WorldSBK

  • Top contenders battle it out as Redding claims victory

    Top contenders battle it out as Redding claims victory

    Aragon, 29 August 2020: A titanic battle between the two Championship leaders ended with Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) taking victory as well as the points lead in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship after the sensational battle at the Prosecco DOC Aragon Round at MotorLand Aragon after holding off multiple challenges throughout on Saturday.

    Redding started the race from third place and held the position in the early stages while polesitter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) fought his way back through the field after a poor start, Rea back in the lead after just a couple of laps. Rea was passed by Redding on Lap 7 of 18 but was able to keep with Redding after the overtake although not able to make the move; the Ducati’s straight-line speed helping keep Redding ahead. As Rea continued to pressure Redding, the pair went side by side with Rea looking to make his way back into the lead but a mistake on Lap 14, where Rea went wide, allowed Redding to stay in front.

    Davies was able to get by Rea just a few laps later and started to close in on Redding, finishing the race just three tenths behind Redding as they battled for the lead; the pair claiming a Ducati 1-2 finish after Davies battled through from ninth, with Rea claiming a podium on his 150th start for KRT. The result means Redding moves back into the Championship lead but with plenty of points still available to claim.

    Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) once again secured a fourth-place finish in 2020 as his impressive form continued, with the Italian rider putting on a late-race move on Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) finishing in fifth place. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) was another rider who fought his way back through the field as he finished in sixth place, after starting outside the top 10, although finished ten seconds behind his teammate.

    Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was classified in seventh place despite starting on the front row and taking the lead at the start as Baz looked for another podium in 2020. There was a battle between Baz and Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) towards the end of the race with the pair separated by just a second at the end of the race. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finished in ninth place with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) completing the top ten.

    It was a strong race performance from Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) as the Argentinian rider claimed an 11th place finish, ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) in 12th. Roman Ramos (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) marked his 100th WorldSBK start with a points finish as the Spaniard completed his first race since his return to the Championship, ahead of another mid-season returnee in Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team). Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) secured his first points finish of the season with 15th in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon and also claimed the team’s first points of 2020.

    Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Official Team) finished in 16th place after a dramatic rush to start the race; the Irish rider coming off his bike on the lap to the grid with the team fixing his machine on the grid. Laverty was given a ride-through penalty during the race but was able to finish ahead of Lorenzo Gabellini (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team).

    Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) had a crash during the race at the corkscrew section which put the Frenchman out of the race on his Aprilia while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) also retired from the race; Lowes coming off his bike as he came over the crest of the hill. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) pitted in the early stages of the race with the British rider retiring while Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) also suffered a crash in the first half of the race. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) and Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) both retired from the race after separate incidents on the same lap.
    P1 Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
    “I’ve got to thank the Aruba Ducati team. Honestly, we have struggled a lot. The main thing I’ve found with me and my team this year, which is very good, is that we never give up. We weren’t holding back in any practice session, and I just tried to keep my head clean. I said after Superpole I didn’t feel that good, but we did make an improvement and it just gave me confidence. When I was in the race and behind the guys, I could see where I was struggling and what I was maybe doing wrong. I managed clean my laps up a bit, I felt good. I thought I’d try to pass Jonny and then hold my own. I just did consistent laps one after the other, and then I think him and Chaz started battling which gave me a bit of breathing space at the end. We’ve got a little bit of work to do as I wasn’t completely happy with how the bike was reacting in the last bit of the race, but I was just managing and to come away with a victory today is spot on.”

    P2 Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
    “I was trying to save some tyre yet make some inroads on those two. It worked for a few laps, I was gaining a couple of tenths on them but then they gained a couple of tenths on me and I thought I’ll need to go harder here, I’ll need to use some more tyre to get to them. With seven to go, it was hammer down. I started pulling them in bit by bit but by the time I got there, I’d used the last bit of shred of tyre we had left and it wasn’t enough to put myself in a position to have a run at Scott on the last lap. Scott rode flawlessly in the last two laps. I was looking for a crack and a mistake somewhere, but he rode really well so hats off to him. I really enjoyed that one, it was a cool race. Coming from ninth always make it a little bit more interesting and we’ve got another five of those to look forward to!”

    P3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “We were definitely lacking a little something today. I felt really good with the bike to be honest, but I just couldn’t fight. I tried to put my head down at the beginning. I anticipated the lights and they didn’t go out, so I held on to my clutch and then I got a bad drop. When I got track position, and Scott came to the front, he did a really good job keeping a good rhythm, but I was just there but just not enough to go through. We go back tonight, put our heads together and come back stronger tomorrow.”
    #AragonWorldSBK at MotorLand Aragon – Race 1.
     
    1. Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
    2. Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) +0.304
    3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.123
    4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) +7.453
    5. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +8.365
    6. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +18.851
  • #AragonWORLDSBK: Will Ducati be able to maintain its domination?

    #AragonWORLDSBK: Will Ducati be able to maintain its domination?

    Find out more about the five manufacturers’ successes at the Prosecco DOC Aragon Round

    Aragon, 26 August 2020: With eight wins and three pole positions at the Aragon Circuit, Ducati is the most successful manufacturer at the track. In 2019, the Italian constructor managed a hat-trick with Alvaro Bautista, which makes a total of 18 podium places at the Spanish venue for Ducati. Its last pole position was also in 2019, with Bautista setting a new lap record with a 1’49.049s. In total, the Italian manufacturer has led 130 laps on the Aragon circuit and with a new addition to the team, it sets its sights on defending its record in Alcañiz.

    Kawasaki is the second most decorated manufacturer in Aragon. It has won five times at the Spanish track; its last win was in 2018 when Jonathan Rea won Race 1 in convincing style. The manufacturer’s last pole position was in 2016, courtesy of Tom Sykes, making for a total of four poles at Aragon for Kawasaki. It has amassed 20 podium places, giving it two more than its Ducati rivals. In 2019, its best result was a second position claimed by Rea in all three races. The Japanese manufacturer will aim for a hat-trick and replace Ducati at the top of the Aragon statistical standings.

    Three wins at Aragon put BMW third in the manufacturer rankings. A last win came in 2013, courtesy of Chaz Davies winning both Race 1 and Race 2. The German manufacturer has five podium places at the Spanish venue, all claimed by Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies in 2012 and 2013. In 2019, a best result of fifth in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race came from Tom Sykes, also managing a front row, the first for the new S 1000 RR. A new line up in 2020, BMW’s objective is to return to the podium. 

    Yamaha has one victory at the Spanish track when Marco Melandri won Race 1 back in 2011, the first ever race at MotorLand Aragon. Its last pole position was claimed the same year, again courtesy of the Italian rider. The Japanese manufacturer has racked up four front rows, with two of its three podiums coming from these positions. The last time Yamaha achieved a podium at Aragon was in 2019, with Alex Lowes finishing third in Race 2 and ending an eight-year stint away from the podium, whilst also in fine form coming into the 2020 event.

    Jonathan Rea claimed Honda’s last and only podium at Aragon in 2014, when the Northern Irish rider finished third in Race 1. In 2019, Honda’s best result was an 11th position with Leon Camier. With Alvaro Bautista’s three wins from 2019 and Leon Haslam’s past podium pace at Aragon from 2015, Honda will hope that 2020 will be the year it returns to the fight for the podium, something it has been missing since 2014.

  • 10 important facts ahead of the Aragon Round: WorldSBK

    10 important facts ahead of the Aragon Round: WorldSBK

    The 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the MotorLand Aragon venue for the fourth round of the year. Featuring on the calendar since 2011 and having seen numerous final lap battles and shock results, the track will welcome yet more rivalries this year. Get ready for the Prosecco DOC Aragon Round with ten headlining stats ahead of the weekend’s commencement.

    1. Rea took back the Championship lead after Race 2 at Portimao He is the fourth different leader this year and for the 119th time he leads the standings.

    2. At Portimao, Jonathan Rea set a new benchmark as he is the first rider with 20 podiums on any given track. His best opponent is Troy Corser with 16 in Misano.

    3. Jonathan Rea and Scott Redding are separated by 4 points after the 9th race: it’s the closest gap since 2012, when at the 9th race (Donington Race 1), Max Biaggi was leading with just one point over Tom Sykes. At the same point last year, Bautista was leading with 39 points over Rea. This excludes the final points gap at the end of the season, which was 0.5 points from 2012.

    4. Kawasaki has always been on the podium in the last 14 races run at Aragon.

    5. Jonathan Rea climbed on the podium in all his 11 races run for Kawasaki at Aragon.

    6. Chaz Davies enters the Aragon weekend with seven wins at this track. An eighth win would put Davies in a very close elite of riders who have won eight or more times on a given track: Jonathan Rea, with 12 wins at Assen and Portimao; Carl Fogarty with 12 at Assen; Tom Sykes with nine wins at Donington Park; Rea with nine at Imola and eight at Misano.

    7. Only Chaz Davies has been able to win starting outside the top five at Aragon, and made it twice: Race 2 in 2017 from 10th on the grid, and in 2018 in Race 2 from 8th.

    8. Tom Sykes is the record holder for Superpoles here: four. Marco Melandri follows at 2; Haslam, Davies and Bautista at 1 each.

    9. Aragon is the third track in the Championship history to host two race weekends in a season. It comes after Donington (1994: May the 2nd, October the 2nd) and Brands Hatch (6th of August, 15th of October).

    10. All the seven wins by Davies here came without the advantage of a pole position start.

  • Game on at Aragon: WorldSBK ready for the wall of fame

    Game on at Aragon: WorldSBK ready for the wall of fame

    Aragon (Spain), 24 August 2020: The fourth round of the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship awaits as the paddock heads to the MotorLand Aragon venue for the Prosecco DOC Aragon Round – the first of two back-to-back events at this circuit. A slender four-point margin at the top of the Championship standings sees Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) holding off Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati), but with the last four wins at Aragon going to Ducati, it could all change this weekend.
     
    Three wins at the Aragon circuit and coming off the back of the first hat-trick of the season, Jonathan Rea aims to continue his success and build on his Championship lead. The fourth Championship leader in just three rounds, Rea’s dominant triple at Portimao means he brings with him confidence, something that’ll be crucial in the back-to-back events. KRT on a whole had an extremely positive test too, as Rea’s teammate Alex Lowes topped the overall timesheets at the end of day two. Fourth in the standings, he wants to reassert himself and get a first podium since his Race 2 win at Phillip Island; he took his first Aragon rostrum in 2019 for Yamaha.
     
    Dominant. Dazzling. Ducati. A mighty record at MotorLand Aragon since 2015 means that the Bologna manufacturer are the squad to beat. Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) is sixth in the standings, but he’s got five Aragon wins for Ducati and two more victories from 2013 with BMW. Ducati also won the three races at Aragon in 2019 with Alvaro Bautista and now, another ex-MotoGP™ star is onboard the Panigale V4 R in Scott Redding. The rookie had a tricky Portimao and relinquished the lead in the title race. Four points split him and Rea and with Aragon welcoming the two heavyweights for thrilling action, could we see the first head-to-head battle between them?
     
    Whatever happens, you can be guaranteed that Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) will be in the fight. The Turkish star suffered his first crash of the season at Portimao in Race 2 but remounted to finish eighth, whilst he was only seventh at the Aragon test after trying new items. It could be a tough round for the 23-year-old, but he’ll be up for the challenge regardless. Teammate Michael van der Mark lies fifth in the standings, two places and 21 points behind him. An upturn in form has seen the Dutchman on three of the last five podiums and Aragon, whilst not his or Yamaha’s best track, could see the return of van der Mark to the top.
     
    Seventh in the standings is Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), with him and the Honda effort enjoying recent rounds and starting to make an impression towards the front of the field. A best result of the season in fifth in Race 2 at Portimao sets the Spaniard up for great things at a track he dominated at last year. Coming off the back of a strong MotorLand Aragon test, Bautista could be in line for a first podium of 2020. Teammate Leon Haslam has never won at Aragon, but he was on pole in 2015; will he be able to challenge at the front of the grid this weekend, and push towards the rostrum places? Both Hondas are making steps and back-to-back rounds at one circuit will be just what they need.
     
    BMW were absent from the MotorLand Aragon test but return to the place where they achieved a first front row since their factory comeback in 2019. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) is only tenth in the Championship and did the double at Aragon back in 2014, whilst Eugene Laverty is down in 14th overall, but picked up a first top ten of the season in Portugal. Both Tom and Eugene have been missing a bit of pace during the race but with both riders experienced at Aragon, they’ll be hoping to make progress and challenge for their first top five finishes of the 2020 season.
     
    Leading the Independent teams to Alcañiz is Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) with eighth overall. He was back on the podium at Portimao after six years away but another Race 2 crash means he comes to Aragon slightly on the backfoot, especially given that he and the Ten Kate squad haven’t visited with Yamaha machinery. A point behind is the in-form Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN), who made his WorldSBK debut at Aragon. The Italian is in the best form of his career, with the last four results being in the top eight – including two top five finishes.
     
    The next Independent is America’s Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), racing for the first time at Aragon, having tested there before. Teammate Federico Caricasulo was on the WorldSSP podium at Aragon and comes from his WorldSBK first top ten at Portimao; they are 12th and 17th in the standings respectively. Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) was the first winner at Aragon back in 2011 and returns for more in 2020, as Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) has happy memories there too, leading a race in 2018. Chile’s Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) is back on track and keen for points at a circuit he knows from STK1000 and Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) hopes for another top ten. Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) aims to build on his first point of 2020 from Portimao and Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea HONDA Team) and teammate Lorenzo Gabellini seek their first points of 2020.
     
    Besides the regular runners, Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) will be back on the grid as a wildcard, whilst Spaniard Roman Ramos (OUTO TPR Kawasaki) returns to action for the first time since 2018 in place of Sandro Cortese.

    Championship Standings after Race 2, Round 3

    1. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (136 points)
    2. Scott Redding (GBR) Ducati (132 points)
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) Yamaha (103 points)

  • Rea takes commanding Portimao Race 1 victory

    Rea takes commanding Portimao Race 1 victory

    Portimao, 8 August 2020: The weekend racing action started at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve with thrilling battles on track with Race 1 from MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed a dominant victory of five seconds to reassert himself in the Championship fight.

    It was the perfect way to bounce back from Rea’s worst race finish in six years when he finished sixth at Jerez in Race 2 by taking a commanding victory from pole position, with no one able to match the Northern Irishman throughout the 20-lap race. He was initially challenged by Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAHAMA WorldSBK Official Team) but a stunning lap time on Lap 4, half a second quicker than Razgatlioglu, meant he pulled out around a second from the Turkish sensation.

    Razgatlioglu finished a comfortable second, five seconds behind Rea but almost two seconds clear of his PATA Yamaha teammate Michael van der Mark as Yamaha secured two spots on the podium; showing impressive pace in both Tissot Superpole and Race 1 to cement their status as front runners in WorldSBK.

    Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) finished in fourth place after starting the race in third, having battled his way back through the field in an epic battle with Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) and, initially, van der Mark. While van der Mark was able to escape after passing Baz and Lowes at Turn 2 on Turn 10, the rest continued their epic battle. Van der Mark also dramatically lost pace when he had a false neutral on his bike, losing around six tenths before fighting back for a podium.

    Redding had initially made his way from eighth to fight for a podium but lost pace in the later stages in the race, as he fell back to Lowes on Lap 15 before Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) passed him on Lap 18 at Turn 1 before Baz followed him through at Turn 3. It meant Rinaldi finished fifth, continuing his impressive recent pace, ahead of Baz as the two Independent riders claimed a top-six finish. Redding finished in seventh place, just holding off the challenge from Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team); Sykes claiming a top 10 finish after starting fourth.

    Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) finished in ninth place after showing some late-race pace to apply the pressure to Sykes and Redding, but the Spanish rider was unable to gain enough. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed a top 10 finish as BMW scored a top 10 finish with both riders. Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) finished in 11th place, holding off the challenge from Leon Haslam (Team HRC) by one-tenth as they crossed the line.

    Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finishing in 13th place onboard his Kawasaki, holding off a late-race challenge from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team); the pair having a drag race to the line with Spanish rider Fores holding on by just 0.042s. Gerloff’s teammate, Federico Caricasulo, claimed the final point paying position in the race with 15th.

    Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) was the only rider who crashed during the race, as he fell on the last lap at Turn 11, but Cortese is conscious following the accident. The German was transferred to Faro hospital following the incident where he will undergo surgery to stabilize a fractured vertebra, with Cortese currently showing no signs of neurological impairment. He also suffered from a fracture of the right tibial bone.
    P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “It was a fantastic race; I want to thank my team because they gave me a great bike. I felt good from Lap 1. We’ve been working all day yesterday with our rhythm to understand all the tyres available to us. I want to thank them because we made a good decision together. I set my rhythm at the start and managed the race in a good way. It was my first proper long race win of the season and I want to dedicate it to all the fans who aren’t here, especially everybody from back home, normally Portugal is full of my fans but I see your messages on Facebook and Instagram and it really gives me a lot of power after last week so this one is for you.”

    P2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team)
    “We tried for a win today, but it wasn’t possible as Jonny was so fast. I tried for a good position, I followed Jonny for maybe four or five laps but after that, he went. I started sliding too much, so finished in the second position. I’m happy and tomorrow we try a different setup for a better position.”

    P3 Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team)
    “I’m really happy with this podium. If I look back at the race, I was really comfortable with the bike. My bike went in neutral, so I went off track, and I had some moments at Turn 9 so it wasn’t easy. I’m happy to get back on the podium, and it’s great to have Toprak on the podium as well. I think we just need to make some small changes on the bike for tomorrow, especially when it’s warm, but I’m happy with this podium and it feels great to see some fans around the track again.”
    #PRTWorldSBK at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve – Race 1.
     
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Team) +5.142
    3. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Team) +7.029
    4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +9.851
    5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) +10.705
    6. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +12.226
  • Razgatlioglu tops opening day of WorldSBK

    Razgatlioglu tops opening day of WorldSBK

    Portimao, 7 August 2020: MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action continued into the afternoon at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve with Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) setting the pace for the day; his time from the opening practice session, the fastest of the day by around four-tenths of a second ahead of the Motul Portuguese Round.

    Razgatlioglu’s time of 1’42.103 set in Free Practice 1 was enough to set the pace for the day as he topped the day’s running, ahead of Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). Baz was able to top Free Practice 2 as the top Independent rider; his time of 1’42.522 being four tenths off Razgatlioglu’s time from the morning. Razgatlioglu’s teammate, Michael van der Mark, ended the day sixth fastest overall.

    Third fastest was reigning Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) as he made it two manufacturers in the top three, Rea missing out on second place for the day by just 0.045s to French rider Baz. Rea’s Kawasaki teammate, Alex Lowes, finished in eighth place overall, the first rider to have a fastest time not in the 1’42s bracket.

    Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s impressive form continued as he finished fourth for the day, following on from his fourth-place finish at Jerez. The Italian rider was just 0.017s away from matching the time of five-time Champion Rea; Rinaldi continuing to show his rapid pace by being classified as the fastest Ducati rider. Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) was the lead factory Ducati rider in fifth place, with his teammate, Chaz Davies, ending the day in 12th.

    In seventh was Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) as he lapped around six tenths slower than Razgatlioglu’s pace setting time. He was around four tenths quicker than Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) as the duo continue to battle it out for the one remaining BMW seat for 2021.

    Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was the lead Honda rider on Friday as he finished the day in ninth place, around one tenth ahead of teammate Leon Haslam. Bautista had a crash at Turn 5 during Free Practice 2 but he was able to remount his Honda and continue lapping the Portimao circuit as Free Practice 2 continued.

    Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) was 12th overall for the day aboard his Yamaha YZF R1 with him and teammate Federico Caricasulo completing the most laps of anyone for the day – with American rider Gerloff completing 42 and Caricasulo 45. The pair were separated by Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR), Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) and Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).

    Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) finished the day in 18th place onboard his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, finishing around 0.030s faster than Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) as the Italian continued his WorldSBK comeback. Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) was 20th in the combined classification, ahead of Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team), wildcard Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) and Lorenzo Gabellini (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team).

    #PRTWorldSBK at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve – Friday.

    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team)
    2. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.405
    3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.440
    4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) +0.457
    5. Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) +0.550
    6. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +0.619
  • Scott Redding wins again; Rea sixth: World SBK

    Scott Redding wins again; Rea sixth: World SBK

    Jerez, 2 August 2020: MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action at the Pirelli Spanish Round featured thrilling action across the field as Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) claimed his second WorldSBK victory and his sixth consecutive podium in his rookie season; beating teammate Chaz Davies as Ducati claimed their first 1-2 finish since 2012.

    The opening laps featured battles across the top six, with Redding making an early move to pass polesitter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the second lap at the right-hander of Turn 1, while Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) fought his way up from 10th to run in the top five in the early stages of the race.

    Redding checked out at the front of the field to extend his lead to two seconds to Rea before the Northern Irishman got passed by Redding’s Ducati teammate Davies. The Welshman and Razgatlioglu both were able to get by Rea temporarily before an ambitious move by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) meant Lowes outbraked himself at Turn 6; allowing Rea to move back into third place.

    Razgatlioglu eventually got by Rea again and held on to third place while Davies was running in second place, behind teammate Redding with the pair able to hold on to take a Ducati one-two. Davies did start closing the gap as the race entered the second half but Redding responded to extend the gap back out to over two seconds, holding on to take his second WorldSBK victory.

    Razgatlioglu held on to claim a podium at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, rebounding from a technical issue in the Tissot Superpole Race, for third place in Race 2; pulling away from Rea and Lowes as they fought with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN). Rinaldi passed Lowes at Turn 5 before setting his sights on five-time Champion Rea, making a move up the inside of the Turn 13 hairpin on Lap 13 on the brakes; moving into fourth place and securing his joint-best WorldSBK finish – which was claimed at Jerez in 2019.

    Lowes and Rea came home in fifth and sixth place respectively ahead of Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) in seventh place, the Dutch rider just over a second behind the reigning World Champion. He had a gap of over four seconds to Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), the highest placed Honda rider on the grid in eighth place. Marco Melandri’s (Barni Racing Team) impressive race pace continued to show as he made up 10 places from 19th on the grid to finish ninth.

    American rider Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) completed the top 10 with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) the highest placed BMW rider in 11th place, finishing two seconds behind Gerloff. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) finished in 12th, around 10 seconds off his Honda teammate.

    Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in 13th place as he completed the 20-lap race just under a second behind Haslam, and also beating Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) by almost six seconds. Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) picked up the final point available for Race 2, almost pipping Cortese as the pair were separated by two tenths.

    Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had been running in the lead group during the early stages of the race, but he came off his bike at Turn 13 on Lap 6 to take himself out of contention; the Frenchman eventually being classified in 17th place behind Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team).

    Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) was not classified following a crash while Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) suffered from a crash on Lap 6 at Turn 5. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) were both also not classified in Race 2.

    Redding’s victory makes him the first British rookie in WorldSBK to achieve six consecutive podiums, while Ducati’s 1-2 was the first since Assen’s Race 1 of 2012 when Sylvain Guintoli took a career-first win, Davide Giugliano took a career-first podium and reigning Champion Carlos Checa was a mighty third. In contrast, Jonathan Rea’s sixth place is the lowest he’s finished a race since Laguna Seca’s Race 1 from 2014 when he was sixth on that day.

    #ESPWorldSBK at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – Race 2.

    1. Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
    2. Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) +3.082
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +5.472
    4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) +8.709
    5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +10.772
    6. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +12.501
  • Redding claims first WorldSBK win after thrilling five-way battle

    Redding claims first WorldSBK win after thrilling five-way battle

    Jerez, 1 August 2020: The long wait for race action in MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship came to an end with a thrilling Race 1 for the Pirelli Spanish Round at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) claimed a hard-fought victory to claim his first WorldSBK win; the first time since 2004 that there have been four different winners in the first four races.

    Reigning Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made a good start from the front row to take the lead from polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) while Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) was also able to jump from fifth to move into second; pushing Redding down into third place.

    Redding had to fight his way past Toprak Razgatlioglu on Lap 11 to move back into second place, passing Turkish rider into Turn 6 to move into second place before instantly starting to apply the pressure to Rea. It took just three more laps before Redding would make the move for the lead.
    The race winning move came on Lap 14 out of 20 when Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) passed Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) down into Turn 6; using the power of his Ducati to get alongside before forcing the five-time WorldSBK Champion wide to claim the race lead and his first victory since moving to WorldSBK.

    Rea came home in second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, who had to fend off a last-lap charge from Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) to hold on to third place. Davies tried to make moves at the right-hander of Turn 1 and around the outside of the Turn 6 hairpin, but he ran wide; Razgatlioglu holding on to take third place with Davies in fourth.

    Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was the top Independent rider in the race with fifth place, running in the lead quartet for the majority of the race before a late charge from Davies moved him down to fifth place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) continued his impressive weekend with a sixth-place finish from a 10th place start.

    Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) finished in seventh place, four seconds away from Rinaldi and almost in a race of his own in the latter stages as he finished eight seconds clear of eighth-placed Marco Melandri (Barni Racing); the Italian finishing an impressive eighth place after making up 11 places throughout the race. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who led the Championship coming into the race, finished in ninth after being passed by Melandri in the latter stages.

    Bautista’s Team HRC teammate, Leon Haslam, was 10th ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) scoring points on his return to the Championship as the privateer team brought Aprilia back to the Championship as part of a wildcard plan.

    Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in 13th place with Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) and Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounding out the points-paying positions. Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance), debutant Lorenzo Gabellini (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) and teammate Takumi Takahashi were the last classified runners.

    Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was running in the leading group but suffered a technical issue as he approached Turn 1 in the early stages of the race, ruling him out of contention in the early stages of the race. He was able to take the bike back to the pit lane despite the issue. Sykes was able to re-join the race on Lap 12; the issue not proving to be terminal.

    Sykes’ issue was not the only issue during the race as Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) retired from the race on Lap 8, lots of smoke coming out the back of his bike forcing him to retire from Race 1 as he was running in the top 10. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) suffered a high speed crash at Turn 4 but was able to ride the bike back to the pit lane, although it ended his race, while Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) also suffered a crash at Turn 6.
    P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) : 
    “What a hot day! I think everybody suffered a lot. I can’t breathe, it’s so hot and humid, it’s so difficult to breathe. When I was behind in the beginning, I couldn’t really focus that well because it was too hot from the two bikes in front. I just did what I could and I knew everyone was going to be suffering a little bit so I tried to use that to my advantage with my training where I put myself into a darker place to suffer more it’s worth it. To get the first pole position and win I’m very happy.“

    P2 Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) : 
    “Pretty good actually, it was nice to get that information for the 20 laps. We didn’t do a long run all weekend. I was struggling with the front tyre towards the end, it was moving a lot and I had a few warnings but I tried to keep the rhythm quite fast in the beginning to break up the group. When I saw it was Scott and Toprak there, I was able to relax a little bit, but when Scott came past he had a little bit extra so congratulations to him. I want to thank my team because they gave me a really good bike today and we can make a small step for tomorrow.“

    P3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) : 
    “Today is not easy for me, it’s not easy for all riders because it’s incredibly hot. I tried my best for third position, I am happy with the podium again. Tomorrow we need to a good setup. We are happy, let’s see tomorrow.”

    #ESPWorldSBK at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – Race 1.

    1. Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.147
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +2.252
    4. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +2.699
    5. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +3.301
    6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) +6.367
  • British, Dutch and Qatari WorldSBK rounds cancelled

    British, Dutch and Qatari WorldSBK rounds cancelled

    Despite the very best efforts of all involved, three rounds have been cancelled as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

    Paris, 24 July 2020: After extensive discussions and the assessment of a multitude of possibilities and scenarios, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) regret to announce the cancellation of three events that were previously to be determined (TBD) and to be confirmed (TBC). The safety of all parties within the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock is of top priority and whilst the season is carrying on, a solution was not possible to incorporate every venue, given the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
     
    The UK Round at Donington Park (previously postponed and TBD), the Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen (previously rescheduled, then postponed and TBD) and the Qatar Round at the Losail International Circuit (previously postponed and TBD) have been cancelled. It will be the first time in WorldSBK history that there won’t be a round in the United Kingdom, whilst the TT Circuit Assen has been a permanent fixture on the calendar since 1992, ending a streak of the longest continually serving venue in WorldSBK.
     
    Gregorio Lavilla, Executive Director of the Sporting and Organisation Departments commented: “I am personally very sad to announce the subsequent cancellations of the three rounds. As a fan of our sport, I am extremely saddened not to go to WorldSBK’s birthplace at Donington Park and the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ at Assen, a track which has featured on our calendar uninterrupted since 1992. I am equally as sad not to not have the spectacle of a night race in Qatar, always something we look forward to. We explored all avenues in order to find a solution but unfortunately, one could not be found. However, this mustn’t cast a cloud over the Championship. The majority of our events in 2020 will happen and plans for a full, complete 2021 are well underway. We would like to thank everyone involved for their tireless work and cooperation, and also the fans for waiting patiently before our season resumes.”
     
    The 2020 Championship will now follow the latest planned schedule and any further updates will be communicated accordingly in due course.

  • Razgatlioglu unbeatable as frantic final day of Portimao testing closes: WorldSBK

    Razgatlioglu unbeatable as frantic final day of Portimao testing closes: WorldSBK

    Heading to Phillip Island as the man to beat, Toprak Razgatlioglu pips Scott Redding whilst Loris Baz impresses to make for an unpredictable opening event…

    Razgatlioglu tops SBK testing on Monday in Portimao. A WorldSBK image

    Portimao, 27 Jan 2020: The final day of 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship testing from Portimao has ended with a flurry of action taking place at the rollercoaster venue. Despite numerous incidents bringing out several red flags, nothing and nobody could stop Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK official team) from hitting the top of the standings in Portugal, with Yamaha’s new recruit the man to beat heading to Australia.

    Beavering away frantically in the last testing day before jetting off to Phillip Island in Australia, it was Pata Yamaha WorldSBK official team who featured prominently on the final day. Toprak Razgatlioglu was on top at lunch as he worked his way towards a better front end set up, whilst also adapting his style towards the 2020 R1 Yamaha. He set quick laps on both of his bikes to finishing top overall, whilst teammate Michael van der Mark was also right up at the sharp end too, placing fourth and looking to conserve tyre life more ahead of Phillip Island.

    Having led the way on day one at Portimao, Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) placed at the front again, saving his pace until the final ten minutes to initially deny Loris Baz top spot, before being pipped himself by Turkish star Razgatlioglu. Redding focussed on tyre life and especially grip, with Portimao offering the perfect opportunity to do so ahead of the equally as fast Phillip Island, with the Brit second overall. Teammate Chaz Davies was outside of the top ten in the later afternoon, eventually ending in fifth after a late charge.

    At Jerez, he was quick but Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was a stand-out performer at Portimao, proving that the wet weather in the south of Spain was absolutely no fluke. The 26-year-old was right on the money in Portugal and continued his back-to-back testing with the 2019 and 2020 Yamahas. He was third at the end of testing, with fellow Independent Yamaha riders Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and his teammate Garrett Gerloff impressing in ninth and tenth respectively.

    There were more positives for the HRC Team, who continued their work, keeping their cards close to their chest throughout Portuguese testing. Leon Haslam once again led the charge from the Japanese manufacturer, setting a faster lap time than he managed throughout racing action at Portimao to go sixth. Alvaro Bautista was less prominent and was down in 15th place ahead of the trip to Australia in a few weeks’ time.

    German manufacturer BMW were inside the top five at Portimao on the second day, with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) enjoying plenty of positives at Portimao. Sykes was relentless and was continuing to focus on set-up, whilst Laverty enjoyed an incident-free day on day two. Sykes was seventh, whilst Laverty concluded his action in eighth.

    Outside of the top ten, there were plenty of positives carried forward for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven) in 11th, whilst Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) was 12th. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 13th ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance), whilst Sandro Cortese (Barni Racing Team) was 16th, having suffered a crash at Turn 7 this morning.
    WorldSBK Portimão Test Day Two Unofficial Times:

    1.)    Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK official team) 1’40.804
    2.)    Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.079
    3.)    Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.190
    4.)    Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK official team) +0.622
    5.)    Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.795
    6.)    Leon Haslam (HRC Team) +0.851