INDIA in F1

Tag: WorldSBK

  • Redding runs Rea close in first day of testing at MotorLand Aragon

    Redding runs Rea close in first day of testing at MotorLand Aragon

    Reigning World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) closes Day 1 on top. But the pack chases close behind…

    Rea in action at the Aragon test on 13 Nov 2019. A WorldSBK image

    Aragon, 13 Nov 2019: The winter testing season of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been officially inaugurated at the Spanish circuit of MotorLand Aragon, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) leading a nine-strong group of WorldSBK riders (plus WorldSSP300’s Ana Carrasco) on the timesheets. The Northern Irishman’s best time of 1:50.416 was four tenths of a second faster than Scott Redding who nonetheless hit the ground running on his debut with the Aruba.it Racing team.

    The day began slowly, with overnight and early morning rain leaving the Alcañiz track in a drenched state. While every team was present and ready to go when the pit-lane lights turned green at 10:00 (GMT+1), no one dared to touch the tarmac until an hour later, when Carrasco took her Kawasaki Ninja 400 for the first laps of MotorLand Aragon as the showers ceased.

    At approximately the same time the 2018 WorldSSP300 World Champion crossed the line for her third timed lap, came one of the most awaited moments of the past few months. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) hopped onboard his WorldSBK-spec Ducati V4 R for the first time in full Aruba.it gear. While the early laps were tentative, the 26-year-old’s times dropped progressively throughout the day – even topping the leaderboards at one point – before settling on a 1’50.868 with 51 laps completed.

    For his Welsh teammate Chaz Davies, this will be the first time he can face a full winter testing season with the V4 R in proper conditions – he was still awaiting surgery on his right collarbone twelve months ago – which will be key to building a title challenge for 2020 after a fluctuating first year. Day One saw him work on new ideas concerning the chassis and electronics of his Ducati.

    Completing the trio of Ducatis present in Aragon was Leon Camier on his BARNI Racing debut. The Englishman is focusing exclusively on getting to know the V4 R, before diving deeper into the bike’s configuration.

    After midday, the track began to slowly dry out with times finally dropping below the two-minute mark around 2 pm, which prompted the first appearance of both Kawasaki Racing Team riders on the Spanish tarmac. Having proven that the package is as good as it’s ever been, Rea and Crew Chief Pere Riba’s focus in these early stages is on small details destined to make the bike turn a bit easier while not losing any stability.

    While their work revolves around fine-tuning the package, for Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) these early laps are all about getting an understanding of the bike as a whole. The Englishman lands on a new machine and inside a new team, with new relationships inside Provec Racing just as important to develop as his feeling with the ZX-10RR. On day one at Aragon, the final three hours of the day were enough to complete 37 laps, with a best time only a second behind his Championship-winning teammate.

    The manufacturer with the strongest representation at MotorLand Aragon is Yamaha, who put out all four riders – two Pata Yamaha, two GRT Yamaha Junior Team – on the 2019 version of the YZF R1, with the new 2020 model ready to hit the tarmac in Jerez, in two weeks’ time.

    Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the second rider out on track in the morning and showed that he could be instantly competitive on his new bike, finishing the day only a fraction of a second from teammate Michael van der Mark. For the Dutchman the true test will come in that Jerez test at the end of November, when he meets the evolution of his previous race-winning machine; here, on Wednesday, a few extra components including a different throttle were tested, as van der Mark and new Crew Chief Andrew Pitt began working together for the first time.

    Meanwhile, GRT Yamaha’s two representatives began to prove why the Italian team has put its trust in two rookies for 2020. Garrett Gerloff, not only racing on the WorldSBK YZF R1 for the first time but also on Pirelli tyres (and on European tarmac), was immediately competitive, coming within less than a second of van der Mark’s best time. His Italian teammate Federico Caricasulo, on a Superbike for the first time after several years on Supersport machines, recorded more laps than anyone as he finds his feet in a new class.

    Track action restarts tomorrow at 10:00 Local Time (GMT+1), before the riders set off for a two-week break before travelling to Jerez.
    Aragón Test Day One Unofficial Times:

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’50.416 – 27 laps
    2. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’50.868 – 51 laps
    3. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’50.941 – 39 laps
    4. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’51.176 – 37 laps
    5. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’51.313 – 47 laps
    6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’51.567 – 37 laps
    7. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) 1’51.867 – 52 laps
    8. Leon Camier (BARNI Racing Team) 1’52.902 – 37 laps
    9. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) 1’53.514 – 57 laps
  • No fanfare, low-key debut, but TVS makes silent splash: MalaysianSBK

    No fanfare, low-key debut, but TVS makes silent splash: MalaysianSBK

    Jagan Kumar at the Malaysia Super Bikes Championship on Saturday. INDIAinF1 photo

    Sepang, 9 Nov 2019: One of India’s largest bike manufacturer, TVS, made a surprise low-key debut in the 2019 Malaysia Superbikes Championship (MSBK). There was little fanfare to accompany this late entry made under the name of Malaysian team, 31 Racing.

    However, the Indian marquee did not stay low-key for long. Helmed by Thai rider Vorapong Malahuan, the TVS 310RR quickly made its mark on the first day of practice when Vorapong posted the fifth fastest time of the day. The team’s handpicked Indian riders, Jagan Kumar and KY Ahmed were 11th and 26th fastest respectively.

    The three riders improved further in the qualifier. Vorapong was still fifth fastest but shaved a full second off his fastest time. He lined up on second row with a personal best of ‘2’31.667s. Jagan made it into the top-10 at the qualifier while KY Ahmed went from 26th to 13th quickest.

    “We really had no idea what to expect in this first race. The team had worked hard on the bike, but our efforts were stymied by bad weather during the testing stage. Each time we booked a track for testing, the skies opened up and we could barely get anything done,” explained TVS’s lead developmental rider, Vorapong.

    In spite of the handicap, the seasoned Thai campaigner proved to be a fierce competitor for TVS. He scored a double podium on the second day when he finished third in Race 1 and second in Race 2.

    Following race regulations of the WSBK, the MSBK offers the 1000cc Superbike Championship and the 1000cc Superstock Championship for full-fledged production bikes. It also runs the Supersport Championship in accordance to race regulations of the 600cc World Series at the WSBK. As a multi-pronged series, the MSBK is also established as a platform to unearth new talents. Hence, it created series for the lower classes bikes like the Super 250, which it introduced last season.

  • Jonathan Rea takes Race 2 victory ahead of Davies and Bautista

    Jonathan Rea takes Race 2 victory ahead of Davies and Bautista

    Unbeatable Rea scores third win of the weekend after a race-long tussle with Bautista!

    Jonathan Rea scores his third win. A WorldSBK image

    Losail, 26 Oct 2019: The final race of the 2019 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship took place under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit for the Motul Qatar Round. After a season of last lap battles, new rivalries, record-shattering performances and triumphant successes, the final race of the season saw yet more phenomenal World Superbike action. Relentless as ever, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled hard to beat Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it  Racing – Ducati) in a race to remember in Qatar.

    Powering off the line for the final time in 2019, Alvaro Bautista made the most of the Ducati power to lead the field to Turn 1, although the Spaniard went wide and allowed Jonathan Rea back ahead. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) slotted in behind them whilst Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was right in the mix in fourth, with Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fifth. It was a disaster for Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha), who got Turn 1 all wrong and was plum last.

    On Lap 2, it was all action and drama as Rea and Bautista began to battle between Turn 6 and 9, swapping paint and scything under one and other, whilst Alex Lowes was also getting in on the act. At Turn 15, van der Mark took third from Lowes but both ran wide, allowing Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) to come through from nowhere, whilst Chaz Davies (Aruba.it  Racing – Ducati) also capitalised on the squabbles. Leon Haslam was a big loser in the battle and was down to seventh.

    After the frantic action had calmed down on Lap 4, Bautista began to close down Jonathan Rea for first, whilst Chaz Davies was now up to third. Bautista and then Davies set the fastest lap of the race, with just over a second covering the leading trio and less than half-a-second covering Rea and Bautista. Meanwhile, van der Mark and Lowes had pulled away from Razgatlioglu.

    With 13 laps to go, Bautista made a move on Rea at Turn 1 but ran wide, with Rea slicing back through. Two laps later and the 34-year-old Spaniard tried again, but the Kawasaki of Rea was too strong on the brakes. With the swapping and changing, Chaz Davies continued to edge closer and now, just 0.273s separated a tantalisingly close podium. Soon, the gloves were off, and Bautista hit the front on Lap 9 at Turn 1, but Rea fought back and barged his way down the inside at the Turn 6 hairpin. Davies was even closer now, and it was a three-way heavyweight fight.

    With seven to go, and outside the top six, Razgatlioglu had dropped behind Haslam, whilst Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) was riding strongly on his final appearance on the Ducati V4 R. Loris Baz had recovered well and was now inside the top ten in ninth place, lapping faster than everyone ahead of him up to Chaz Davies. Meanwhile, van der Mark got the better of Lowes for fourth at Turn 6, although Lowes still occupied third overall in the standings and fought back at Turn 1 a lap later.

    Out front, Jonathan Rea had pulled away and left the duelling Ducatis of Bautista and Davies to fight it out. At Turn 15 with four laps to go, Davies made his move and got ahead of his teammate; the last time the two will be in the same team. It would be a critical moment, as the podium places wouldn’t change from that moment on, despite Bautista’s best efforts.

    Across the line for the final time, Rea took a 17th win of the season with a thrilling victory, whilst Chaz Davies clung on for another second place, ahead of Bautista, who bows out of Ducati with a podium. Alex Lowes took fourth and was third overall in the standings, whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu stormed through in a last lap shuffle to take fifth, ahead of a scintillatingly fast Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) taking his best finish of the season. Van der Mark, Baz, Haslam and Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) completed the top ten, whilst Cortese’s teammate, Marco Melandri, failed to score points in his final race in the Championship.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

    “I wanted that race victory so much. My nanny is not well, so I text her this morning and tell her to watch the race because I wanted to win for her. This gave me a lot of motivation to not take one lap of rest and go all in from the first lap. Thanks to my team for giving me an incredible bike. We have changed massively the bike race to race, so it looks like our it works in a huge window. I achieved my biggest target in my career, which was finishing every single race of this season. I am so proud of this”.

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

    “I am happy to end the year on that note. We started the season that I was barely able to finish into the top ten in Phillip Island and now we end with a double podium, so we have come a long way and it has been a big learning experience in many ways and it is all good for next year. I am ecstatic to finish the season like this. Thanks to my team”.

    P3 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

    “It is nice to finish the season on the podium. I am happy because today I was able to recover the feeling with the bike. Yesterday we lost the way, but we were able to get back to the right way for the Tissot Superpole Race, and we kept the same setting for Race 2. We didn’t know what to expect from the long race, and I did fell the tyre drop, especially in entering the corners. I had problems when I had to stop the bike, but we managed to finish the race in third place. Thanks to Ducati for their support during the season, I look forward to next year”.
    #QATWorldSBK at Losail International Circuit: Race 2
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.978
    3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it  Racing – Ducati) +3.100
  • Randy Krummenacher crowned 2019 FIM SuperSport king: #WorldSSPchamp

    Randy Krummenacher crowned 2019 FIM SuperSport king: #WorldSSPchamp

    Swiss star wins the title in the final race of his third WorldSSP season

    Randy Krummenacher, WorldSSP champioin. WorldSSP images

    Losail (Qatar), 26 Oct 2019: Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) is the new king of the FIM Supersport World Championship, after holding on to his advantage over teammate Federico Caricasulo and Jules Cluzel (GMT94 YAMAHA) in the final race of the year.

    The middleweight class thus crowns another German-speaking Champion one year after Sandro Cortese’s fantastic achievement as a rookie. Krummenacher is the first Swiss rider to become World Champion in the World Superbike paddock and only the fourth if adding MotoGP™ (joining Luigi Taveri and Thomas Luthi, 125cc Champions, and Stefan Dörflinger, 50cc and 80cc Champion).

    2019 was the year that Krummenacher added consistency to his undeniable talent. After promising yet uneven spells in the 125cc World Championship and Moto2™, the man from Zurich landed in WorldSSP with a bang in 2016, winning his first race in the series. It would be his only win that year, but several more promising results gave him the chance to step up to WorldSBK in 2017 alongside Puccetti Racing.

    Krummenacher was back in WorldSSP for 2018 and, in similar fashion to his rookie season, made another instant impact by winning the second race of the year. The BARDAHL Evan Bros. rider starred in an unbelievable comeback at Assen one month later, yet the pieces never quite fell into place for the rest of the year, having to settle for fourth in the standings.

    Facing his third year in the class, Krummenacher remained with the BARDAHL outfit as they expanded to a two-rider lineup and the payoff was immediate. The Swiss rider dominated in Phillip Island as he did in his rookie season, leading every single lap, before adding a hard-fought second position in Thailand after battling through from eighth.

    Yet again, Krummenacher headed into the European rounds as the WorldSSP championship leader. In previous years this was where his championship challenge would start to unravel – but not this time. A brave last-lap move over Raffaele De Rosa handed him a second victory in three races at MotorLand Aragon, with teammate Caricasulo behind in third after leading most of the event.

    The tables were turned in Assen seven days later, when the Italian youngster caught Krummenacher off-guard in the last lap to take his first victory of the campaign by just 0.032 seconds, in what was the first true head-to-head battle between the pair in 2019. It would be far from the last.

    Embittered by that late defeat at Assen, Krummenacher repaid the favour four weeks later at Imola by snatching his third victory of the year with just five turns remaining, increasing his championship lead to 22 points in the process.

    Yet his teammate would not be one to give up so easily either, and in Jerez, once again we saw Caricasulo besting Krummenacher by the finest of margins to snatch back five points from his championship lead. The pair, clearly driven by each other’s success, not to mention the prospect of a first World Championship medal, put on a clinic in Misano two weeks after, rubbing shoulders right through the final corners. This time, once again, Krummenacher prevailed.

    Donington Park broke the streak of BARDAHL one-two finishes with a Jules Cluzel victory (his second of the campaign), and for the first time in 2019 Krummenacher did not feature on the podium. Yet the Swiss star still managed to show his excellent form, climbing his way through the field from an unfortunate fourth row start to finish fourth and less than a second behind the eventual race-winner.

    Still, Caricasulo was back on his trail and in Portimao, on the other side of the summer break, the Italian closed the gap to just 10 points thanks, in part, to a stroke of luck. The pair had returned to rubbing elbows throughout the race before a red flag forced an early conclusion. Final results were based on standings at the end of the last completed time-keeping point… Which was mere seconds after Caricasulo had overtaken Krummenacher for the race lead.

    Momentum seemed to be slowly shifting towards the Italian rider and the first lap at Magny-Cours did little to dispute that thought, after a highside left Krummenacher down and out, his first DNF in over two years. Caricasulo cruised into the race lead at the same time and everything was in place for him to become the new championship leader.

    And then the 23-year-old crashed. Twice. The crisis had been temporarily averted, Krummenacher was back in control and with a first match point set for Argentina. Here, the tension reached a boiling point with the teammates clashing inside the final laps and Krummenacher lamenting a lack of power. Neither man was on the podium and with Cluzel’s win this became a three-fight for the floodlit final round.

    Yet Krummenacher remained with an 8-point advantage over Caricasulo and 22 over Cluzel. Not a single point more was needed: the Swiss reverted his late misfortune and powered through to a career-defining title win. Strength of attitude, a crisp-cool personality and overtakes for days: World Supersport has a Champion to be proud of.

    The Krummenator is Champion! Congratulate King Krummi on social media with the #Championator21.

    Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) 

    “This feeling is so great. I’ve been working for 24 years to achieve this goal. It is such a big thing that I still quite can’t realize it. I am thankful to all the persons that have supported me, to my family that stayed behind me even on the bad days, they pushed me to win. Thank you!”.
    WorldSSP Race at Losail International Circuit
    1. Lucas Mahias Kawasaki
    2. Jules Cluzel Yamaha +0.868
    3. Isaac Viñales Yamaha +3.332

  • 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
  • Davies shines under the floodlights to end Day 1 on top in Qatar: #QATWorldSBK

    Davies shines under the floodlights to end Day 1 on top in Qatar: #QATWorldSBK

    The Ducati rider led the way, while the chasing pack have work to do for Friday

    Chaz Davies tops chart on Friday. A WorldSBK image

    Losail, 24 Oct 2019: The first day of action at the Losail International Circuit came to a close with the 2019 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship class taking to the circuit. The final session of the day for the WorldSBK class was one of the most important yet, with the first look of realistic race pace coming in the night time. Rocketing up the order, Chaz Davies (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) hit the top spot, ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK).

    Chaz Davies has been twice a winner at Losail and looks like he could be on course to repeat that this weekend, topping the final session of Friday. Davies, who was in the top six for the entirety of the session, hit first with five minutes to go and headed his teammate. It was a strong session for Alvaro Bautista, as the Spaniard looks to finish his rookie season in World Superbike on a high. The 34-year-old was down in seventh after the first session but come to the end of FP2, he was up in third.

    Having led to the opening session of the weekend, Jonathan Rea was right back in the mix of things and ready for battle in FP2. The Northern Irishman was in second for the majority of the session and that is where he would finish coming to the end of proceedings, with the five-time World Superbike Champion working solidly on his race pace. After a difficult opening session, Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was left down on the 12th.

    After a top-three performance in FP1, Toprak Razgatliolgu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) set his sights on third place overall in the Championship in the best way possible. The 23-year-old from Alanya is in a strong position to overhaul those ahead of him in the Championship and completed the first day of Qatar action in fourth. There were plenty of other Independent riders inside the top ten, with Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) in ninth and Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha) in tenth.

    Closely matched in the Championship and closely matched after Thursday action, the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team duo of Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark continue to squabble on their last weekend in the same team. Van der Mark had the upper hand and was up in fifth place, whilst Lowes was seventh when the chequered flag came out. Both are in a fierce battle for third with Toprak Razgatlioglu and will thus need to work together in order to bring Yamaha the bronze medal position.

    The BMW charge in Qatar was led by 2013 WorldSBK Champion Tom Sykes, who spent most of the session down in 15th place, before firing in good lap time with less than eight minutes to go, putting him in sixth. Teammate Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came to the fore and was eighth after day one. The German rider, so far without a ride confirmed on the 2020 grid in WorldSBK, put himself in the shop window at the right time, reminding everyone what he is capable of.

    Outside of the top ten on his final weekend, Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) goes into the final two days of his WorldSBK career in 14th, whilst top Honda belonged to Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) in 17th, now confirmed at BARNI Ducati for 2020.

    #QATWorldSBK at Losail International Circuit: Thursday
    1. Chaz Davies (Aruba. IT Racing Ducati) 1’57.449
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’57.722
    3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba. IT Racing Ducati) 1’57.767

    For full results from Day 1, click here

  • Bautista returns to winning ways in his first visit to San Juan

    Bautista returns to winning ways in his first visit to San Juan

    The Spaniard blasts to victory in Race 1 ahead of 2019 World Champion Jonathan Rea and Turkish rider Razgatlioglu

    Alvaro Bautista, centre, wins the first race on Saturday. A WorldSBK image

    San Juan (Argentina), 12 Oct 2019: The opening race of the Motul Argentinean Round at the Circuito San Juan Villicum would see a frantic race for WorldSBK’s second visit to South America. It was a thrilling duel at the front between four race winners in 2019, with an enthralling battle making it one not to miss. Coming out on top and returning to the forefront of the battle for wins, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it  Racing – Ducati) stormed to success in San Juan.

    With the race getting underway, it was Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who got the launch and barged his way ahead of Alvaro Bautista at Turn 1, but Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) capitalised on the two ahead of him nearly colliding to take the lead. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) was right in contention and nearly clashed with 2020 teammate van der Mark. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was a strong fifth place whilst Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had risen to sixth early on.

    The race settled down, and the leading four began to battle with each other. Bautista set a strong pace out front, but Jonathan Rea’s relentless pace meant that a battle soon ensued out front. Swapping and changing between the top two in the Championship. A pattern began to form, with Bautista’s Ducati strong in a straight line but Rea’s Kawasaki able to be all over the Spaniard in the corners. Waiting to pick up the pieces were Razgatlioglu and van der Mark, whilst Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) began to pick his way through the field.

    With 16 laps left to complete, Michael van der Marks started to drop back from the leading three, as the pace increased. Bautista began to slam in fastest lap after fastest lap and two laps later, Razgatlioglu was the next to be jettisoned from the leading group. Jonathan Rea valiantly remained with the Spaniard, getting ahead briefly at Turn 6, only for Ducati power to prevail. Rea would stay on the back of Bautista for a few lap laps, but the five-time Champion couldn’t live with the pace of Bautista.

    Meanwhile, Tom Sykes had dropped back, as had eighth-place starter Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Mie Racing Team), down in tenth and battling hard with home-favourite, Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), both having superb races inside the top ten. Behind them, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) had suffered badly and pulled into the pits, although he returned to the track later on.

    Further ahead of the battle for the lower positions in the top ten, Alex Lowes was being reeled in by Leon Haslam. The battle between the two was now turning from contract signatures to on-track positions, although the ‘Pocket Rocket’ looked like he would have more pace than Lowes in the closing stages. However, it wouldn’t be the case and Lowes would eventually hold on to fifth position.

    With Bautista clearing off at the front, the battle for second ignited, as Razgatlioglu closed in on Jonathan Rea. The Northern Irishman was making mistakes, particularly at Turn 6, allowing the Turkish star to get on terms. But neither would be able to challenge an incredible Bautista, who returned to winning ways after taking a round off at Magny-Cours. Jonathan Rea took second and resisted Razgatlioglu’s onslaught. The Turk wrapped up the accolade of Best Independent Rider in 2019. Fourth went to a determined Michael van der Mark whilst teammate Alex Lowes completed the top five.

    Sixth position was Leon Haslam, who faded in the closing laps, whilst Tom Sykes was seventh and top BMW. Eighth place went to Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing), as the second Independent rider home. Leandro Mercado made it to ninth position to the delight of the home crowd, making up for missing FP3 and the Tissot Superpole session. It was a second top ten of the season for a sensational Alessandro Delbianco, with the Honda rider making it all five manufacturers inside the top ten.

    Before the race began, there was a division about riders racing due to the dusty track conditions. The following riders elected not to race, meaning 12 riders took to the track for Race 1: Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK), Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK), Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team), Ryuichi Kiyonari (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) and Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven).

    P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)

    “It’s my first time riding here in San Juan and I am so happy that I was able to get the victory at this amazing track with all these amazing people supporting us! Today was really difficult riding on the slippery surface of the asphalt. I just tried to keep calm and avoid mistakes. I didn’t really focus on my performance but more on not making any error, trying to ride as smooth as possible. I hope tomorrow we will be able to enjoy other amazing battles”.

    P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

    “To be honest, it was a really difficult race today. The conditions of the track were not perfect and it was more about trying to manage my race. I feel really good with my bike and I want to thank all my guys because we made a last-minute change for these conditions and I think it worked. I tried to be with Bautista, but then I made a mistake because I was riding over my head to stay there. I made a few mistakes but I really hope that the track will be a little bit better tomorrow, but for today I am quite content with the podium”.
    P3 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)
    “It has not been so easy for me, but I think all riders were struggling today. In the final two laps, I pushed to the limit in the attempt to reach the second position. But then I saw it was impossible for me to reach Johnny, so I decided to settle there in the third position and bring home another podium. I am really happy about this result. Let’s see how will be tomorrow”
    #ARGWorldSBK at Circuito San Juan Villicum: Race 1
    1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.562
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) +3.327
  • Circuito San Juan Villicum promises entertainment in all corners #ARGWorldSBK

    Circuito San Juan Villicum promises entertainment in all corners #ARGWorldSBK

    Photo courtesy Dorna/WorldSBK

    San Juan (Argentina), 10 Oct 2019: The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship moves to Argentina for the penultimate “tango” of what has been an incredible 2019 season. Returning at Circuito San Juan Villicum a year after its inauguration, there is a lot of expectation ahead of the 2019 MOTUL Argentinean Round as riders will benefit this year from their previous experience at the track. But, among both the WorldSBK and WorldSSP fields some riders will get a taste of the unique layout of the Latin American race track for the first time this weekend.

    The racing action promises to be outstanding as usual, but the WorldSBK experience at San Juan will be even better for the Argentinian fans. Alongside the unmissable WorldSBK and WorldSSP races, entertainment will be guaranteed all day as the world-famous stage of the Paddock Show will also head south for another weekend with lots of new interactive activities and shows ready for the fans!

    As usual on-stage activities will begin early on Friday morning with WorldSBK Free Practice 1 as live commentary will be available for all sessions until Sunday. Don’t miss the exclusive WorldSBK Podium experience! At Circuito San Juan Villicum, Parc Fermé and Podium will be situated right next to the Paddock Show stage. Bikes will roll into the paddock and fans will be able to take part in the Superpole and race celebrations and listen to riders’ reactions on stage a few minutes after receiving their trophies.

    But if your wish is to get even closer to the riders, then don’t miss the Supershow on Saturday from 17:30 at the Paddock Show. All WorldSSP and WorldSBK riders will be there to meet the fans, sign autographs and take some pictures. Moreover, in two occasions over the weekend, South American riders from GP3 and a selection of WorldSBK riders will attend the Latinoamericano Meet’n’Greet giving fans more opportunities to meet their heroes.

    Take part to the interactive quizzes to have a chance to win incredible WorldSBK prizes, such as a copy of the Official Yearbook, access to the starting grid and official merchandise. And if you are not lucky enough with the games, you can still buy a souvenir from your unforgettable weekend at the Fan Zone. Shops, Motul entertainment, products display and a lot of activities for the whole family are just a few of the things offered within the area.

    When the bikes head back into their garages and entertainment at the track will be over, then head to San Juan Centre as the party will continue there. Take a stroll around Plaza del Sol and Parque de Mayo on Friday and Saturday evening from 8 pm, and enjoy the WorldSBK atmosphere with music, food trucks and autograph sessions with riders

  • Rea wins to clinch a historic fifth consecutive WorldSBK title at Magny-Cours!

    Rea wins to clinch a historic fifth consecutive WorldSBK title at Magny-Cours!

    Rea wins at Magny Cours on Sunday. A WorldSBK image

    Magny Cours, 29 Sept 2019: The Pirelli French Round will go down in the history books of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. It began with Turkey’s first ever winner in Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) and finished with Jonathan Rea winning Race 2 to become the championship’s first ever five-time champion following early misfortune for nearest rival Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati).

    Starting from pole position for the first time in WorldSBK, Toprak Razgatlioglu couldn’t make the same lightning start which saw him leap up the order in the two previous races. Rea edged up the inside into Turn 1 to grab the lead but he wouldn’t stay ahead for long, as Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) used the slipstream to hit the front at the Adelaide hairpin.

    The moment which ultimately proved decisive in the 2019 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship came on Lap 2 as Razgatlioglu lost the rear of his Kawasaki on the exit of Turn 13. As the Turkish rider fought to control the slide, Alvaro Bautista was powerless to avoid the Race 1 winner and both riders were eliminated on the spot. With the words ‘BAUTISTA OUT’ displayed on his pit-board next time around, Rea now knew that a race victory would see him make history.

    Michael van der Mark was keen to ensure that Rea didn’t have an unchallenged run to a fifth WorldSBK crown, keeping the Ulsterman at bay until the Imola chicane on Lap 6. The Dutchman didn’t trail for long with the Yamaha proving a formidable motorcycle down the back straight towards Turn 5, an advantage van der Mark utilised to power past on Lap 8.

    As the race ticked over half distance, Rea mounted another attack on the leader with van der Mark going defensive into Adelaide. The championship leader was wise to this tactic though and drew alongside into the following Nurburgring chicane, making the move stick on Lap 13. With van der Mark no longer close enough to make use of the slipstream next time around, Rea had the margin he needed to ease clear.

    Despite a valiant effort from van der Mark, the advantage grew to over one-second, allowing Rea to close out the final laps and claim his 12th victory of 2019. This one was the sweetest of all though as he completed one of the great WorldSBK comebacks. From 61 points behind, Rea now holds an unassailable 129-point advantage and a place in the history books as the first ever five-time WorldSBK champion.

    Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completed the team’s first double-podium of the season with a close third, consolidating third in the championship standings, while Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who was heavily delayed in the early collision between his team-mate Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu, recovered to finish fourth, overtaking home favourite Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha) on Lap 14. Despite a late challenge from the Frenchman, he was forced to settle for fifth, completing a positive weekend at his home round as the Top Independent Rider in Race 2.

    Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) closed out the final European round of his WorldSBK career with a strong charge from 15th on the grid to sixth, winning a close three-way fight on the last lap. The Italian finished just a tenth of a second clear of Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) right behind the pair in eighth.

    Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) capped off an impressive comeback to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with ninth place, finishing a second clear of Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing). Elsewhere, there were points for French wildcard Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) in 13th but disappointment for Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) who was forced to retire midway through the race while running in the top ten.
    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

    “I can quite believe it. It has been an incredible year so far, and a year I have never given up, I’ve kept believing in myself, believing in my bike, believing in my crew and believing in my effort. After the fourth race, it was so tough to keep turning up when you know that he is going to be so difficult to win, but in the mid-season, we turn things around. I don’t have so many words right now, because I did not expect this today. I had no idea what was going to happen. If I would win today, what was the point situation, but I knew when I got the sign that Bautista was out that I could mathematically have the chance. And I did it! Thanks to all my team, all my family and all the people who have been working with me, Kawasaki, the sponsors, all the people that made this possible. It’s a huge team effort, and I couldn’t be here without them”

    P2 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)

    “I tried everything today! We improved the bike a bit in some area but toward the end, we lost quite a lot from Johnny but I really enjoyed this race and we had a nice battle! Of course, I saw that Alvaro was out so I knew Rea wasn’t going to do any crazy thing. I tried to stay with him, I passed him a few times but in the end he was a bit stronger. I want to thank my team because we got another podium”.

    P3 – Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)

    “I have got a little bit of good luck at the start of the race with the accident that happened in front of me. But after that, I felt strong on the bike and I was able to ride in 1’37 and catch Jonathan and Michael. Unfortunately, I pushed a lot in the middle and when I got there my front tyre was worn out a lot, so I couldn’t fight with van der Mark in the end but I am pleased with the podium and it set us out nicely for the final two fly-aways of the year”.
    #FRAWorldSBK at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours: Race 2
    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    2. Michael van der Mark (PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.862
    3. Alex Lowes (PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +1.702
  • WorldSBK 800th race sees Razgatlioglu taking his first WorldSBK victory ahead of Rea and Sykes

    WorldSBK 800th race sees Razgatlioglu taking his first WorldSBK victory ahead of Rea and Sykes

    Toprak becomes first Turkish winner of WorldSBK

    First Turkish winner in WorldSBK history as Razgatlioglu charges from 16th on the grid to deny Rea on the last lap. A WorldSBK image

    Magny Cours, 28 Sept 2019: The Pirelli French Round produced one of the races of the WorldSBK season so far as five different riders lead at various stages, before Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed out of the lead three laps from home, seemingly handing victory to Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), before a stunning final lap saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) take the spoils, despite starting from the sixth row.

    As the race got underway, Jonathan Rea came under immediate pressure from Michael van der Mark with two almost colliding into the Adelaide hairpin on lap one. Their duel allowed Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to storm through from sixth on the grid to second by the end of lap one.

    Sykes’ progress continued on Lap 2 as he used the corner speed of the BMW to overtake Rea at Estoril, although the leading group was growing and growing with Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) joining the action from 11th on the grid, while a remarkable early charge brought Toprak Razgatlioglu into play, despite starting down in 16th.

    On Lap 3, Davies became the third different leader in as many laps but the Welshman’s challenge came to a dramatic end moments later with a crash into Turn 15. Davies’ lost the front end of his machine with second-placed Toprak Razgatlioglu fortunate to stay upright despite slight contact from the errant Ducati. The chaos allowed Sykes a moment of breathing space but the BMW rider was quickly reeled in, losing the lead to Michael van der Mark on Lap 6.

    With the battle continuing to rage in the leading group, van der Mark was able to open up a slight advantage while Jonathan Rea came under intense pressure following a moment at the Nurburgring chicane. Toprak Razgatlioglu was able to edge ahead, setting the fastest lap in the process, but Rea ultimately regained P2 from the Turkish rider shortly after half-distance, allowing him to give chase after van der Mark who was 1.2 seconds to the good.

    Behind the leading trio, Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha) had established himself in an excellent fourth with Tom Sykes settling in fifth after an all-action start. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was holding sixth but the Briton was coming under increasing pressure from Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as the Spaniard chased valuable championship points. Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was also in the thick of the action but a highside at the final chicane eliminated him five laps from home.

    With clear track in front, Jonathan Rea began his relentless chase of Michael van der Mark, wiping out his advantage heading into the closing stages. With three laps remaining, the leading pair were together but van der Mark’s hopes of a second victory of 2019 were extinguished when the front end of his Yamaha folded into the Adelaide hairpin, the pressure proving too much.

    Rea seemed on course for a 12th victory of the season, beginning the final lap one second clear of Razgatlioglu but a stunning final lap from the Turkish rider brought him right into the tail of the Ulsterman entering the last sector. Under braking for Turn 15, Toprak dived up the inside with Rea keen to avoid a costly collision, opting to settle for second.

    The fight for the final podium spot also went down to the wire with Tom Sykes rallying in the latter stages to overhaul Loris Baz, securing BMW’s fourth podium of the season. Baz held on to fourth while Alvaro Bautista recovered up to fifth in the end.

    Alex Lowes faded to finish a distant sixth while Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) marked his return from injury with a sensational ride to seventh, Honda’s best result of the 2019 season so far. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) finished eighth, his best result since Misano, with Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) and Sandro Cortese completing the top ten.

    In the end, van der Mark remounted to finish 13th to secure three points which may prove valuable in the ever-tightening race for third in the championship standings. At the top, Jonathan Rea has extended his advantage to 100 points over Alvaro Bautista, and the possibility remains of a fifth title being clinched tomorrow.

    P1 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)

    “I am so happy! The last lap was so stressful for me because I knew I was faster. I tried to pass Johnny, but the front was sliding a lot. I pushed hard and tried to keep the bike straight, and I made it. It is my first victory, and I extremely pleased with this! I am crying! It has been my dream for this season, and I achieve that. Now we see what will happen next race. I don’t know how tomorrow will be. I hope it won’t be raining! Thanks to all my team because today that have done an incredible job”.

    P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

    “I was expecting a fight because with these conditions no ones had the chance to work on the bike setup, so today was the same for everybody. I was a little bit worried in the beginning because the conditions were not perfect and in the first ten laps, I felt like we were racing like kids, but it was a lot of fun! When the race settled down, Van Der Mark kept a good rhythm, he went away and slowly I could catch him. I put my head down in the last laps, but I made a big mistake in the last lap and gave a big opportunity to Toprak to come and make that move. I am a little bit frustrated but happy with the result because the podium is a good result. I want to congratulate Toprak because he deserves this win, but we will try to change the order tomorrow”.

    P3 – Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)

    “I enjoyed riding today. I did a good start, and I settled in nicely. With the team with a made a small change to the bike between the last race and now that allowed me to ride with a little bit margin, so I really enjoyed riding my bike today. In the beginning, I swept positions with a few guys who were trying to get a better position, and we were able to fight. The chassis and the tyres stayed consistent throughout the race, sure we still to find some things in some area, but overall a podium is promising here giving that we are only tenth months now into the program. We are thrilled with our efforts, and hopefully, we can keep up the pace for tomorrow”.
    #FRAWorldSBK at Circuit de Nevers-Magny Cours: Race 1
    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.240
    3. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +6.839