INDIA in F1

Tag: WorldSSP

  • Perfect weekend for dominant Razgatlioglu at Donington Park

    Perfect weekend for dominant Razgatlioglu at Donington Park

    • Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) dominated the UK Round of WorldSBK with pole position, three victories and three fastest laps at Donington Park
       
    • Razgatlioglu extends his championship lead to 41 points from Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) a further 14 points adrift.

    Tissot Superpole Race Highlights:

    • Bulega took the hole-shot and led the opening two laps before Razgatlioglu came through to lead at Turn 11
       
    • Razgatlioglu opened his lead consistently to take the victory by just under five second from Bulega
       
    • Starting from the middle of the third row Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was able to move into third position on the opening lap. With riders fighting behind him Rea opened a lead over the chasing pack and after 14 races was able to claim his first Yamaha podium
       
    • After suffering a technical failure in Race 1 Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) claimed his first top five finish of the season in fourth position. Redding ran inside the top six throughout before moving past Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) as the race progressed to finish fourth

    Race 2 highlights: 

    • A crash for Bautista on his way to the grid for Race 2 saw the Ducati team repair his bike on the grid. Despite a good start he dropped down the order from sixth position on the grid. The Spaniard recovered to finish fifth
       
    • Razgatlioglu led for the 23 lap duration of Race 2 with the BMW rider able to claim his seventh consecutive victory. The win also marked his ninth for BMW and equalled the record of Marco Melandri as the most successful rider for the German manufacturer
       
    • Bulega was the closest challenger to Razgatlioglu throughout the race and held an advantage of two seconds to the chasing pack for much of the race. It was Bulega’s eighth second place finish of the season
       
    • Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was the leading British rider once again and finished third after battling with Redding for the opening third of the race

    Key Points:

    Pole position: Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’24.629s
    Race 1 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu 
    Tissot Superpole winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu 
    Race 2 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu 
    Race fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu – 1’25.597s – new lap record.

    P1| Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
    “I’m feeling incredible. My target coming here was to win all three races and we did that. I’m strong but my bike was also incredible at this circuit, and the team found improvements for the bike each day. I want to say thank you to everyone because I’m really happy about how this weekend went. We will see what happens in the next race but even though there are many races to go we can look to the World Championship title.”
     

    P2 | Nicolo Bulega| Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
    “I’m really happy because we improved the bike from yesterday. I worked a lot with all my guys inside the garage and we found some improvements. The feeling on the bike was better and it was a great Superpole Race this morning. I started really well and then Toprak overtook me. When he overtook me I forgot about him because this weekend he was very fast. In Race 2 I understood that if I could follow Toprak during the first laps I could open a gap to the riders behind. Alex was very fast at the end and he pushed until the last lap. It’s very difficult to keep your concentration and stay on the bike until the last corner, but I’m really happy to have another podium.”
     

    P3 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
    “I’m delighted. I was on the limit for the whole race. I didn’t make the best start and I had to attack from the first lap to pass Johnny and Alvaro and then I managed to pass Scott. I hoped that Nicolo would come back to me a little bit, but his pace was relentless. I was on my limit to stay in third and I couldn’t do any more. I wanted to try to get into second but I wasn’t fast enough. I did a good job this weekend and the team did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed the weekend. To have two podiums at my home round is a dream come true with everybody here.”

  • Aegerter takes emotional maiden WorldSSP victory

    Aegerter takes emotional maiden WorldSSP victory

    The Swiss rider battled from fifth on the grid to take his first WorldSSP victory in emotional circumstance

    Estoril, 30 May 2021: The FIM Supersport World Championship season continued with a thrilling battle for the win at the Circuito Estoril throughout Race 2 for the Gaerne Estoril Round as Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) claimed an emotional victory in Portugal, his first in the class after fighting from fifth on the grid and a poor start to claim victory and dedicated his win in Parc Ferme to Jason Dupasquier.
     
    Oettl was able to go straight to the front of the WorldSSP field at the start of the 18-lap race as he immediately got the jump on polesitter Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) from second on the grid and immediately looked to build a gap at the front of the field as the German rider was still searching for his maiden WorldSSP victory.
     
    Caricasulo found himself losing places to three-time race winner Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in the first seven laps of the race, falling down to fifth place.
     
    As the race approached the halfway mark, the lead group had become Oettl, Odendaal, De Rosa and Aegerter with less than half-a-second separating the quartet throughout most of the second half of the race although De Rosa made his move on Lap 12, passing Oettl and Odendaal at Turn 1 while Aegerter looked to make a move on Odendaal at the same time at the same corner.
     
    No rider was able to pull out a gap at the front with a four-way battle in full swing throughout the 18-lap race, with all four riders looking to make their move. Aegerter made his made on De Rosa on Lap 14 and looked to make his move on Oettl to move into the lead of the race before making his move on Oettl at the start of Lap 15 at Turn 1, out-braking the German rider into the right-hander to take the lead of the race.
     
    De Rosa had re-passed Aegerter to take the lead of the race but came off his Kawasaki at Turn 9 just a few corners later, allowing Swiss rider Aegerter to re-take the lead of the race yet again. This time he was able to hold on with Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) in second place, after Cluzel went off the track at Turn 1 while Odendaal had a technical issue on the final lap of the race; Bernardi taking San Marino’s first podium in WorldSSP and becoming fourth youngest rider to stand on the WorldSSP podium.
     
    Oettl came home in third place after the late-race drama after leading for most of the race with Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) finishing in fourth, his best result in WorldSSP as he starts his second campaign with strong pace. Estonian Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) finished in fifth place with Caricasulo completing the top six.
     
    Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed a season-best seventh place after taking advantage of the late race drama, ahead of Finland’s Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) in eighth. 2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) claimed a top ten finish ahead of Marc Alcoba (Yamaha MS Racing).
     
    Sweden’s Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team) claimed another points finish with 11th place, ahead of Cluzel who came home in 12th place despite the last lap excursion at Turn 1. Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) was 13th ahead of Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team) and Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse) completed the points-paying positions; Manfredi edging out Frossard in the WorldSSP Challenge results.
     
    Federico Fuligni (VFT Racing) missed out on a points finish by just two tenths of a second with 16th place, fending off the challenge of fellow Italian riders Davide Pizzoli (VFT Racing) and Luigi Montella (Chiodo Moto Racing) in 17th and 18th respectively. Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was 19th with Maria Herrera (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) in 20th; the Spanish rider forced to start from the back of the grid after a tyre pressure infringement on the grid. Eugene James McManus (WRP Wepol Racing), Shogo Kawasaki (G.A.P MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) and Pawel Szkopek (Yamaha MS Racing) rounded out the field.
     
    There were four retirements from the race with Odendaal pulling into the pit lane on the final lap following his technical issue, while De Rosa also retired after he crashed out from the lead. Michel Fabrizio (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) and Leonardo Taccini (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) also retired; Taccini coming off his bike at Turn 3.

    P1 Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
     
    “First of all, it was very sad to hear before the start that one friend and rider from Switzerland, passed away. My condolences to his family, team and all the people around him. I will remember Jason, so I will dedicate my win, my first Supersport win, to him. But our life is motorsport, I pushed very hard for him, my team. Ten Kate Racing Yamaha did a great job. Happy that the race could finish in my way, that no one could overtake me on the finish line.”
     
    P2 Luca Bernardi (CM Racing)
     
    “I’m very happy with this position. It is my first podium in World Supersport. I’m working very hard with my team, step-by-step, I’m very happy.”
     
    P3 Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
     
    “It was a tough race. Towards the end I realised that I had to finish this race, of course always as high as possible, but I saw a lot of mistakes from other riders. I tried to pull away at the front at the beginning of the race which destroyed my tyres a little bit. Towards the end, there was not much left but now at least I know if you push too much at the beginning, you will suffer from mid-race. The team did an amazing job all weekend long, the bike is really good. Two podiums in one weekend, that’s really quite good.”

    WorldSSP at Circuito Estoril – Race 2

    1. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
    2. Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) +0.375s
    3. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +1.039s
    4. Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGO Team) +1.175s
    5. Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) +2.327s
    6. Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.034s

    Championship Standings (after Race 2, Round 2)

    1. Steven Odendaal (RSA) Yamaha (75 points)
    2. Dominique Aegerter (SUI) Yamaha (69 points)
    3. Philipp Oettl (GER) Kawasaki (52 points)

  • Odendaal kickstarts 2021 with hat-trick of race wins: WorldSSP

    Odendaal kickstarts 2021 with hat-trick of race wins: WorldSSP

    Five riders battled it out for victory in the opening race of the Estoril Round with just over a second separating the top five riders

    Estoril, 29 May 2021: The FIM Supersport World Championship’s racing started at the Gaerne Estoril Round in thrilling fashion as five riders battled it out for victory with just 1.023s covering the top five riders at the Circuito Estoril as Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) secured his third win of 2021 after a stunning battle at the front of the field.
     
    South African rider Odendaal got the jump on polesitter Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) at the start and immediately looked to build a gap ahead of the Italian who claimed his first pole position since returning to WorldSSP. Caricasulo was unable to hold on to second place as the race moved onto Lap 2 as Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) jumped the Italian at Turn 1 and started to close in on Odendaal.
     
    Caricasulo was the first rider to have an incident when under pressure from teammate Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) with the Italian losing the front of his Yamaha machine at Turn 4; promoting Cluzel into third place while Caricasulo tumbled down the order although he was able to rejoin the race.
     
    Despite taking the lead of the race, Oettl was unable to pull away from Odendaal who kept the pressure on throughout the middle stage of the race as the South African kept the pressure on Oettl; the pair losing time to Cluzel as they went side-by-side onto the start and finish straight and into Turn 1.
     
    Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) also joined the lead battle with less than a second separating the top five on Lap 10 of the 18-lap race. As the race headed on to Lap 14, Cluzel and Aegerter battled it out for third place with Swiss rider Aegerter making the move at Turn 1 on Cluzel before the Frenchman responded on the same lap at Turn 4.
     
    Oettl had kept the lead until Lap 16 when Odendaal made his move, taking advantage of extra pace heading into Turn 6 as the South African rider took the lead before Oettl responded at Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 17 to re-gain the lead of the race, but as the race entered the last lap, Odendaal and Aegerter made their move at Turn 1 although Cluzel moved back on Aegerter; the pair going on a drag race until the line with Cluzel claiming third by just 0.015s, behind Odendaal and Oettl. Gonzalez equalled his best result in WorldSSP with fifth place as he held on to the lead group throughout the race.
     
    Italian Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) responded from a bad start to move into sixth place but was unable to take advantage of the battling ahead of him to latch onto the lead group, while Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) secured another top ten finish with seventh place. Estonian Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) claimed eighth place with 2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) in ninth place.
     
    Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team), who had shown strong pace in the early stages of the Estoril Round, finished in tenth place with Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) in 11th despite starting the race in the pit lane following the crash with Cluzel at the Aragon Round. Caricasulo responded from his crash to claim 12th place, ahead of Marc Alcoba (Yamaha MS Racing), Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse) and Davide Pizzoli (VFT Racing) completing the points; the latter being penalized by one position for track limits infringements while defending from Frossard. Swiss rider Frossard was the highest place WorldSSP Challenge competitor.
     
    Michel Fabrizio (G.A.P. MOTOZOO by Puccetti Racing) finishing just three tenths away from a point scoring result at Estoril, finishing two seconds clear of Leonardo Taccini (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 17th place while Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) in 18th; Takala demoted one place at the end of the race.
     
    Maria Herrera (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) finished in 19th place ahead of Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). Luigi Montella (Chiodo Moto Racing) was 21st, 19 seconds away from Indonesian rider Pratama. Eugene McManus (WRP Wepol Racing) was 22nd on his first start of the season, finishing clear of Pawel Szkopek (Yamaha MS Racing) and Shogo Kawasaki (G.A.P MOTOZOO by Puccetti Racing).
     
    Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team), Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Federico Fuligni (VFT Racing) all retired from Race 1.

    P1 Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)
     
    “I couldn’t have imaged to start this way especially with injury. I’m carrying with the shoulder but honestly I’m so happy with this victory because it was really difficult, and I had to really think a lot to win this race. I was really battling in the changes of direction. I’m so happy, thanks so much to the team because they did a fantastic job and also, once again, thanks to everyone supporting me”
     
    P2 Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
     
    “I’m happy with 20 points, it’s a good result for us as a team and the team did an amazing job yesterday and especially today. In Superpole, we had a really quick pace and I tried to control the race from the front because, to be honest, it’s a little bit easier and nicer. It was a good race, I tried to block Steven but… I’ll try tomorrow!”.
     
    P3 Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha)
     
    “I was looking for a little bit better, but third today was the best I could do. Actually, the last lap was really hard, with Aegerter. He passed me on the first turn, but he missed the apex, I tried go back but then I lose a little bit of time. Then I came back, I passed him, he passed me again, and then I just waited until the last turn and the last straight to pass him. It’s a good race for me. Hopefully we will make some improvements for tomorrow and the target is to get at least a podium and, if possible, a little bit better.”

    World SSP Race 1 – Top-6

    1. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)
    2. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.350s
    3. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.750s
    4. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.765s
    5. Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) +1.023s
    6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +4.519s

    Championship Standings (after Race 1, Round 2)

    1. Steven Odendaal (RSA) Yamaha (75 points)
    2. Dominique Aegerter (SUI) Yamaha (44 points)
    3. Raffaele De Rosa (ITA) Kawasaki (37 points)

    WorldSSP at Circuito Estoril – Superpole.
     
    1. Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) 1’39.973s
    2. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.121s
    3. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.211s
    4. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.246s
    5. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.318s
    6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.485s

  • WorldSSP heads to Estoril for the second round of 2021

    WorldSSP heads to Estoril for the second round of 2021

    Just a week on from a thrilling weekend at Aragon full of drama and tension, the WorldSSP paddock gets to do it all again at Estoril

    Estoril, 26 May 2021: After returning to action at MotorLand Aragon last week, the FIM Supersport World Championship heads straight across the Iberian Peninsula for the Gaerne Estoril Round for the second round of the 2021 campaign at the Circuito Estoril, the same venue that closed out the 2020 season in sensational style. In Race 2 last year, the top four were separated by just one second at the line as the chequered flag fell on the season.
     
    South African Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) leads the Riders’ Championship after taking a maximum points haul from Aragon with two wins in different styles. Last year at Estoril, Odendaal secured his joint-best result of the season with fourth place after a thrilling four-way battle in Race 2, and with two of the four from that battle having moved on, he will be looking to move up the order. If the Race 2 battle from Aragon is anything to go by, as well as last year’s Estoril thriller, then the 2021 edition could be just as dramatic and exciting.
     
    Rookie Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) made a strong start to his WorldSSP career and currently lies second in the Championship after taking second and fifth at Aragon. Although he has not raced at Estoril on WorldSSP machines, he has competed there on three occasions while in the Moto2™ World Championship, claiming a best result of fourth place. The Swiss rider will be hoping he can at least repeat that performance as he looks to close the gap to Odendaal.
     
    Aegerter lies just four points ahead of third-placed Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), who so narrowly missed out on his maiden win in WorldSSP last time out, finishing 0.100s behind Odendaal. Like Odendaal, De Rosa was involved in the mega Race 2 scrap at Estoril last season, finishing ahead of the South African to claim a podium place. De Rosa also brings Moto2™ experience with him with a best finish of sixth. It’s been a strong circuit for the Italian in the past, could this be the weekend he finally claims his maiden WorldSSP victory?
     
    Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) is five points behind De Rosa, on 22 points, after another strong showing at Aragon, as he continues his fine form. Soomer claimed one podium at last year’s Estoril Round, in Race 1, and was only just over three seconds away from victory in Race 2 despite finishing in eighth. Another rider who has had strong performances at Estoril, Soomer will be one to watch out for.
     
    Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team) finds himself fifth in the standing after a history-making Aragon Round where he became the first Swedish rider to lead a race in WorldSSP. Bergman did not race at Estoril in WorldSSP last year but did make an experience in endurance racing at the venue, his experience could prove to be useful as he looks to continue his fine start to the season.
     
    One rider who can count himself very unlucky to not be further up the standings after two races is Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) after the Frenchman was taken out of the lead by Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) in Race 1, while he led Race 2 for a few laps after starting at the back of the grid. Cluzel has experience of Estoril having raced there in 2020, securing two ninth places. However, for Cluzel it was his first race back after suffering an injury following a crash at MotorLand Aragon.
     
    Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) go into Estoril level with Cluzel in the standings, with San Marino’s Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) three points behind. Gonzalez secured his best result in WorldSSP last time out at Aragon while Bernardi secured San Marino’s best ever result in the class; with all three riders showing rapid pace throughout the Aragon Round.
     
    2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher’s (EAB Racing Team) return got off to a challenging start at Aragon but the Swiss rider brings with him experience of Estoril having competed there in Moto2™, taking a best result of ninth. Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) also had a challenging weekend on his WorldSSP return, but heads into Estoril with experience of the circuit from his 2020 WorldSBK exploits.

    Championship Standings (after Race 2, Round 1)

    1. Steven Odendaal (RSA) Yamaha (50 points)
    2. Dominique Aegerter (SUI) Yamaha (31 points)
    3. Raffaele De Rosa (ITA) Kawasaki (27 points)

  • A new circuit joins WorldSBK 2021 Calendar

    A new circuit joins WorldSBK 2021 Calendar

    The Circuito de Navarra will make its debut on the WorldSBK calendar, while the Aragon Round becomes season opener due to Estoril postponement.

    9 March 2021: Due to ongoing local restrictions the FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) confirm updates to the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, for what is set to be an exceptional season.

    Following a further modification to the 2021 season, a new circuit will join the calendar as the Circuito de Navarra becomes the fifth Round of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Located in Los Arcos, in the north of Spain, the Circuito de Navarra was opened in 2010 and has already hosted events for both national and international level competition. The Spanish circuit will host, from the 20th to the 22nd of August, WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes.  

    MotorLand Aragon will now host the opening Round of the 2021 calendar from the 21st to the 23rd of May, due to the postponement of the Estoril Round, initially scheduled to be held from the 7th to 9th of May. All parties involved are working hard to confirm a new date for the event.

    With the Supported Test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya taking place in less than a month, the FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization are constantly working with Government Officials and Circuits in order to continue putting everyone’s safety first. Any further updates to the 2021 WorldSBK calendar will be communicated accordingly.

    WorldSBK Calendar 2021

    #DateCountryCircuitSBKSSPSSP300
    121-23 May 2021SpainMotorLand Aragónxxx
    211-13 JuneItalyMisano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”xxx
    32-4 JulyUKDonington ParkxNilNil
    423-25 JulyNetherlandsTT Circuit Assenxxx
    520–22 AugustSpainCircuito de NavarraxxNil
    63-5 SeptemberFranceCircuit de Nevers Magny-Coursxxx
    717-19 SeptemberSpainCircuit de Barcelona-Catalunyaxxx
    824-26 SeptemberSpainCircuito de Jerez – Ángel Nietoxxx
    91-3 OctoberPortugalAutódromo Internacional do Algarvexxx
    1015–17 OctoberArgentinaCircuito San Juan VillicumxxNil
    1112–14 NovemberIndonesiaMandalika International Street Circuit***xxNil
    12TBA****AustraliaPhillip Island Grand Prix Circuit**xxNil
    13TBA****PortugalCircuito Estoril**xxNil
           

    ends/9March2021

  • MOTUL FIM WorldSBK, SSP to begin only in May; Dutch round put off

    MOTUL FIM WorldSBK, SSP to begin only in May; Dutch round put off

    Following the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and resulting regulations, the FIM, Government Officials, the TT Circuit Assen and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) informs of the postponement of the Dutch Round to the 23rd to the 25th of July.

    As local authorities have determined that no major events may be held in Drenthe until the 1st of June 2021, the Dutch Round, initially scheduled from the 23rd to the 25th of April, will now take place at the end of July.

    FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization are constantly working with Government Officials and Circuits in order to continue putting the safety of everyone first. Any further updates to the 2021 WorldSBK calendar will be communicated accordingly.

        DATE    COUNTRY    CIRCUIT    WorldSBKWorldSSPWorldSSP300
    7 – 9 MayPortugalCircuito Estoril**XXX
    21 – 23 MaySpainMotorLand AragónXXX
    11 – 13 JuneItalyMisano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”XXX
    2 – 4 JulyUnited KingdomDonington ParkX  
    23 – 25 JulyThe NetherlandsTT Circuit AssenXXX
    3 – 5 SeptemberFranceCircuit de Nevers Magny-CoursXXX
    17 – 19 SeptemberSpainCircuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaXXX
    24 – 26 SeptemberSpainCircuito de Jerez – Ángel NietoXXX
    1 – 3 OctoberPortugalAutódromo Internacional do AlgarveXXX
    15 – 17 OctoberArgentinaCircuito San Juan VillicumXX 
    12 – 14 NovemberIndonesiaMandalika International Street Circuit***XX 
    STCAustraliaPhillip Island Grand Prix Circuit**XX 
    TBATBATBA****XX 

    *All dates, events and the attendance of spectators are subject to the evolution of the global pandemic and the approval of the corresponding governments and authorities.

    ** (STC) Subject to contract / *** (STH) Subject to homologation /**** (TBA) Venue/event/date to be announced

    2021 SUPPORTED TEST – Championship Filming and Photo-shoot season opening

    • 29 – 30 March: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – WorldSSP & WorldSSP300
    • 31 March – 1 April: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – WorldSBK
  • Jeffrey Buis bolts to brilliance as WorldSSP300 Champion

    Jeffrey Buis bolts to brilliance as WorldSSP300 Champion

    Estoril, 17 October 2020: With four wins and eight podium places, Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) becomes the 2020 WorldSSP300 Champion at the Circuito Estoril, securing his status as the first Dutch World Champion of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship. After a tough, long battle with fellow countryman and teammate Scott Deroue, it’d be the youthful exuberance of Buis who’d prevail over the experienced Deroue, a fascinating dynamic between the Dutch duo.

    The Meppel-born rider clinched the title after riding under the pressure of some of the biggest names on the category; with Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT), Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300), Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing), Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) and Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) amongst others. Buis, in just his second season, refused to be supressed by the stars and achieved impressive results through the season, taking Championship lead from the Prosecco DOC Aragon Round onwards.

    After starting his racing career in various European Championships, Buis started his WorldSSP300 campaign back in 2019 with the MTM Racing Team. He ended his first season in 14th place after scoring 25 points. He remained with the same team for the 2020 season; the partnership reaching its apogee when he claimed his first Championship in Portugal.

    The WorldSSP300 action started at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto as Buis made a quiet start to his 2020 campaign with a lowly 30th place in Race 1 and a 13th in Race 2. However, he bounced back a week later at the Portimao, where he claimed his first podium of 2020 in Race 1; only missing out on the win by 0.057s. He continued to show strong pace in Race 2 with fourth place; leaving Portimao in sixth place in the Championship Standings, 31-point behind leader Deroue.

    The Championship then went over to MotorLand Aragon for two consecutive weekends. It was the breakthrough weekend for Buis’ Championship charge as he won both Race 1 and 2. In Race 1, he showed how competitive he is, imposing a 6.870s gap over 2018 Champion Ana Carrasco, whilst Race 2 saw his tenacious, irrepressible racing ability with a thrilling final corner pass around the outside of his rivals on the last lap. Thanks to his two wins, he took the lead of the Championship by two points. Now in the Teruel Round, Buis conceded victory to Bahattin Sofuoglu in Race 1 but reacted by taking Race 2 victory; his third victory at the track in 2020. After these solid results, he sported a 12-point lead over Deroue heading to Barcelona.

    During the first ever Catalan Round, Buis achieved a fifth place in a wet-but-drying Race 1 and composed himself to take third place in Race 2. He left the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the Championship leader, standing 16 points ahead of Deroue after the WorldSSP300 veteran failed to capitalise on Buis’ slight dip in results. He arrived at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours with his first chance to clinch the title in Race 2.

    He started his French campaign with a win to establish his domination, whilst Deroue finished in second. In Race 2, he managed a second place, finishing ahead of Deroue who was only fourth, meaning that the chase for the Championship went to Estoril. Buis left France with a 28 points advantage over Deroue; having the opportunity to claim the crown in Estoril; simply beating Deroue in Race 1 was enough for him to become the first Dutch Champion in WorldSSP300. Buis started Race 1 of the Pirelli Estoril Round in 19th position, putting in an incredible recovery to sixth position. By finishing ahead of teammate Deroue, he becomes the 2020 WorldSSP300 Champion, confirming his splendid 2020 campaign.

    In 2021, Jeffrey Buis will look forward to improving on his brilliant 2020 season and cementing himself as a name to watch out for in the not-too-distant future. 

    Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT): “The season has been great. At the beginning of the season I didn’t expect to be World Champion but the team worked very hard. I had a podium at Portimao and after that my goal was podiums but in Aragon we won three out of four races. At the beginning of today’s race there were a lot of riders around me so I needed to make a good plan but in the final laps there were less riders. I was able to overtake them and win the title.”

    WorldSSP300 Race 1 at Circuito Estoril
     1.) Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300)
    2.) Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) +0.013s
    3.) Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) +0.055s
    4.) Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.234s

  • 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

  • Jonathan Rea returns to the top on the final day of testing at Jerez: WorldSBK

    Jonathan Rea returns to the top on the final day of testing at Jerez: WorldSBK

    Busy two-day test comes to an end at Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto with reigning World Champion back at the top of the charts.

    Rea faced some stiff competition but he was able to return at the top of the timesheets at Jerez on Thursday. A WorldSBK image

    Jerez, 24 Jan 2019: 

    Sun shone down on the final day of testing at the Spanish circuit of Jerez, where the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders were able to continue their final arrangements ahead of the 2019 season opener that will be held in less than a month in Australia.
    With the temperature being warmer than yesterday day two around Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto saw many riders improving their paces and the top ten riders of day closing in less than a second at the front.Facing some stiff competition from the Yamaha and Ducati rivals, reigning World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took to the track early this morning working on the small 2019 updates for his ZX-10RR. The four-time world champion didn’t lose any time and, in the end, he was able to return at the top of the timesheets, thanks to a fastest lap time in 1’39.160, just a few seconds ahead of the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes.Stunning with his consistency and overall pace during both the two days, the Yamaha rider closed second in 1’39.372 and he continued to make progress with his machine as he completed 102 laps around the Andalusian race track today. Working on improving the acceleration of his bike and testing new parts for the YZF R1 machine, his teammate Michael van der Mark closed in seventh position with a fastest lap time of 1’40.145.

    Focusing on getting more comfortable on his new bike, Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a positive two-day test, as he closed also just 0.342 s off his teammate in third position. The British rider was able to be fast on both days, building on his confidence with the ZX-10RR.

    Making an important step forward, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) brought his Ducati Panigale V4 R in fourth position, closing 0.460 s off Rea’s lap time. The Spaniard had a busy day gathering as much information as possible to work on, and design the best base set-up for their all-new Ducati machine. On the other side of the garage, Chaz Davies sat out on the opening hours of the day and took to the track later in the afternoon putting in only a few laps, closing the day in tenth. As he was feeling some pain in his back after the crash he had yesterday, Davies decided to take it easy as he aims to be back at his full strength for the next pre-season test that will be held at the end of this week in Portimao.  Both independent team riders Michael Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) and Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven), who finished respectively ninth and twelfth, worked alongside their new teams producing valuable feedbacks that will be used also by the factory team to improve their Ducati beast.

    Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continued to impress, stunning with his performance along the two days. The Turkish rider finished in fifth position, with a fastestlap time in 1’39.942.

    Continuing to work with the new team structure GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider Marco Melandri had a busy day as he put in a total of 87 laps onboard his Yamaha finishing eighth overall, while his teammate Sandro Cortese had his progression slowed down by a small crash he suffered early in the morning. The German walked away from the accident on his feet but had to wait for his bike to be recovered and repaired before returning to the track in the afternoon and setting the sixth fastest time.

    Towards the end of the day, the BWM Motorrad WorldSBK riders Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger had their transponders finally recording a few of their lap times. Happy with the progresses made over the two day, they closed respectively in fourteenth and fifteenth position.

    Among the WorldSSPriders Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) continued to lead the way also on day two with Frenchman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) closing second just 0.222 s behind him.
    Making her debut in the class, Maria Herrera was also out testing aboard the Yamaha YZF R6 of MS Racing. The Spaniard focused on getting acquainted with the new bike and finished her second day of testing with a fastest lap time in 1’46.957.

    Whilst the Jerez Test may have finished some of the WorldSBK and WorldSSP riders who attended the two days will now head down to Portugal for the final pre-season test on European soil from 27th-28th January at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve Portimao before the first round of the 2019 FIM Superbike World Championship season in Australia.

    Jerez Day Two Unofficial Times:

    1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.160
    2. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’39.372 +0.212
    3. Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.502 +0.348
    4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’39.620 +0.460
    5. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) 1’39.942 +0.782
    6. Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’40.075 +0.915
    7. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’40.145 +0.985
    8. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’40.469 +1.309
    9. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) 1’40.540 +1.380
    10. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.621 +1.461
    11. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 1’40.794 +1.634
    12. Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) 1’40.879 +1.719
    13. Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) 1’41.066 +1.906
    14. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’41.206 +2.046
    15. Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’41.231 +2.071
    16. Alessandro Delbianco (Althea MIE Racing Team) 1’42.353 +3.192
  • Alex Lowes closes opening day at Jerez on top: WorldSBK Jerez test Day 1

    Alex Lowes closes opening day at Jerez on top: WorldSBK Jerez test Day 1

    Alex Lowes tops Day 1 times. A WorldSBK image

    Jerez, 24 Jan 2019: Making their final preparations ahead of the 2019 season opener, 16 WorldSBK and 12 WorldSSP riders were out on track around Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto for the opening day of testing at the Andalusian circuit.

    Despite the chilly temperature, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders were able to take full advantage of the good weather, putting in a considerable number of laps and working all day through their testing programs. With the track having been resurfaced over the winter break they all had to wait for the tarmac to warm up, before continuing with the work they had planned for the day.

    Completing a positive day one of testing, Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Alex Lowes closed the day at the top of the timesheets, impressing with a flying lap in 1’40.422. The British rider was not really focusing in making the lap times, but as the work on the bike was proceeding well for the rider, the fast lap times were achieved consistently, next steps are now all focused towards Phillip Island.  after that.

    Waiting for track condition to progress reigning world champion Jonathan Rea sat out the opening hours of the day and came out of his garage around 2 pm. Working on testing different components for his ZX-10RR, the Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK rider has been focusing in getting is the overall package ready for Australia and he will continue with the same program tomorrow. After a few laps done in the afternoon he was soon at the top of the timesheet before Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took the lead of the opening day, pushing the WorldSBK champion back into second position just 0.008 s behind him.

    Sitting in third the new Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK team recruit Leon Haslam, continued the familiarization process with the WorldSBK machine. The British rider focused in putting in as many laps as possible, adapting to the new bike and learning the electronics. Thanks to a fastest lap in 1’40.885 he ended the day just 0.435 s off his teammate.

    Impressing with his overall pace, Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) finished the day in fourth position, after returning in the saddle of his ZX-10RR for the first time for 2019. Leading during the first part of the day, the Turkish rider put in another strong lap in the afternoon closing in 1’41.001.

    Testing a combination of chassis part, settings and electronics Dutchman Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) set the fifth fastest lap in 1’41.047, just 0.605 s behind his teammate.

    Working on their full factory configuration for the first time, the brand new GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team took their time to get acquainted with the new package. Both Marco Melandri and Sandro Cortese were able to get used with their machine updates early on and finished the day respectively in sixth and seventh position.

    Following just behind the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Chaz Davies and Alvaro Bautista had a lot of things to work on as they continued to improve their Ducati Panigale V4 R. Back at his full strength, as he was riding injured last time, Davies completed a positive first day, despite suffering a small crash through turn 5 late in the afternoon, meaning he couldn’t improve more. The Ducati rider ended the day eighth with a best lap in 1’41.375.  Spanish star Alvaro Bautista took his time to get used to the WorldSBK machine as he had only two days on the V4 before returning to Jerez today. The Spaniard set a lap time of 1’41.857 after 44 laps ending the day in ninth position.
    Davies and Bautista were not the only Ducati riders on track as also Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) were out taming their Ducati Panigale V4 R. The Irishman, who made the debut on the new Bologna factory bike today, finished in 12th position, while Rinaldi, who was working also on new suspensions, finished the day thirteenth.

    Closing the top ten Spaniard Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) ended the day in tenth position. The Spaniard put in 82 laps as he was testing new components for his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. Another Kawasaki rider, Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) finished eleventh as he was working with a different crew from last season.
    Completing the timesheet, WorldSBK rookie Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Mie Racing Team), who was the first SBK® rider to take to the track this morning, closed the day in 14th position.

    The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team were also out on track testing today. Both Markus Reiterberger and Tom Sykes were working on getting familiar with their bikes as well as a trying different electronic strategy. With their focus on these aspects and not on the times, both the two riders had not been using a transponder today, meaning they didn’t have they unofficial lap times recorded.

    The WorldSBK riders were not the only one testing, as there were also FIM Supersport World Championship top team taking to the track around Jerez today. Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) closed on top, followed by Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse) and teammate Randy Krummenacher. Frenchman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished fourth with fellow Hikari Okubo close behind.
    GMT94 Yamaha riders Cluzel and Perolari put in 49 laps respectively and closed the day behind the two Kawasaki riders.

    Action resumes on track tomorrow for day two of testing at Jerez.

    Jerez Day One Unofficial Times:

    1. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’40.442
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.450 +0.08
    3. Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.877 +0.435
    4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) 1’41.001 +0.559
    5. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) 1’41.047 +0.605
    6. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’41.119 +0.677
    7. Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha Team) 1’41.203 +0.761
    8. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.375 +0.933
    9. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.857 +1.415
    10. Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) 1’41.973 +1.531
    11. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 1’42.886 +2.444
    12. Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) 1’43.376 +2.934
    13. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) 1’43.973 +3.531
    14. Alessandro Delbianco (Althea MIE Racing Team) 1’45.437 +4.995