INDIA in F1

Tag: WSBK

  • Cluzel ready for NRT debut at Phillip Island: World SSP

    Jules Cluzel – Rider #16 ⠀⠀
    ⠀⠀
    To many, Jules needs no introduction, to the few, he is already a World Class rider with many Victories, Podiums and Pole Positions to his name.⠀⠀
    ⠀⠀
    Riding MX from the age of 4, training in gymnastics & winning the local Go-kart Championship at age 12, his parents then bought a local motorcycle dealership and tempted Jules back onto 2 wheels again. He then realised his passion was to be on the tarmac. His first 125cc took him on to a very respectable 2nd place in the French Junior Cup back in 2004 and he’s moved and risen through the ranks ever since. His target for 2018 is to build on his strengths and he’s confident he can be stronger than ever. “I believe consistency is the key to good results. I’m sure that when we combine this with the package of an experienced team and competitive Yamaha R6, that we can produce some excellent results. I’m really looking forward to being part of NRT’s debut season, come along with us for the ride!”⠀⠀UAE based, Nerds Racing Team have secured the services of French World Supersport rider Jules Cluzel, for their debut into the World Supersport Championship for the 2018 season.

    Way back in October 2017, Cluzel was recruited by the Indian outfit NRT.

    Teaming up with another young star, Thomas Gradinger, who was recently confirmed, Cluzel is hungry for a Championship win.  After many  World supersport race wins and with total confidence in his future package and his highly-experienced team around him, Cluzel is aiming for the top spot on the podium.

    NRT Team Owner, Vafi Khan commented- “Nothing is impossible with vivid dreams and the right team.We are excited and also thankful that Jules has the confidence to join our new team. He has discussed at length the team’s aims and goals and is ready to give 100% in return.

    Jules Cluzel added: “I’m really excited to join this promising project. I know few people inside the Team and I’m pretty sure we will be ready to fight for the victory from Phillip Island 2018 opening round.

    ends/with inputs from NRT team

  • Circuit de Magny-Cours extends contract, to host WorldSBK until 2022

    Circuit de Magny-Cours extends contract, to host WorldSBK until 2022

    A file photo of SBK race by Dorna.
    Magny-Cours, 8 Feb 2018: Circuit de Magny-Cours and Dorna WSBK Organization are thrilled to announce a contract extension, which will see the French Circuit host the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship until 2022 following a press conference attended by Mr Saulnier (Chairman of the Board), Daniel Carrera (WorldSBK Executive Director), Marc Saurina (WorldSBK Commercial & Marketing Director) and Loris Baz (Gulf Althea BMW Racing Team).

    History was made at the ever-popular French Round in 2017, the stunning weekend saw Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) crowned WorldSBK champion for the third time in succession, becoming the first rider to ever reach this feat.

    Providing fantastic racing, the Circuit of Magny-Cours has been home to the French round since 2003, with world-class facilities and welcoming racing passion not only from the French but from an international fanbase. The Circuit de Magny-Cours will continue to host WorldSBK racing action until 2022, which will come as a delight to many.
    Chairman of the Board of Magny-Cours Circuit, Serge Saulnier emphasizes “To secure the presence of WorldSBK over the next 5 years at Magny-Cours, is a mark of mutual trust towards the future of this discipline.”

    WorldSBK Executive Director Daniel Carrera explains: “Continuing to visit the French circuit of Magny-Cours was an easy decision to make, and one which will welcome stunning racing action for seasons to come. Hosting a world class event with fantastic facilities, passionate fans, and hard-working staff, we look forward to returning to France for the next five seasons.”

  • NRT World Supersport Racing team launched for WorldSSP 2018

    Thomas Gradinger Rider #36. An NRT image

    The Nerd Racing Team, backed by Indian owner Vafi Khan, are set to compete in this year’s FIM Supersport World Championship, a support race at WSBK. The team is set for entering a big world of racing. Jules Cluzels and Thomas Gradinger will be the team’s riders for 2018.

    INDIAinF1.com will profile the exploits of the Nerd Racing Team from today.

    On Saturday, February 3rd, the Team was launched

    Jules Cluzel joined NRT in Oct 2017.
    World SBK image

    at the Sofitel Hotel in Mumbai. The owner, along with Yasmeen Khan (CFO), riders and Team Manager, had a packed afternoon as the media fired over many questions, and the audience showed great interest.

    When asked his vision for the team, Vafi explained: “We hope to bring motorsport back into the hearts of the Indian fans”.

    ‘Befikre’ star Vaani Kapoor, present at the event, encouraged and supported the team, hoping for the best result for their debut season.

    The team of 15 are hopeful and confident of what is set to be a challenging and exciting year at WorldSSP. The 2018 season kicks off in Phillip Island, Australia, on 23-25 February, where they’ll be gunning for a victory on the world stage.

    Check Andrea Ballerini

    eom/source: NRT FB page

     

  • Pre-season progress continues for Red Bull Honda WSBK Team

    Pre-season progress continues for Red Bull Honda WSBK Team

    A Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team in action at the pre-season test in Portimao on Monday, 29 Jan 2018. A Red Bull World SBK team image

    The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team continued its preparation for the 2018 WorldSBK season with two days of productive testing at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal.

    Following on from a successful test at Jerez a few days earlier, Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team with riders Leon Camier and Jake Gagne were again in fine form, completing 189 laps between them, as they continued evaluating chassis and engine components for the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 ahead of the 2018 WorldSBK season.

    After setting a scorching pace at Jerez, Camier once more showed a very fast turn of speed, setting a best lap time of 1’41.623 on the newly laid Portimão asphalt. For American rider Gagne, it was his first taste of the undulating Portuguese circuit and his continued improvement over the two days was unfortunately cut short with a crash. Medical checks revealed that he had suffered no serious injury, but he was forced to miss the rest of the day’s running.

    With a successful pre-season testing stint in Europe now complete, the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team heads down under for the official WorldSBK pre-season test at Phillip Island, Australia from February 19-20.

     

    Leon Camier

    Leon Camier 2: It was a good test all in all, we made a lot of progress and smoothing things out as we go. We did some slightly longer runs as well to understand how the bike’s going to work towards the middle and end of the race, I was pretty comfortable with that. We still have some areas we’d like to work on to improve our race pace and lap time on the race tyre but it’s all progressing. We had a good feeling on the qualifying tyre as well so, as I said, all in all pretty happy and looking forward to getting to the first race and getting started.

    – Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
    Jake Gagne

    Jake Gagne 45  First time here at Portimão and I like the circuit a lot, it was a lot of fun. I knew straightaway when I was walking it that I’d really enjoy it and that it would suit my style a lot more. We had a good day going yesterday, the first day on the track, I really enjoyed it; we made some progress with the bike and I made some progress with my riding. I felt a lot more comfortable than when we left Jerez, unfortunately we didn’t get the last couple of hours in yesterday which I think we could have made some good progress in. Today started off good, really happy with how we left yesterday, but unfortunately I had a little off and missed the rest of the day. It’s a shame because I think we had a lot of potential here at this track, but I’m actually really happy and I have a really good feeling with the bike. I’m riding it better and learning a lot so I’m ready to go to the Island, I’m ready for Australia.

    – Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
    Kervin Bos

    Kervin Bos, Team Manager: I’m more than happy with the combination of the tests from Jerez and Portimão because we finished both tests in good positions, even today we had the second best time. This was on soft tyres but from Leon’s side we can see that we have a good pace. In my point of view we are really in the pack to fight for the top positions, of course it looks like the current champion Jonathan Rea and his teammate Tom Sykes are the ones to beat but behind them there are big possibilities. I’m more than happy with the total situation of the team as we have a really fast rider with Leon Camier and of course Jake Gagne who has a lot of potential and could be a dark horse in Australia. He has a good guy next to him in the box so he can learn from his data and from his adjustments. The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team has had a really good, proper winter testing programme and I think we can say that we are more than ready for Australia.

    – Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team

    eom/posted by db

     

  • Rea signs off fantastic season with Losail victory

     

    Triple World Champion concludes 2017 campaign with another triumph, whilst Davies and Lowes join him on the podium.

    The  final race of the 2017 season at the Acerbis Qatar Round on Saturday night brought another win for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) as he crossed the line just under two seconds ahead of Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) in third. The victory gives Rea the record of most points in a single WorldSBK season (556 points), beating the previous record set by Colin Edwards in 2002, as the Northern Irishman ends the year with 16 victories and 24 podiums in 2017.

    Davies made an incredible start as he shot from eighth on the grid to first within the first two corners, but Rea soon took control of the race on lap four and he did not look back from there.

    With 14 laps to go Welshman Davies survived a big wobble – with perhaps the biggest save of the season – holding his nerve to continue on the pace and ultimately wrap up second place in the race and second place in the final championship standings.

    Lowes got the better of his Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team colleague Michael van der Mark in the second half of the race and finally finished 1.658s ahead of the Dutchman.

    Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team) ended the season on a high in fifth place, whilst Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was 5.688s behind the Spaniard in sixth place. Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) beat Sylvain Guintoli (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) to seventh by less than half a second, overcoming the Frenchman on the last lap.

    Leon Camier completed his last race with MV Agusta Reparto Corse in ninth place just ahead of Roman Ramos (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven).

    A huge crash for Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) at Turn 5 in the early running meant his last race with BMW ended in the gravel, the Spanish rider seen bravely walking away after the massive highside. On the third lap Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out of third place at turn 14, ending his hopes of challenging Davies for the championship runner-up spot.

    Davide Giugliano (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) was declared unfit due to gastroenteritis and therefore the unwell Italian missed out on the last race of the year.

    The WorldSBK riders will be back in action at the first round of the 2018 season at Phillip Island in Australia next February.

    P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team)
    “It’s incredible, I don’t really have emotions or words, just a lot of thanks to the people who have put me in this position. Most of all I want to thank my rivals, I’ve really enjoyed this season and I’m excited about the prospect of 2018, these seasons don’t come along every day, so I just want to savor it for now.”

    P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 
    “I had the biggest save and the one I needed to do the most, I put my chest though the screen and as soon as I realized I could save it I managed to hold onto second spot. We sealed P2 which was our objective so I’m really happy, it was a tough race but I’m so happy with the results”

    P3 – Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
    “To be honest yesterday I was really disappointed, I knew I had the pace to challenge for the podium. I am happy with today, it wasn’t easy and I was a long way back but I stayed calm; I did a good job and I’m so happy for the whole.”

    #QatarWorldSBK at Qatar: Race 2
    1. Jonathan Rea Kawasaki 
    2. Chaz Davies Ducati +1.961
    3. Alex Lowes Yamaha +4.185

    eom/WSBK release