Motul FIM Superbike World Championship

TT Circuit Assen, Netherlands

April 16, 2016

Race One Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 21 laps, Total Race Time 34:12.542, Best Lap Time 1:37.023

2. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale R), -1.662 seconds, 1:36.486

3. Nicky Hayden, USA (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -5.365, 1:37.046

4. Leon Camier, UK (MV Agusta F4 RR), -15.542, 1:37.573

5. Jordi Torres, Spain (BMW S1000RR), -16.922, 1:37.709

6. Lorenzo Savadori, Italy (Apr RSV4 RF), -22.460, 1:37.345

7. Markus Reiterberger, Germany (BMW S1000RR), -23.909, ran off track, 1:37.714

8. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -29.893, 1:37.008

9. Roman Ramos, Spain (Kaw ZX-10R), -41.910, 1:38.067

10. Lucas Mahias, France (Kaw ZX-10R), -48.323, 1:38.912

11. Josh Brookes, Australia (BMW S1000RR), -53.638, 1:37.686

12. Alex De Angelis, San Marino (Apr RSV4 RF), -56.322, 1:39.207

13. Xavi Fores, Spain (Duc Panigale R), -63.741, 1:37.912

14. Matteo Baiocco (Duc Panigale R), -74.792, 1:39.291

15. Mathieu Lussiana, France (BMW S1000RR), -98.485, 1:40.083

16. Josh Hook, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap, 1:42.228

17. Pawel Szkopek, Poland (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap, 1:42.459

18. Michael Van Der Mark, Netherlands (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -2 laps, DNF, crash, 1:36.777

19. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (BMW S1000RR), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:40.045

20. Davide Giugliano, Italy (Duc Panigale R), -10 laps, DNF, retired, 1:37.683

21. Tom Sykes, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -13 laps, DNF, crash, 1:37.140

22. Sylvain Guintoli, France (Yam YZF-R1), -17 laps, DNF, crash, 1:36.920

World Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 28 races):

1. Rea, 156 points

2. Davies, 125

3. Sykes, 102

4. Van Der Mark, 74

5. Torres, 64

6. Hayden, 57

7. Giugliano, 56

8. Guintoli, 53

9. Reiterberger, 40

10. Savadori, 38

More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:

WorldSBK Race 1: He Who Dares

Rea takes the victory, Davies stays close, and Hayden hits the podium

Kawasaki rider Jonathan Rea as won Race 1 at the TT Circuit Assen as he cements his place as second most successful rider at the Dutch track. Chaz Davies took a well-fought P2, and Honda rider and MotoGP Legend Nicky Hayden got to the WorldSBK podium for the first time.

After a great start for the front row, Tom Sykes lead from pole and was followed off the line by KRT teammate Jonathan Rea as both Kawasakis took off in the lead of the race. After a mistake by Sykes, Rea then passed the pole-sitter as the Ducati of Chaz Davies fought to catch the two, eventually getting past both as the lead group started to concertina.

Sykes was the first of the frontrunners to falter as the Kawasaki rider lost the front into T16, crashing out of the race but escaping unharmed. The group of Rea, Davies, van der Mark and Hayden was left out front in the race, with the Welshman heading the group.

Van der Mark, Davies and Rea fought for the lead in a spectacular showcase of WorldSBK, before the Dutchman sadly pushed too hard and lost his Honda, sliding out and leaving his rivals to a duel won by Rea. Honda teammate Nicky Hayden, after playing a patient game in P4, earnt his way to his first podium in World Superbike with a ride that shows he know has the measure of the Honda, and the Pirelli tyre.

MV Agusta recovered from disappointment in Aragón as Leon Camier fought his way back from being denied entry to Superpole 2 by finishing in an incredible P4, a great haul of points and show of pace from the Italian factory and a well deserved reward for the hard work put in by team and rider.

Pata Yamaha pairing Sylvain Guintoli and Alex Lowes suffered mixed fortunes in Tissot-Superpole and in Race 1, with the number 50 Yamaha of Guintoli starting from the front row and unfortunately ending his first Race in the Netherlands too early with a trip to the gravel. Teammate Lowes fought back from a crash in Superpole 2 to run in the top 6 before ending his race in P8.

BMW riders Markus Reiterberger and Jordi Torres, after graduating from Tissot-Superpole 1, both ran close together in the top ten until Reiterberger ran off track, leaving teammate Torres to take another top 5 finish as the flag fell, with the German recovering to an impressive 7th, just behind lead Aprilia Lorenzo Savadori. Savadori recorded his best career result to date by coming home P6 as the Noale factory continue to improve and the reigning STK1000 Cup winner continues to impress, and the Kawasakis of Roman Ramos and Lucas Mahias, replacing Sylvain Barrier, closed out a top ten in Race 1 in which every manufacturer was represented.

WorldSBK will be racing once again on Sunday at 13:00 local time (GMT +2), as van der Mark endeavours to take the same pace to the end of the race, and Rea aims for another double at the TT Circuit Assen.

More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing BMW:

The Assen TT Circuit gives Torres and the Althea BMW Racing Team another fifth place finish

Assen (The Netherlands), Saturday 16 April 2016

At the historic Assen TT Circuit, in very cold but dry conditions, the riders of the Althea BMW Racing team closed this first of the weekend’s races in fifth (Jordi Torres) and seventh (Markus Reiterberger) place. Raffaele De Rosa qualifies third for tomorrow’s Stock1000 race.

Superpole 1: The two riders completed a couple of laps each to understand the track conditions before making a brief pit-stop to change the tyres. Back on track, it was in the final minutes of the phase that the Althea BMW pair really showed their grit, pushing hard to record the two fastest times of the session overall. Battling it out with each other for the top spot, it was Markus who closed in front thanks to a time of 1’37.688, followed by Jordi, with a best of 1’38.043. Both Althea BMW men thus earned a place in Superpole 2.

Superpole 2: Improving on his time lap after lap, Markus was lying fourth at mid-session, Jordi tenth. With both able to take another step in the final stages, Reiterberger set a best of 1’37.300 and Torres 1’37.413, qualifying seventh and ninth respectively for the two Superbike races.

SBK – Race 1: from seventh on the grid, Reiterberger got caught up in traffic at the first turn and was in twelfth at the end of lap one, preceded by his team-mate Torres in tenth. Lapping with very similar lap times to each other, both were able to make up some ground to place eighth and ninth on lap six. The two BMW S 1000 R machines battled it out in a small group together with Camier, all separated by just a couple of tenths. The Althea BMW riders’ pace remained quick right to the end, allowing them to make up further place in the final stages to cross the line in fifth place, in Torres’ case, and seventh for Reiterberger.

STK1000 – qualifying: a 30-minute qualifying session that was interrupted not once but twice by red flags, after a couple of serious crashes for other riders. After a first, rather difficult day in the wet, Raffaele De Rosa bounced back today, more comfortable in the now dry conditions. The Italian continued to improve on his times throughout the session, maintaining a place at the top of the timesheets for the duration. Thanks to a best time of 1’38.788, obtained in the final stages, Althea BMW rider De Rosa will line up third on the grid for tomorrow’s Stock1000 race, still only the second race of the 2016 season.

Jordi Torres:

“Today we did FP3 in the wet and then the race in the dry, so it was a little complicated. Superpole 1 went well, in that we closed 1-2 but unfortunately, I’m not the best when it comes to the flying lap and I finished SP2 in ninth place. After Superpole, we continued to work to identify a set-up that would better conserve the tyres in the race. I had a lot of fun racing with Markus and Camier today. I think we managed our race well, using our heads and not pushing too hard early on which would have ruined the tyres. I’m only disappointed that I couldn’t stick with Camier at the end but there’s always tomorrow!”

Markus Reiterberger:

“My start was not so bad, but I had a few problems through the first corner, getting blocked in and losing a lot of positions. From then on though my pace was OK, and I was able to fight for fifth with Jordi and Camier. I had a lot of fun. Then I made a small mistake, and was a little late on the brakes, almost colliding with Savadori ahead of me and losing a lot of time as a result, so in the end I finished seventh. I know we can do better though, and tomorrow I hope we can improve further.”

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Rea Wins Again But Sykes Finds Misfortune

KRT rider Jonathan Rea took his fourth race victory of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship campaign today, enjoying a 1.662 second margin of victory after 21 windy and competitive laps at Assen. Tom Sykes was in contention for the top spots in the early laps but fell after missing a gear on the approach to the final chicane on lap nine.

Rea had started well from his second row qualifying position after finishing this morning’s Superpole contest just one place from a front row start. With significant changes to his machine’s set-up for the dry first race, after a fully wet Friday in qualifying, Rea put himself in position to win on raceday. He found challenges to his eventual lead from all directions, as five riders formed a breakaway group from the start, in a race where the lead changed hands several times.

Tom also had good pace despite both Friday practice sessions being fully wet and was looking to score heavily once again. After missing a downshift shortly after being passed into the final sector of the track he fell, after running out onto the dirty part of the circuit while braking heavily.

In Superpole qualifying, held shortly before race one, Sykes had taken his third pole of the year on the new model Ninja ZX-10R, and the 33rd of his WorldSBK career. Rea had qualified fourth.

In giving the 2016 model Ninja ZX-10R its latest race win Rea extended his championship lead to 31 points, from second place Assen race finisher Chaz Davies. With one more WorldSBK race to come on Sunday 17th each KRT Rider has another chance to go for a win at the classic Dutch venue.

Jonathan Rea stated: “It was great to win another Assen race. Our bike set-up was new because we changed the bike just for the race after warm-up. I put my head down with a few laps to go. It is really hard to lead but I was so-so happy because I feel we have been a bit on the back foot now since Aragon and before so to score 25 points here is great. I think the potential of this bike is huge but I have yet to get it into a really good window I am comfortable with. This race has given us a lot of information and to score 25 points when it really matters is incredible for me, for my strength inside, and for my championship. I want to thank all the Dutch fans because they give me a great reception every time we come here and thanks to my team for their hard work and keeping my spirits up. After Aragon I felt we were a bit deep in the sea and now I feel our heads are above water.”

Tom Sykes stated: “It was windy out there but I was able to enjoy some great speed in some areas of the track. On one corner I was missing some confidence and unfortunately that was on the run back to the pits. That was slowing me up into where I was good in the next part of the track. It was a difficult race like that but I was just getting settled down and really understanding where everyone was good. I was not necessarily thinking about the pass into the final chicane but unfortunately when I braked and went to backshift, I missed the initial backshift, which meant the engine was quite free. I just tried to get it stopped and get the gear selected. Any other day I would have been OK but unfortunately because we have had some bad track conditions it was really, really dirty and I lost the front. That was a small mistake on my behalf but it was unfortunate that we had such a dirty track off line. That is the way racing goes and there are positives to take from it as we were strong in some areas.”

Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) placed his privateer Ninja ZX-10R into a strong ninth place while substitute pilot Lucas Mahias (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was tenth, scoring six points as he rode in place of the injured Sylvain Barrier. Josh Hook (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) just missed a point by one position, finishing in 16th place.

More, from a press release issued by Honda:

Maiden WorldSBK podium for Hayden as van der Mark tumbles in a spectacular race one

Round 4 – The Netherlands

TT Circuit Assen, Netherlands

Nicky Hayden claimed his maiden WorldSBK podium finish today at the TT Circuit Assen. The 34-year-old American was third at the chequered flag at the end of an enthralling, 21-lap opening race one in the Netherlands. It was a bittersweet encounter for the Honda WorldSBK Team, though, as Michael van der Mark crashed out of second position into turn three on the penultimate lap, after an incredible on-track performance for the local rider.

Hayden got a perfect launch from tenth place on the grid and was sixth in the early stages of the race, before running comfortably in the tightly packed top four. On the penultimate lap, he moved up to third after van der Mark’s tumble and, after a moment at turn five, he decided to back off from chasing the leading duo and settled for third, which resulted in his first podium finish since the Jerez MotoGP race of 2011.

Despite a disappointing end to the race, Michael van der Mark once again showed all his talent on board the Honda WorldSBK Team’s CBR1000RR Fireblade SP as the 23-year-old battled hard with the leaders and even got his turn at the front, sending the home crowd into raptures. He was riding in second place on lap 20 of 21, when he lost the front. When he made his way back to the pit-box, a standing ovation was in store for him from his proud fans.

Race two of the Dutch round will take place tomorrow from 1pm local time (GMT +2).

Nicky Hayden 69

3rd

The start of the race was really intense, because we had such little dry track-time – basically two laps on race tyres in Superpole 2 – and so we didn’t know what to expect. I got a great start and was able to stay with the leading group of riders, although they were quite fast and every time I tried to relax, I could see a little gap opening in front of me. Towards the end, I started to feel more comfortable with the bike and conditions, so I thought I could find something extra in the final two laps. Just after Michael’s crash I had a moment at turn five, so I thought it was better to ride home in third. It’s my maiden WorldSBK podium and the first one in a long time, so I want to thank the team for the great work. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully we can put up a better fight.

Michael van der Mark 60

DNF

In Superpole it was all a bit of a gamble, really, but I felt fine on the bike even though the wind was really strong and made our job a bit more difficult. The laps I did with the race tyres were OK and with the qualifying rubber I made a mistake and lost a bit of time, but fifth was still a decent result. My race start was not the best and I stayed calm in the first couple of laps, then I built up some good speed and had a nice battle at the front with Chaz Davies and especially with Jonathan Rea. I felt I was much quicker in some areas but I was also losing a bit of ground at the exit of turn 5. I knew I had the pace to at least be on the podium but I wanted to win, so I was planning to attack at some point in the last two laps. Unfortunately I lost the front at turn 3 and that was a real shame, because the podium was there. We know what to change for tomorrow and hopefully we can make up what we lost today.

Pieter Breddels

Technical Manager

We entered the race with a lot of unknowns, as we barely had any dry time to find a base setup ahead of the race. We knew Michael was going to be competitive because even last year he could battle at the front, while with Nicky we had to wait and see. Both did a brilliant job to get away with the leading group in the early stages. Nicky rode a great race and we are delighted that he was able to get his first WorldSBK podium. This is a great boost in confidence for him and I’m sure he will try to go for it again tomorrow. Michael’s race was incredible and I’m sure very spectacular to watch from the grandstands but unfortunately it translated into a DNF. He wanted the win and went for it but it just wasn’t his day. We have some areas where we need some more work and if we manage to find some extra acceleration out of the slow corners, I think we’ll be in a position for a great result in race two.

More, from a press release issued by MV Agusta:

GREAT PERFORMANCE FOR LEON CAMIER, 4° IN RACE 1 AT ASSEN 

16 APRIL 2016

Camier, who was the fastest among the drivers entered in Superpole 1 yesterday, today has long dominated the qualifying heats but, due to a rider whom slowed him down, he narrowly missed the Tissot-Superpole 2, finishing 13th on starting grid.

In a dry Race 1 Camier has put on track the same determination shown in the qualification sessions. After a good start, the British rider has immediately established a good feeling with his MV Agusta F4 RC and managed to cross the finish line in 4th position, improving his ranking in the overall standings.

Thanks to this outstanding performance, Camier got 13 points in overall standings and rises to 12th place overall, one step away from the WorldSBK Top 10.

Leon Camier #2 – I am really happy with the result, it is very important for me and the team, for the hard work everyone did race after race. I think the lap time was good enough to be strong with the front guys but the problem is we were too far back on the grid to race at front. I don’t know if we will be able to do the same tomorrow but I will do my best to collect as many point as possible.

Tomorrow Leon Camier and MV Agusta Team will be back on track for the second and final round of the Dutch round of this MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, scheduled at 13:00 local time.

More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:

Second place for Chaz Davies in Race 1 in Assen, Davide Giugliano retired

Race One in Assen ended in a bittersweet way for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. While Chaz Davies took second place after a long, thrilling battle with championship leader Rea, Davide Giugliano retired.

Starting from third and sixth position respectively after lapping in dry conditions for the first time in Superpole, both Giugliano and Davies were quick off the blocks, joining the front just behind the factory Kawasakis. Davies then rapidly climbed the rankings, posting the fastest lap with a 1:36.486 in lap 2 and taking the lead shortly after. Giugliano, on the other hand, did not find an optimal feeling, progressively losing ground and eventually opting for a pit-stop, only to retire with five laps to go.

Davies, who was leading until four laps to go, was hindered by front-tyre wear and could not try a decisive maneuver during the last lap. Thanks to his fifth podium finish in 2016, the Welshman consolidated his second position in the general standings (125 points), where Giugliano currently sits in seventh position (56 points). Race 2 is scheduled for 13:00 CET.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 2nd

“Today the track didn’t have much rubber on it because of the rain and, while we were clearly competitive, we had to deal with front-tyre consumption even without pushing too hard during the race. I tried to set the pace and stay clear of the fight going on behind me, but the wind made things more complicated. It was easier to follow than to lead, and I realized that only in the last laps. I gave everything to take the win, but in turn 1 during the last lap I almost lost the front and then I couldn’t try another pass. We’ll have another go at it tomorrow.”

Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) – DNF

“It’s hard to describe today’s race. This morning in FP3 we were fastest in the wet, but even in dry conditions during Superpole we were quite competitive and took a first row that could have been decisive for the race. Unfortunately, I struggled since the early laps and opted to pit-in, but even after changing tyres things didn’t get better. I’m disappointed, but I’ll analyze the data together with my crew to fully understand our issues and take advantage of our true potential tomorrow.”

Ernesto Marinelli – Superbike Project Director

“Chaz had a fantastic race, he tried to win until the very end, but when he realized the risks were too many he showed great clarity and settled for a second place that could be crucial in the long term. Anyway, we confirmed the value of the latest technical upgrades brought for the Panigale R and tomorrow we’ll try to seal the deal and do one better. I’m very sorry for Davide’s race, and I’m confident tomorrow will be a better day.”

More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:

Weather Lottery Leads to Untapped Potential for Pata Yamaha at Assen

Race

Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK riders Alex Lowes and Sylvain Guintoli were left rueing the changeable conditions at the Assen TT Circuit today after Friday’s heavy rain and this morning’s wet track made way for dry and therefore unknown conditions in race one. Lowes concluded the opening battle in eighth position but his teammate suffered an unfortunate crash, falling at turn three on the fifth lap.

An accident in qualifying had left Lowes determined for a good start from 12th position as the lights went out for Saturday’s race. Immediately picking his way through the pack, the British rider advanced his YZF-R1 to seventh by the second lap and took a further two positions by the race’s half-distance. The last third of the contest saw Lowes’ pace slow as he battled the circuit’s low-grip and tricky conditions, choosing to secure a points-scoring-finish rather than chance another fall by pushing beyond the limits. Eight championship points promotes Lowes to 11th in the rider standings and hungry for more in tomorrow’s second 21-lap battle.

Guintoli started the day in fine form, making the most of the ‘green’ circuit during the Superpole session by securing second position and a front row start with his 1.36.073 lap time, despite his YZF-R1 never having turned a wheel on the Dutch surface in the dry until the session began. Looking to capitalise on his continuing run of strong qualifying performances, the Frenchman began the weekend’s first race firmly in the front group, running fourth for the initial laps. The difficult combination of strong winds and low-grip surface, however, caught the Yamaha rider out and his race ended prematurely. Guintoli returns to the Assen TT Circuit tomorrow for the weekend’s second race at 13:00 local time.

Alex Lowes

Race: 8th / +29.893 / 21 laps. Championship: 11th / 35 points

“We were on the back foot today as we have no data to work from here at Assen in the dry, having only had wet practice for most of the weekend. Obviously the Yamaha YZF-R1 has raced here in the past, but not in WorldSBK-spec and with these electronics, so to start the race with just two laps worth of data was always a bit of a risk. I felt good at the start and made really good progress in the early laps but then I started to really struggle with front grip. I really hope we can make a good step for tomorrow because honestly I’m disappointed with the result as we have been strong all weekend despite the difficult conditions.”

Sylvain Guintoli

Race: DNF. Championship: 8th / 53 points

“I’m obviously disappointed with the results from the first race, I was pushing really hard to be with the front group – and actually on my last lap we were catching Jonathan and Tom. The wind was really strong, especially in turn three and it was picking the bike up, I went in a little bit faster than I had on the previous lap and lost the front very, very early. I was trying and it didn’t happen this time but we will keep pushing and keep trying because we want to be in the front group. We have qualified well and we want to run in the front to learn as much as possible to aid the progression. Unfortunately these things happen in racing so we will just try again tomorrow.”