FIM Supersport World Championship
Losail International Circuit, Qatar
November 2, 2014
Race Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Michael VD MARK, Netherlands (Honda CBR600RR), 15 laps, 30:42.722
2. Rathapark WILAIROT, Thailand (Honda CBR600RR), -3.570 seconds
3. Jules CLUZEL, France (MV Agusta F3 675), -5.124
4. Lucas MAHIAS, France (Yamaha YZF-R6), -5.476
5. Kev COGHLAN, UK (Yamaha YZF-R6), -5.578
6. Roberto ROLFO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -8.275
7. Lorenzo ZANETTI, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), -8.965
8. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -12.367
9. Roberto TAMBURINI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -22.923
10. Massimo ROCCOLI, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), -23.081
11. Florian MARINO, France (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -25.585
12. PJ JACOBSEN, USA (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -25.668
13. Raffaele DE ROSA, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), -26.094
14. Christian GAMARINO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -28.026
15. Mason LAW, UK (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -29.868
16. N. AL MALKI, Qatar (Honda CBR600RR), -48.357
17. A. IVANOV, Russia (Yamaha YZF-R6), -60.928
18. Fabio MENGHI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), -60.968
19. Nacho CALERO, Spain (Honda CBR600RR), -74.126
20. M. FACCANI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -1 lap, DNF, mechanical
21. Luca MARCONI, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), -1 lap, DNF, crash
22. Jack KENNEDY, Ireland (Honda CBR600RR), -11 laps, DNF, mechanical
23. Valentin DEBISE, France (Honda CBR600RR), -14 laps, DNF, retired
Championship Point Standings (after 11 of 11 races):
1. Van Der Mark, 230 points
2. Cluzel, 148
3. Marino, 125
4. Zanetti, 112
5. Coghlan, 109
6. Jacobsen, 99
7. Rolfo, 97
8. Sofuoglu, 94
9. TIE, Wilairot/De Rosa, 80
More, from a press release issued by Pata Honda:
Van der Mark rounds off stunning season with dominant Qatar podium
Pata Honda’s Michael van der Mark concluded his domination of the 2014 World Supersport championship with a classy and dominant win under the floodlights at Losail in Qatar this evening.
Starting from second place on the grid, the 2014 World Supersport champion shot into an early lead on the first of 15 laps at the 5.380km Losail International Circuit and was never headed, breaking the old 2009 lap record no fewer than three times.
His Pata Honda team-mate, Lorenzo Zanetti, finished in seventh place this evening. The 27-year-old Italian battled for a podium position in the opening laps but was unable to sustain his challenge after losing rear grip.
Zanetti finishes the season in fourth place overall in the championship points standings, but has the satisfaction of having taken a popular race victory at his home round of Imola in May.
Meanwhile, van der Mark’s emphatic victory this evening over Thailand’s Ratthapark Wilairot, on another Honda CBR600RR, and Jules Cluzel, who finished third, was his sixth of the season, to go with four second places – the lowest position in which the 22-year-old has finished all year.
The Dutch ace begins a new chapter in his career with the Pata Honda World Superbike team in 2015 and will test the team’s Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP for the first time in three weeks time at Jerez in Spain.
Michael van der Mark – 1st
It’s been a really great season. At the beginning we all knew that it might be possible to fight for the championship and we achieved it in an incredible way. Six wins, four second places and only one zero in the first round is a good record to finish with. The team showed how good they are and how good the CBR is. And even myself, I think I showed I had everything to win the title. Up to this weekend I really wanted to win my last race in World Supersport and now I’m really looking forward to a new step and a new adventure next year. I have a lot of work to do and a lot to learn, but I think I’ve grown a lot this year and I can’t wait for next season.
Lorenzo Zanetti – 7th
I had a good start to the race but after the first three or four laps I started to struggle with the rear tyre dropping. When this happens I start to push the front and I start to fight with the bike. We haven’t been able to find a solution to this all season and even though it’s possible to do a fast lap in qualifying, the race is often very different. It’s disappointing because I think I have had the potential all season to fight for the podium, but it has not always been possible.
Pieter Breddels – technical co-ordinator
Michael just showed this evening the true class of a world champion. He took the lead from the start and kept it until the chequered flag. The champion has made a superb exit from World Supersport and showed once again that he has been the best rider on the best bike all season. It’s a very exciting prospect to see him riding the bigger CBR Fireblade soon. Lorenzo had a tough time and his result was a little disappointing. He was battling in the early stages but couldn’t keep it going, which is a shame for him and the team.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Marino Third In The WSS Championship After Final Round
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki San Carlo Puccetti Racing Team) had to settle for an eighth place finish in the 15-lap WSS race at Losail, as the highest placed Kawasaki rider proved to be Roberto Rolfo (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki) in sixth place. Florian Marino (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) is the highest placed Kawasaki competitor over the 11-round season, in third place, after he finished 11th in today’s race.
The 5.380km Losail circuit proved a tough challenge on raceday as Rolfo scored sixth place in the first-ever floodlit WSS event, having qualified in ninth place.
For Kenan Sofuoglu his choice of race tyre determined that he would not be able to stay with the front-runners as he started the race from eighth place on the grid and could not move forward as he expected pre-race. Kenan therefore rounded out his often unlucky 2014 season in eighth place overall in the points, with one win to his credit.
Florian Marino could not find the set-up he wanted to allow him to compete at the front either, after suffering two big pre-race crashes. His 11th place gave him enough points to hold onto third place overall even though he did not get his much desired first race win this year.
Roberto Tamburini (San Carlo Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) was ninth at Losail and he finished 11th in the championship, tied with two other riders on exactly 70 points.
Patrick ‘PJ’ Jacobsen (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) was 12th at Losail and that was enough to make him sixth in the final points table, two points ahead of Rolfo. Jacobsen, Rolfo and Sofuoglu finished within five points of each other.
Christian Gamarino (Team Go Eleven) scored 14th place in Qatar and finished inside the top 15 places overall. Mason Law (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) was the final Kawasaki points scorer today, in 15th place.
Recently crowned Superstock 600 FIM European Champion Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) did not finish the race
Kenan Sofuoglu: “We had a lot of question marks about which tyre to use in the race and I do not think I made a good choice. I think eighth was a disappointing result for the final round. I could not push like I wanted to from the beginning to the end especially after a few laps when I had little grip on the bike. This season was a hard season and it is over today. In two weeks’ time we start the 2015 season with some testing. That will be a completely different season and with the support of Kawasaki I think it is going to be a good one.”
Florian Marino: “Third in the championship but it is not the way I wanted to finish the year, in 11th place at Losail. The last ten laps were quite stressful because I knew I could lose third in the championship but we got to the end OK. I have improved in myself this year and I have had four podiums. I know I have the potential to win races. I can take some good points from this season and thanks to all the team for their hard work and belief in me. Going back home with a championship top three is not so bad.”