Motul FIM Superbike World Championship
Eurospeedway/Lausitzring
Lausitz, Germany
September 18, 2016
Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires) (Wet Conditions):
1. Jonathan REA, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 16 laps, Total Race Time 31:39.737, Best Lap Time 1:57.215
2. Alex DE ANGELIS, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 RF), -9.396 seconds, 1:56.949
3. Xavi FORÉS, Spain (Ducati Panigale R), -13.041, 1:56.386
4. Leon CAMIER, UK (MV Agusta 1000 F4), -15.728, 1:57.073
5. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Yamaha YZF-R1), -17.100, 1:56.515
6. Chaz DAVIES, UK (Ducati Panigale R), -19.780, 1:57.321
7. Josh BROOKES, Australia (BMW S1000RR), -32.208, 1:57.879
8. Michael VAN DER MARK, Netherlands, (Honda CBR1000RR SP), -54.373, crash, 1:57.893
9. Roman RAMOS, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -57.271, 2:00.043
10. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (Honda CBR1000RR SP), -59.671, ran off track 1:58.889
11. Luca SCASSA, Italy (Ducati Panigali R), -61.938, 1:59.390
12. Tom SYKES, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -74.028, crash, 1:59.939
13. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Itlay (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 74.038, 2:00.984
14. Pawel SZKOPEK, Poland (Yamaha YZF-R1), -106.309, crash, 1:58.852
15. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (BMW S1000RR), -111.775, 2:02.150
16. Peter SEBESTYEN, Hungary, (Yamaha YZF-R1), -1 lap, 2:03.537
17. Dominic SCHMITTER, Switzerland (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -4 Laps, DNF, crash, 2:04.397
18. Saeed AL SULAITI, Qatar (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -6 laps, DNF, crash, 2:05.808
19. Alex LOWES, UK (Yamaha YZF-R1), -7 laps, DNF, crash, 1:59.313
20. Markus REITERBERGER, Germany (BMW S1000RR), -8 laps, DNF, crash, 2:02.023
22. Lorenzo SAVADORI, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 RF), -10 laps, DNF, Crash, 1:57.777
23. Anthony WEST, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -10 laps, DNF, crash, 1:58. 588
24. Jordi TORRES, Spain (BMW S1000RR), -10 laps, DNF, crash, 2:00.660
25. David GUIGLIANO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), -13 laps, DNF, crash, 1:59.347
World Championship Point Standings (after 20 of 26 races):
1. Jonathan Rea, 393 points
2. Sykes, 346
3. Davies, 295
4. Van Der Mark, 203
5. Hayden, 195
6. Giugliano, 194
7. Torres, 168
8. Camier, 134
9. Fores, 119
10. Savadori, 110
23. Cameron Beaubier, 6
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
Rea Rules in Dramatic Wet Race
– New riders join the Champion on the podium –
Dramatic scenes from the start of Race 2
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea found redemption in Race 2 on Sunday at the Lausitzring in a dominant performance, seeing him win by a 9.3 second margin ahead of newcomers to the WordSBK podium IodaRacing Team’s Alex De Angelis and Barni Racing Team’s Xavi Fores.
Rain began to fall during the German National Anthem as riders were lined up on the grid, delaying the start of the race twice as the rain gradually came down heavier after every warm up lap attempt. Kawasaki Racing Team’s Tom Sykes got the holeshot and lead into the first corner ahead of Race 1 winner Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Sykes’ teammate Jonathan Rea. Sykes ran wide allowing Rea to take advantage and shoot ahead. Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team) got off to a bad start with a wheelie off the line before he got caught up in the first corner and dropped back to P17.
Sykes was the first victim of the weather and crashed out before the end of the first lap, leaving Rea to extend his lead ahead of both the rest of the field and in the overall standings. Sykes later rejoined and was able to salvage four points, finishing in P12. IodaRacing’s Lorenzo Savadori, and Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Davide Giugliano, closely followed by MV Agusta Reparto Corse rider Leon Camier and De Angelis all had good pace in the wet and were all hunting down Davies. Giugliano charged ahead into second before a highside saw his chances of a podium finish disappear on lap five, one lap after Savadori crashed out after setting the fastest lap time.
Even though Sykes was out of podium contention, the reigning World Champion continued to charge ahead to secure the important 25 points to add to his title defence campaign. Leon Camier put in another incredible ride into the top four for MV Agusta Reparto Corse, trying to catch Fores for P3 before crossing the line just off the podium and equalling his best result of the year once again. Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team’s Sylvain Guintoli showed he’s back in form after battling with Chaz Davies to finish ahead of him in fifth.
Milwaukee BMW rider Josh Brookes showed his wet weather quality by finishing the treacherous race in seventh. After sliding out of the race in the closing laps, Honda World Superbike Team’s Michael van der Mark rejoined in an impressive push to the line on his battered Fireblade in eighth, ahead of Roman Ramos (Team GOELEVEN) in ninth and his teammate Nicky Hayden finishing in tenth.
VFT Racing’s Luca Scassa overcame the slippery conditions to finish in P11, while Grillini Racing Teams’ Gianluca Vizziello finished in P13. Team Toth’s Pawel Szkopek looked hopeful moving into the top ten before a minor crash relegated him to P14 ahead of Milwaukee BMW’s Karel Abraham who picked up one point in P15.
Pedercini Racing’s Anthony West, Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team’s Alex Lowes, both Althea BMW riders Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger, Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Racing Team) and Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Team) were all wet weather casualties, not finishing the race.
Quotes from the top three Riders in Race 2:
Rea: “I’m so happy. Our backs were against the wall yesterday with what happened. We came out fighting today. There was no other option. I really want to thank all my mechanics because they turned the bike around after yesterday’s crash. They gave me pretty much a new bike. This is for the whole team because we are really working hard for our goal. It seems like we gave some food to our rivals but it was time to take back the result today which I really wanted. It was so difficult in the wet conditions but I had a really good feeling with the bike.”
De Angelis: “Of course to be on the podium is something amazing. Especially for me because it is my first one in this championship and also because I’m coming back from a very bad accident last year in Japan. It was really a long winter, doing a lot of rehabilitation. I am still not good but it was a really nice race and I’m very happy and I never gave up.”
Fores: “I’m really happy with this as it’s my first podium in WorldSBK, especially because during the weekend we have had a lot of problems in dry conditions with trying to find a good set-up for the bike. I was looking forward to a wet race all through the weekend because I felt good on the bike. So I want to enjoy this result with my team. I want to say a special thanks to Barni (Team Principal Marco Barnabò) as he came back from yesterday as his father passed away, so this result is for him.”
Jonathan Rea will now take his Championship defense to Round 11 of the FIM MOTUL World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours in two weeks time.
More, from a press release issued by MV Agusta:
GREAT PERFORMANCE BY LEON CAMIER, 4TH IN RACE2 AT EUROSPEEDWAY
18 SETTEMBRE 2016
Leon Camier close to the podium in Race 2 riding the MV Agusta F4 RC till the 4th position for the third time this season.
The start of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Race2 was postponed for several minutes by the Race Direction, due to the heavy rain that began to fall on the asphalt at EuroSpeedway, in Germany.
The new start, always in wet conditions, saw the WorldSBK riders compete for 16 laps, with Leon Camier who started a close fight between the top positions and has set the fastest time in race until lap 13. The British rider was able to well manage the power of his F4 RC on the wet asphalt and was able to finish in 4th position, really close to the first podium of the season.
Leon Camier #2 WorldSBK – I am really, really happy to be honest. It was a really difficult condition because the track was really slippery and unpredictable and everyone was making mistake. I think I could get to the podium because the bike was really good but I made a mistake a few laps to go, trying to catch Fores.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Makes Return To Winning Form As Sykes Finds Misfortune
After experiencing very different fortunes on the first race day at the Lausitzring Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes once again posted a contrasting set of results on Sunday. Rea convincingly won a wet 16-lap race this time around but Sykes finished 12th, after falling and then restarting from the back of the field.
As the KRT duo lined up for the start of race two, scheduled for 13.00 CET, the heavens opened and the start was delayed to allow for a change to a wet race set-up. Another delay came after standing water and visibility issues came to light on the sighting lap. The eventual start of the race, at 13.47, was for a 16-lap contest and not the planned 21.
Both official Ninja ZX-10R riders made good starts in the rain but before the first lap was finished Sykes had slid off under braking, one of many fallers in the tricky conditions.
Rea took his chance to lead with both hands and pushed on at a fast pace, one that none of his peers could match in the wet conditions. He was to win by almost ten seconds, even slowing up on the final straight to celebrate his ninth win of the year.
Sykes set about moving back into the points scoring positions with great determination and pushed to the very last to make sure he got every available point after his early stroke of bad luck.
In the championship Jonathan leads with 393 points from Tom’s 346, making for a points differential of 47. Kawasaki is now 99 points in the lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
The next round takes place at Magny Cours in France, with race days on 1st and 2nd October.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It feels like probably the most important win of my career so far. I felt that after yesterday and Laguna our backs were against the wall. In morning warm-up I began to feel good with the bike again after we had made some positive set-up changes. When we saw the rain coming on the grid we had to completely change to a wet set-up. It was one of those positions that with me leading the championship I had a lot to lose – but a lot to gain as well. I took my chance and put my head down from the start. I really felt good with the bike so I have to thank all my crew because last night my bike was not in a great way. They worked really late, and meticulously, to make sure the bike was perfect. To reward them with this result means I am really happy. So this is for my mechanics that have worked so hard and also for Pere and Paolo, who gave me such a good wet bike set-up.”
Tom Sykes, stated: “I think it was probably a rider issue for my crash today, as the bike set-up was not working well and I think I overstepped the mark in the first race. We need to find a small set-up improvement in the dry but much more in the wet. That is not so good in one respect but I also know I can win races in the wet. It is just finding the correct balance and feedback for the rider and at this moment I do not have it in those conditions. I am sure we can find it. In racing everything is possible and everything turns on its head so fast. Yesterday I was 26 points from the lead and today 47. The positive is that over the last three races the points gap is now at 47 but three races ago it was at 71. We still have three rounds remaining.”
Other Kawasaki riders found both good and bad luck in the wet conditions that arrived for race two. Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) was ninth, which puts him 14th in the championship after ten rounds. Anthony West (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was looking good for a very strong finish until he fell from fifth place, on lap seven. West is 17th in the series. Gianluca Vizziello (Grillini Racing Team) was pipped on the line by Sykes and finished 13th. Neither Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Kawasaki) nor Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Racing Team) finished the second race.
More, from a press release issued by Honda:
German rain makes for an extra challenge to Honda WorldSBK riders in race two
Round 10 – Germany
Lausitzring, Germany
Round 10 of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship has drawn to a close for the Honda WorldSBK Team, with Michael van der Mark and Nicky Hayden finishing race two at the Lausitzring in eighth and tenth places, respectively. After being delayed a couple of times due to adverse weather conditions, the race got underway at 13:47 with a reduced race distance of 16 laps and was contested on a very slippery surface.
Michael van der Mark maintained his position at the start and, as the race reached its halfway point, he was sixth but under pressure from former teammate Sylvain Guintoli, who got past him two laps later. With three laps to go, the young Dutchman crashed out of seventh place at turn nine; despite substantial damage on his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machine, he bravely re-joined the race to claim an eighth place at the line.
Nicky Hayden had a very difficult start from the front row of the grid and by lap three he had dropped down to 18th place. Although he was unable to find a competitive rhythm, Hayden made his way back to 11th place, before he was forced to run straight on at turn six on lap 11, when Alex Lowes crashed in front of him. After returning to the track in 12th position, the experienced American rode his way to a tenth place finish.
The next round of the FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at Magny-Cours in France in a fortnight’s time.
Michael van der Mark 60
8th
We had a nice dry warm up, in which we tried a couple of changes which gave us a bit more grip and I definitely felt better on the bike compared to yesterday. When it was time to race, race direction decided it was better to wait given the amount of rain that was falling. It was the right decision as there was basically no visibility at all. I got a good start to the race but the track was very slippery and I couldn’t lean as much as I wanted. After a couple of laps, I saw Giugliano crashing out of the race and I immediately thought about the championship situation, because the priority was to stay upright. Then, with three laps to go I simply locked the front and crashed. I really wanted to finish the race so I picked up the bike and rode two laps with barely any front brake. These are very important points for me, so all in all I’m not too disappointed.
Nicky Hayden 69
10th
Warm up went very well, but obviously the conditions changed for the race and it ended up not being my best day. I didn’t have a good race at all and I apologise to the team. Yesterday I did a silly mistake very early during FP3 in the wet so I had no data from the session for these type of conditions. This really put us on the back foot, especially in the early laps. Eventually I started to feel better but on the main straight, when I caught Lowes, he ended up crashing in front of me and by instinct I released the brakes for a split second and ended up running off. Given how the track is, when I returned to the track I had lost almost 15 seconds and a couple of places. Still my performance in the wet was not good and I will try to make up for it in Magny-Cours.
Pieter Breddels
Technical Manager
We were ready and confident to race in the dry but of course it was not meant to be today. Michael had a good start and was running his own race, but unfortunately he ended up crashing with three laps to go. Eighth was not the result he was aiming for, but hats off to him for picking the bike up and riding it to the finish line. His last lap wasn’t even that bad considering the damage! Things simply didn’t go the right way for Nicky already ffom the start. After losing so many places he started to pick up the pace, but when Lowes crashed in front of him he lost that momentum again and with it the temperature in his tyres. In the end he took a tenth place, surely not what he was looking for especially after winning a race in Malaysia, but the two tracks have very little in common. We have some work to do now on our wet set-up, especially before Magny-Cours where it wouldn’t be surprising if it rains.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Sixth place for Chaz Davies in a wet Race 2 at EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Davide Giugliano crashes out from 2nd place
After a superb victory in Race 1 with Chaz Davies, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team faced a difficult Sunday at EuroSpeedway Lausitz (Germany). A sudden change in weather conditions, from dry to wet, mixed things up. In an unpredictable Race 2, Chaz Davies finished in sixth place while Davide Giugliano was forced to retire due to a crash.
With the start delayed twice due to track conditions, Race 2 was reduced to 16 laps. Giugliano was quick out of the blocks, climbing back to second position despite starting from third row. After posting the provisional best lap, however, the Italian crashed out at turn 9 during lap 4. Upon medical examination, Giugliano was diagnosed with a suspected fracture in the right shoulder blade, which will be further examined upon his return to Italy on Monday.
Davies seemed to have a strong chance to seal another win after posting the fastest lap in the dry during warm-up, but was penalized by the adverse weather. The Welshman fought tenaciously in the second group, controlling the everchanging track conditions and progressively improving his pace to cross the finish line in sixth place, a result that solidifies his position in the championship.
After ten rounds, Davies and Giugliano are in third (295 points) and sixth (195 points) position respectively in the general standings. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will resume action on September 30 in Magny Cours (France) for the eleventh round of the season.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) 6th
“Track conditions were tricky today. It took me a while to get up to speed, but the priority was to stay upright and I was happy to finish the race since I didn’t have the best feeling on the front. It’s a shame the weather turned its back on us, but it was the same for everyone. The positive thing is that we’ve kept a good form ever since the summer tests. Had the weather stayed dry, we would have had another chance to win. We’ll try again in Magny Cours in two weeks’ time with the second place in the championship in our mind.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #34) DNF
“I didn’t expect the crash, because I quickly realized Rea and I could make a difference in the wet and I wasn’t on the limit. The plan was to wait until the last few laps to attack. I was cautious with the throttle, but wet races are always a lottery and all of a sudden the rear lost grip. It’s a shame because I really wanted to give the team another good result after Chaz’s win. The good thing is that we’ve made a big step forward in dry conditions as well today, showing a promising pace during warm-up. We’ll bounce back in Magny Cours, a track that I like much better.”
Ernesto Marinelli, Superbike Project Director
“Unfortunately, the weather had a negative impact on us today. Our potential in dry conditions was clear. We could have gone for a double win, but the rain mixed things up. It’s a pity that Davide crashed out, as he’s always very competitive in wet conditions. Chaz correctly adopted a conservative approach, collecting important points. We leave Lausitz with confidence nonetheless, as we’ve made steps forward during the summer break.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Fighting Fifth from Guintoli in German Return at Rain Soaked Lausitz
Heavy rain hit the EuroSpeedway Lausitz just as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid formed for this afternoon’s battle. Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK rider Sylvain Guintoli rode a stellar race to close a top-five finish while Alex Lowes unfortunately succumbed to the conditions on lap 10.
Cold temperatures and low grip amounted to a difficult start as the reduced 16-lap race got underway at the Lausitzring. Mirroring his impressive pace from yesterday’s morning practice in the wet, Guintoli soon looked comfortable on his YZF-R1 despite the surroundings. Steadily picking his way around the soaking circuit, the Frenchman’s times began to improve as he reeled in the front group, holding the fastest lap of the race so far on lap 10 as he battled van der Mark for sixth position. Securing the move he immediately set on the hunt for Davies with podium matching pace, taking fifth with three laps to go and instantly breaking the hold. Guintoli crossed the line with over a two second gap, collecting 11 points and bolstering his championship tally to 76.
Suffering a bad start under the demanding circumstances, Lowes was lucky to stay upright as he left the lights but quickly recovered to jump six positions within the opening lap. Running strongly inside the top ten by middle distance, the unfortunate Briton was again caught out by the conditions, falling at turn six on his 10th revolution and forcing his retirement from Round 10’s final race.
In the morning’s FIM Supersport World Championship race, Yamaha and Kallio Motorsport rider Niki Tuuli put on an impressive performance to place his YZF-R6 on the podium in second, just 1.7 seconds behind the reigning Champion Kenan Sofuoglu, having battled with the leader for the majority of the 19-lap race.
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team now looks to prepare for Guintoli’s home event as the WorldSBK Championship moves to Magny-Cours in France on Friday 30th September.
Sylvain Guintoli
Race: 5th / +17.100 / 16 laps. Championship: 13th / 76 points
“It is good to be back in the top-five – especially after almost five months away from racing. It was also good to just be back racing this weekend! I missed being on the bike a lot. Fifth place is a good result for us but saying that, I felt like I really struggled at the start of the race to get temperature and grip from the rear tyre and the bike was not giving me the feel that I wanted. I feel that it’s a bit of a lost opportunity as the YZF-R1 was really, really, good for braking and chassis-wise was very good also but I was struggling with traction out of the corners. All-in-all I’ve got to be happy with this, coming back to racing but I also feel like we should have done a lot better. I did everything I could and I almost crashed many times so we’ll take this and look towards my home race.”
Alex Lowes
Race: DNF. Championship: 11th / 102 points
“What can I say? It’s been a disappointing weekend for me. I had really good pace in the dry on Friday but the weather just didn’t work out in my favour for today’s race. The grip and conditions were very challenging today and I really struggled at the start but I managed to get back up to the top ten quickly enough. I had consistent pace and was looking at some decent points but it wasn’t to be. We will continue to put in the work and look to come back stronger in France.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal
“It was great to have Sylvain back with us after so long and to finish in the top-five was very impressive. The pace was good enough for the podium but the start and lack of feel in the early laps let us down. We don’t have a lot of wet-running experience with the YZF-R1 so this race will help a lot in preparation for the future.
“Alex’s dry pace was again strong in warm up today but we missed something in the wet, resulting in a lack of feedback and rider confidence. There were 12 crashes in the race, the track is unbelievably slippery – it was just a shame we were one of them!
“The whole Pata Yamaha team would like to extend their congratulations to Niki Tuuli for his dramatic second position in today’s Supersport race, and to Riccardo Russo and the Pata Yamaha Official STK1000 Team for their podium on his return from injury. Onwards to Magny-Cours, and an upturn in our fortunes there!”