Motul FIM Superbike World Championship
Donington Park, England
May 26, 2018
Race One Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Michael Van Der Mark, Netherlands (Yam YZF-R1), 23 laps, Total Race Time 33:56.530, Best Lap Time 1:28.087
2. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -1.136 seconds, 1:27.974
3. Tom Sykes, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -2.193, 1:28.080
4. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -6.642, 1:28.101
5. Lorenzo Savadori, Italy (Apr RSV4 RF), -7.331, 1:28.311
6. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Apr RSV4 RF), -13.374, 1:28.480
7. Loris Baz, France (BMW S1000RR), -15.992, 1:28.486
8. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale R), -18.532, 1:28.660
9. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -20.478, 1:28.438
10. Leon Camier, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -20.634, 1:28.799
11. Jordi Torres, Spain (MV Agusta F4 RC), -22.503, 1:28.923
12. Michael Rinaldi, Italy (Duc Panigale R), -33.250, 1:29.143
13. Leandro Mercado, Argentina (Kaw ZX-10RR), -33.771, 1:29.261
14. Bradley Ray, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -36.715, 1:28.963
15. PJ Jacobsen, USA (Honda CBR1000RR SP2), -38.850, 1:29.591
16. Jake Gagne, USA (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -42.536, 1:29.727
17. Luke Mossey, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -42.682, 1:29.686
18. Ondrej Jezek, Czech Republic (Yam YZF-R1), -47.849, 1:29.925
19. Roman Ramos, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), -50.256, ran off track, 1:29.472
20. Niccolo Canepa, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), -52.188, ran off track, 1:29.926
21. Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey (Kaw ZX-10RR), -55.588, crash, 1:28.471
22. Marco Melandri, Italy (Duc Panigale R), -79.859, crash, 1:28.655
23. Gino Rea, UK ((Suz GSX-R1000) -96.779, 1:30.469
24. Xavi Fores, Spain (Duc Panigale R), -13 laps, DNF, retired, 1:29.785
25. Mason Law, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -23 laps, DNF, retired, no lap time recorded
Championship Point Standings (after 11 of 26 races):
1. Rea, 229 points
2. Davies, 170
3. Sykes, 153
4. Van Der Mark, 138
5. Melandri, 131
6. Fores, 124
7. Lowes, 105
8. Baz, 61
9. Razgatlioglu, 58
10. Torres, 57
11. Camier, 48
12. Savadori, 44
13. Rinaldo, 43
14. Laverty, 37
15. Mercado, 34
16. Ramos, 32
17. Jacobsen, 18
18. Gagne, 17
19. Haslam, 14
20. TIE, Davide Giugliano/Yonny Hernandez, 11
22. TIE, Ray/Jezek, 2
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Forés decided to retire in race 1 at Donington Park
Donington (UK), 26th May 2018. A very bitter day ended at Donington Park Circuit, where MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is on the stage this weekend.
The Barni Racing Team rider Xavi Forés decided to retire after 10 laps while he was in 21st position in race 1. The flagbearer of the team from Bergamo didn’t manage to solve the problem that affected from Friday his Ducati Panigale R and in Superpole 1 he was only tenth. For the first time in the season he was out of Superpole 2. Because of that he started from the 22nd spot of the grid and when he saw coming even few positions it was impossible he decided to back into the pit earlier.
Remaining at 124 points in the Championship Standings Forés loses the fifth place. He’s sixth still seven point far from Melandri.
Marco Barnabò, Principal Manager
«We knew it would be difficult, but we did not believe so much. We have worked a lot on the bike for two days trying to find a setup that would allow us at least a fair race, but apparently we did not succeed. All changes we did – and we did a lot – did not help us to improve the pace. At the end the rider decided to stop because he could not improve his position and only risk was to slice out. As we can see all Ducati machine are struggling in this track, but we mustn’t feel authorized to give up. Tomorrow we will make other attempts and we will try to find a way out».
Xavi Forés, #12
«It’s a very hard weekend for us, we are not founding a setup that allows us to jump ahead. It is event hard to manage the situation because we are not in the position we deserve. Even though we have tried the bike in a thousand ways, I continue to suffer a lot while driving».
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Double Podium Finish For KRT’s Home Riders
Official KRT riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes finished second and third respectively after the first 23-lap WorldSBK race of their home round at Donington Park in the UK.
Sykes had started from a record breaking 44th career pole position, with Rea just behind in the second place grid spot. In the race their Kawasaki battle for the win was eventually for second and third place, with Rea taking the runner-up spot.
In a race that appeared to be a start-to-finish KRT battle after the first few thrilling laps, Rea finally secured second place and finished just over a second from first time WorldSBK race winner Michael van der Mark. Rea led the first five laps of the race, before first Sykes and then van der Mark came past. Rea got past his team-mate finally on lap 17.
Sykes was 2.193 seconds from the victory in race one, and led the race in determined fashion from lap six to lap 14, before rear traction issues dropped his pace. He was still over four seconds ahead of the fourth place rider.
In what were dry and relatively warm conditions compared to a damp and chilly first day of track action on Friday, Rea secured his ninth podium of the year in race one, pushing himself 59 points ahead of his nearest championship rival, Chaz Davies, in the process.
Sykes drew himself to within 17 points of second ranked rider Davies after his third place finish at Donington, with Chaz finishing down in eighth place today.
Tomorrow’s 23-lap WorldSBK race is scheduled to start at 13.00, local time in the UK.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “The bike felt good to be honest but just in the middle to end the grip level dropped and I was having to override to try and make up, especially in the Craner Curves sector, where I was losing a lot to Mikey. In the more stop and sections I felt quite OK and I could be constant. He just had a better pace. Michael was riding well and his bike was working good but the first race gave us good information for tomorrow. In initial acceleration I felt quiet good but anywhere I was using a lot of lean angle, trying to carry momentum, I was really struggling. We just need to re-evaluate our package for tomorrow. I felt like I did the best job I could as at the end of the race the bike was becoming very physical to ride, moving a lot and I was riding a bit tense. It was not for us today.”
Tom Sykes, stated: “It was pretty good to get a new Superpole record. There is personal satisfaction because for me Superpole is all about pure speed, so you are the fastest guy in that moment. It is a nice record to have, and it is something to be personally proud of. In the race I just wanted to get into the lead and I had a lot better pace at the beginning. But for some reason in the middle of the race I started suffering with spinning the rear tyre. I think I managed that and I think we did the best we could. Michael had incredible grip and when he came through, away he went. So for tomorrow we have a little bit of work to do but a podium is nothing too shabby. Tomorrow I feel we can improve the bike and give it a better shot.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team:
Courageous Camier clinches top-ten finish in Race 1 at Donington
UK Round
Donington Park, United Kingdom
Leon Camier battled through the pain barrier to score a sensational top-ten finish in WorldSBK Race 1 at Donington Park for the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team, while Jake Gagne finished just outside the points in his Superbike debut at the demanding British circuit.
Starting from P13 on the grid for Race 1, Camier got a good start to make up a couple of positions and set a strong pace on his Fireblade. As the race went on, Camier settled into twelfth place while maintaining a good rhythm and despite being in considerable pain due to his injury, the Briton valiantly charged on and as the chequered flag was waved, crossed the finish line in tenth place.
Gagne also enjoyed some close racing in the pack and after starting the race from the seventh row on the grid, the American rookie was able to pick up positions throughout the race and at the finish line claimed sixteenth place just behind fellow Honda rider and compatriot PJ Jacobsen who took the final points-paying position.
The result sees Camier’s point tally for the season grow to 48 points and he remains in P11 in the championship, while Gagne sits eighteenth overall with seventeen points. The next WorldSBK session is tomorrow’s Warm Up session at 0945 local time (GMT +1) with Race 2 kicking off at 1300.
Leon Camier 2
What a day! That was a really tough race and in the last laps I managed to battle through the fatigue so to come away with a top ten finish is more than I could have hoped for today. The Fireblade was working really well and I could keep a great pace, particularly in the first two sectors but in the hard braking and left hand turns my injuries made it quite a struggle. The goal today was just to finish the race, but being able to keep pace with the Ducatis in front of me and finish in P10 was encouraging so I’m pretty pleased.
Jake Gagne 45
Today wasn’t an easy day but it was a good experience getting in so many dry laps in around this circuit. Superpole didn’t go as well as we had hoped so I started the race a fair way back and my start wasn’t the best which left me with a lot of work to do in the race. It took a few laps to find my rhythm and in some areas the bike was working well, but in other areas – particularly under braking – we were missing a bit so although I managed to pick up some positions during the race, I think with some changes to the bike and my riding style we can be stronger tomorrow.
Kervin Bos
Team Manager
I’m happy with how our day went today given our situation. Leon’s tenth place was special considering he’s riding with broken ribs, especially as so far this weekend he didn’t manage more than a handful of laps each stint, so for him to complete 23 laps with such a strong pace was a big boost not only for him but also our team. We’ll continue to see how he’s doing but for today we’re very happy with his performance. Jake has been building up steadily this weekend and again he took a step in the race today, he only just missed out on the points today but now he knows the track and we can make some changes overnight so he will try again for to fight for points tomorrow. Today marks the first race since Thailand where both of our riders have completed a race, so we hope this is a turning point for our season and we can start to build momentum again and get the results the team, riders and CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 are capable of.
More, from a press release issued by Gulf Althea BMW:
Front-row start and seventh for Baz in race 1 at Donington
Castle Donington (UK), Saturday 26 May 2018
On track at Donington for round 6 of the Superbike world championship, the Gulf Althea BMW Racing team and rider Loris Baz crossed the line seventh in today’s race, having qualified on the front row, in third position. In the Stock1000 qualifying session, Alessandro Delbianco scored an extremely positive third place finish.
Superpole2: having completed yesterday’s timed practices in eighth place, Baz gained direct entry to today’s SP2. Lying ninth mid-session, the Frenchman headed back out on track with the qualifying tyre, completing two very fast laps, the best of which in 1’27.348. Thanks to this excellent time, Loris qualified in third position for race 1, scoring a front row start for the first time this season and BMW’s first front row start in five years.
SBK – Race 1: Baz got away well from the front row, lying sixth one lap into the race. Retaining that position through the opening laps, he battled briefly with Laverty, finding himself seventh on lap six. Thanks to a consistent pace, the Frenchman held that position all the way to the line, scoring important points for the championship. Having crossed the line seventh, Loris will line up in fourth place on tomorrow’s race grid.
STK1000 Qualifying: fourth in the final free practice this morning, Delbianco was back out for qualifying this afternoon, in dry conditions. The Italian proved very strong during the 30-minute session, consistently among the frontrunners. His best lap, completed in 1’29.495, saw him close third overall, which translates into a front row start in tomorrow’s race, so an excellent result for the young Stock1000 rider also.
Loris Baz:
“A very good day, I’m pleased to have scored the first front row start for BMW in five years. I felt very confident with the qualifying tyre, and we have made a good step with the bike, but nevertheless the front row came as a pleasant surprise. I knew the race would be tougher, when you start from the front row you always hope you can fight for the podium but unfortunately that wasn’t possible. I still had some grip issues and, although I tried my best, I gradually lost ground, losing a few tenths each lap. Overall a very good result, considering how things went at Imola. I hope for a good race tomorrow, from fourth on the grid; it would be nice if it rained but whatever the conditions, we’ll see if we can improve on today’s performance.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Davies 8th in Race 1 at Donington with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, Melandri 22nd after a crash
Race 1 of the sixth round of the 2018 WorldSBK Championship, held at Donington (United Kingdom), turned out to be more difficult than expected for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri fought gallantly but struggled since a difficult Superpole, finished in third and fourth row respectively, which didn’t allow them to mount an attack to the podium. The Welshman and the Italian actually rode most of the race together, until six laps to go: Melandri then crashed out without consequences at turn 12, then he climbed back on his bike to finish 22nd, while Davies managed to recover two positions during a thrilling last lap to take home eighth place.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi, with the Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team, recovered three positions from his starting place on the grid to finish 12th. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team and the Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team will resume action Sunday, May 27th, at 09:45 local time (CET -1) for a warm-up session ahead of Race 2, which is scheduled to start at 13:00 local time.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 8th
“I entered the race with good confidence despite the grid position, I thought we could have a shot at the podium but unfortunately it’s been a difficult one. We struggled to get the feeling that I wanted, obviously the crash yesterday didn’t help as it reduced our time on track, but I expected to make bigger steps forward today. We didn’t have much grip so it was a case of just getting the best out of it, which today meant riding as smoothly as possible. Things change pretty quickly in this game, so hopefully we’ll be able to turn things around ahead of tomorrow.”
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #33) – 22nd
“We’ve been working hard as ever but we’re still trying to understand why we struggle on this track. It’s been a difficult weekend so far, in the wet and in the dry. As for the crash, I’ve been riding with Chaz pretty much all race until then and I knew I was faster in the first two splits and he was faster in the last one, so it was very difficult for me to pass him and I was just trying to stay closer to him but unfortunately I lost the front. With the new rules, we’ve been struggling for a while under some aspects, such as getting the bike to stop and turn as it used to. We need to try and improve, one area at a time. Tomorrow’s another day.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team #21) – 12th
“We tried to work at the best of our capabilities, limiting the damages on a track that doesn’t suit us particularly, and I think we rode a solid race despite the fact that our potential is higher. I’m happy with the way we worked with the whole crew, and tomorrow we’ll try to make other steps forward and be ready for whatever the weather brings.”
Marco Zambenedetti, Technical Coordinator on track for Ducati Corse
“Despite the fact that Chaz and Marco fought as hard as ever, today’s race has been more difficult than expected. We need to analyze the data in great detail to bounce back as soon as possible. We don’t lack motivation and the riders’ talent is not under discussion. Tomorrow the weather could play a key role, so we need to be ready.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
#UKWorldSBK – Day 2: Van der Mark shocks Donington with first WorldSBK win
Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) got the monkey off his back to take his first WorldSBK victory
No non-British rider had won at Donington Park since 2012, and from the Free Practice sessions and Superpole, few would have predicted that would change today in Race 1. But Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) threw out the script for the Prosecco DOC UK Round with a sensational ride, flying from sixth on the grid to his first ever win in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.
Van der Mark is the first Dutch rider to win in the top class, and the first win for a Yamaha rider since Algarve 2011, Race 2. The Dutchman left both Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) shocked and fighting for the remaining podium places, with the Northern Irishman in second and ‘Superpoleman’ in third.
The psychological battle between the KRTs, leading the first row, started right from the start. Rea made it ahead at the lights, with the pair squabbling through sector 1. Sykes struck back three laps later at the Old Hairpin, but went wide at the Melbourne loop. Two laps later, an aggressive Sykes made it back in front, same move, same spot.
The Kawasakis were poised – and had been widely predicted – to dominate Donington weekend, but van der Mark threw a spanner in the works immediately, the only rider able to keep up with Rea and Sykes after passing his teammate Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team). But stalking the KRTs was not enough for the flying Dutchman – Rea went wide at Melbourne in lap 13, the same he’d done a few laps earlier, and van der Mark shot ahead into second.
A couple of laps later, he attacked again. Van der Mark stuck the nose in at Melbourne, yet again, closed the line over Sykes, and blasted away in the lead. But the battle was far from over here: Rea picked his teammate’s pocket around Schwartz with 6 laps to go, and shot after van der Mark, smelling blood. Yet today it was not to be for the defending champion, the Yamaha rider making no mistakes and meeting the flag.
Behind the sensational podium battle, Lowes finished in fourth, behind his teammate but scoring a fantastic finish at his home race. He will also have the consolation prize of leading the line at Race 2. Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) finally translated his great qualifying and free practice performances into a great race finish, making it in at Donington in fifth, ahead of his teammate, Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia), in sixth.
With the Kawasaki, Yamaha and Aprilia bikes all phenomenal ahead, it was a sorry day for Ducati, with just Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) making it into the top ten, in eighth position. Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashed with five laps to go, and goes into Race 2 with no points.
Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team) made it in in seventh, with Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finishing ninth following a thrilling battle with his teammate at Donington, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who went to the floor on the final lap. Closing the top ten was Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) on his full WorldSBK return after injury.
P1 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
“Its amazing feeling, we’ve been working for this for a long time, last year I came close and finally after four years we’ve done it. I can’t thank the team enough. The bike was working really good this morning and I was pushing so hard, so a big thank you to the team. Its been three ears on this project and we’ve finally got the victory.”
P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I could see all race that Mikey wasn’t dropping off the pace and when Tom missed a gear I made a mistake and Mikey came through. I could see he had a lot more pace than Tom, so I tried to get past. He pulled a good gap and had a lot more rubber, I tried to pull it back, but I couldn’t beat him. He was unbelievable today and congratulations to him.”
P3 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“Its not what we need but a great race from all of the top three, Micheal rode exceptionally well and there was no substitute. I was out the seat a couple of times, I had some issues I tried to ride around. I had a good battle with Jonathan, I enjoyed the race and tomorrow we can give more. I’m disappointed with our overall performance but happy with a podium.”