More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
#ESPWorldSBK – Day 2
Redding claims first WorldSBK win after thrilling five-way battle
Scorching temperatures and scintillating racing from the top five as three manufacturers fight for victory in Jerez
The long wait for race action in MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship came to an end with a thrilling Race 1 for the Pirelli Spanish Round at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) claimed a hard-fought victory to claim his first WorldSBK win; the first time since 2004 that there have been four different winners in the first four races.
Reigning Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made a good start from the front row to take the lead from polesitter Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) while Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) was also able to jump from fifth to move into second; pushing Redding down into third place.
Redding had to fight his way past Toprak Razgatlioglu on Lap 11 to move back into second place, passing Turkish rider into Turn 6 to move into second place before instantly starting to apply the pressure to Rea. It took just three more laps before Redding would make the move for the lead.
The race winning move came on Lap 14 out of 20 when Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) passed Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) down into Turn 6; using the power of his Ducati to get alongside before forcing the five-time WorldSBK Champion wide to claim the race lead and his first victory since moving to WorldSBK.
Rea came home in second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, who had to fend off a last-lap charge from Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) to hold on to third place. Davies tried to make moves at the right-hander of Turn 1 and around the outside of the Turn 6 hairpin, but he ran wide; Razgatlioglu holding on to take third place with Davies in fourth.
Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was the top Independent rider in the race with fifth place, running in the lead quartet for the majority of the race before a late charge from Davies moved him down to fifth place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) continued his impressive weekend with a sixth-place finish from a 10th place start.
Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) finished in seventh place, four seconds away from Rinaldi and almost in a race of his own in the latter stages as he finished eight seconds clear of eighth-placed Marco Melandri (Barni Racing); the Italian finishing an impressive eighth place after making up 11 places throughout the race. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who led the Championship coming into the race, finished in ninth after being passed by Melandri in the latter stages.
Bautista’s Team HRC teammate, Leon Haslam, was 10th ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) scoring points on his return to the Championship as the privateer team brought Aprilia back to the Championship as part of a wildcard plan.
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in 13th place with Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) and Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounding out the points-paying positions. Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance), debutant Lorenzo Gabellini (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) and teammate Takumi Takahashi were the last classified runners.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was running in the leading group but suffered a technical issue as he approached Turn 1 in the early stages of the race, ruling him out of contention in the early stages of the race. He was able to take the bike back to the pit lane despite the issue. Sykes was able to re-join the race on Lap 12; the issue not proving to be terminal.
Sykes’ issue was not the only issue during the race as Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) retired from the race on Lap 8, lots of smoke coming out the back of his bike forcing him to retire from Race 1 as he was running in the top 10. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) suffered a high speed crash at Turn 4 but was able to ride the bike back to the pit lane, although it ended his race, while Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) also suffered a crash at Turn 6.
P1 Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) :
“What a hot day! I think everybody suffered a lot. I can’t breathe, it’s so hot and humid, it’s so difficult to breathe. When I was behind in the beginning, I couldn’t really focus that well because it was too hot from the two bikes in front. I just did what I could and I knew everyone was going to be suffering a little bit so I tried to use that to my advantage with my training where I put myself into a darker place to suffer more it’s worth it. To get the first pole position and win I’m very happy.”
P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) :
“Pretty good actually, it was nice to get that information for the 20 laps. We didn’t do a long run all weekend. I was struggling with the front tyre towards the end, it was moving a lot and I had a few warnings but I tried to keep the rhythm quite fast in the beginning to break up the group. When I saw it was Scott and Toprak there, I was able to relax a little bit, but when Scott came past he had a little bit extra so congratulations to him. I want to thank my team because they gave me a really good bike today and we can make a small step for tomorrow.”
P3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) :
“Today is not easy for me, it’s not easy for all riders because it’s incredibly hot. I tried my best for third position, I am happy with the podium again. Tomorrow we need to a good setup. We are happy, let’s see tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Stunning Scott Redding: pole position and amazing first WorldSBK victory. Great race of Chaz Davies fighting for the podium until the last corner.
It was a perfect Saturday for Scott Redding at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. After taking pole position in the morning, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider gets his first victory in his career in WorldSBK. Chaz Davies is also the protagonist of an excellent race finished in fourth place after a great comeback.
Scott’s start is not perfect and at the first corner, he finds himself behind Rea and Razgatlioglu. His strategy is perfect: he remains glued to Toprak until lap 11 then attacks him to chase Rea who overtakes with 5 laps to go to take a fantastic victory. With this result, Scott Redding takes the lead in the Superbike World Championship standings with 64 points.
Starting from P7, Chaz finds himself 11th at the first corner and starts an exciting comeback that brings him in 5th position on lap 5. The race pace is incisive and allows him to pass Baz with 3 laps to go to engage in a duel for the podium with Razgatlioglu until the last corner. Chaz is now 5th in the WorldSBK standing with 32 points.
P1 – Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45)
“It’s a great day for me: pole position and victory, couldn’t have done better. The race was very hard because of the temperature. In some moments I suffered a lot. I would like to thank the team for providing me with a bike that has worked very well. When did I start to suffer? Since I entered the pit lane. These are extreme conditions and tomorrow it will be even more difficult. But this is a problem all riders have to deal with”.
P4 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7)
“Unfortunately the start wasn’t the best and it compromised the possibility of fighting for the podium from the very first laps. During the race, however, the pace was good and allowed me to recover many positions. Satisfied? I would be if I raised a trophy. We have to work tomorrow morning to try and work out some small details that will allow me to be more incisive”.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Razgatlıoğlu Continues Title Bid with WorldSBK Podium in Jerez Opener
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team with Rizla rider Toprak Razgatlıoğlu continued his strong start to the 2020 FIM Superbike World Championship campaign, with a podium finish in a scorching Race 1 at the Circuito de Jerez. Meanwhile, teammate Michael van der Mark’s hopes of a first podium of the season were dashed following a technical issue, which eventually saw him retire from the race.
With Yamaha riders locking out the second row of the grid in Spain, Pata Yamaha’s Razgatlıoğlu made a lightning start, as he rose from fifth to second on the approach to Turn 1. For the proceeding laps, the Turkish rider hounded the rear of Jonathan Rea’s Kawasaki, as the front four began to pull away from the rest of the field.
Razgatlıoğlu continued to battle for the lead with Rea and Scott Redding, as the rising track temperatures saw the riders focus on tyre conservation in the second half of the 20-lap race. The Phillip Island race winner continued to fight with the front-runners, holding off the charging Chaz Davies to cross the line in third place, collecting more important championship points for his title challenge.
Having clocked the fastest time in Saturday morning’s FP3, as well as a strong performance in the Superpole, Van der Mark was looking forward to a good result at the 4.428 km circuit, but a technical problem forced the Dutchman to retire on the eighth lap.
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team’s rookie duo for this season, Garrett Gerloff and Federico Caricasulo, showed promising pace in practice and lined up inside the top 15 on the grid for the Jerez opener.
Gerloff made a good getaway and climbed three places to 12th in the early stages, going on to take the chequered flag in a solid 11th position. Teammate Caricasulo dropped back from his 13th place grid slot, but was making a promising comeback before crashing out from 11th at the left-hander of Turn 3.
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSBK Supported Team’s Loris Baz, who had made an excellent start to the weekend with the fastest time on Friday, was just a few bike lengths behind the podium places throughout the race and held on to take a deserved fifth-place finish in front of many factory entries.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P3
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“Today was very tough for all the riders, it was incredibly hot. I was fighting for the win, but it was just out of reach because in the closing stages the bike began to slide a lot. I tried my best and finishing third means we can take good points for the championship. I was fighting with Chaz Davies in the closing stages, but I managed to hold him off with some defensive riding. After practice I wasn’t completely happy, but it’s good to know that we can fight for wins even after a difficult Friday, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Michael van der Mark: DNF
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“This morning and in the Superpole I had a good feeling on the bike, we had improved my R1 a lot compared to yesterday. Straight away in the race I was missing top speed, I could feel something was wrong, and unfortunately in the end we had a technical failure. Tomorrow’s another day though, we can still improve in a few areas, including under braking, but I’m confident of a good result.”
Garrett Gerloff: P11
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
“Finally, it feels good to be racing again and to see the chequered flag being waved. I was hoping to be slightly higher up, there were a few guys ahead of me that I could see I was closing the gap to, but in the end I couldn’t quite catch them. I had a really strong bike though, but with the heat it makes things a lot more difficult to manage and maximise. We collected some good data and it was great to get the first race out the way so I can focus on getting into a better rhythm.“
Federico Caricasulo: DNF
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
“I had a good start but then I made a small mistake in the first lap, which dropped me to 15th. Afterwards I then made some overtakes and got up to 11th position and I was happy with the feeling on the bike. Unfortunately, I made a mistake trying to catch the group in front of me, but I will learn from this to improve for tomorrow. I’m more confident for the next races, I think with the pace I could be inside the top six or seven.”
Loris Baz: P5
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSBK Supported Team
“Not quite a podium yet, but I’m still happy. We have to take the most points we can without making mistakes, and fighting with factory guys is always good. The qualifying was OK, I felt there was a bit more left but it still wasn’t a bad position. In the race, I struggled at the beginning, it took me three laps or so to be on the pace. The bike was sliding a lot and I had to stop using the rear brake, which is unusual for me. Then I started to come back towards the front three, but I couldn’t find a way to pass. In the slipstream the tyres overheated quite a lot and I dropped to fifth, but overall I’m happy with the job we’ve done today.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
RINALDI SHINES IN JEREZ’S “SAUNA”!
Positive note in the warm Saturday of Jerez de la Frontera for the Ducati V4-R of Go Eleven and Michael Ruben Rinaldi! In race 1 a steadily faster pace than the first group give to the rider from Santarcangelo di Romagna the possibility to come back several positions, after a not too brilliant Superpole.
The FP 3 were useful for testing the long-term drop of the tyre; despite the “cooler” temperatures, the data collected helped to perfect the set-up in view of the first post-lockdown race. In addition, another rear tyre solution was also tested, looking for the Race.
Free Practice 3:
P 1 M. Van Der Mark 1.39.639
P 2 J. Rea + 0.205
P 3 L. Baz + 0.206
…
P 10 M. Rinaldi + 0.614
In Superpole Michael immediately showed he was in condition, finishing the first laps in race configuration a few cents from the first 5. Once the qualifying tire was on, a small mistake in the first sector and a feeling that was not optimal with the greater grip provided from the Qualifying tyre they forced Michael to defend himself in tenth position. A bit of regret remains because 3/4 positions could be achieved with less than two tenths faster. But it was known that the race would be long and very tough, the important thing was to start not too far behind.
Superpole:
P 1 S. Redding 1.38.736
P 2 J. Rea + 0.034
P 3 T. Sykes + 0.040
…
P 10 M. Rinaldi + 0.920
The true talent of the rider, combined with the good combination of the Ducati V4-R Go Eleven, were seen in Race 1!
60° of asphalt, a real “grill”, has warming up the riders until 2.00 pm, green light time. Michael Rinaldi starts well, immediately overtaking Davies, but then he lost some positions in the scrum of the first lap; he starts his comeback with several laps in line with the top of the class and really exciting overtaking. He closes on, overtakes and goes away from Van Der Mark and the two Honda HRC of Haslam and Bautista in a few steps and sets off in pursuit of the top five. From mid-race onwards Michael is constantly the fastest on the track, managing to halve his gap from the then leader Jonathan Rea (from 6.5 seconds to 3.8 on the third last lap). Sixth place, first independent Ducati at the end and second (behind Loris Baz) in the Independent Team ranking. It is by far the best race ever, in terms of performance, for both the rider and the team! And at some point in the race, from the pits, it was also thought that we could go back to the front, but in the last laps the overtaking of the first part of the race caused a small tyre drop. Tomorrow, with a good Superpole Race, the goal will be to start a few rows further ahead, in order to save a bit in the first laps during Race 2.
For today Go Eleven enjoys the excellent state of mind, the great result and the awareness of having a very competitive motorcycle-rider-team combination!
Race 1:
P 1 S. Redding 33’58.961
P 2 J. Rea + 1.147
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 2.252
…
P 6 M. Rinaldi + 6.367
Michael Rinaldi (Rider):
“I am happy because we kept a good pace all the race long, but there is a bit of regret for the Superpole; in Superpole I did not have a good feeling with the tyre and I was not able to make the most of it. Starting tenths we lost time in the overtaking and this created a gap with the leaders. I reduced it, I pushed to 100%, we got close but it was impossible to do more to catch them. Today in my opinion we loose the opportunity to fight for the podium due to a qualification not too positive, but the pace has shown that we are there! Tomorrow we will try to make an excellent Superpole Race in order to start in a better position!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“This is a great result for us, not so much for the position, but for the gap from the first to the end of the race. Friday did not start in the best way, but in FP 2 the team and the rider together gave a great show of strength, and it was a great pride for me. In the race Michael went really fast, for almost 3/4 of the race he was the fastest on the track, and if only he hadn’t been busy in the first laps today, who knows what could have shown us! This excites us and motivates us for tomorrow’s race, hoping to start a little forward on the grid! ”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team:
Front-row start goes unrewarded for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team in Saturday’s race at Jerez.
01.08.20
Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto
The five-month break is over; the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) resumed this weekend with round two of the season at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. In Saturday’s Superpole, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team secured a place on the front row of the grid. However, a technical issue in race one meant the good start position went unrewarded.
High temperatures are making the second race weekend in this season’s WorldSBK a real test for man and machine. On Saturday, temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius in Jerez de la Frontera, with track temperatures approaching 60 degrees Celsius.
In Saturday afternoon’s Superpole qualifying, Tom Sykes (GBR) landed his BMW S 1000 RR on the front row of the grid, in third place. The Brit narrowly missed out on pole position by just 0.04 seconds. His team-mate Eugene Laverty (IRL) was eleventh. However, Sykes’ challenge for a possible podium finish came to a premature end after three laps. Running fifth at the time, a technical issue initially forced him into the run-off zone and Sykes subsequently had to return to the pits. He was able to rejoin the race at the back of the field, but was not ultimately classified. Laverty gained several positions at the start, but then also ran into difficulties and dropped back through the field. He eventually crossed the finish line in 15th place after 20 laps of racing.
Shaun Muir, Team Principal
“Tom had a very strong Superpole this morning, putting his BMW S 1000 RR on the front row. Eugene struggled to get used to the qualifying tyre. As the race started, Tom got into a good rhythm and settled into the group well. Unfortunately on lap four we had a technical problem and had to return the bike to the pits. We managed to get Tom back out on track after fixing the issue which was crucial for us heading into tomorrow. Sadly we lost too much time doing this and only managed to get 16 laps in, which was deemed an unclassified position. We can only apologize to Tom for letting him down in this race, but we will come back stronger tomorrow. As for Eugene he really struggled throughout the race. He got a good start and gained a few positions off the line jumping up into P8 but then unfortunately he struggled with his front tyre from then on. Whether that was a tyre problem, confidence problem or setting problem, it knocked the pace off his lap time and overall, his final position. This is nowhere near where Eugene wants to be and nor the team, but we will look at the data and hopefully do a better job in the remaining races.”
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“After a satisfying morning, during free practice three and qualifying, in which Tom was only four hundredths of a second behind the pole position, we unfortunately had to conclude the day with a disappointing race. After the last WorldSBK test at Barcelona, we arrived feeling very positive. Despite the Barcelona heat, we had good pace in our race distance simulations so we felt well prepared for the conditions here at Jerez so the top six was our target. Unfortunately, things turned out differently in the race. Tom had a problem with a gear sensor and Eugene had a problem with the front tyre. Currently we still have to find out the exact cause there. As a result, it was impossible for Eugene to ride at a highly inclined position. Now we are tackling these technical problems in order to be able to show tomorrow where we are.”
Tom Sykes
“From the first free practice on, we tried to put together the perfect package for the race in these hot temperatures. The entire BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team did a good job on this so by the start of the race I felt really good and with our set-up we probably would had come a little bit stronger as the race progressed. But unfortunately we had a technical issue. The main thing was that the guys fixed it quickly, so I went back out. It was clear to see that in general, the set-up of the BMW S 1000 RR was well prepared, as immediately after being out again, I was back on my lap times and the bike itself was feeling good. For sure, I am a bit disappointed but we just have to try again tomorrow. Honestly speaking, if that issue had not happened we would have had chances for the podium so I am taking this momentum into tomorrow’s races.”
Eugene Laverty
“We had a tough race today. I made it difficult for myself in qualifying starting in P11 but I managed to make a good start to the race and gained three positions. On lap two, I realised I was in trouble as I tried to brake into T1 and the bike just ran straight on, then again on T5, which was down to the front tyre not working. From then on it was a matter of learning the limits of the bike, which unfortunately was almost two seconds a lap slower than I expected. We need to investigate this issue as all weekend we have had not any problems with the front tyre until now in the race.”
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Strong comeback for Melandri in race 1 at Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (SPA), 1 August 2020. An extraordinary comeback from nineteenth on the grid to eighth under the chequered flag. Marco Melandri’s return to WorldSBK with Barni Racing Team’s Ducati Panigale V4 R was characterized by a great performance in the first of the two races at the Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto, second round of the World Superbike Championship.
Starting from the 19th position on the grid after an unhappy qualifying session (1’40.665) the rider from Ravenna made a good start, but a mistake at turn six pushed him back. From that moment on the #33 started a furious comeback, with eight overtakes on the track, helped by a steady and solid pace between 1’41.7 and 1’42 low.
With this excellent performance, Melandri celebrates his return to racing with the aim of improving this result in the Superpole Race and in tomorrow’s race 2, scheduled at 11:00 and 14:00 local time respectively.
Marco Melandri
Superpole: P19 (1’40.665) – Gara 1: P8
“It was a great comeback. Unfortunately the Superpole result was really bad, I struggled a lot in the morning and couldn’t ride, but I made a good start in the race. Then at turn six I blocked the rear tyre and I was wide, when I got back on the line other riders were coming in and I was practically last. I tried to stay calm and take my pace: I felt good on the saddle and the bike gave me a good feeling. Tomorrow we need a good start because in my opinion the pace is not far from the front group. We can’t get anywhere near the podium at the moment but if we can get a good start everything is possible.”
Marco Barnabo, Team Principal
“I’m satisfied with the first race, we knew it would be difficult. Unfortunately, we were forced to use the qualifying session for setup tests, we took a wrong path and the Superpole didn’t go the way we wanted. Even though he made a mistake, Marco made a great comeback with lots of overtaking and he showed that his race pace is good. We knew it would be very difficult, the others are certainly much more ready than us so we have to recover all the time we didn’t have.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Second In Hot Conditions
Kawasaki Racing Team rider Jonathan Rea led most of the 20-laps of the first race at Jerez and finished in second place by just over a second. His team-mate Alex Lowes finished in ninth place in a race that featured track temperatures of up to 60°C.
With the hot sun baking the 4.423km circuit at Jerez, the first 20 lap race of the weekend was always going to be a tough test and so it proved for all WorldSBK 23 riders.
In the early stages Rea took the lead and headed the field for 15 laps before being overtaken into turn six. With his front tyre having already given its best Rea was unable to mount a fight back and ran out a strong second despite the punishing conditions.
After qualifying second in Superpole Rea started the race from the front row of the grid on his Ninja ZX-10RR, while Lowes was unable to set his desired Superpole pace and finished up 14th. He had fallen early in Superpole and this held back his final pace on qualifying tyres at the end.
After the first contest of a three race weekend Alex is in second place in the points standings, with Jonathan having moved up to third place.
Rea and Lowes will now face one ten lap Superpole race and then a second full 20-lap race two, both on Sunday 2 August. Today’s WorldSBK race got underway shortly after a minute’s silence was held to recognise those who have fallen victim to the global Covid-19 Pandemic.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “That is probably the best performance we have done in Jerez for a number of years now. We have got to be really happy with our effort but I am a little bit disappointed that I had nothing left at the end for Scott. I had a few front slides in turn two and it was enough just to knock my confidence a little bit to start thinking to bring it home. We are not loading the front enough so we have some areas to improve for tomorrow. The good thing is that the rear tyre was working really well all race and had a lot of traction. This is not the strongest circuit for us but I was right there in the mix until the last few laps.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “I tucked the front in the first lap of Superpole, which was a shame, as it put pressure on for the one lap on the qualifying tyre. In the race I struggled a lot more than I expected. The SC2 front tyre worked really well for me on Friday afternoon and I did a lot of laps on it, but today it did not seem to work as well. I think I need a bit more experience of the Kawasaki in hot conditions to get the most out of it. It is easy to forget that this is my second proper ride on it. When you go around Jerez in the winter and the weather is cool you just ride around, can do loads of laps, and everything feels good. The you come here in these temperatures and everything feels a bit different. I had to just manage the race the best I could and we will try to improve a bit for tomorrow.”
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 13th in his home race, with Sandro Cortese (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) 14th, scoring two points.
Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) retired from race one.
