Motul FIM Superbike World Championship
Magny-Cours, France
October 1, 2017
Race Two Results (some rain fell during the race, all on Pirelli tires):
1. Chaz DAVIES, UK (Ducati Panigale R), 21 laps, Total Race Time 34:49.679, Best Lap Time 1:38.584
2. Alex LOWES, UK (Yamaha YZF-R1), -3.006 seconds, 1:38.940
3. Michael VAN DER MARK, Netherlands (Yamaha YZF-R1), -4.556, 1:39.087
4. Xavi FORÉS, Spain (Ducati Panigale R), -11.072, 1:39.342
5. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), -16.381, 1:38.975
6. Leandro MERCADO, Argentina (Aprilia RSV4 RF), -17.684, 1:39.609
7. Tom SYKES, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10RR), -22.717, 1:39.742
8. Jordi TORRES, Spain (BMW S1000RR), -23.920, 1:39.397
9. Roman RAMOS, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10RR), -25.431, 1:40.16
10. Raffaele DE ROSA, Italy (BMW S1000RR), -35.227, 1:40.328
11. Davide GIUGLIANO, Italy (Honda CBR1000RR SP2), -45.621, ran off track, 1:40.230
12. Jake GAGNE, USA (Honda CBR1000RR SP2), -47.231, 1:40.693
13. Alessandro ANDREOZZI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R1), -52.076, 1:40.540
14. Anthony WEST, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-10RR), -53.903, 1:40.815
15. Ayrton BADOVINI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10RR), -59.610, 1:41.028
16. Riccardo RUSSO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10RR), -59.706, 1:41.426
17. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (Aprilia RSV4 RF), -1 lap, crash, 1:41.192
18. Ondrej JEZEK, Czech Republic (Kawasaki ZX-10RR), -2 laps, crash, ran off track, 1:46.680
19. Lorenzo SAVADORI, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 RF), -1 lap, DNF, mechanical, 1:39.114
20. Leon CAMIER, UK (MV Agusta F4 RC), -12 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:39.109
21. Jonathan REA, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10RR), -19 laps, DNF, pitted, retired, no lap time recorded
22. Matthieu LUSSIANA, France (BMW S1000RR), DNS
World Championship Point Standings (after 22 of 26 races):
1. Rea, 456 points (clinched World Championship)
2. Sykes, 336
3. Davies, 327
4. Melandri, 281
5. Lowes, 200
6. Van Der Mark, 189
7. Fores, 169
8. Camier, 146
9. Torres, 140
10. Laverty, 127
11. Savadori, 104
12. Mercado, 103
13. Ramos, 95
14. Stefan Bradl, 67
15. Randy Krummenacher, 50
16. De Rosa, 45
17. Nicky Hayden (RIP), 40
18. Alex De Angelis, 32
19. Markus Reiterberger, 29
20. Badovini, 26
21. Leon Haslam, 20
22. Jezek, 17
23. TIE, Giugliano/West/Russo, 13
26. TIE, Jake Dixon/Takumi Takahashi/Andreozzi, 7
29. Gagne, 6
30. TIE, Josh Brookes/Julian Simon, 4
More, from a press release issued by Althea BMW Racing:
Double top ten for Althea BMW at Magny-Cours
Nevers (France), Sunday 1 October 2017
The eleventh World Superbike round has concluded today at the French track of Nevers Magny-Cours and for the Althea BMW Racing team it was all about the recovery, with Jordi Torres finishing in eighth place, Raffaele De Rosa tenth.
Superbike – Race 2 – with light rain falling in certain sections of the track, Torres and De Rosa got away well from 20th and 21st place respectively, immediately making up several positions each. During the course of lap two, De Rosa was able to progress from thirteenth to tenth place, while Torres positioned eleventh, right behind his team-mate, by lap four. Lapping with similar lap times to each other, Raffaele and Jordi swapped places on lap nine, lying ninth and tenth mid-way through the race. Maintaining a constant pace all the way to the line, Althea BMW powered past the chequered flag in eighth place with Torres and tenth with De Rosa.
With two championship rounds left to run, Torres retains ninth place in the standings with 140 points while De Rosa has 45 points, and positions 16th.
Jordi Torres:
“We were starting from the back of the grid and knew it would be tough, also because it started to rain right when we were on the grid. Through the first laps, I tried to understand the level of grip but think I lost too much time during the phases in which it was raining. It was a strange race, in mixed conditions, and I don’t feel that I gave 100% because with the rain I held back a little too much perhaps, not managing the race as well as I could have. We’ll take what we’ve learned here though and move on to Jerez…”
Raffaele De Rosa:
“I lined up for today’s race in last position but did my best to make a good start, immediately making up some places. I tried to get into my rhythm, which wasn’t easy given the rain, only light, but different in each section of the track. When Torres passed me, with a stronger pace, I tried to maintain my position and managed to do so, despite a few small errors. My feeling with the bike is gradually improving, and I hope to take another step forward at Jerez…”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
WorldSBK Teams’ Championship Win For KRT
One day after Jonathan Rea (KRT) had clinched the Riders’ title in the FIM Superbike World Championship Kawasaki Racing Team took the Team’s championship too, after a dramatic second race at Magny Cours.
Tom Sykes (KRT) finished seventh after a gritty performance in the second 21-lap race in France but new champion Jonathan Rea (KRT) was forced out after his footpeg clipped a fallen rider’s bike and broke off, also injuring his right foot. Entering the pits for bike repairs and a new race boot, he was eventually forced to retire in pitlane.
Sykes had finished the first lap in fifth position, after a third row start, which was required under the new reverse grid rules that operate in WorldSBK. Tom gradually lost ground as he lost rear traction and was to finish seventh, unable to reach the podium level he had shown in race one due to a less than optimum tyre choice today.
Carrying left hand injuries from a heavy crash that made him miss the previous races in Portimao, Sykes still battled hard to the finish well and maintained his overall second place in the championship points.
The race was a difficult affair for all, as the threatening rains arrived in a very light form, and slowly got heavier as the laps counted down.
With two rounds and four individual races remaining this season Rea and Sykes have amassed enough points between them for KRT to add the a third Teams’ Championship to Rea’s third Riders’ title win in succession.
The battle for the Manufacturers’ crown will go forward to the next round at Jerez de la Frontera, with racedays on 21st and 22nd October.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “Without the incident that put me out of the race we could have been fighting for the win. My pace all weekend in the dry has been a little bit of a step ahead of the others. The conditions were a little intermittent throughout the race, so it is hard to say how it would have gone. But I was confident to be able to race with Chaz. Wet or dry we have set the level this weekend. The good news is that I have had some checks on my right foot and nothing is broken. I hit something really solid on the other bike, as it has broken skin on my foot and it was enough to take my footpeg completely off; the whole set-up. So I am very lucky and it could have been a lot worse. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The team won their championship today too. As soon as I got changed out of my leathers I saw the caption appear on the screen in my office saying they had won, so I rushed back into the pitbox to give my team manager Guim a big hug and say congratulations!”
Tom Sykes, stated: “We chose a harder rear tyre today which did not quite work for me today in the cooler conditions, but the temperature seemed quite cold for the softer compound. After a couple of laps I struggled to get the bike into the turn, and especially out of turns. I tried to compensate in other areas but with a few drops of rain I could have done with that softer compound rear tyre. I am still second place in the championship, nine points ahead, and if someone had offered me that two weeks ago I would have probably taken it. The team has two good riders inside the camp, it is a great team who give us a great motorcycle. It is a big team effort. Yesterday it was the Riders’ Championship with Jonathan, today the Teams’ one and if all goes to plan we will get the Manufacturers one as well.”
2017 KRT Rider Statistics
Jonathan Rea: World Champion 2015, 2016 & 2017
2017: Races 22, Wins 12, Podiums 20, Superpoles 5
Career Race Wins: 50 (35 for Kawasaki)
Career Podiums: 108 (66 For Kawasaki)
Career Poles: 13 (9 For Kawasaki)
Tom Sykes: World Champion 2013
2017: Races: 20, Wins 2, Podiums 15, Superpoles 4
Career Race Wins: 33 (33 for Kawasaki)
Career Podiums: 99 (98 For Kawasaki)
Career Poles: 42 (42 For Kawasaki)
5 x Riders’ Championships (Scott Russell 1993, Sykes 2013, Rea 2015, 2016 & 2017), 1 x EVO Riders’ Championship (David Salom 2014)
2 x Manufacturers’ Championships (Ninja ZX-10R 2015 & 2016)
3 x Teams’ Championships (KRT/Provec Racing 2015, 2016 & 2017)
Kawasaki FIM Superbike World Championship Statistics
Total Kawasaki Race Wins: 105 – third overall
Total Kawasaki Podiums: 343 – third overall
Total Kawasaki Poles: 72 – second overall
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team back to winning ways with Chaz Davies, 1st in Race 2 at Magny Cours. Marco Melandri is 5th
After being hampered by a technical issue in Race 1, Chaz Davies bounced back with a dominant win in Race 2 of eleventh round of the WorldSBK Championship at Magny Cours (France). The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team thus seized its 8th overall win of the season.
In tricky conditions, with a light rain falling intermittently on different sections of the track, the Welshman built his win (the 27th of his career) in the early laps, when he was the only rider capable of lapping in the 1:38 mark after a blistering start from 11th position. Davies had thus built a 5-second gap at half-way point, then managed it skillfully until the checkered flag.
Marco Melandri, on the other hand, faced an uphill race after not being able to take part to WUP in the morning due to a technical issue, which prevented him from verifying the changes made to the setup of his bike. The Italian got off to a strong start, but struggled to recover ground in the traffic due to rear-grip issues. Despite improving his performance progressively, as shown by his personal fastest lap at the very end, Melandri had to settle for fifth position.
After ten rounds, Davies (327 points) and Melandri (281 points) are respectively third and fourth in the championship. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will resume action at Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) for the penultimate round of the championship, scheduled for October 20-22.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 1st
“Yesterday was bitter, but today was sweet. This is the best way to put behind us a couple of tough races. I woke up feeling really motivated and I think it showed in the opening laps, as I was making passes and got to the front pretty quickly from 11th position. It wasn’t an easy race though. The rain was on and off throughout, and it was hard to tell where the wet patches could be. It was a matter of pushing hard but not too much, just enough to keep the gap in check, and that’s what we did. Now we’re looking forward to the last two races, the hunt for second position in the championship is still open and we can be fast both in Jerez and Qatar.”
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #33) – 5th
“It’s been a positive weekend overall. The conditions were not easy and we took home a good amount of points, but to finish with your worst result is never ideal. Today’s weather could have created an occasion for us, but we weren’t lucky during WUP, when a technical problem prevented us from going out. After changing the bike, despite keeping the same setup, I didn’t have the same feeling. I struggled with grip since the start of the race, especially coming out of slow corners, and lost contact with the front. Now we head to Jerez, a track that I really like, and the goal stays the same: to take the top step of the podium.”
Stefano Cecconi, Aruba CEO and Team Principal
“After yesterday’s difficulties, Chaz showed great character bouncing back with an emotional win, especially given the tricky conditions. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as well today with Marco. After being forced to skip WUP, he couldn’t find the best feeling during the race. We’ll keep working as hard as possible to get both of them on the podium at Jerez.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team:
Giugliano makes up for lack of early luck as Gagne improves best WorldSBK result
French Round
Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours, France
Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team’s Davide Giugliano and Jake Gagne were 11th and 12th, respectively, at the end of the 21-lap, second encounter of the eleventh WorldSBK round of the season, which was contested today at the ‘Circuit de Nevers, Magny-Cours’ in Central France.
Despite losing a handful of places at the start, Giugliano managed to stay in touch with the leading group but eventually had to run wide to avoid Eugene Laverty after the Irishman highsided at the exit of turn 15. The former STK1000 Champion re-joined at the back of the field in 18th place, from where his steady recovery began. In the final part of the race, the 27-year-old from Rome was able to further improve his speed and showed a top-10 rhythm as he went first past his team mate Gagne on lap 17 for 14th place. He then overtook both West and Andreozzi to seal 11th place at the chequered flag after setting his fastest time of the race on his third-last lap.
Jake Gagne enjoyed a decent start from row six and kept a steady pace in the first half of the encounter as he rounded out the top-15 while trying to get accustomed to racing in intermittent drizzle. The 24-year-old from San Diego then got up to speed and started to log some competitive lap-times as he made his way past some rivals and set his quickest time at the very end of the race, which helped him consolidate 12th place at the line – and set a new personal best result for him in the series.
The penultimate round of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at Spain’s ‘Circuito de Jerez’ in three weekend’s time.
Davide Giugliano 34
11th
It’s been an unlucky race, because I feel I had the pace to be fighting for a top-6 finish. The realistic goal before the start was to finish between 8th and 11th, but we turned out to be quicker than we expected. It was hard to push when I found myself at the back of the field, because even though I knew I had to make up ground, I was riding on my own so I didn’t know how wet it was on different parts of the circuit and how conditions were evolving throughout the lap. We put together a good comeback, we made some passes and we showed a good pace, so I think there’s a good synergy developing between the bike and myself now. The guys have done an amazing job: I feel that the bike is improving a lot, and that was the reason I was chosen in the first place so I’m happy. The top speed was also excellent today. Obviously there is still a lot to improve, but things are going in the right direction.
Jake Gagne 45
12th
The big thing for me today is that, unlike MotoAmerica, the flag-to-flag rule means that even if it’s spitting rain, you can still race on slick tyres. This for me was a completely new scenario, so it took me a while to figure out how much I could push in these conditions. Towards the end, I started going faster and faster and I even set my personal fastest time of the whole weekend on the very last lap. Twelfth place is not bad, but I feel I had the potential to do much better today. I’m happy with what I’ve learned and that I was able to improve outing after outing and race after race. I want to thank the whole team because it’s been another amazing experience and I had a lot of fun.
Ronald ten Kate
Team Manager
It was a very interesting second race, especially given the tricky and unpredictable conditions the whole field encountered today. Davide was riding well until he had to take an unwanted trip onto the gravel in order to avoid Eugene when he fell off. This setback made him lose touch with the group fighting for the top-10, which is a shame because it looked like he had the pace to get in the mix up there. He made a good comeback nevertheless so we are happy with this performance. It was the first time for Jake to ride on slicks with rain coming down, because MotoAmerica sporting rules are different in that regard. Once he figured how to ride in these conditions he really improved his pace, so the question mark is on how much more competitive he could have been otherwise. We really enjoyed working with him again.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
Davies dominates to take the victory in France
France the setting for a tense race two
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took an excellent victory in Race 2 at the Pirelli French Round, seizing control in the opening stages and not looking back from there to eventually cross the line three seconds ahead of nearest challenger Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team). Completing the podium in third was Lowes’ Yamaha colleague Michael van der Mark after a great battle between the pair.
Coming from 11th on the grid Davies charged through the field to register his 27th WorldSBK win in tricky conditions as rain fell sporadically over the 4.411km Magny-Cours circuit during the race. Behind him Lowes and Van der Mark contested second place and the Englishman ultimately beat his Dutch teammate by 1.55s after an intriguing duel between the Yamaha duo.
Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team) crossed the line fourth, followed by fifth placed Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).
Leandro Mercado (IODARacing), Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team), Roman Ramos (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) and Raffaele de Rosa (Althea BMW Racing Team) all featured in the top ten.
Early in the race Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) crashed at turn 16 and in the aftermath of his accident Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) appeared to clip Laverty’s Aprilia RSV4 RF. The newly crowned triple champion Rea then went back into pit lane and would retire from the race, whilst Laverty picked up his machine to finally finish the race 17th.
A technical problem at turn 15 for Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) ended his race at the halfway point, when the British rider was in contention for an elusive podium finish. Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) was an unfortunate last lap crasher.
Follow the remainder of the WorldSBK season with the WorldSBK VideoPass, with the next race set to take place at the Pirelli Spanish Round over the 20th -22nd October weekend, the penultimate round of 2017.
P1 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“We had our ups and downs this season, we were miles off Tom and now we’ve closed up a bit. We have definitely closed the gap to be something we can catch, so we are looking forward to the last four races. I think everything is wide open so I’m very much looking forward to it.”
P2 – Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
“This weekend has been a bit strange, with the weather conditions yesterday and today with the mental rain. I think it shows the progress of the Yamaha, we have been chasing the Kawasaki and Ducati and whenever we are thrown with different situations, we are there to take advantage of it. And I’m really happy to share the podium with Michael.”
P3 – Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
“It’s our second podium this year, and I am so happy. Yesterday we had some bad luck but today I got a good start, and we fought our way to the front. It was hard because of the drops of rain, and when I got to the front and found my pace, we were able to run up at the front. However, I made a small mistake and in the end just didn’t have the pace to fight with Alex.”
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:
Sensational Double Podium for Pata Yamaha in Race 2 at Magny-Cours
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team delivered a stellar performance in Race 2 on Sunday at Magny Cours, round 11 of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship. Alex Lowes followed up his superb ride to fifth in the wet Race 1, by charging to an incredible second-place finish to record his third podium of 2017. His teammate Michael van der Mark also put on a brilliant show of riding after an excellent fight with Lowes to secure third place and record the Pata Yamaha team’s first double podium in WorldSBK.
After Lowes’ brave ride to fifth in the treacherous wet Race 1 conditions, the 27-year-old lined up in the middle of the front row for Sunday’s Race 2. Drops of rain started to fall just before the race got underway but this had no effect on Lowes. When the lights went out he got the holeshot into Turn 1 and took the lead. Battling with his teammate at the front in the opening stages, Lowes managed to open a 0.4s gap and led the way until the fourth lap when Chaz Davies passed him, as the rain became heavier. As Lowes settled into a rhythm and began assessing the grip levels in the tricky conditions, he was passed by Leon Camier and dropped down to third, although this was to be short-lived as Camier was forced to retire on lap 10, with Lowes re-taking second place. By this point, his gap to Chaz Davies in the lead was over 5 seconds, but the 2013 British Superbike Champion set his sights on closing the gap, putting together an amazing run of seven consecutive laps in the low 1:39s or better, and with two laps to go he was less than three seconds behind the leader.
His late race pace was sensational but with the rain getting heavier and the grip levels dropping, he maturely realised that the race win was not on the cards and brought his Pata Yamaha R1 home in second, just 3.006s behind Davies. It was the third time Lowes has stood on the podium in 2017, to add to his second-place finish at Misano and third at his home round in Donnington, and equalled his best WorldSBK result. The 20 points he secured means the British rider remains fifth in the championship standings but now has 200 points with two rounds remaining in the season.
Van der Mark had shown incredible fortitude in Saturday’s Race 1, remounting after a crash and storming through the field from last to secure ninth place after a brilliant comeback. It got even better in Sunday’s Race 2 as the 24-year-old, lining up in sixth on the grid, got an amazing start, riding around the outside of a number of riders through the first two corners to blast to the front of the field and do battle with his teammate for the lead. He crossed the line after the first lap in third, just behind Lowes, but with the conditions worsening, he decided to focus on finding his own race pace. He dropped to fourth briefly as he built his confidence on the slippery track but as the race progressed the Dutch rider’s pace improved dramatically and he was back in third by lap ten and starting to close the one-second gap to his teammate Lowes in second.
Just like his teammate, he put together an incredible sequence of laps in the low 1:39s, showing brilliant consistency and by lap 15 he was right on the back wheel of Lowes, battling for second and chasing down Davies in the lead. Then, as the rain got heavier and track conditions worsened he had a couple of big moments and, unfortunately, he just did not have the grip left in his tyres to push any harder. Maintaining his pace right to the end, van der Mark crossed the line in third, just 1.550s behind his teammate, to record his second rostrum in the last three races – after his second-place finish in Race 2 at Portimao – and secure the Pata Yamaha team’s first ever double podium in WorldSBK. The 16 points he received now sees the 2014 World Supersport Champion sixth in the overall standings with 189 points, just 11 behind his teammate Lowes.
This superb performance by the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team over a challenging weekend, with ever-changing track conditions, demonstrates the progress of the project since Yamaha’s return to the WorldSBK championship in 2016. They now head to round 12 of the 2017 FM Superbike World Championship in Jerez on the 20th-22nd of October full of confidence and ready to fight for more podiums. Check out the Race 2 results from Magny-Cours.
Alex Lowes
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team – 2nd +3.006s
“Honestly, this weekend has been slightly strange with the different weather conditions yesterday and then today with just that little bit of rain and difficult grip levels. I think it is a perfect example of how well the Pata Yamaha Team are working because, although we are still looking to close the gap to Kawasaki and Ducati in terms of out-and-out performance, whenever there is a chance to take advantage of a ‘different’ situation, we have been there. It is a fantastic day for the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team! I am really happy to share the podium with Michael because, like I said, the team have been performing so well and I am looking forward to the rest of the season now! I try to do the best I can in every race and my goal is to try and challenge these guys every week, that is the target and what Yamaha employ me to do. I think if I take a step back, I can be quite happy overall with the season up to now, but as a rider, you always want more and there are some events where more could have been achieved. I still feel that there is still plenty more to come from myself and the R1 and we will keep working hard to improve!”
Michael van der Mark
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team – 3rd +4.556s
“It is my second podium of the season and I am so happy! Yesterday in the first race I was a bit unlucky but I scored some points. Today it was good to start from sixth on the grid for Race 2. I had a really good start and fought my way to the front but it was really difficult as there were some big drops of rain falling, so it was difficult to know what to expect. It was good for me to follow the other guys because I could see what they were doing. I was pushing quite hard but I also didn’t want to crash, it was so difficult but I tried my best and managed to stay on the bike. I just focused on finding my pace and it was similar to the guys in front. Towards the end of the race I closed the gap to Alex, but then I made some small mistakes and I just didn’t have the tyres anymore to attack again. It was a little bit of a weird race but Alex and I were really strong today and it was great to share the podium with my teammate. It was not the easiest race to control but in the end, we were both on the podium and that is what we aim for. We have made a good step forward and this result, along with Portimao two weeks ago, shows we can fight for the podium at every round. I am really happy and I look forward to Jerez already. On Friday I was really fast immediately, so I think we have found a good base with the R1 now and this has given me a lot of confidence. Jerez is a special track for me, and one I really like. We cannot wait to go there!”
Paul Denning
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Principal
“This afternoon’s race was another typically complicated Magny-Cours one, but the ultimate result for both Alex, Michael, and the R1 was on pure merit and another indication of the step-by-step progress that the project is making on all fronts. Alex has struggled with his starts over the last couple of races, so to secure the lead from the front row was great to see, and this was backed up by an incredible start by Michael from the second row. There were stages of the race where it was difficult for all the riders to know how hard to push but as Alex found his rhythm and needed to respond to Michael’s pressure in the latter stages, the true pace was evident and doing consecutive laps in the 1:38s actually moved us a lot closer to Chaz Davies in the lead. Second place for Alex, backing up yesterday’s very solid ride in the rain, is just rewards for his efforts following a difficult Portimao event and will give him the confidence to aim for more podiums before the end of the season. As a team, we are also extremely happy with Michaels performance, fighting hard to get into the podium group and closing on Alex to challenge for second place. As Alex pushed even harder, Michael had a couple of moments in the tricky conditions and it is a sign of his mature riding mentality that he decided to bring his R1 home to achieve Pata Yamaha’s first double podium. Congratulations to the riders, the team, and to Yamaha!”