|
Post by truenorth on Aug 9, 2018 8:57:31 GMT -8
The science of an SBK: the metamorphosis of the Honda CBR1000 RR
Team manager Red Bull SBK Chris Pike and the artist Dino Acocella explain some of the many changes made on the Fireblade SP2
William Toscani 09/08/2018
How can I turn you into a supersport suited to Sunday strolls with friends, in a World Championship SBK? This is explained in a short video by Chris Pike , manager of operations for the Red Bull Honda SBK team and Dino Acocella , responsible for the development of the motorcycle chassis of Leon Camier and Jake Gagne.
It starts from the engine. The 4-cylinder Honda that on the standard Fireblade SP2 comes to deliver around 190 hp at 13,000 rpm at the wheel, is deeply revised to give the best of itself among the circuits and hold the wrist much heavier than a Camier or a Gagne compared to that of many "normal" users. Changes to the head, to the crankshaft (with configuration that remains unchanged compared to the standard model), to the gearbox and to the clutch. Obviously there is no lack of work on the exhaust: in the case of the Honda CBR 1000 RR SP2 we start from an Akrapovic plant, which is carried out on well-defined specifications to better match the needs in terms of supply requested by pilots. The result of the work brings the 4 in line Honda to deliver 220 hp to the stratospheric threshold of 14,300 rpm.
We then move on to the chassis which, as Acocella explains, " is substantially identical to that of the series bike. It is however revised in some areas with carbon fiber reinforcements to have the necessary stiffness ". Frame but also swingarm, with reinforcements here too to support the major Honda engine's horsepower. Nothing is left to chance with a total weight that falls to 168 kg compared to 195 kg of the standard Fireblade.
Various interventions then affect the geometry of the vehicle to try to improve its behavior on the track, also depending on the different needs of the drivers.
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Aug 10, 2018 9:46:44 GMT -8
Ciabatti: "Bautista is an option for 2019" Ducati Corse's Sporting Director confirms at AustrianGP that the Spanish rider could be on the WorldSBK grid next season.
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Aug 23, 2018 11:17:38 GMT -8
Bautista set to become Ducati WorldSBK rider in 2019 Tuesday, 21 August 2018 Spanish rider will join Chaz Davies as the Brit re-signs for two seasons Aruba.it Racing – Ducati announced today that they are set to take on 2019 with a different rider line up, as Alvaro Bautista will partner Chaz Davies into 2019. Sticking with Davies for the upcoming season, there will be all change on the other side of the garage as Bautista is set to make his SBK® debut. With the team yielding the all new V4 engine next year, with all eyes on the red corner for the new year ahead. Excited to get the challenge underway, the factory Ducati squad are preparing for a big season and will welcome the experience of Bautista and Davies. Spaniard Alvaro Bautista has been competing in the MotoGP™ paddock since 2002 and was crowned 125cc GP World Champion in 2006. From there, he moved up into the 250cc GP Championship for three seasons, before making the step into the premier class in 2010. With over 150 starts in the MotoGP™ class alone, he brings waves of experience into the WorldSBK paddock. Preparing to make his debut in the world's fastest production-based motorcycle series, Bautista explains: “Next season will be a new challenge as I will move from MotoGP™ after 16 years. I am so motivated and it will be a new challenge for me, the confidence Ducati put in me is really good. I think we can get a good result in WorldSBK and I think we can have fun. I’m looking forward to moving to the WorldSBK championship, I think it is growing and I think we can make some good results.” On the other side of the garage, the Bologna factory will be sticking with Chaz Davies for two more seasons. The Welsh rider has been in red since 2014, and his new deal will see this relationship stretch to seven seasons. Finishing as runner up in WorldSBK on two occasions on board the Panigale R, he will hope to go that extra step with the V4. With a tally of 29 wins and 78 podiums so far in SBK®, he looks forward to extending this with the new bike. Davies explains: “I’ve had a long history with Ducati, this is my fifth season with them. So it’s really exciting times going forward with the new V4. I think that is going to be an interesting change, it’s a different direction for Ducati, and a really really exciting one. “I’m excited about the whole project, I love being with Ducati and the Aruba team – we have so many good people – it is like a family. We are looked after really well and everyone is always optimistic, it’s a dream situation to have people like that around me as well as having this opportunity to have a fresh bike when signing the new contract.”
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Aug 23, 2018 11:22:04 GMT -8
Sykes forced to sit out of Official test with ankle injury Wednesday, 22 August 2018 British rider set to miss out on two days at Portimao Facing a set back into his summer plans, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) is forced to sit out of the two day official Portimao test after he sustained an injury to his right ankle in training. Undergoing medical checks in both the UK and in Spain, the British rider was diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior fibular talus ligament and bone delamination in the insertion of the ligament in the fibula bone. Planning to rest his ankle over the next three weeks, he will hope to be fit in time for the 10th round of the season at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve from 14th – 16th September. Disappointed to be missing out on two important days testing, Sykes will hope to compete in both races in Portugal this season after a hand injury sustained in Saturday Warm-up ruled him out of contention last season. “It is a shame to miss this test because we have had a big gap in the season,” explains Sykes. “I have been doing a lot of fitness training during the break and the results were very good. I was feeling very strong. But with this injury I am going to have to sit out the test, as I do now want to push it. It is a shame because Marcel and the boys had a good programme for the tests, so that we could finish the season strongly. We were going to play with the package because we would have a lot of track time to do so. The focus now is to try and be fit for the next race.”
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Aug 23, 2018 11:37:35 GMT -8
Portimao WorldSBK test: Muir edging closer to 2019 deals 23.08.2018 BSN David Miller at Portimao SMR boss Shaun Muir is edging closer to confirming which manufacturer he will run with in WorldSBK 2019 and should be in a position to announce his plans in September. Muir, who currently runs Eugene Laverty and Lorenzo Savadori under the Milwaukee Aprilia banner, is in talks with the Noale factory, Ducati and has also made contact with BMW but says he needs to nail down the financials before he can make any announcements.
“We got options on the table. The biggest challenge is finalising the sponsors and clearly they need to know which manufacturer they are signing up for,” Muir told bikesportnews.com at the Portimao WorldSBK test. “I think now the top two or three teams have finalised or are close to finalising their riders, it has left a queue, which is nice, but we can’t decide on that until we know which manufacturer. “We should have in the next days confirmation of our sponsors and after that I have meetings at Silverstone with Aprilia and Ducati to talk about where we are with their packages. I am hopeful there will be something useful to come out of those. There is a possibility we might go with neither. “There is an outside chance that BMW might do something in the future and I would like to know what that is before we make a decision. Once the sponsors are on the table, I can start to go forward. Whether Laverty and Savadori will remain in the team is still up in the air as there are a few ‘class one riders’ as Muir puts it, with nothing confirmed, including former champion Tom Sykes.” “The riders I have been speaking to are the ones I currently run at the moment, obviously Tom Sykes is available, but you don’t have to be a rocket surgeon to work out there aren’t many factoryesque seats available at the moment. “I think there is a fair list of riders. I think the Aruba Ducati riders will be announced soon, so there are three or four class one riders available.”
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Aug 26, 2018 13:49:13 GMT -8
Official two day test concludes in Portugal with familiar order
First out of the blocks once more and top of the timing screens once again, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) wasted no time on day two of the Official Portimao Test, as he finished almost a second quicker than the rest of the field as track temperatures soared once again. Beating the lap record with a time of 1.41.192, the reigning world champion means business on his ZX-10RR.
It was a stronger day two for the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team, as Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark completed the top three, putting in over 250 laps between them across the two days. Lowes, who suffered from two crashes in this test, ended the day in second with a time of 1.42.140 as he worked on the new tyre from Pirelli, with the rest of the season in mind. Whilst van der Mark, who was on the same programme as his team-mate finished in third position, his time a 1.42.182. Working on this season and 2019, it was a productive two days in Portugal for the 2017 race winners.
Thursday’s fastest man Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took a top four finish in the test, ending with a time of 1.42.254 and putting in the more laps than any other rider. Preparing for the final four rounds with the Ducati Panigale R, Melandri and team-mate Davies were working on the set-up for the Pirelli tyres on the final day. Putting in short stints and taking advantage of the stifling conditions in the afternoon, the duo worked hard to end fourth and fifth.
Fellow Ducati riders Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) put in two solid days of testing on their Panigale R’s, ending sixth and 10th respectively. Fores has been working with an illness, so had a tough two days out on track and was putting in the laps to improve their Superpole pace throughout the morning. Rinaldi was working alongside the factory team, putting in shorter stints with the Pirelli tyres.
Italian Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) found an improvement on his opening day pace and ended in the top seven, as he was riding with the bigger tyre provided by Pirelli. His improvement of 1.42.713 after completing over 140 laps puts him in a more stable condition for the race here in September. Whilst Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) completed 146 laps and ended in 11th position, with the Irish rider having a tough test around the roller coaster circuit.
It was a difficult end to the week for Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team, as Leon Camier was forced to cut short his final day due to pain in his back, after sustaining an injury in Suzuka 8 Hour testing. But with the team arriving on Monday for a two day private test, the British rider had put a lot of work in throughout the week on their all new bike, and ended in eighth position overall with a time of 1.42.718; with 74 laps completed. Whilst American team-mate Jake Gagne was going to sit out of the final day to make way for compatriot PJ Jacobsen, but the duo ended the day on track together in 13th and 15th respectively.
Spaniard Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) continues to work with his Italian machine and make steps as he is new to the squad for 2018. Looking at the swingarm, chassis and shock absorber as well as electronics it was a busy two days for the team, ending in ninth position; his time a 1.42.800.
Riders will now continue with the summer break, ahead of the 10th round of the season at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve from 14th - 16th September.
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Sept 12, 2018 11:11:12 GMT -8
lorisbaz: "I hope we can close the gap with the fastest guys"
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Sept 13, 2018 11:22:09 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Sept 14, 2018 10:25:44 GMT -8
2018 Portimao World Superbike FP3 Results: Melandri Tops Session
Jared Earle on Fri, 2018-09-14 09:31
Marco Melandri was quickest this session, cementing his entry into Superpole two. Jonathan Rea was second-quickest, but in spite of a fall in Free Practice two, he ends the day in provisional pole position as the only rider to break the 1'41 barrier. Loris Baz and Leon Camier head to Superpole one as the favourites to advance to Superpole two.
Session Results:
Pos No. Rider Bike Time Gap Speed
1 33 M. MELANDRI Ducati Panigale R 1'42.003 309,6
2 1 J. REA Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.366 0.363 312,3
3 54 T. RAZGATLIOGLU Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.383 0.380 304,4
4 50 E. LAVERTY Aprilia RSV4 RF 1'42.423 0.420 310,5
5 12 X. FORES Ducati Panigale R 1'42.441 0.438 307,8
6 66 T. SYKES Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.459 0.456 310,5
7 60 M. VAN DER MARK Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.557 0.554 309,6
8 81 J. TORRES MV Agusta 1000 F4 1'42.630 0.627 309,6
9 22 A. LOWES Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.669 0.666 311,4
10 21 M. RINALDI Ducati Panigale R 1'42.778 0.775 307,0
11 76 L. BAZ BMW S 1000 RR 1'42.787 0.784 308,7
12 2 L. CAMIER Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.883 0.880 310,5
13 45 J. GAGNE Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.921 0.918 302,7
14 32 L. SAVADORI Aprilia RSV4 RF 1'43.070 1.067 310,5
15 36 L. MERCADO Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'43.569 1.566 304,4
16 7 C. DAVIES Ducati Panigale R 1'43.813 1.810 305,2
17 68 Y. HERNANDEZ Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'44.179 2.176 301,0
18 99 P. JACOBSEN Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.501 2.498 299,3
19 40 R. RAMOS Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'44.612 2.609 300,2
20 96 J. SMRZ Yamaha YZF R1 1'45.716 3.713 292,9
Superpole Results:
Pos No. Rider Bike Time
Superpole One
11 76 L. BAZ BMW S 1000 RR 1'42.787
12 2 L. CAMIER Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.883
13 45 J. GAGNE Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.921
14 32 L. SAVADORI Aprilia RSV4 RF 1'42.969
15 7 C. DAVIES Ducati Panigale R 1'43.325
16 36 L. MERCADO Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'43.569
17 99 P. JACOBSEN Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.876
18 68 Y. HERNANDEZ Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'44.028
19 40 R. RAMOS Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'44.343
20 96 J. SMRZ Yamaha YZF R1 1'45.716
Superpole Two
1 1 J. REA Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'41.817
2 33 M. MELANDRI Ducati Panigale R 1'42.003
3 81 J. TORRES MV Agusta 1000 F4 1'42.333
4 54 T. RAZGATLIOGLU Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.383
5 50 E. LAVERTY Aprilia RSV4 RF 1'42.423
6 12 X. FORES Ducati Panigale R 1'42.441
7 66 T. SYKES Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.459
8 60 M. VAN DER MARK Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.557
9 22 A. LOWES Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.669
10 21 M. RINALDI Ducati Panigale R 1'42.778
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Sept 15, 2018 7:03:57 GMT -8
2018 Portimao World Superbike Race One Results: Nice Day For It
Jared Earle on Sat, 2018-09-15 06:08
World Superbike race one in Portimao started their twenty lap race at 1pm and Jonathan Rea had a ninety two points over Chaz Davies with eight races left. The clouds from earlier in the day had cleared, leaving behind warmer temperatures.
Eugene Laverty didn't get a good start from pole position, and Marco Melandri led Jonathan Rea into turn one only for Rea to take the lead from him by turn two. At turn three, Laverty's chance to get back to the front was torpedoed by Xavi Fores. Fores grabbed too much brake and lifted the rear, losing the engine braking and destabilising the bike. Fores's Ducati flipped from side to side like a floundering fish on the front wheel and he hit Laverty squarely in the rear, taking both of them into the gravel trap and ending their races.
Laverty's teammate Lorenzo Savadori was the only rider able to keep up with Rea and Melandri at the front and the three of them built a gap from Tom Sykes, Michael van der Mark and a hard-charging Chaz Davies, making the most of a great start from the fifth row.
On lap two, Michael van der Mark and Chaz Davies both worked their way past Tom Sykes while Jonathan Rea set the fastest lap. A lap later, with the leading three having a larger gap, Rea set a new lap record with a 1'42.304.
After five laps, Jonathan Rea finally broke free of Marco Melandri and Lorenzo Savadori, and behind sixth-placed Tom Sykes, Loris Baz on the BMW caught up to Jordi Torres on the MV Agusta as Sykes put some fresh air between him and Torres.
At the halfway point, Rea had over two seconds of a gap from Melandri and Savadori who were over a second clear of van der Mark. Davies was over a second further back with Sykes over two seconds off the Ducati man. Jordi Torres and Loris Baz continued their fight for seventh place, but on lap twelve, that became a fight for sixth place.
With Marco Melandri increasing his pace slightly, Lorenzo Savadori just couldn't match the Italian and, into turn one, he lost rear grip and skidded his bike into the gravel, ending his race and handing a podium place to Michael van der Mark behind him. Chaz Davies was too far back to consider a fight for the podium and Sykes had settled for fifth place behind him.
The race then continued without much happening until Loris Baz, four laps from the end, tucked in behind Jordi Torres and executed a neat move into turn one to take sixth place. He spent the remaining laps teasing out a second and a half from the MV Agusta.
Meanwhile, on the last lap, Jonathan Rea started doing his finest Fabien Foret impersonation, looking over his shoulder and fiddling with his visor tear-offs until he crossed the line for the win, waving his thumbs at his team as they held out the number 65 for his sixty-fifth win.
Halfway round the cool down lap, Rea sought Foret out at the side of the track and the former World Supersport champion handed him a 65 sticker for his Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea's win extended his lead at the top of the championship to one hundred and four points over today's fourth-placed Chaz Davies. Marco Melandri's second place was a good advert for his campaign to find a bike for next year while Michael van der Mark's third place brought him to within twenty seven points of second-placed Davies.
Chaz Davies will start tomorrow's race in pole position, ahead of Tom Sykes and Loris Baz.
Results:
Pos No. Rider Bike Gap
1 1 J. REA Kawasaki ZX-10RR
2 33 M. MELANDRI Ducati Panigale R 1.575
3 60 M. VAN DER MARK Yamaha YZF R1 4.215
4 7 C. DAVIES Ducati Panigale R 10.760
5 66 T. SYKES Kawasaki ZX-10RR 12.911
6 76 L. BAZ BMW S 1000 RR 19.685
7 81 J. TORRES MV Agusta 1000 F4 21.974
8 54 T. RAZGATLIOGLU Kawasaki ZX-10RR 24.855
9 21 M. RINALDI Ducati Panigale R 30.302
10 22 A. LOWES Yamaha YZF R1 32.408
11 36 L. MERCADO Kawasaki ZX-10RR 32.875
12 68 Y. HERNANDEZ Kawasaki ZX-10RR 39.178
13 45 J. GAGNE Honda CBR1000RR 44.028
14 40 R. RAMOS Kawasaki ZX-10RR 56.896
RET 99 P. JACOBSEN Honda CBR1000RR 16
RET 32 L. SAVADORI Aprilia RSV4 RF 9 Laps
RET 96 J. SMRZ Yamaha YZF R1 11
RET 2 L. CAMIER Honda CBR1000RR 10 Laps
RET 50 E. LAVERTY Aprilia RSV4 RF
RET 12 X. FORES Ducati Panigale R
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Sept 16, 2018 11:12:51 GMT -8
2018 Portimao World Superbike Race Two Results: Warmer Weather, Hotter Action
Jared Earle on Sun, 2018-09-16 08:45
Twenty laps of Portimao with only six races left after this one. The grip was slightly down as the temperature was slightly up, compared to yesterday's race.
The reverse grid put Chaz Davies in pole position, alongside Tom Sykes and Loris Baz while race-winner Jonathan Rea would start in ninth place, alongside Michael van der Mark and Marco Melandri.
Chaz Davies led Tom Sykes and Toprak Razgatlioglu into turn one while Loris Baz dropped down to eighth from the front row, being passed by yesterday's podium of Jonathan Rea, Marco Melandri and Michael van der Mark, with Rea getting to fifth place very quickly. At turn nine, Rea powered through to third place in a move that outclassed Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Toprak Razgatlioglu and Marco Melandri wasted no time in following him, eventually catching up with Rea by taking fourth place at the start of lap two. Michael van der Mark tussled with Rinaldi and Razgatlioglu, passing the Turkish rider on the outside and nearly taking fifth place from Rinaldi.
As Marco Melandri set the fastest lap on lap two, Jonathan Rea closed up to his second-placed teammate Tom Sykes, behind Chaz Davies and spend lap three trying top pass him. Rea took second place at turn five only for Sykes to take it back at turn six, but as Rea hounded Sykes, he found a way past at turn thirteen. Melandri turned Sykes's race from bad to worse, taking third place from him into turn one of lap four, but Sykes fought back and switched under Melandri's Ducati to take his place back at turn two.
Jonathan Rea closed the gap to Chaz Davies and the fight for third gave him a gap from Sykes who had Davies's teammate to worry about. A lap later, on lap five, Melandri finally made a pass stick, taking the last podium spot off him into turn five.
Now it was Michael van der Mark's chance to seize. He closed in on Tom Sykes, demolishing a gap of over a second to end up in Sykes's wake by lap seven, while Davies and Rea charged off at the front, over a second clear of Melandri. A lap later, as van der Mark sunk his claws into Sykes, Rea made his move on Davies into turn one, taking the lead from him briefly, only to have Davies to take it back a turn later. Van der Mark pushed past Sykes and very quickly put a gap in between the pair.
Lap nine, with the leading pair both taking turn one at impossible-looking speeds, Marco Melandri started closing in and as lap ten started, Chaz Davies, Jonathan Rea and Melandri were together. Rea took the lead into turn one and Davies took it back four turns later, with Rea's front tyre within an inch of Davies's rear. Lap twelve, the three still inseparable, Rea tried to pass into turn one, at the end of the long straight, but Davies was later on the brakes and held his lead. At turn ten, though, Davies missed the apex and Rea passed him at turn eleven, a fast and tough pass that turned into a block pass at the exit. Rea finally held the lead for more than a couple of corners. Melandri didn't want Rea to get away and made a move on Davies into turn one, but Davies was going a little too quickly and Melandri followed him, the pair going wide, with Melandri leading. Michael van der Mark didn't slow down and barrelled past the pair at speed, closing on Rea.
Lap fourteen, and Chaz Davies finally looked like his injuries caught up with him, and he left the fight for the win to the three riders in front of him. Jonathan Rea, leading, tried to get away from the exuberant Dutchman in second place and the Italian with strange taste in eyewear in third, but the three kept up an almost identical pace, only getting out of each others' wakes by the last lap. Chaz Davies, though, had attracted a new dance partner in the form of Tom Sykes, but try as Sykes might, Davies wouldn't show him a way past and the pair finished the last lap in the order they started.
Jonathan Rea won his sixty sixth race, extending his championship lead to one hundred and sixteen points over fourth-placed Chaz Davies while second-placed Michael van der Mark, going one better than yesterday, took another seven points off Davies in his fight for second place in the championship. Marco Melandri, swapping yesterday's second place for third, once more demonstrating that the reverse grid doesn't really change much, closed to within eleven points of Tom Sykes's fourth place in the title chase.
With six races left, and one hundred and fifty points up for grabs, Rea's one hundred and sixteen point lead, seems insurmountable, and the Kawasaki rider is well and truly in line for his fourth championship in a row, an astonishing achievement. He will be able to cement his title at the next round, Magny-Cours, in just two weeks time.
Results:
Pos No. Rider Bike Gap
1 1 J. REA Kawasaki ZX-10RR
2 60 M. VAN DER MARK Yamaha YZF R1 1.189
3 33 M. MELANDRI Ducati Panigale R 2.813
4 7 C. DAVIES Ducati Panigale R 4.594
5 66 T. SYKES Kawasaki ZX-10RR 4.834
6 32 L. SAVADORI Aprilia RSV4 RF 11.417
7 50 E. LAVERTY Aprilia RSV4 RF 11.732
8 21 M. RINALDI Ducati Panigale R 12.507
9 76 L. BAZ BMW S 1000 RR 12.741
10 12 X. FORES Ducati Panigale R 18.973
11 22 A. LOWES Yamaha YZF R1 20.244
12 45 J. GAGNE Honda CBR1000RR 20.943
13 81 J. TORRES MV Agusta 1000 F4 23.395
14 2 L. CAMIER Honda CBR1000RR 31.216
15 36 L. MERCADO Kawasaki ZX-10RR 32.183
16 68 Y. HERNANDEZ Kawasaki ZX-10RR 33.076
17 99 P. JACOBSEN Honda CBR1000RR 45.173
RET 96 J. SMRZ Yamaha YZF R1 13
RET 54 T. RAZGATLIOGLU Kawasaki ZX-10RR 12
RET 40 R. RAMOS Kawasaki ZX-10RR 9
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Sept 18, 2018 8:12:42 GMT -8
Mahias disqualification explained Tuesday, 18 September 2018 WorldSBK commentator Steve English clears up any confusion over the Frenchman’s heartbreak Motorcycle racing at the highest level is a dramatic sport unlike any other. It's hand to hand combat between man and machine to wring every last ounce of performance from each. There are few events as intense as a race. Every outing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is filled with drama and intrigue, but the conclusion of the FIM Supersport World Championship race at Portimao is one that will be etched into the history of the sport. Culminating with a red flag just seconds after race leader Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) had started the final lap of 18, this is where the drama began. The Frenchman quickly found himself in trouble; he had a problem with his rear tyre and ended up cruising down the start/finish straight - thinking his race was run. 30 minutes of hard work was undone in an instant, and 25 points were about to wiped away from him. He was disconsolate as he pulled into the marshal posts at Turn 1. But unbeknown to the reigning world champion, at another marshal post a crash was about to force the red flags to fly. Within an instant Mahias knew that he needed to get back to the pits, because there were still points to be won. There are various rules at play: all under Article 1.26 of the FIM Superbike World Championship Regulations when a red flag is declared by race control. The key rule being that you need to get back to the pitlane within five minutes of the flags being waved, in order to be declared a finisher, with the results being set by the previous lap completed by the field. As it stood at that time, Mahias was out in front. The 29 year old thought that if he could get back to the pits he would be declared the winner. Apart from the five minute rule there are various other rules to consider. One key rule being that to be declared a finisher, you needed to be an active participant at the time of the red flag (Article 1.26.1). Mahias was not officially declared a retirement at the time of the flag, on the official results he had been cited for having a technical problem, and therefore when he attempted to get back to the pits he was an active participant. Mahias now had five minutes to return in order to take the win, and the Frenchman did absolutely everything in his power to ride back to pit lane. He crashed twice on what was an intense final lap, riding his YZF-R6 under difficult conditions in order to get it back to pit lane. It was a heroic effort from the Frenchman and one that won't be forgotten in a hurry, but following the second crash he elected to cut the final corner of the lap because he “didn't want to drop fuel or oil on the track after the crashes.” Unfortunately for Mahias and the GRT Yamaha team, there is a regulation (Article 1.21.3) that states “Riders should use only the track and the pit-lane” unless they “accidentally leave the track then he may re-join it at the place indicated by the officials or at a place which does not provide an advantage to him.” In racing conditions, Race Direction are able to enforce a penalty of dropping a position or “further penalties.” With a red flag in effect, Race Direction elected to declare the results with Lucas Mahias not classified, which meant Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) was declared the race winner. The dramas of a race turned into ecstasy and heartbreak for the WorldSSP team – seeing one rider win and the other have his dreams of victory crushed.
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Sept 18, 2018 9:58:45 GMT -8
Portimao WorldSBK: Big decisions still to be made at Honda 18.09.2018 BSN Gordon Ritchie at Portimao Honda WorldSBK racing operations manager Chris Pike was at Portimao, working on the team’s preparations for 2019. As yet, nothing is firm on whether Red Bull is staying as a title sponsor or if there is any expansion of Honda’s efforts in the championship. “We are still making the plans for next year. We have not advanced as much as we would like to. We expect to advance definitely in the next month. All the discussion back at head office, the Torro Rosso deal was already set up with F1 - Red Bull and Honda amalgamation,” Pike told bikesportnews.com. “Everything else apart from MotoGP has to be put on the back burner while they sort that out. We are still feeling the effects of that. Currently the Red Bull team in F1 have Renault engines, but are moving to Honda so with that in mind we would like to think that that would filter its way down here, but we have no confirmation of that at the moment.” It is believed Leon Camier has already agreed the second year option on his contract and that team boss Kervin Bos is in advanced negotations with Tom Sykes for the second seat. However, Marco Melandri has old ties and friends in HRC, so it might go the Italian’s way.
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Sept 19, 2018 7:55:38 GMT -8
Changes for the better are coming to WorldSBK…
19.09.2018 BSn Robin Miller
Steps to spark life into WorldSBK as an entertainment package for next year are actively being considered by Dorna. And that should mean good news for UK fans faced with having no round in 2019.
Lips remain firmly sealed but it is well known that series Executive Director Daniel Carrera has been busy consulting circuit owners, teams, sponsors and promoters about what more can be done to increase viewers and crowds. They have just about held their own over 2017, some more than others, but it is not enough.
Three factors have influenced the likely changes:
1) A piece of research showed that while having the first of the two races on Saturday improved viewership, weekend ticket sales and was a useful taster for the following day, having only the second on Sunday did not.
2) Some circuit owners - Donington in particular - were eager to point out that Sunday was traditionally seen as THE race day and having only one big race lasting little more than half an hour was poor value.
3) With venues willing to pay the sanction fee to stage WorldSBK being in short supply - Donington having given a virtual ultimatum that without a change they wouldn’t and Laguna Seca suffering from the decline in US participation and interest - something more than a facelift is required.
So what was suggested by Carrera last year but resisted by at least one major manufacturer may be seen in 2019. This looks likely to include staging a three-race weekend at some if not all circuits while other, more radical, moves such as pit stops are not being discounted.
This may persuade Donington to make every effort in returning the British round to something resembling its former glory.
The manufacturers are very important to WorldSBK and Dorna having been trying hard to get more factory support. The effect of that has been seen this year in that Yamaha now have bikes capable of winning and Honda’s Superbike effort will, it is said, get more help from HRC in 2019. They certainly need it.
Whether the reverse grid idea will survive is anyone’s guess. It is not a bad idea except for one man - Jonathan Rea. His ability to carve his way through from grid position nine into the lead within two or three laps indicates his extraordinaryness.
Indeed, one of the factors which makes WorldSBK so predictable is the sheer brilliance of the Northern Irishman. It brings the old saying ‘We can’t do with him but we couldn’t do without him’ to mind.
What Carrera and his team have done really well is bringing the riders to their fans. The paddock show which goes on all day, hosted by the inimitable Michael Hill, has the stars of the show talking direct to the spectators, answering questions, signing autographs and sometimes putting a band together.
As to the racing, no-one would bet against Rea and Kawasaki winning yet another title next year. But it is getting closer and the transition of Alvaro Bautista from MotoGP to the works Ducati Superbike team will add some much needed Spanish spice.
|
|