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Post by truenorth on Sept 19, 2022 13:20:48 GMT -8
 Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain Making its debut on the FIM Superbike World Championship calendar, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmelo promises to bring plenty of action to World Superbike. Having been a permanent fixture on the MotoGP™ calendar since 1992 – the same year as the Barcelona Olympics – the fast and flowing venue has witnessed classic races across all forms of motorcycle racing. The circuit also becomes the sixth different circuit to host a race in Spain, following Jerez, Jarama, Albacete, Valencia and MotorLand Aragon. Therefore, Spain will join Italy in hosting a WorldSBK round at six different circuits. |
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Post by truenorth on Sept 19, 2022 13:23:36 GMT -8
Remy Gardner joins WorldSBK grid for 2023 with GRT Yamaha  The 2021 Moto2™ World Champion will switch paddocks after his rookie season in MotoGP™, and bringing Australian representation to the World Superbike family for 2023 As the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continues to deliver title twists, an abundance of rivalries and fallout, the 2023 grid is forming and a big name is coming to join the WorldSBK family. Remy Gardner will switch from the MotoGP™ World Championship, where he’s been aboard the Tech 3 KTM RC16 for his rookie season and join the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. The Australian, the 2021 Moto2™ World Champion, will look to hit the ground running, whilst returning the Australian flag to full-time WorldSBK competition for the first time since 2016. DESTINED FOR SUCCESS: Gardner’s path to World Championship success Gardner comes from a racing background, with father, Wayne, becoming a national hero in Australia by winning the 1987 500cc World Championship title, thus sparking a huge interesting in motorcycle racing in Australia. Born in 1998 in Sydney, Remy Gardner was always destined for success in motorcycle racing and in 2014, made his Moto3™ World Championship debut. He’d score a point in Malaysia at Sepang, his third race in the class. In 2015, he was signed full-time in Moto3™ but was only able to achieve one points-scoring ride in tenth at Phillip Island, his size working against him. He moved to the Moto2™ European Championship in 2016, having missed out on graduation to the main Moto2™ World Championship after a team pulled out before the season started. Gardner would win a race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with that then bringing him back to the main World Championship and giving him a mid-season outing in the main Moto2™ class in Barcelona. He scored points on his debut and was kept for the rest of the season, getting three further points-scoring rides. In 2017, he took a first top ten in the class with ninth at Brno, whilst improved consistency came in 2018, with the last race of the season at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia bringing him a first top five of his career in Moto2™. 2019 saw Gardner show flashes of brilliance and a first podium came in Argentina, at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. It’d be his only podium of the year but a first pole at Assen and regularly inside the top ten showed his potential. 2020’s shortened season was another opportunity for Gardner to kick on in Moto2™, with four podiums and a career-first win at the end of the season bringing him sixth overall in the title. 2021 would be the year where the Gardner name returned to the top of the Championship standings, with outstanding consistency and five wins giving him the title over his teammate Raul Fernandez, who won eight races but was more inconsistent, suffering three DNFs. To underline Gardner’s consistency, from the 2020 French round to his crowning Valencian round of 2021, besides a DNF at Misano and a safe tenth in Valencia, was never outside the seven. His graduation to MotoGP™ in 2022 has brought four points-scoring finishes, but no top ten. WELCOMED TO WorldSBK: Andrea Dosoli hails “exciting young talent” Gardner Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager, welcomed Gardner into the family: “Remy is an exciting young talent, who boasts an impressive career inside the Grand Prix paddock. We are obviously delighted to have a rider on board who’s not only shown great progression but has experience at the top level of motorcycle racing. We believe that he is the perfect fit for Yamaha’s WorldSBK programme and are keen to see what he can do on one of our R1 WorldSBK machines. We’d also like to thank Garrett Gerloff for his commitment to Yamaha these past three seasons and we wish him all the best for the future.” Team manager Filippo Conti likewise welcomed Gardner, and paid respect to Gerloff, who leaves the team at the end of the year: “We are delighted to welcome Remy to our team. He fits perfectly with our programme and is a top rider who has proven his abilities as a World Champion in the Grand Prix paddock. We strongly believe he will be a great asset for Yamaha and the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. At the same time, we would like to thank Garrett for the three years we have spent together. We are parting ways at the end of the season but highly respect him, so wish him all the best.” GRT’S HISTORY: success in abundance, first win eludes in WorldSBK The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team graduated into World Superbike in 2019, having had success in WorldSSP, taking a title in 2017 with Lucas Mahias, whilst race wins followed in 2018. Marco Melandri and Sandro Cortese were the riders in 2019, with Melandri taking them to three podiums, including in their first-ever race at Phillip Island, finishing as the top Yamaha. For 2020, the Italian outfit opted for an all-rookie line-up of WorldSSP runner-up Federico Caricasulo and MotoAmerica race winner and double MotoAmerica Supersport champion Garrett Gerloff. In Barcelona, Gerloff took a first podium, before backing it up at Estoril, bringing the team plenty of success in the second half. In 2021, two more podiums followed for the American, whilst they welcomed Japanese champion Kohta Nozane to the team, with him getting top ten results. The line-up remained unchanged in 2022, although podiums – so far – haven’t been achieved. THE OTHER SEAT: who will join Gardner at GRT? Speaking about the second rider at GRT, Dosoli stated that it’s not settled: “It’s a big family. I’m glad that Toprak and Locatelli already have a contract that expires at the end of 2023 and now Remy is confirmed. Still, we have a few bikes available and we are working in order to secure the best possible rider. I’m excited because there are very talented guys out there, and there is a lot of interest in our teams and our machine. It’s a good moment for us. We will work together with the teams in order to secure the best guys. I cannot give you any names at the moment because, in the past, we have been promoting the best guy in WorldSSP and we are working in this direction.” |
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Post by truenorth on Sept 19, 2022 13:25:09 GMT -8
2023 WorldSBK silly season and rumour mill: all the gossip on next year’s line-up  The annual game of musical chairs is starting, with big-name riders’ contracts up at the end of this year and the potential for more stars to join the WorldSBK paddock It’s that time of year again; with seven rounds done in the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, the music has sounded on the 2023 rider line-up. Right now, there’s still plenty of seats available, but some have been snatched already. With big names not signed up for next year, one seat at the factory Ducati team up for grabs and the potential for new additions from MotoGP™ and graduations from WorldSSP, we put the gossip, rumours and hard facts in one place. DONE DEALS: the future is secured in 2023 for… As the usual jockeying for a seat in WorldSBK gets underway, others have grabbed the holeshot into next year; starting with reigning World Champions Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK, their line-up will remain unchanged for a third season with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli inking new deals. Razgatlioglu had been rumoured for a MotoGP™ seat but with the factory team their likewise remaining unchanged (Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli), that seems unlikely until the earliest of 2024, as stated by Lin Jarvis. Besides the reigning World Champions, 2022 WorldSBK Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will remain with the factory Ducati team going into 2023, meaning all five factory teams have at least one rider confirmed. For Kawasaki, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) signed a multi-year deal in 2021 taking him into 2023,so he’s secured, and Jonathan Rea will remain in green until the end of 2024 following an announcement after Donington Park. Iker Lecuona confirmed exclusively to WorldSBK.com in a feature interview that he’s remaining with Team HRC for 2023, whilst Xavi Vierge was announced immediately after the Barcelona summer test. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) is also in the first of a multi-year deal and he’ll be joined by Michael van der Mark who goes into his third season in BMW white. For Independent teams, Ducati rookies Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) and Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) are in the first of their two-year deals, with the German and Sammarinese respectively on the grid until at least 2023. The latest news elsewhere on the grid of Remy Gardner joining the line-up at GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team brings an exciting prospect, whilst Garrett Gerloff moves over to the Bonovo Action BMW team. Their teammates are yet to be announced. ONE FACTORY SEAT REMAINS: who will complete the factory Ducati line-up? With Alvaro Bautista back in Ducati red again for 2023, attention turns to the other side of the garage, where Michael Ruben Rinaldi knows that his results will need to be more consistent, as pressure from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) mounts. Rinaldi said after his podiums at Misano that they will have “helped” things although during Donington Park, Bassani expressed the ‘importance’ of beating Rinaldi. Additionally, according to Motorsport.com, there’s also the potential for Danilo Petrucci, should he win the MotoAmerica championship, to be kept within Ducati’s structure in WorldSBK, although that doesn’t necessarily mean in the factory team. Team manager Serafino Foti said the plan is to continue with “both riders” before signing Bautista, however, the latest update is that when asked about his future, Rinaldi seemed downbeat: “The situation is… better not to ask this. I try to just do my best and finish in the top positions. I know that our potential this year has maybe not been reached and I didn’t achieve what I could achieve, but I think… anyway, we will talk about this in the next races.” Since then, both riders have made it crystal clear that their aim is the factory seat, with Rinaldi hailing his Magny-Cours podium as “important for his future.” OTHER TALKING POINTS: new additions and graduations? With the MotoGP™ paddock rumour mill in full flow, it’s bound to impact on the WorldSBK grid. Iker Lecuona said in an interview that he thinks “two or three” MotoGP™ and Moto2™ riders will switch to WorldSBK in 2023, with the level “higher than ever”, with Gardner’s addition emphasising that. Who exactly that could transpire to be is yet to be determined, but there’s plenty of contracts up in MotoGP™ paddock at the end of the season; with all factory WorldSBK seats taken but plenty of Independent seats available, it’s going to be a tight squeeze. Then, in the WorldSSP paddock itself, expansion plans and graduations could be on the horizon. Manuel Puccetti hasn’t shied away from the fact that he targets two Superbikes on the grid in 2023, having appointed ex-MotoGP™ paddock technical director Pietro Caprara as his team manager in 2022. Then, there’s GMT94 Yamaha, who have expressed a desire to move up to WorldSBK for 2023 before, which resurfaced at Misano, the intention remaining the same. There’s also the well-documented ambitions of Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), the reigning World Supersport Champion, who aims to be on the WorldSBK grid for 2023. Summarised 2023 rider line-up so far with 13 riders confirmed. TBA = to be announced: Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK: Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK: Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes Aruba.it Racing – Ducati: Alvaro Bautista and TBA BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: Scott Redding and Michael van der Mark Team HRC: Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team: Remy Gardner and TBA Motocorsa Racing: TBA Team Goeleven: Philipp Oettl Kawasaki Puccetti Racing: TBA BARNI Spark Racing Team: Luca Bernardi Bonovo Action BMW: Garrett Gerloff and TBA Orelac Racing VerdNatura: TBA TPR Team Pedercini Racing: TBA |
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Post by truenorth on Sept 19, 2022 13:32:17 GMT -8
The switch of success: the riders switching to WorldSBK from MotoGP™  With Remy Gardner joining the WorldSBK grid in 2023, we look back at some of the most successful switches from the MotoGP™ paddock Following the announcement that Remy Gardner will switch to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for 2023, he becomes the latest name to switch paddocks from the MotoGP™ World Championship. In recent years, more and more riders are making the move across from MotoGP™ and into WorldSBK, with plenty of success coming their way soon after. We look back in recent times to see who made the switch and how successful they’ve been since. MODERN HISTORY: some of the most successful Starting with the most recent, it has to be Spanish duo Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge. Lecuona was a top six finisher in 2021 for the Tech KTM outfit but, like Gardner, was stuck for options in the MotoGP™ paddock, whilst Vierge came from Moto2™, where he had been a podium finisher. In WorldSBK, Lecuona was on the podium in just his second round of action, whilst he’s also been a regular finisher inside the top ten and has scored point on all but two occasions. In the battle for fourth overall, just 27 points behind Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Lecuona aims for a big push at the end of the season, as he returns to tracks he knows. For Vierge, he had an injury-hit start to the season but has shown his top four potential at Estoril and Misano, before another injury was picked up at Misano in Race 2. He too will hope that venues he has experience on will give good results. Before the two Hondas, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was a big name to cross over from the MotoGP™ paddock, first dominating the 2020 WorldSSP Championship before earning a space in the Pata Yamaha team. Like Lecuona, Locatelli was a podium man in his first season aboard WorldSBK machinery and in his second, although podiums have been slightly harder to come by, he’s been consistent once again. The year before Locatelli, ex-MotoGP™ star Scott Redding made his WorldSBK debut, having gone back to BSB first, taking the title there and then, in his first year, remaining in the title fight until the very end. With 12 wins and podiums across two manufacturers, Redding’s success in WorldSBK after life in MotoGP™ is one of the most successful. Prior to Redding though, one of the biggest names in recent years; Alvaro Bautista’s move from MotoGP™ at the end of 2018, when he was still capable of top five performances on an Independent Ducati, was major news. He came in and started winning straight away, although nobody could’ve predicted to such an extreme: huge gaps back to the rest of the field and with 11 straight wins from his first 11 races, Bautista was surely destined to become Champion – but Jonathan Rea fought back with tenacity rarely seen before in World Championship motorcycle racing, make it five in a row. TURNING THE CLOCK BACK: the trail-blazers before the current riders Just before Bautista’s arrival, some riders had switched paddocks in the years before but few made the transition work. The late great Nicky Hayden moved to WorldSBK and was a winner and a podium finisher before is untimely passing, whilst Jordi Torres had also come from Moto2™ to be a WorldSBK race winner in 2015. However, these are all from recent times – that’s not to say that it’s a new thing or a trend. MotoGP™ riders have been leaving the paddock to come to WorldSBK for many years, and in a few cases, vice versa too. However, Carlos Checa, Max Biaggi and Marco Melandri (all apart from the latter being a WorldSBK Champion but all winning more than 20 races) were in the twilight of their career and to keep racing and rekindle winning ways, came to WorldSBK and fought for the title. Going back further, other riders did the same, such as Alex Barros, Regis Laconi and, back in the 1990s, John Kocinski and whilst all were race winners, only Kocinski took a title. Let’s not forget that just before the big three of Melandri, Biaggi and Checa, riders such as Eugene Laverty, Sylvain Guintoli and Chaz Davies had all been full-time riders in the MotoGP™ paddock but came to WorldSBK – Laverty and Davies as runners-up whilst Guintoli took the title in 2014. WorldSSP AS A STEPPINGSTONE: plenty of talent jumped in The trend doesn’t just stop in WorldSBK either; World Supersport is full of riders from Moto2™ in recent years. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) took the title in 2021 and is battling for it again in 2022, this time against WorldSSP rookies Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), both coming from Moto2™. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is the youngest ever Grand Prix race winner in Moto3™ and is in WorldSSP, whilst Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph), Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and, going back far enough, Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) all came from Moto2™ as well – Cluzel being a good example of success in the class. In past years in WorldSSP, Steven Odendaal has been a multiple race winner, whilst in 2018, the title went the way of Sandro Cortese and both riders moved from the MotoGP™ paddock. Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) made the switch to WorldSSP for two years and took multiple podiums before getting WorldSBK graduation for 2022, whilst Raffaele De Rosa switched to the WorldSBK paddock a year ago and has been a race winner in WorldSSP and a STK1000 Champion too. Randy Krummenacher, the 2019 WorldSSP Champion, switched in 2016 from the Moto2™ class, whilst Isaac Vinales, Roberto Rolfo and Lorenzo Zanetti are just some of the names to have relative success in WorldSSP, moving from the MotoGP™ paddock. |
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Post by truenorth on Sept 19, 2022 13:34:45 GMT -8
Gerloff switches to Bonovo Action BMW for 2023 WorldSBK charge  The American rider will be aboard the M1000RR for his fourth season of World Superbike action Despite the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship having plenty of life left in it, the 2023 grid is taking shape and there’s been another signing for the next season, bringing the first big change. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will move from Yamaha machinery to BMW, as he joins the Bonovo Action BMW team. For Gerloff, he’s tasted the podium in 2020 and 2021 but so far in 2022, it has eluded him, something he will hope to change before the end of the season and definitely for 2023 when he’s aboard the BMW M1000RR. Going into their third full season, the Bonovo Action BMW team have had plenty of top ten finishes and podium challenges, particularly in their second season with Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), whilst their other current rider, Eugene Laverty, will move into the team’s sporting side. Gerloff made his WorldSBK debut in 2020 with the GRT Yamaha outfit, coming in as a multiple MotoAmerica Superbike race winner and a double MotoAmerica Supersport champion. Gerloff was an instant hit in WorldSBK, getting in the top ten before bagging a first podium in Barcelona in Race 2, whilst he would return to the podium two further times at Estoril. Two more podiums followed for Gerloff in 2021, the last of which came at Donington Park. Since then, Gerloff hasn’t replicated the success he previously enjoyed, after notable incidents in 2021 with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at Estoril, as well as Yamaha compatriot Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) at Assen. A change of scenery may well be the key to reigniting Gerloff’s potential. Speaking about the deal, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers welcomed Gerloff into the BMW family: “Howdy, and welcome to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family, Garrett Gerloff. We have always followed his development in WorldSBK over the past few years. He showed from the outset that he is fast and talented; he has now matured as a rider. We are thrilled to have Garrett on board from next season. We are confident that Garrett will fit very nicely into our squad of BMW Motorrad factory riders and will further strengthen our project. He will help the Bonovo Action BMW Racing Team to take the next step towards the top next season.” Team owner Jurgen Roder also shared the joy of signing Gerloff and welcomed him into the Bonovo Action BMW family: “ |
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Post by truenorth on Sept 20, 2022 4:10:23 GMT -8
STAYING PUT: Rinaldi back with factory Ducati for 2023  The final factory seat on the 2023 grid has been taken and, after much speculation and huge interest, it will be Michael Ruben Rinaldi who partners Alvaro Bautista at Aruba.it Racing - Ducati The last remaining factory seat in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been announced, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi keeping his place at the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for 2023. He initially joined the team for the 2021 campaign and remained for 2022 and the Italian rider will stay with the team for next season as Ducati keep the same rider line-up. Confirmation that Rinaldi remains at the factory Ducati team means all five factory teams have kept the same line-up between 2022 and 2023. Rimini-born Rinaldi made his WorldSBK debut in 2018 and finished 14th in the Championship despite only taking part in 16 of the 25 races that season, with Rinaldi consistently in the top ten in his debut season with the Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team. In 2019, Rinaldi made the switch to the BARNI Racing Team and continued to impress as he fought for the top ten positions all season. The 2017 STK1000 Champion moved to Team Goeleven for 2020 and this was his breakthrough season as he claimed his first WorldSBK podiums and first win, all coming at MotorLand Aragon during the Teruel Round. First in Race 1 was backed up with third in the Tissot Superpole Race and second in Race 2 after three incredible fights with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding, who then raced for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati outfit. His performances in 2020, finishing seventh in the standings, earnt him a seat at the factory Ducati squad for 2021. In his first season with the team, he took two wins, on home soil at Misano, and seven podiums as he finished fifth in the standings. In 2022, Rinaldi currently sits fourth in the standings with three podiums to his name; two at Misano and one last time out at Magny-Cours. For 2023, he remains with the team for a third consecutive season. He will partner Championship leader and current teammate Alvaro Bautista next season, who was announced for 2023 in June. Discussing his new contract for 2023, Rinaldi said: "I am very happy to race again next year for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati because I firmly believe in this project. I am very confident that in 2023 we can reap everything we have sown together with the team. I will be the first to work even harder, both in training and on track, to get better results and have the consistency that has been lacking so far. I want to thank Stefano Cecconi, Claudio Domenicali, Luigi Dall'Igna, Paolo Ciabatti, Serafino Foti, and all the people who trusted in me. I can't wait to be in Barcelona to get a good result and repay this confidence. And I am sure that 2023 will be a great year for us.” Team Principal Stefano Cecconi added: “Michael has the potential to be one of the fastest riders in the World Superbike Championship and he has been able to prove it on several occasions. Our long journey together will be extended at least until the end of 2023, thus giving continuity and preserving the current team set-up that is also allowing us to be first in the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ Championships. We are counting on 2023 to be for Michael the year of definitive consecration and at the same time we are confident that the work done so far can allow us, during this second part of the season, to reap the rewards in terms of satisfaction and consistency of results." Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Corse Sporting Director, said: “Michael Ruben Rinaldi is a young rider who grew up in WorldSBK with Ducati and has proven time and time again that he is very fast and knows how to make the most of the potential of the Panigale V4R machine. That's why we are also happy to count on him for the next Championship. With an extra year of experience with the official Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, we are convinced that he will be able to aspire to even more important results in 2023” |
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Post by truenorth on Sept 22, 2022 6:34:49 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Sept 22, 2022 6:38:30 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2022 5:20:09 GMT -8
SBK FP1
1 7 I. LECUONA ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 1'41.396 17 165,344 319,5
2 21 M. RINALDI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'41.931 0.535 0.535 17 164,476 319,5
3 1 T. RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'41.991 0.595 0.060 17 164,379 320,5
4 19 A. BAUTISTA ESP Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'42.042 0.646 0.051 17 164,297 324,3
5 65 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.113 0.717 0.071 16 164,183 325,3
6 55 A. LOCATELLI ITA Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.143 0.747 0.030 20 164,135 317,6
7 22 A. LOWES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.358 0.962 0.215 21 163,790 321,4
8 31 G. GERLOFF USA GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'42.683 1.287 0.325 20 163,271 314,9
9 50 E. LAVERTY IRL Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'42.688 1.292 0.005 17 163,263 321,4
10 97 X. VIERGE ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 1'42.744 1.348 0.056 19 163,174 326,3
11 45 S. REDDING GBR BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 1'42.883 1.487 0.139 13 162,954 321,4
12 5 P. OETTL GER Team Goeleven Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'43.018 1.622 0.135 17 162,740 315,8
13 76 L. BAZ FRA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'43.043 1.647 0.025 16 162,701 314,0
14 3 K. NOZANE JPN GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'43.473 2.077 0.430 18 162,025 312,1
15 47 A. BASSANI ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'43.475 2.079 0.002 17 162,022 319,5
16 52 O. KONIG CZE Orelac Racing Verdnatura Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'43.594 2.198 0.119 17 161,836 309,5
17 44 L. MAHIAS FRA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'43.631 2.235 0.037 14 161,778 308,6
18 23 C. PONSSON FRA Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'43.870 2.474 0.239 17 161,406 313,0
19 99 O. GUTIERREZ ESP TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'43.892 2.496 0.022 18 161,371 306,8
20 2 R. TAMBURINI ITA Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'44.214 2.818 0.322 15 160,873 315,8
21 36 L. MERCADO ARG MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 1'44.430 3.034 0.216 16 160,540 313,0
22 29 L. BERNARDI SMR BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'44.658 3.262 0.228 17 160,190 316,7
23 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 1'44.925 3.529 0.267 2 159,783 315,8
----------------- Out 105% in this Session -----------------
24 35 H. SYAHRIN MAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 0
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2022 5:27:55 GMT -8
Lecuona rockets to top spot by more than half a second in WorldSBK FP1 in Barcelona  The home-hero put Honda on top in the first session of the weekend, whilst the title contenders are all third to fifth The eighth round of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has ignited at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, with plenty of headlines coming through from FP1 in WorldSBK. The weather coming into the round had been far from ideal, but it was a sunny start to the day in Barcelona, with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) setting the pace to top his first-ever WorldSBK session at a circuit he knows well. In the final ten minutes, Lecuona got down to business and like we’d seen in the tests at the track before, carried out a short run of time attack laps at the end of the session. Going mightily fast, a 1’41.396 was the time to beat, set by the Spaniard. Leading for much of the rest of the session, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was second, a good start to his weekend after re-signing a new contract with the factory Ducati team until the end of next year. Reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was third and top Yamaha, ahead of Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who was being tracked by Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the opening laps of the session, with the mind games beginning between the two. In terms of the top five, it was Rea who had the highest top speed at 325km/h. Completing the top half-dozen, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), whilst Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took seventh despite a tumble at Turn 10. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was top Independent in eighth at the circuit at which he took a career-first podium at in 2020, whilst it was a bright start for Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) who took ninth, one place ahead of home-hero Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in tenth. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was only 11th whilst teammate Michael van der Mark only set two laps before a technical problem ended his session. One talking point was Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 15th, a rather quiet start given the Italian’s recent form. Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) was out of action due to an upper respiratory tract infection; he’ll be reviewed on Saturday morning. Top six after WorldSBK FP1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, full results here: 1. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) 1’41.396s 2. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.535s 3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.595s 4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.646s 5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.717s 6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.747s |
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2022 5:42:15 GMT -8
The Honda was the only one on softs for FP1, hence their unusual speed. Normal tires in FP2 mean normal (slower) speeds.
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2022 5:54:28 GMT -8
SBK FP2
1 19 A. BAUTISTA ESP Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'42.018 22 164,336 318,6
2 65 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.058 0.040 0.040 21 164,271 313,0
3 55 A. LOCATELLI ITA Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.085 0.067 0.027 17 164,228 311,2
4 21 M. RINALDI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'42.121 0.103 0.036 16 164,170 313,0
5 97 X. VIERGE ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 1'42.221 0.203 0.100 21 164,009 323,4
6 1 T. RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.318 0.300 0.097 14 163,854 313,0
7 47 A. BASSANI ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'42.477 0.459 0.159 17 163,600 319,5
8 45 S. REDDING GBR BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 1'42.648 0.630 0.171 15 163,327 315,8
9 44 L. MAHIAS FRA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'42.737 0.719 0.089 15 163,186 305,1
10 5 P. OETTL GER Team Goeleven Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'42.823 0.805 0.086 19 163,049 318,6
11 50 E. LAVERTY IRL Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'42.828 0.810 0.005 17 163,041 316,7
12 7 I. LECUONA ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 1'42.844 0.826 0.016 18 163,016 320,5
13 31 G. GERLOFF USA GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'42.904 0.886 0.060 16 162,921 309,5
14 22 A. LOWES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 1'42.937 0.919 0.033 18 162,869 312,1
15 76 L. BAZ FRA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'43.048 1.030 0.111 10 162,693 316,7
16 29 L. BERNARDI SMR BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'43.230 1.212 0.182 20 162,406 317,6
17 2 R. TAMBURINI ITA Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'43.595 1.577 0.365 18 161,834 314,9
18 3 K. NOZANE JPN GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'43.599 1.581 0.004 11 161,828 306,8
19 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 1'43.613 1.595 0.014 15 161,806 317,6
20 99 O. GUTIERREZ ESP TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'43.924 1.906 0.311 15 161,322 307,7
21 23 C. PONSSON FRA Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha Yamaha YZF R1 IND 1'44.179 2.161 0.255 15 160,927 307,7
22 36 L. MERCADO ARG MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 1'44.281 2.263 0.102 17 160,769 313,0
23 52 O. KONIG CZE Orelac Racing Verdnatura Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 1'44.293 2.275 0.012 19 160,751 305,9
----------------- Out 105% in this Session -----------------
24 35 H. SYAHRIN MAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 0
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2022 6:27:45 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2022 6:55:31 GMT -8
SSP FP2
1 77 D. AEGERTER SUI Ten Kate Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'44.507 20 160,422 276,2
2 11 N. BULEGA ITA Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati Panigale V2 1'45.522 1.015 1.015 9 158,879 269,3
3 66 N. TUULI FIN MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta F3 800 RR 1'45.664 1.157 0.142 17 158,665 267,3
4 61 C. ONCU TUR Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.669 1.162 0.005 19 158,658 274,8
5 16 J. CLUZEL FRA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'45.804 1.297 0.135 20 158,455 272,0
6 62 S. MANZI ITA Dynavolt Triumph Triumph Street Triple RS 1'45.936 1.429 0.132 22 158,258 275,5
7 7 L. BALDASSARRI ITA Evan Bros.WorldSSP Yamaha Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'45.969 1.462 0.033 18 158,209 272,0
8 64 F. CARICASULO ITA Althea Racing Ducati Panigale V2 1'45.988 1.481 0.019 14 158,180 275,5
9 55 Y. MONTELLA ITA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'46.147 1.640 0.159 13 157,943 272,7
10 54 B. SOFUOGLU TUR MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta F3 800 RR * 1'46.208 1.701 0.061 22 157,853 277,6
11 3 R. DE ROSA ITA Orelac Racing Verdnatura WorldSSP Ducati Panigale V2 1'46.212 1.705 0.004 18 157,847 270,0
12 28 G. VAN STRAALEN NED EAB Racing Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'46.256 1.749 0.044 18 157,781 267,3
13 23 I. VINALES ESP D34G Racing Ducati Panigale V2 * 1'46.264 1.757 0.008 16 157,769 274,1
14 99 A. HUERTAS ESP MTM Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'46.332 1.825 0.068 13 157,668 273,4
15 32 O. BAYLISS AUS BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 1'46.433 1.926 0.101 18 157,519 272,7
16 52 P. HOBELSBERGER GER Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF R6 1'46.466 1.959 0.033 16 157,470 270,0
17 25 M. BRENNER SUI VFT Racing Yamaha YZF R6 * 1'46.471 1.964 0.005 17 157,463 267,3
18 9 S. JESPERSEN DEN Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF R6 * 1'46.543 2.036 0.072 18 157,356 274,8
19 76 J. GIRAL ESP Valvulas Arco JG76 Team Ducati Panigale V2 1'46.584 2.077 0.041 19 157,296 270,0
20 56 P. SEBESTYEN HUN Evan Bros.WorldSSP Yamaha Team Yamaha YZF R6 1'46.626 2.119 0.042 19 157,234 273,4
21 69 T. BOOTH-AMOS GBR Prodina Racing WorldSSP Kawasaki ZX-6R * 1'46.675 2.168 0.049 17 157,161 272,0
22 38 H. SOOMER EST Dynavolt Triumph Triumph Street Triple RS 1'46.720 2.213 0.045 18 157,095 273,4
23 94 A. VERDOIA FRA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'46.791 2.284 0.071 17 156,991 270,0
24 24 L. TACCINI ITA Ten Kate Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 1'46.860 2.353 0.069 20 156,889 271,4
25 81 A. VIU ESP Andotrans Team Torrento Yamaha YZF R6 1'47.080 2.573 0.220 7 156,567 274,1
26 50 O. VOSTATEK CZE MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Yamaha YZF R6 1'47.087 2.580 0.007 16 156,557 273,4
27 10 U. ORRADRE ESP MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Yamaha YZF R6 1'47.266 2.759 0.179 18 156,296 267,3
28 21 B. CURRIE AUS Motozoo Racing by Puccetti Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'47.506 2.999 0.240 10 155,947 268,7
29 6 J. BUIS NED Motozoo Racing by Puccetti Kawasaki ZX-6R * 1'47.721 3.214 0.215 17 155,635 271,4
30 22 F. FULIGNI ITA D34G Racing Ducati Panigale V2 * 1'47.806 3.299 0.085 16 155,513 271,4
31 70 M. ALCOBA ESP VFT Racing Yamaha YZF R6 1'47.866 3.359 0.060 12 155,426 268,0
32 73 M. KOFLER AUT CM Racing Ducati Panigale V2 1'48.291 3.784 0.425 14 154,816 274,8
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2022 13:17:35 GMT -8
Alvaro Bautista: “Johnny went all the way into turn 10 and we almost ended up on the ground again. For me it's not a problem, it's also fun. This is as if it were the continuation of Magny-Cours,
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2022 23:55:29 GMT -8
SBK Fp3
1 76 L. BAZ FRA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'52.973 9 148,400 314,0
2 19 A. BAUTISTA ESP Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 1'54.513 1.540 1.540 10 146,404 320,5
3 1 T. RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 1'54.629 1.656 0.116 7 146,256 305,9
4 50 E. LAVERTY IRL Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 1'54.798 1.825 0.169 5 146,041 305,9
5 47 A. BASSANI ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'56.823 3.850 2.025 8 143,509 304,2
6 5 P. OETTL GER Team Goeleven Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1'57.014 4.041 0.191 11 143,275 306,8
----------------- Out 105% in this Session -----------------
7 21 M. RINALDI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 0 169,8
8 31 G. GERLOFF USA GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 0 140,6
9 55 A. LOCATELLI ITA Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 0 150,2
10 2 R. TAMBURINI ITA Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 0
11 3 K. NOZANE JPN GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 0
12 7 I. LECUONA ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 0
13 22 A. LOWES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 0
14 23 C. PONSSON FRA Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha Yamaha YZF R1 IND 0
15 29 L. BERNARDI SMR BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R IND 0
16 36 L. MERCADO ARG MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 0
17 44 L. MAHIAS FRA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 0
18 45 S. REDDING GBR BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 0
19 52 O. KONIG CZE Orelac Racing Verdnatura Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 0
20 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 0
21 65 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 0
22 97 X. VIERGE ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 0
23 99 O. GUTIERREZ ESP TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 0
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2022 7:41:21 GMT -8
Bautista: “But it's stupid to think that I can dominate like this on other tracks. Marquez? I saw it, it was cool, but it didn't surprise me. Rea? We talked "
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2022 7:42:19 GMT -8
SBK Race1
1 5 19 A. BAUTISTA ESP Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 20 1'41.823 324,3 1'41.148 329,3
2 3 65 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 20 8.665 8.665 1'42.379 324,3 1'40.983 322,4
3 6 31 G. GERLOFF USA GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 20 9.289 0.624 1'42.449 323,4 1'41.208 317,6
4 10 21 M. RINALDI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 20 10.783 1.494 1'42.437 330,3 1'41.836 318,6
5 8 1 T. RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 20 13.568 2.785 1'41.994 315,8 1'41.638 318,6
6 1 7 I. LECUONA ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 20 13.655 0.087 1'42.282 326,3 1'40.766 325,3
7 2 22 A. LOWES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 20 14.013 0.358 1'42.109 321,4 1'40.789 320,5
8 7 47 A. BASSANI ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R IND 20 14.839 0.826 1'42.412 323,4 1'41.594 323,4
9 4 55 A. LOCATELLI ITA Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 20 29.775 14.936 1'42.316 320,5 1'40.991 315,8
10 16 50 E. LAVERTY IRL Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 20 30.094 0.319 1'43.536 319,5 1'42.469 318,6
11 14 76 L. BAZ FRA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000RR IND 20 30.390 0.296 1'42.635 324,3 1'42.384 322,4
12 9 97 X. VIERGE ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 20 31.755 1.365 1'42.791 328,3 1'41.683 333,3
13 18 2 R. TAMBURINI ITA Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 20 33.055 1.300 1'43.793 314,9 1'42.509 314,0
14 11 44 L. MAHIAS FRA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 20 35.962 2.907 1'42.971 314,9 1'41.937 314,0
15 20 23 C. PONSSON FRA Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha Yamaha YZF R1 IND 20 37.498 1.536 1'43.917 314,9 1'43.005 313,0
16 15 3 K. NOZANE JPN GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 20 45.108 7.610 1'43.852 312,1 1'42.469 317,6
17 21 99 O. GUTIERREZ ESP TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 20 46.958 1.850 1'43.837 316,7 1'43.075 310,3
18 23 36 L. MERCADO ARG MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 20 55.315 8.357 1'44.184 319,5 1'44.128 315,8
19 22 52 O. KONIG CZE Orelac Racing Verdnatura Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 20 57.534 2.219 1'45.044 312,1 1'43.182 310,3
-----------------Not Classifed-----------------
RET 19 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 8 12 Laps 1'43.093 321,4 1'42.916 323,4
RET 13 45 S. REDDING GBR BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000RR 2 18 Laps 1'43.087 322,4 1'42.038 319,5
RET 17 29 L. BERNARDI SMR BARNI Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R IND 1 19 Laps 275,5 1'42.473 323,4
RET 12 5 P. OETTL GER Team Goeleven Ducati Panigale V4R IND 0 279,1 1'42.028 323,4
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2022 7:46:15 GMT -8
Bautista battles from fifth to first to take home WorldSBK Race 1 victory ahead of Rea  The Spanish rider got a stunning start to move into the lead and withstood early pressure from the reigning Champion before extending his lead to win by more than eight seconds Race 1 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was a stunning affair at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Catalunya Round with all three in the title race having to make stunning fightback. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) extended his Championship lead with victory as he moved from fifth to first, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled from losing out at the start to take second while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) went from eighth to second at the start before dropping back. STUNNING STARTS: a rollercoaster race for the titanic trio After missing out on front row starts in the Tissot Superpole session, both Bautista and Razgatlioglu were able to move to the head of the field before Turn 1, with Bautista jumping from fifth to first while Razgatlioglu went from eighth to second. In the early stages of the race, Razgatlioglu looked to make a move on Bautista but the Championship leader was able to hold on to claim a relatively pressure-free victory ahead of Rea. Six-time Champion Rea was able to battle back up to second place after dropping down to fight in the opening laps of the race ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in third, who started from sixth place and showed strong pace throughout the race to take the best result of his 2022 campaign and his first podium. As the race progressed, Razgatlioglu lost ground to Bautista before losing out to the riders behind him, with Razgatlioglu being passed by Rea, Gerloff and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim fifth place at the end of the race, finishing 2.785s seconds behind Rinaldi despite the Italian only passing him at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap of the race. The winning margin of 8.665s meant Bautista took his 25th win in WorldSBK, only one behind 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu, and his ninth win of the season with his Championship lead up from 30 points to 44. Bautista became the first rider to start fifth or lower and lead all laps in a race since Rea did, from ninth, at Jerez Race 2 in 2017. It was also Ducati’s 385th win in WorldSBK and the 680th race on the podium. Gerloff’s second place took his sixth career podium and his first podium since Donington Park Race 2 in 2021, with a span of more than a year between podiums. It was also Yamaha’s 325th race on the WorldSBK podium. FIGHTING BACK, DROPPING DOWN: rollercoasters for Rinaldi and Razgatlioglu Rinaldi finished in fourth place, just 1.494s away from Gerloff in third place despite starting from tenth and running wide in the early stages of the race. Rinaldi has now secured ten top-seven finishes in the last 11 races including five inside the top-four as he leads the battle for fourth in the Championship. Razgatlioglu was fifth and his streak of leading races came to an end at 17 races, while the reigning Champion had to fend off a late charge from Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). Lecuona started from pole position but opted to use Pirelli’s SC0 tyre, inspired by Rinaldi’s victory in Race 2 in 2021. Lecuona dropped down at the start of the race but was able to stabilise his pace to finish in sixth place. ROUNDING OUT THE TOP TEN: a tight fight Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was another who initially fought in the lead group but dropped down in the latter stages as he claimed seventh place, ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Bassani, like Lecuona, used the SC0 tyre and had a strong start to the race but lost out as the race progressed, eventually finishing in eighth place. He was 15 seconds clear of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) at the end of the race, with Locatelli losing out in a battle with Rinaldi in the latter stages of the race. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) was the lead BMW rider in the race as he took tenth place; his first top-ten finish since the opening race of the season, as he finished just three tenths behind Locatelli. TAKING HOME POINTS: finishing in the top 15 Laverty’s teammate, Loris Baz, was 11th and just 0.296s behind Laverty at the end of the 20-lap race, ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in 12th place. Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took 13th place ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 14th and Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) rounding out the points-paying positions; Ponsson’s first points since the Tissot Superpole Race at the Circuito Estoril in May. HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSBK Race 1 Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was in 16th place ahead of home rider Oscar Gutierrez (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in 17th in just his second WorldSBK round. Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 18th and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 19th to complete the classified riders. There were three retirements in the opening stages of the 20-lap race, with Phillip Oettl (Team Goeleven) retiring after suffering a technical issue on the opening lap. On the same lap, Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) crashed at Turn 3 after contact with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with Bernardi re-joining the race, before bringing his bike back to the pits, and van der Mark continuing. The incident will be investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards after the race. On Lap 3, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Lap 1 which put the British rider out of the race. Van der Mark retired from the race after a technical issue on Lap 9 of 20. The top six following WorldSBK Race 2, full results here: 1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +8.665s 3. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +9.289s 4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +10.783s 5. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +13.568s 6. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +13.655s Fastest lap: Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) – 1’41.823s |
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2022 7:48:15 GMT -8
"When they started coming back to me, I was thrilled!" – Gerloff’s strategy to first podium of 2022  Playing it cool, smart but remaining sharp until the end, the American rider was back on the box for a long overdue rostrum The 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been full of stories this season and round eight of the season delivered another emotional one, as it marked the return to the podium for Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). The American got his first podium of his WorldSBK career at the circuit back in 2020 and since Donington Park last year, has been without a rostrum. Bouncing back from the controversial incident a year ago at Assen when he collided with Toprak Razgatlioglu and now with his future secured and a move to BMW for the next two years, Gerloff put in one of his best performances to-date in WorldSBK Race 1 in Barcelona. Starting from a second consecutive second row Superpole result, Gerloff got a good, clean launch but dropped back slightly, down to eighth on the opening lap before he was back in ninth on Lap 2. However, Gerloff, who showed potential in Superpole as well as FP2 on Friday, kept a calm head and methodically picked each rider off in front of him. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made an error at Turn 1 which allowed Gerloff to capitalise, before he then triumphed in a battle over fellow Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli. Undoubtedly the highlight of Gerloff’s race was on Lap 17, when Gerloff got ahead of both Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and poleman Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in one move at Turn 1. Talking about the first podium of his 2022 campaign, Gerloff couldn’t help but smile: “It’s been a long time! You never know when you’re last podium is going to be and for a while, I was thinking that Donington Park last year was going to be the last one. The team deserve to be here; it’s a world class team and they do a world class job. I’m happy to give them and the sponsors some media coverage!” It's been a consistent season for Gerloff, even if perhaps the highs and the outright potential that he’s shown many times before. He achieved a first top five of the season last time out at Magny-Cours and has now broken into the top ten in the overall Championship standings. The American, who will move to the Bonovo Action BMW team for 2023 and 2024, will now look to be back in contention on the final race day on Sunday. Speaking further about the race itself and how tyre management was crucial, Gerloff said: “I just figured that this race would be a long one and that tyre degradation was a big thing round here. I saw everyone smoking tyres right from the first lap, and it was a sign to me to be easy on the gas. I lost some ground for not being as aggressive, but it seemed to pay off later in the race. When they started coming back to me, I was thrilled. To make some passes always feels nice!” |
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