Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. is pleased to announce the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team, which will head its efforts in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship aboard the Attack Performance Yamaha R1s for the next two seasons. The team will field a two-rider effort led by the reigning MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne and new addition Cameron Petersen.
Fresh N Lean, America’s #1 Ready-to-Eat (RTE) meal delivery company, returns as the title sponsor and will continue to fuel the team for championship-proven performance on the track with quality nutrition that is easily prepared, organically sourced, and available in a variety of diets; all focused on optimizing human potential. Coming on board this season is another industry leading sponsor – Progressive Insurance, a leader in the commercial auto insurance industry and the #1 motorcycle insurer in the United States. Returning to the team’s powerhouse line-up of partners is Yamalube and Yamaha Financial Services.
Yamaha also extends its partnership with Attack Performance, one of the sport’s leading manufacturers of high-performance components and services for modern sportbikes. Since 2020, Attack has carried on the winning tradition of the Yamaha R1, enjoying two dominant seasons with 33 victories and two titles in the premier class. Attack Performance principal Richard Stanboli will also return as the team manager.
Gagne enters his third season with the team and aims to keep the #1 on the front of his Attack Performance Yamaha R1. Last year was a standout season for the Colorado rider who added several record-breaking accolades en route to claiming his first title in the premier class a weekend early. He notched an impressive 16-consecutive race wins, and then added one more victory to score the most wins in a season, putting him tied on the all-time win list with Nicky Hayden and making him the active leader in Superbike wins heading into the 2022 season. Gagne also has a pair of support class championships to his credit – the 2014 Daytona Sportbike Championship and the 2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship.
Petersen joins the team in 2022 and also has a championship-proven history in the support class category, taking the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 crown in 2020. The South African had a solid return to the premier class in 2021, scoring his debut Superbike victory at the season finale in Barber and ended the year third in the points standings with a total of five podium appearances. He looks to build on his progress in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as he returns to the Yamaha brand.
In addition to the 10-round MotoAmerica Superbike season, the team will race the Daytona 200 aboard the Attack Performance Yamaha R6 as the series makes its debut at the legendary Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on March 10-12.
The team would like to also thank its technical partners for their continued support of the championship-winning program: Akrapovic, Braking, TrackDaz, Capit, HHR-Carbonin, Suter, OZ, DID, NGK-NTK, and Zero Gravity.
Jim Roach – Yamaha Racing Department Manager for YMUS
“Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, is excited to announce the return of Fresh N Lean as the title sponsor of our MotoAmerica Superbike effort for 2022 and 2023. The 2021 season was a resounding success, and we are looking to continue our winning tradition in the future.
“Also joining the team in sponsorship for 2022 and 2023 is Progressive Insurance. Yamaha is thrilled to have this new relationship with Progressive and is looking forward to the start of the season and some great racing.
“Returning for two more years is our 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, Jake Gagne. With 17 wins last year, Jake had a record-breaking season en route to claiming his championship. New to the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha team for 2022 and 2023 is Cameron Peterson. In addition to great speed, Cameron has shown continued growth over the years. We look forward to going racing with Jake and Cameron.”
Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“We are very proud to announce that we are continuing our partnership with Attack Performance for 2022 and 2023. We are very proud of the professionalism, skill, and passion the entire Attack Performance Team brings to the effort. Everyone on the team from 2021 will be back in 2022. Each of these team members played a vital part in our 2021 success, and we are looking forward to working with them all again.
“We are also very proud of Jake Gagne, who will be running the #1 on his Attack Performance Yamaha R1 Superbike after a record-breaking season in 2021. Cameron Petersen has a lot of talent and great potential and will be a fantastic addition to the team. We look forward to working with him to reach the next level in his career.
“We are very excited to continue with Fresh N Lean and bring on a new partner, Progressive Insurance. Along with Yamaha Financial Services and Yamalube, we have some great partners that provide us with the support to make this happen.”
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Speaking for the entire Attack Performance team, we are very excited to continue our collaboration with Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, to race the Yamaha R1 in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. We couldn’t have asked for a better companion in this racing journey. When we first accepted the responsibility as the official Superbike team, Yamaha’s in-house team had already recorded a decade of nearly continuous Superbike Championships. This was a very high bar to meet, and we feel fortunate to have delivered on the challenge. We now look forward to the future and continuing to build on our high level of performance.
“We are also very grateful to have Fresh N Lean back as the title sponsor. They have been a great partner to the team, and also provide the meals that fuel the staff and riders, helping us to perform at the highest level. We would also like to welcome our new sponsor, Progressive Insurance. They are also an industry leader and understand the needs of motorcyclists. We look forward to delivering them the #1 plate to match their #1 insurer status.
“Of course, we can’t leave out our riders who battle on the track. Jake Gagne has truly stepped up his craft to become the winningest rider in our series with his amazing 17 wins out of 20 races last season. A team could not ask for a more professional, easy-going, yet aggressive rider on the track. We look forward to helping him defend his title. Cameron Petersen, our newest rider, has shown great potential. At our first test, he wasted no time getting comfortable on the Yamaha R1 and getting up to speed on the racetrack, and we feel that he will be racing for the win at every event. His positive attitude is refreshing, and he has the same demeanor and professionalism as Jake, which we feel will be a winning combination for the team. We look forward to seeing our fans at Daytona and at every podium on the MotoAmerica calendar.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“This is my third year now with Yamaha, and I really feel a part of the family. I’m just so thankful that I’ve got a couple more years of racing superbikes here on the R1. It’s the best bike I’ve ever ridden and the best crew I’ve ever had, so for me, I’m just really enjoying it. Especially coming off of that amazing year last season, we want to keep doing our job and try to win as many races as we can and try to win that championship. I know it’s not going to be as easy to pull off what we did last year, as the other guys are really going to try and not make that happen. We’re going to keep fighting and do what we can. I’m just so happy to have such a great group of people around me. “
Cam Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It’s been a dream of mine to ride for Attack and Yamaha. I’m so grateful that Tom and Richard believed in me and gave me the opportunity. I know that this is the kind of opportunity that comes around once in a lifetime, so I’m prepared and ready to make the most out of it. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season and want to grab this opportunity with both hands and make Yamaha and everybody proud. I feel like I’ve got two good years under my belt now with positive things happening in the sport, so I’m ready to keep that forward momentum going and win some championships.”
Lowes and Arbolino continue pre-season at Jerez test
The Elf Marc VDS Racing duo post competitive times and complete busy testing schedules during a valuable two-day test session at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.
After a successful start to winter testing in Valencia last week, Sam Lowes and Tony Arbolino enjoyed another productive outing as preparations for the 2022 Moto2 season ramped up in Andalusia.
The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team complete their pre-season preparations with an official three-day test at Portimao, which commences on February 19.
Sam Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Sam Lowes #22
The Briton continued to put in crucial development kilometres on the 2022 Kalex chassis on day one, with a key aim to find more rear grip.
The 31-year-old intended to focus on chassis set-up again on day two, but he had to end the test earlier than planned after encountering a tendonitis issue with his left wrist.
Lowes will now commence an intense course of physiotherapy on his left wrist ahead of his return to track action at the Algarve International Circuit in less than two weeks.
“I’m happy with the work done at this test”
“I struggled with a bit of tendonitis after the Valencia test last week and on the first day here in Jerez I was happy to complete as many laps as I did. I went out today and to be honest I was struggling with it. I guess I tweaked the wrist in Valencia and it’s just causing me some minor issues after so long off the Moto2 bike. There was less wind today and the bike felt good and even in the few laps I was able to run, I felt like we made a good step. I’m happy with the work done at this test. The team have done a great job as always and we’ve managed to eliminate some things that didn’t work and found a good direction with set-up moving forward. Our base setting is more or less fixed and that’s always one of the most important parts of testing to find a bike you’re comfortable and confident with. I’ve got a plan now to work on the wrist ahead of the next test in Portimao and hopefully it will be 100% there.”
Tony Arbolino. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Tony Arbolino #14
Experiments with different riding positions helped Arbolino feel more comfortable on his 2022 Kalex machine.
The Italian was also able to assess major geometry changes on the opening day and he was delighted with constant progress made throughout the test in establishing a base setting.
Arbolino was satisfied with the consistency of his lap times over the two days with the help of big improvements to front feeling and corner entry.
“The work we have done in Jerez has been positive”
“I completed a lot of laps over these two days and that helped me understand a lot of things and for this reason I am very satisfied. The lap time has improved throughout the test and now my crew and I have a clear indication of where we need to be better. We’re not so far away from where I’d like to be, and the pace was good. We just need to keep working and concentrating on where I know we can improve, but the work we have done in Jerez has been positive. I am so proud of my crew because they are working very hard to give me the best package possible. I am sure we’ll make another step forward in Portimao and by the time we arrive in Qatar for the first race we will have a good base.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing Moto2 Team:
JEREZ TEST – Vol.1: BACK ON TRACK AFTER THE WINTER BREAK
Jerez de la Frontera, 9th of February 2022. After presenting our new Moto2 liveries in our headquarters, here they are, finally back on track, in the circuit named after Angel Nieto. Two days of testing that saw Filip Salač and Alessandro Zaccone gaining more and more confidence with their Kalex and with the team.
Two different focuses: Filip’s goal was to do many km and to gain confidence with his bike, Alessandro instead focused more on the set up, to try to adapt the bike as much as possible to his riding style.
Filip Salac (12). Photo courtesy Gresini Racing.
FILIP SALAČ #12
Two days of test here in jerez, it felt like the first day of school! We decided to focus on the feeling with the bike: I’m already adapting to it quite well and I enjoyed every single lap! I’m quite happy as after a positive first day, I did improve my lap time again by 7 tenths in day2. I had a small crash with the soft tires on the second day so I didn’t have the chance to make the time attack and I’m a little bit upset about it, but the pace was not bad with the hard tires. The team is doing a great job and I can’t wait to be back on this track in a few days!
After an infinite winter beak it is so exciting to be back on track. In these two days of testing we tried to find the best direction to improve the feeling with the bike and we can consider ourself satisfied as we were able to try a lot of things. We were fast with the hard tyre but when we put the soft ones for the time attack I crashed in the first lap, so I didn’t have the chance to improve my personal best. On the other hand I have a great feeling with the bike so I’m sure our ideal lap-time is better than the one we made in those two days and we will prove it in the next test.
Maximilano Gerardo Takes Four Wins at PanAmerican Superbike Round Three
Our big winner from round three of PanAmerican Superbike is Maximilano Gerardo with four race wins by sweeping both the SuperStock 1000 and SuperBike 1000 classes. Max started the day out with a 0.379 second win in the SuperStock 1000 Grande Corsa. He finished the day with a one second win in the Sunoco SuperBike 1000 Sprint along with a class record of 1:24.634.
This round we also saw Stefano Mesa coming back to his old stomping grounds. Stefano walked away with race wins in the SuperStock 600 Grande Corsa and Sunoco SuperBike 600 Grande Corsa and a third place finish in the Sunoco SuperBike 1000 Grande Corsa.
The great performances was not just limited to race wins. We were able to see twelve track lap records broken, and in some races the record was broken multiple times by different racers.
The first of the records was broken during our SuperStreet / Moto 3 Grande Corsa. Julian Correa and Belladonna Britanni both broke the lap record set last season by Belladonna, but Julian’s 1:34.632 was 0.167 faster than Belladonna. Julian Correa now holds both the Amateur and Expert Moto3 lap records at Palm Beach International Raceway and Homestead Miami Speedway! In that same race, Eduardo Aguayo set a new SuperStreet 300 Amateur lap record with a 1:43.688. While all that was happening, Avery Dreher beat his own SuperStock 400 Expert lap record by almost one second, with a 1:34.190!
Taking a look at our more seasoned racers, we have quite a rivalry building between Paul Vance and JM Padron. These two racers faced off four times. Their first meeting was in the Formula Twin Grande Corsa. Paul won the race while also setting a new Formula Twin Expert lap record of 1:32.077. Two races later, these two faced off in the Euro Light Grande Corsa. JM Padron evened the score with the win over Paul. Later in the afternoon they would have another face off in the Euro Light Sprint race. Paul was able to get some payback with a 0.345 second win over JM to take the lead, 2-1. In their final match of the day, Paul and JM gridded up for the Formula Twin Sprint race. Paul had set a high bar in the Grande Corsa race. But, JM stepped up to the challenge by not only winning the sprint race, which means Paul and JM ended the day in a 2-2 tie for wins, but JM’s 1:13.711 beat the lap record Paul had set earlier in the day.
We are looking forward to more battles at round four at Palm Beach International Raceway in April!
PanAmerican Superbike would like to thank our 2022 sponsors for their continued support!
Sunoco Racing Fuels
Southern Racing Fuels
Palm Beach County Sports Commission
Bridgestone Tires
Dunlop Motorcycle Tires
Envy Racing Apparel
MYLAPS Sports Timing
Florida Track Days
For more racing information visit: www.PanAmSbk.com
ROYAL ENFIELD ANNOUNCES 2022 BTR ROAD RACING PROGRAM
New and returning riders, more races and a bigger BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. program for 2022
The women of Royal Enfield’s BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. will be back at MotoAmerica for 2022, with more racers and more rounds! Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Royal Enfield North America.
Milwaukee, WI (Wednesday, February 9, 2022) – The field is set for the 2022 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) season, and as promised, the new program is the largest yet. The BTR Road Race roster doubles in size from the previous season, with 15 women on the grid, and the Royal Enfield exhibition is set to visit six MotoAmerica venues in 2022. Professional road racer and crew chief Melissa Paris also returns to Royal Enfield BTR as the mentor to the women through each phase of the program.
“The excruciating process of selecting the participants from hundreds of applicants is now over, and we have our BTR Road Race field in place,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead – Royal Enfield Americas. “We are excited to welcome back four women from previous seasons, plus one making the switch from flat track, along with 10 new faces. Royal Enfield, MotoAmerica and all the BTR sponsors are looking forward to sharing the stories, personalities and progress of these amazing women from different backgrounds and experience levels as they go through the season.”
Each of the 15 participants receive a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycle that they will spend the next three months (the “Build” phase of the program) designing and building. Melissa Paris will work with each rider to create a design and build their race bike before they begin training.
The 2022 Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is the base motorcycle for BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Race at MotoAmerica. Photo courtesy Royal Enfield North America.
THE RIDERS
Kayla Thiesler, Michaela Trumbull, Alyssa Bridges, Trisha Dahl and Bridgette LeBer make their return to the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program, with LeBer crossing over from the flat track side and returning to her road racing roots. They will be joined by 10 new women joining the program, which was opened up to racers of all experience levels for 2022, rather than focusing on new riders. Find bios on all 15 women coming soon at the Build. Train. Race. website.
2022 BTR Road Racing Roster
Kayla Thiesler, 26, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Michaela Trumbull, 29, Sheridan, Wyoming
Alyssa Bridges, 31, Orange County, California
Trisha Dahl, 31, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Bridgette LeBer, 29, Port Angeles, Washington
Ash Truxal, 31, Oakland, California
Chloe Peterson, 31, Steger, Illinois
Cora Tennyson, 36, Brandenburg, Kentucky
Crystal Looy, 34, Thousand Oaks, California
Hannah Stockton, 23, Kansas City, Missouri
Jenny Chancellor, 46, Tumwater, Washington
Jessica Martin, 38, Savannah, Georgia
Kayleigh Buyck, 30, Sodus, New York
Nicole Pareso, 34, Carrolton, Ohio
Patty Paul, 57, Berrien Springs, Michigan
“Holy smokes, I get to do this again!” exclaimed returning BTR Road Race rider Alyssa Bridges of Dana Point, California. “This program has changed so many things in my life and I can’t believe we get to do it again. I’m honored to be asked to return for a second season. This time last year I had never modified a motorcycle to such a great extent, and never set foot on a racetrack. I’m sure this year will be different from last, but I’m so grateful to be asked to join again.”
“This whole experience is a dream come true,” said BTR Road Racing newcomer Kayleigh Buyck of Marion, New York. “I never would have thought I would be chosen to be a part of something so inspiring and motivational. I only hope this encourages many more women to chase their dreams and help the sport grow!”
New riders will join with returning riders such as Tricia Dahl for the 2022 Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Racing program. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Royal Enfield North America.
THE SPONSORS
Along with a number of riders, many sponsors are back for the 2022 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program. The Road Racing program sees the return of S&S Cycle, Maxima Racing Oils, BOXO USA and Öhlins USA Suspension while new sponsors Arai Helmets and AGV come on board for the 2022 season.
The BTR Road Racing women will each build out their own unique sponsor deck that can extend to include a different number of sponsors and/or parts. Stay connected for more information on each race bike throughout the Build phase of the program at https://buildtrainrace.com/road-racing/.
“It means the world to us to have such generous support from these great companies,” said Poland. “Being able to send the Royal Enfield BTR women out onto the track with premium parts, support and protection is everything. Huge thanks to everyone who is behind our 2022 BTR Road Racing program. We can’t wait to see it all come together this season.”
THE SCHEDULE
Up from the previous year’s schedule of three rounds, BTR Road Racing is slated to run six rounds within the MotoAmerica FIM North American Road Race Championship for the 2022 season. Along with a return to Brainerd, PittRace and Barber Motorsports Park, BTR has added VIR, Road America and New Jersey to the 2022 schedule.
“The Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. racers and crew were a pleasure to have in our paddock last year,” said MotoAmerica Communications Manager Paul Carruthers. “The series was embraced by our fans, the rest of the paddock and the industry. We’re excited to welcome them back this year for twice as many rounds, and with even more racers.”
2022 Royal Enfield BTR Road Racing Schedule
May 20-22 (Rnd 1) Virginia Int’l Raceway, Alton, VA
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the midsize motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market.
Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 140 dealers in North America, including the contiguous U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. RENA currently offers the all-new Meteor 350, Himalayan and the 650 Twins (INT 650 and Continental GT 650) motorcycles, along with a range of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories and apparel.
Razgatlioglu pips Rea to top spot at Portimao in a day of scintillating pace in the 1’39s
Wednesday, 9 February 202s
Both Razgatlioglu and Rea lapped in the 1’39s bracket, the first time such a lap time had been achieved at Portimao on a WorldSBK machine
The final day of testing for MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship teams and riders at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve came to a close on Wednesday after some incredible, lap record pace from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with the pair lapping the 4.592km circuit in under 1’40s using Pirelli’s new SCQ tyre.
RECORD-BREAKING PACE AT PORTIMAO
Rea was the first rider to dip below the 1’39s bracket just before the midway point of the session with a 1’39.851s but reigning World Champion Razgatlioglu was able to better more than two tenths with just over an hour of testing remaining; the pair split by just 0.235s. Razgatlioglu’s time of 1’39.616ss beat his own pole time from 2021 by almost 0.5s. Razgatlioglu set six lap times in the 1’39s bracket across five different runs, on laps 28, 45, 48, 49, 53 and 61, while Rea set one lap time in the 1’39s.
It meant Razgatlioglu, who had been working on electronic setup changes with his team, finished the two-day test, and his first of 2022, on top of the timesheets by 0.235s ahead of Rea after completing 66 laps. The six-time Champion completed 87 laps on his ZX-10RR as he continued to test new items and components on his ZX-10RR, using the SCQ tyre for his best time.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed the top three as he continued to adjust to life back at Ducati. Despite a Turn 8 crash that brought out the Red Flags, the Spanish rider was able to add 68 laps to his tally for the test with a best time of 1’40.055s. Bautista has been able to try a new swingarm on his Ducati Panigale V4 R and a smaller fuel tank to suit his stature throughout the test as well as trying Pirelli’s SCQ tyre to be used throughout the 2022 campaign.
KEEPING THE TOP THREE CLOSE
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came home in fourth place as he looked at his outright performance on the ZX-10RR after hailing Tuesday’s running as one of his best days in Kawasaki colours. Lowes added 83 laps to his tally for the two-day test with a best time of 1’40.335s. The British rider also wanted to try the SCQ tyre throughout the test with the tyre supplier bringing new solutions of the tyre compared to what was available at the Jerez test.
Around three tenths before Lowes was Italian rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) who completed 77 laps as he and his team worked on some new parts as well as the setup of electronics on his YZF-R1. Locatelli’s best time was a 1’40.674s as he prepares for his second campaign in WorldSBK.
Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) headed up the Independent riders on day two of the test despite an afternoon crash at the highspeed right-hander of Turn 1. The German rider was okay following the crash that brought out the Red Flag although cost him some valuable track time ahead of his rookie season. Oettl, who had been looking to improve his Ducati’s set up for him, completed 63 laps on Wednesday with a best time of 1’41.061s, putting in a late lap to jump up to sixth in the standings. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was able to try a new swingarm on his Ducati Panigale V4 as well as the new SCQ tyre from Pirelli, with the Italian completing 52 laps for a best time of 1’41.143s.
ROUNDING OUT THE WorldSBK FIELD…
French rider Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was able to get his hands on some new parts for his Yamaha YZF-R1, components that had been used in 2021 by the factory squad, including a new fairing and screen. While testing these items, Ponsson racked up 51 laps with a best time of 1’42.374s.
Rookie Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) rounded out the WorldSBK field on his second day of action on his Ducati bike, with the Sammarinese rider adding 54 laps to his tally. On his first time with a WorldSBK machine, and his first time on track since an injury sustained at Magny-Cours, Bernardi posted a best lap time of 1’42.961s.
BULEGA DOUBLES UP IN WorldSSP
WorldSSP rookie Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) topped the timesheets for the second day running on his Ducati Panigale V2 machine with the Italian manufacturer returning to WorldSSP for 2022. Bulega first tested the bike in November at Jerez and added another 48 laps of experience to the bike in Portugal, with a best time of 1’43.876s. Another rookie, Maximilian Kofler (CM Racing), was second in the standings on day two of testing with the Austrian racking up 58 laps with a best time of 1’45.511s. Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team), testing in place of Oli Bayliss who fractured his ankle in a crash on day one, added 46 laps to the team’s tally over the course of the Portimao test with a best time of 1’46.946s.
WorldSBK times at the end of day two:
1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’39.616, 66 laps
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.851s, 87 laps
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.055, 68 laps
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.335s, 83 laps
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’40.674s, 79 laps
6. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) 1’41.061s, 63 laps
7. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.143s, 52 laps
8. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) 1’42.374s, 51 laps
9. Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’42.961s, 54 laps
Don’t miss a single moment of action from WorldSBK in 2022 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Good KRT Progress in Portugal
After two days of testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve between 8 and 9 February, KRT WorldSBK riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes made great progress in their preparations for the forthcoming 2022 season.
Rea ended up the second fastest rider overall, with Lowes fourth quickest around the 4.592km long circuit in the hills above the coastal town of Portimao.
Consistently dry weather was experienced through the two days, with the winds just picking up a little in the afternoon of day one.
In the first half of the final day Rea set the first ever lap time under the 1’40 barrier at Portimao. In the afternoon he improved his personal best to 1’39.851 on the 2022 Ninja ZX-10RR.
Rea and his crew worked on chassis and electronic set-ups, with the results of a long run in the afternoon session being particularly positive, especially in terms of tyre usage over full race distance. Jonathan also set his best lap time on one of the new SCQ development tyres that single make supplier Pirelli brought to his test.
Lowes’ best lap of 1’40.335 was set after spending the vast majority of his track time comparing and contrasting parts to find a base set-up for the start of the new season.
Alex was particularly happy to have set a high number of laps overall, and at a good pace, proving that his physical condition is much improved from last season.
Always a popular circuit for testing and racing, Portimao will host the ninth round of the 2022 WorldSBK season, between 7-9 October. The season starts in earnest at Motorland Aragon in the north of Spain, between 8-10 April.
The next KRT pre-season test sessions will take place at their ‘home’ circuit of Montmelo, in Catalunya, on March 25 and 26.
Jonathan Rea. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “We got a lot of laps in at this test. We have been going back and forward because we had a couple of chassis items we were not sure about. Finally I think we can be pretty confident that we have confirmed a couple of items we found in Jerez at the previous tests. We finally put the package together. In the middle of the day Pirelli brought some tyres that we had to try and then we worked on our plan in the afternoon. We did a long race simulation at the end – and some practice starts that were much better than the ones on the first day. During the long run the feeling was that the set-up was taking some feeling away ‘from my hand’ but it is actually better. Normally in Portimao there is a big tyre drop after ten or 15 laps, but today I did not experience any drop in the long run. I’m pretty happy with that and we will keep working on that side of things. It is important to be fast but it is important to be fast at the end of races. I think we can safely say we managed that today. So, all-in-all, it was a pretty solid day. I think we have a pretty good handle on what our base set-up is going to be to start the year.”
Alex Lowes. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “We have had a really good test here and I think I did 162 laps over the two days. That is the best thing for me because I have not done a full day’s testing for over a year because of the all the injuries I have had. So to do 160-odd laps at a good pace, no mistakes, and while working hard on the bike; I am really happy. That is one box ticked off. In terms of settings on the bike we made some improvements but it looks like the other guys have also made some. I am really happy with the work we have done but we still need to find a couple of tenths or so before the start of the season. This is the best I have felt on the bike in a long, long time. I am really happy and we are going to work hard with my crew chief Marcel during this little break before we have our Montmelo test at the end of March.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “Over the two days Johnny set a lot of laps. Today, at the end, he was tired because we made so many laps and even in the afternoon we made a real long run, 19-20 laps. We made a good test. We have been focusing during the tests in Jerez and Portimao to understand some items to build the base to start the season in Motorland Aragon. Here, we had a chance to compare things again in these two days and the weather was very good. We collected very helpful information to understand the next step to build the package. We also focused with the electronics to give a little bit to Johnny in some areas. We are all happy and now we have time to analyse some things and prepare for the next test. We have had the first impressions of our competitors at this test and I think everybody knows who will be fighting for the championship. It is a little bit more clear. Now, we will try to prepare everything for the next test.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, stated: “We had a very good test and clearly Alex made an impressive recovery from his 2021 injuries over the winter. He did not feel any type of fatigue. He is at full strength, so it is impressive how well he recovered in the last two-and-a-half months. A lot of respect for that. Alex was able to increase his speed lap-by-lap over these two days. We did not make any change to the bike set-up we just tested our updated material. This Portimao test was the point for us to have a clear idea about our bike specification for the coming season. From today we can say that we know what we will race for about 99% of the bike. This was our target and we reached our target. Alex was fast, ridiculously consistent when he did his long runs, and I am happy he could match his race speed to the competition. On race tyres and over distance he can match their speed. We are very confident and we have two more tests in front of us before the start of the season. Now, we can start to look at the smaller details because all the big items are done.”
More, from a press release issued by Team GoEleven:
WHAT A FIRST TIME, PHILIPP!
Two days of testing in Portimao, on the spectacular Algarve track, marked Philipp Oettl’s debut on the Ducati Panigale V4-R Go Eleven! Although it was the beginning of February, the weather and track conditions were almost perfect, with temperatures around twenty degrees and sunshine.
In the first session the German rider goes on track with a basic set-up coming from last year’s race; session after session, the team tried to get to know and get in touch with Philipp’s working method, making small steps forward each time he entered the track. Oettl’s approach was really professional, changing a little in terms of set-up and trying to focus more on ergonomics and riding position. At the end of the first day, the Go Eleven rider concluded just one second far from the top, surprising everyone with his immediate speed and confidence with a powerful and particular bike as the Ducati V4-R.
DAY 1 RESULTS:
P 1 J. Rea 1.40.621
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.101
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.132
…
P 7 P. Oettl + 1.086
On the second day Philipp, who does not have a particular feeling with the splendid Portuguese track, concentrated his work on finding the perfect seat’s height and the position of the handlebars, in order to find a definitive solution for the rest of the season. In the afternoon the interest moves to the tyres, trying different compounds, but without using the new “super soft” SCQ, in this two days only available to riders with more experience in Superbike. Oettl has always constantly improved his references, and, despite a small crash without consequences, at the last exit he improved a further two tenths of his best. It should be emphasized that Oettl’s laptimes came with a racing tyre, always riding alone and without following the slipstream of other protagonists.
DAY 2 RESULTS:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 1.39.616
P 2 J. Rea + 0.235
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.439
…
P 6 P. Oettl + 1.445
An excellent start for the Go Eleven, the team members, at the first test together, immediately had an excellent relationship with the rider. Now we will have to continue the work and development in view of the next pre-season tests, which will be held in about a month, on the Misano home track. After this start, the Team can’t wait to get back on track!
Philipp Oettl (5). Photo courtesy Team GoEleven Ducati.
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“The first day of testing was more about getting to know the bike, the electronic set-up, the work with the Team and starting to concentrate on the ergonomic. The second day we started focusing on the ergonomic, too, with different handlebars, seat position and testing a new higher seat. It seemed that we found a quite good set-up for me, I felt quite comfortable on the bike. When we tried the “old” qualifying tyre I had a small crash, but nothing too serious. After I was able to improve again with race tyre. At the end we did some start practices, too. Riding the superbike is quite complex, there are many areas on which you can work, but now we have some important informations regarding the riding style, regarding what is necessary to do with the Ducati Panigale V4-R. I am really happy about this two days here, now I will try to get ready for Misano test!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“I think Philipp surprised everyone, including me! The time he has set is really good for his first time on a Superbike, especially on one of the toughest tracks in the World Championship. This obviously makes us happy, but the important thing is the feeling he had right from the start with the bike and with the team. The goal of this test was to learn and get to know each other, he with the team and with Ducati, find the right ergonomics on the seat and find the right method of working together. I would say we did it. I’m happy with Philipp’s work, and I like how he works on himself, he learns really fast and that is amazing! Very good job, but now we have to continue like this!”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Razgatlıoğlu Fastest as Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Kickstart 2022 Testing at Portimão
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
The Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK squad completed a successful first pre-season test for the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve today, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli completing 288 laps between them.
Following two days of on-track running at Portimão, where the focus was on assessing detailed electronic and mechanical updates, Yamaha will take on board the riders’ feedback and analyse the data captured to continue their pre-season development work. Both riders also had a chance to run Pirelli’s new SCQ qualifying tyre and try some riding position updates from Yamaha.
Razgatlıoğlu was back on track with his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK for the first time since being crowned 2021 World Champion in Indonesia in late November, and made positive progress with the new updates. Although the team’s focus was not on outright pace, the Turkish rider ended the first day second fastest after completing 69 laps. On Day 2, the team continued to refine the set-up, which saw Razgatlıoğlu set a blistering pace to go fastest of all with a lap time of 1’39.616 in the afternoon – the fastest ever superbike lap at Portimão.
Heading into his second WorldSBK season, Locatelli enjoyed plenty of running across the two days. The Italian quickly felt comfortable on the #55 Yamaha R1 WorldSBK, completing 73 laps on Tuesday and going fifth fastest. On Wednesday, the 2021 Rookie of the Year ran another 79 laps with his 1’40.674 placing him fifth overall, pleased with updates provided by the team through the winter and at the test.
Next for the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team will be the Aragón test on 3-4 April, where the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will also take to the track for the first time this year.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P1 (1’39.616) – 136 laps
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“After a long time, we ride for first time yesterday and I am very happy to be back with the team and on my bike. On the first day, we try the electronic updates and we work through every session to try to find the best set-up. Also, today we were working a lot to find a good set-up but it is not 100% yet because this is all still very new. This is step-by-step and now Yamaha will look at the data and we try again at the next test. I’m very happy with these two days, we set some very good lap times with the race tyre also. Thank you to my team, they do an incredible job like always.”
Andrea Locatelli: P5 (1’40.674) – 152 laps
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“It was our first days of testing for this year and the feeling with the bike came immediately good for me. We worked a lot with the race tyre, so we didn’t focus on one fast lap, but to work around the bike. We understand a lot more now, and we can for sure arrive in Aragón more ready. Now, we will see what we can do together for the new season. We improved a lot on the rider position as well, which is important for my feeling on the bike. We need to find more on the set-up, but we will also have new parts to try at the coming tests. My team has worked hard and I’m very happy for what they have achieved over the winter, I am sure we will be ready for the first race.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“It’s great to be back at work, especially in beautiful weather in early February at the Algarve International Circuit. It’s been a long time off the bikes for Toprak and Loka, neither have turned a wheel since our fantastic last day of the 2021 season. Yesterday was a case of getting them up to speed as much as it was about the technical details. We didn’t have a big test program here, but the modified riding position parts that Yamaha brought were immediately very positive for both riders, improving the feeling on corner entry and their general feeling to control the bike. We’ve also worked on some electronic updates, which required patience for both riders, but in the end we were able to get through that full program as well with competitive lap times. To end the test quickest was great, particularly considering this is our first running of the year. We’ll just keep working away and we look forward to the next stages of development in Aragón in a few weeks’ time.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Two days of intense work for Bautista and Rinaldi in the first testing of the 2022 at Portimao. Bulega already at ease with the PanigaleV2
The first two-days testing for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team concluded at the Algarve circuit in Portimao (Portugal) today.
After a first session dedicated mainly to getting back in touch with their respective Panigale V4R bikes following November’s tests at Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), Alvaro Bautista (149 laps completed) and Michael Rinaldi (123 laps completed) worked intensively this morning on the set-up, also trying out new technical solutions ahead of the new season that will kick off in early April at the Mortland circuit in Aragon (Spain).
In the afternoon, Bautista tested the new tyres introduced by Pirelli, finishing with a time of 1’40.055 set in the last run with the rear race tire.
Rinaldi , on the other hand, was forced to stop before the end of the session due to a muscular discomfort in his back that prevented him from attempting the time attack. The italian rider ended the two days testing his best time of 1’41.143.
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“I am very satisfied with these two days of testing. The feeling is already good and I am having a lot of fun. I feel that the experience I have gained over the last few years is helping me. If I have to be honest, I have found myself on the bike better than I expected. We worked a lot on the tyres today, trying out the new solution brought in by Pirelli. I am only sorry for the crash this morning: I made a mistake, luckily without consequences. I can’t wait to be at Misano”.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“It has been a tough two days of testing. On the first day, we lapped without working on the set-up in particular: the feeling was positive, and – with the race tire – we had better results than last year’s race. Today we concentrated on some new solutions without trying to set the lap-time. Unfortunately, because of the pain in my back, I wasn’t able to try the new SCQ brought by Pirelli”.
LCR Honda has released videos (below) introducing its 2022 FIM MotoGP World Championship riders: LCR Honda Castrol’s Alex Marquez and LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami.
Buildbase Suzuki has announced that Christian Iddon will race a GSX-R1000R superbike in the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, alongside former Moto3 world champion Danny Kent, who remains with the team for a second consecutive season.
Iddon, who finished fourth in last season’s championship standings after a brace of wins and 11 further podiums, returns to the Japanese manufacturer after campaigning GSX-R machinery in 2015.
He will partner Kent in the official Suzuki superbike squad, who is looking to build on the positives from an injury-curtailed 2021 season that saw him take his maiden British Superbike podium at Thruxton, before a fractured and dislocated hip sustained at Donington Park cut short his year.
Christian Iddon, “To be honest I was surprised to find myself looking for a ride, going into the winter, but things always seem to fall into place and I’m really pleased to be joining Buildbase Suzuki and Hawk Racing. I think we’re cut from similar cloth in that they love their racing, they’re very passionate about it, and they just quietly get on with it. I also think the team is underrated by a lot of people – though not by me – despite their achievements, and they don’t always get the recognition they deserve. But, you only have to look at the races and championships they’ve won and how they always get the best out of their riders to know it’s a great team. So I think we’re well-suited to each other.
“And I think we can mount a serious title challenge. That’s got to be the aim, to be champion can only ever be the aim. Of course that’s not easy with so many bikes so close on performance and good riders on the grid, but if we get the best from the bike and from me we can have a go.
“Even though it was the previous bike that I raced before, I know the Suzuki is known for having a compliant chassis, and from being on track with the new bike over the last couple of seasons I can see where it’s strong and I know it’s fast enough. We need to focus on making it consistently competitive, and improve at some of the circuits where it’s struggled in the past. But first I’ve got to find my feet and get comfortable as quickly as possible. I’ll hopefully get out on a race-prepped GSX-R before official preseason testing gets underway, but there are enough official tests to get up to speed. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Danny Kent, “I’m really grateful to Steve and Stuart [Hicken] for giving me another year with the team. Obviously I missed the whole second half of last season with the injury, but we definitely saw some positives in the first half of the year, the podium at Thruxton being the standout. But, it was my first full year on a superbike and I felt I was adapting more and more and the potential was definitely there. I was gutted to miss the second half of the year, especially as I could see the development of the bike and the improvements the team were able to make that resulted in a couple of wins.
“My hip is getting better. It’s not at 100% but it’s going in the right direction. A lack of strength is the biggest thing; the muscles have deteriorated and it feels weak, I can’t apply the same force, but I’m working with Loughborough University and I have seen a significant improvement. But it was a complicated injury – I was bed-bound for a week waiting for an operation, as they could put it back in place but it kept falling out because of the fracture – and I have to see specialists every three months for the foreseeable future. I’ve not ridden a bike since, though, so I’m looking forward to riding in February, hopefully, and getting some laps in on a superstock bike to get comfortable again and get up to speed. No matter what training you do nothing compares to riding a bike, so that’s going to be important.
“I’m looking forward to having Christian [Iddon] as a teammate. He’s been a serious championship challenger for the last couple of years and there aren’t many better riders for me to learn from. He’s one of the most established riders in the paddock, he’s got lots of experience and he’ll be a podium challenger, so I think it’s a great signing for the team. I’m excited to get going.”
Steve Hicken, Buildbase Suzuki team manager, “It’s been a tricky winter, with it looking like plans were in place, but things change and we’ve had to adapt but ultimately I think it’s worked out well for everyone involved. Christian is obviously one of the most talented riders on the grid, and was still in with a chance of winning last year’s championship up until the final round, so he’s definitely shown his pedigree in BSB and, even though the GSX-R has moved on a lot since 2015, he has previous experience and understands the basic Suzuki DNA. If we can get him up to speed nice and quickly on a bike we’ve won races on every year, there’s no reason he can’t challenge at the front again.
“Danny was really unlucky last year. He was still adapting to riding a superbike and we’d made lots of progress with him, and there were plenty of glimpses of his potential, the highlight obviously being his podium at Thruxton. His injury was disproportionate to the fairly innocuous crash that caused it, but he’s working hard on his recovery and we’re confident we can keep building on the positives from last year.”
The opening round of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place on the Silverstone National Circuit on 15-17 April.
Pertamina to title sponsor Grand Prix of Indonesia
A three-year agreement from 2022-2024 sees the Indonesian energy giant take top billing as MotoGP™ heads for Lombok
Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Dorna Sports and Pertamina are delighted to announce an agreement for the title sponsorship of the Grand Prix of Indonesia. From 2022 until at least 2024, the official name of the event will be the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.
After more than two decades, the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship returns to Indonesia in 2022 as the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, a stunning brand new development on the island of Lombok, plays host. Indonesia is one of the most important markets for MotoGP™, with an incredible amount of passion for motorcycle racing and motorcycles amongst the population of more than 270 million, and the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia is all but guaranteed to become one of the most vibrant on the MotoGP™ calendar.
This new title sponsorship agreement strengthens both Pertamina and Indonesia’s presence in the sport further, in addition to sponsorship of the Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team in the Moto2™ World Championship and the brand new Mandalika venue itself. The Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia ensures Pertamina, Indonesia and the island of Lombok remain front and centre on the international stage.
Brahmantya Satyamurti Poerwadi, Corporate Secretary of Pertamina Group: “As National Energy Company, Pertamina is always committed to energizing Indonesia. By bringing MotoGP to the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit for the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, we’d like to show to the world that Indonesia is listed among the countries with huge motorsports fans. This event also aligns with Pertamina’s products and services, opens up new opportunities in global-scale business developments and supports national economic growth.”
Marc Saurina, Senior Director of Global Partnerships at Dorna Sports: “We are delighted to welcome Pertamina as the title sponsor of the Grand Prix of Indonesia, with three events already confirmed as this new partnership begins. As title sponsor of the new Mandalika venue and thereby a presence in the Moto2 World Championship already, Pertamina’s commitment to motorcycle racing was already proven and this new agreement only serves to strengthen the relationship further. It’s fantastic news for Indonesia, MotoGP and for the event. After more than 20 years away, we cannot wait to return to Indonesia and enjoy the pure passion the country has for our sport.”
Editorial Note: Danilo Petrucci is riding a factory Ducati Panigale V4 R Superbike on MotoAmerica-spec Dunlop tires at the test, but he is not running a timing transponder. According to sources at the test, Petrucci’s best lap time on his first day on the Ducati and Dunlops is very close to the best lap time turned by Michael Ruben Rinaldi on his Aruba.it Racing factory Ducati.
Danilo Petrucci (9) heading out on track on Dunlop tires at Algarve International Circuit. Photo by S. Omeone.
Rea edges out Razgatlioglu, Bautista by just 0.132s as day one at Portimao concludes
All three manufacturers represented in Portugal claimed a spot inside the top three with just a tenth separating Kawasaki, Yamaha and Ducati
Day one of testing for MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship teams and riders at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve concluded on Tuesday as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) headed the eight-strong WorldSBK field in Portugal. Rea, in his third test of the off-season, finished the day around a tenth clear of his nearest rivals after seven hours of testing.
TOP THREE SEPARATED BY 0.132s
Day one of testing was the first time Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) shared a track together since the end of the 2021 season, but they remained close together in the times in Portugal. Rea, who was looking to confirm items that he and KRT had tested in two previous tests at Jerez, as well as trying new chassis and electronic components, posted a best time of a 1’40.621s after completing 71 laps on his ZX-10RR.
Razgatlioglu ended the day in second place after posting a 1’40.722s and completing 69 laps on his 2021-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 machine. The team has brought electronic updates to the test to try once Razgatlioglu and teammate Andrea Locatelli got up to speed having not ridden the R1 since Indonesia, as well as some new components to aid with rider positioning on the bike.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed third place on a strong day for the Spanish rider as he returns to Ducati, finishing just 0.132s down on Rea’s fastest time. Although Bautista’s primary aim for the day was to work on finding speed and re-adjusting to the Panigale V4 R, he was able to try out a new swingarm on his machine as well as a new item around the fuel tank of his bike. Bautista completed 82 laps, the most of the entire field, on day one of his second test with Ducati since re-joining, with a best time of 1’40.753s.
KEEPING THE TOP THREE IN SIGHT…
Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) comeback from injury sustained in Indonesia culminated in the Portimao test with the Italian finishing in fourth place after day one. The Italian was aiming to try out a new swingarm for his Ducati Panigale V4 R machine and then having to decide whether to stick with the 2021 spec or switch to the 2022 spec swingarm for the upcoming season. Rinaldi’s best time was a 1’41.261s after he completed 81 laps.
Despite a crash at Turn 14 around halfway into the afternoon running, Locatelli was able to finish fifth in the standings with a best lap of 1’41.440s and 70 laps to his name. Like with Razgatlioglu, Locatelli’s main focus throughout the test was getting back on the bike after so long without riding and while the crash cost him some time, he was still able to put in plenty of laps as he racked up a total of 73.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed sixth place in the standings on day one as he, like teammate Rea, looked to confirm new items as well as test a new component on the rear of his ZX-10RR. The British rider also had new electronic components to try but the majority of the focus was on the chassis. Lowes completed 80 laps on day one with a best time of 1’41.477s.
ROOKIES AND INDEPENDENT RIDERS
Just two tenths behind Lowes was rookie Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) on his first day on the Ducati Panigale V4 R as he makes the step up from WorldSSP to WorldSBK. Oettl’s main goal for the day was to understand the bike and team as he prepares for his maiden WorldSBK campaign, with the German rider completing 57 laps on his way to sixth in the standings, with a best time of 1’41.707s. French rider Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was seventh in the standings as he got back on his Yamaha YZF-R1 machine for the first time since the end of the 2021 season, with Ponsson trying new components aimed at improving his position on the bike. He racked up 57 laps on day one with a best lap time of 1’43’167s. Another rookie, Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team), rounded out the WorldSBK field on his return from a back injury sustained at the 2021 French Round. Riding the Panigale V4 R for the first time, the Sammarinese rider completed 61 laps with a best time of 1’44.053s.
BULEGA LEADS THE WAY IN WorldSSP
Three WorldSSP riders took to the Portimao track on Tuesday with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) leading the way. The Italian claimed top spot in the class with a 1’44.683s after completing 74 laps, ahead of fellow rookie Maximilian Kofler (CM Racing). The Austrian put in 40 laps on his first day with the Ducati Panigale V2 but lapped more than two seconds away from Bulega, who was on his second test with the bike. Oli Bayliss’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) day came to a premature end after he had a crash at the left-hand hairpin of Turn 5 in the early stages of the day, with the Australian completing nine laps.
WorldSBK times at the end of day one:
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.621s, 71 laps
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’40.722s, 69 laps
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.753s, 82 laps
4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41’261s, 81 laps
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’41.440s, 73 laps
6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’41.477s, 80 laps
7. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) 1’41.707s, 67 laps
8. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) 1’43.167s, 57 laps
9. Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’44.053s, 61 laps
Follow all the action from WorldSBK in 2022 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne (right) with his new Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha teammate Cameron Petersen (left). Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.
Yamaha Unveils 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Team
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. is pleased to announce the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team, which will head its efforts in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship aboard the Attack Performance Yamaha R1s for the next two seasons. The team will field a two-rider effort led by the reigning MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne and new addition Cameron Petersen.
Fresh N Lean, America’s #1 Ready-to-Eat (RTE) meal delivery company, returns as the title sponsor and will continue to fuel the team for championship-proven performance on the track with quality nutrition that is easily prepared, organically sourced, and available in a variety of diets; all focused on optimizing human potential. Coming on board this season is another industry leading sponsor – Progressive Insurance, a leader in the commercial auto insurance industry and the #1 motorcycle insurer in the United States. Returning to the team’s powerhouse line-up of partners is Yamalube and Yamaha Financial Services.
Yamaha also extends its partnership with Attack Performance, one of the sport’s leading manufacturers of high-performance components and services for modern sportbikes. Since 2020, Attack has carried on the winning tradition of the Yamaha R1, enjoying two dominant seasons with 33 victories and two titles in the premier class. Attack Performance principal Richard Stanboli will also return as the team manager.
Gagne enters his third season with the team and aims to keep the #1 on the front of his Attack Performance Yamaha R1. Last year was a standout season for the Colorado rider who added several record-breaking accolades en route to claiming his first title in the premier class a weekend early. He notched an impressive 16-consecutive race wins, and then added one more victory to score the most wins in a season, putting him tied on the all-time win list with Nicky Hayden and making him the active leader in Superbike wins heading into the 2022 season. Gagne also has a pair of support class championships to his credit – the 2014 Daytona Sportbike Championship and the 2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship.
Petersen joins the team in 2022 and also has a championship-proven history in the support class category, taking the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 crown in 2020. The South African had a solid return to the premier class in 2021, scoring his debut Superbike victory at the season finale in Barber and ended the year third in the points standings with a total of five podium appearances. He looks to build on his progress in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as he returns to the Yamaha brand.
In addition to the 10-round MotoAmerica Superbike season, the team will race the Daytona 200 aboard the Attack Performance Yamaha R6 as the series makes its debut at the legendary Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on March 10-12.
The team would like to also thank its technical partners for their continued support of the championship-winning program: Akrapovic, Braking, TrackDaz, Capit, HHR-Carbonin, Suter, OZ, DID, NGK-NTK, and Zero Gravity.
Jim Roach – Yamaha Racing Department Manager for YMUS
“Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, is excited to announce the return of Fresh N Lean as the title sponsor of our MotoAmerica Superbike effort for 2022 and 2023. The 2021 season was a resounding success, and we are looking to continue our winning tradition in the future.
“Also joining the team in sponsorship for 2022 and 2023 is Progressive Insurance. Yamaha is thrilled to have this new relationship with Progressive and is looking forward to the start of the season and some great racing.
“Returning for two more years is our 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, Jake Gagne. With 17 wins last year, Jake had a record-breaking season en route to claiming his championship. New to the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha team for 2022 and 2023 is Cameron Peterson. In addition to great speed, Cameron has shown continued growth over the years. We look forward to going racing with Jake and Cameron.”
Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“We are very proud to announce that we are continuing our partnership with Attack Performance for 2022 and 2023. We are very proud of the professionalism, skill, and passion the entire Attack Performance Team brings to the effort. Everyone on the team from 2021 will be back in 2022. Each of these team members played a vital part in our 2021 success, and we are looking forward to working with them all again.
“We are also very proud of Jake Gagne, who will be running the #1 on his Attack Performance Yamaha R1 Superbike after a record-breaking season in 2021. Cameron Petersen has a lot of talent and great potential and will be a fantastic addition to the team. We look forward to working with him to reach the next level in his career.
“We are very excited to continue with Fresh N Lean and bring on a new partner, Progressive Insurance. Along with Yamaha Financial Services and Yamalube, we have some great partners that provide us with the support to make this happen.”
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Speaking for the entire Attack Performance team, we are very excited to continue our collaboration with Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, to race the Yamaha R1 in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. We couldn’t have asked for a better companion in this racing journey. When we first accepted the responsibility as the official Superbike team, Yamaha’s in-house team had already recorded a decade of nearly continuous Superbike Championships. This was a very high bar to meet, and we feel fortunate to have delivered on the challenge. We now look forward to the future and continuing to build on our high level of performance.
“We are also very grateful to have Fresh N Lean back as the title sponsor. They have been a great partner to the team, and also provide the meals that fuel the staff and riders, helping us to perform at the highest level. We would also like to welcome our new sponsor, Progressive Insurance. They are also an industry leader and understand the needs of motorcyclists. We look forward to delivering them the #1 plate to match their #1 insurer status.
“Of course, we can’t leave out our riders who battle on the track. Jake Gagne has truly stepped up his craft to become the winningest rider in our series with his amazing 17 wins out of 20 races last season. A team could not ask for a more professional, easy-going, yet aggressive rider on the track. We look forward to helping him defend his title. Cameron Petersen, our newest rider, has shown great potential. At our first test, he wasted no time getting comfortable on the Yamaha R1 and getting up to speed on the racetrack, and we feel that he will be racing for the win at every event. His positive attitude is refreshing, and he has the same demeanor and professionalism as Jake, which we feel will be a winning combination for the team. We look forward to seeing our fans at Daytona and at every podium on the MotoAmerica calendar.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“This is my third year now with Yamaha, and I really feel a part of the family. I’m just so thankful that I’ve got a couple more years of racing superbikes here on the R1. It’s the best bike I’ve ever ridden and the best crew I’ve ever had, so for me, I’m just really enjoying it. Especially coming off of that amazing year last season, we want to keep doing our job and try to win as many races as we can and try to win that championship. I know it’s not going to be as easy to pull off what we did last year, as the other guys are really going to try and not make that happen. We’re going to keep fighting and do what we can. I’m just so happy to have such a great group of people around me. “
Cam Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It’s been a dream of mine to ride for Attack and Yamaha. I’m so grateful that Tom and Richard believed in me and gave me the opportunity. I know that this is the kind of opportunity that comes around once in a lifetime, so I’m prepared and ready to make the most out of it. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season and want to grab this opportunity with both hands and make Yamaha and everybody proud. I feel like I’ve got two good years under my belt now with positive things happening in the sport, so I’m ready to keep that forward momentum going and win some championships.”
Tony Arbolino (14). Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Lowes and Arbolino continue pre-season at Jerez test
The Elf Marc VDS Racing duo post competitive times and complete busy testing schedules during a valuable two-day test session at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.
After a successful start to winter testing in Valencia last week, Sam Lowes and Tony Arbolino enjoyed another productive outing as preparations for the 2022 Moto2 season ramped up in Andalusia.
The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team complete their pre-season preparations with an official three-day test at Portimao, which commences on February 19.
Sam Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Sam Lowes #22
The Briton continued to put in crucial development kilometres on the 2022 Kalex chassis on day one, with a key aim to find more rear grip.
The 31-year-old intended to focus on chassis set-up again on day two, but he had to end the test earlier than planned after encountering a tendonitis issue with his left wrist.
Lowes will now commence an intense course of physiotherapy on his left wrist ahead of his return to track action at the Algarve International Circuit in less than two weeks.
“I’m happy with the work done at this test”
“I struggled with a bit of tendonitis after the Valencia test last week and on the first day here in Jerez I was happy to complete as many laps as I did. I went out today and to be honest I was struggling with it. I guess I tweaked the wrist in Valencia and it’s just causing me some minor issues after so long off the Moto2 bike. There was less wind today and the bike felt good and even in the few laps I was able to run, I felt like we made a good step. I’m happy with the work done at this test. The team have done a great job as always and we’ve managed to eliminate some things that didn’t work and found a good direction with set-up moving forward. Our base setting is more or less fixed and that’s always one of the most important parts of testing to find a bike you’re comfortable and confident with. I’ve got a plan now to work on the wrist ahead of the next test in Portimao and hopefully it will be 100% there.”
Tony Arbolino. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Tony Arbolino #14
Experiments with different riding positions helped Arbolino feel more comfortable on his 2022 Kalex machine.
The Italian was also able to assess major geometry changes on the opening day and he was delighted with constant progress made throughout the test in establishing a base setting.
Arbolino was satisfied with the consistency of his lap times over the two days with the help of big improvements to front feeling and corner entry.
“The work we have done in Jerez has been positive”
“I completed a lot of laps over these two days and that helped me understand a lot of things and for this reason I am very satisfied. The lap time has improved throughout the test and now my crew and I have a clear indication of where we need to be better. We’re not so far away from where I’d like to be, and the pace was good. We just need to keep working and concentrating on where I know we can improve, but the work we have done in Jerez has been positive. I am so proud of my crew because they are working very hard to give me the best package possible. I am sure we’ll make another step forward in Portimao and by the time we arrive in Qatar for the first race we will have a good base.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing Moto2 Team:
JEREZ TEST – Vol.1: BACK ON TRACK AFTER THE WINTER BREAK
Jerez de la Frontera, 9th of February 2022. After presenting our new Moto2 liveries in our headquarters, here they are, finally back on track, in the circuit named after Angel Nieto. Two days of testing that saw Filip Salač and Alessandro Zaccone gaining more and more confidence with their Kalex and with the team.
Two different focuses: Filip’s goal was to do many km and to gain confidence with his bike, Alessandro instead focused more on the set up, to try to adapt the bike as much as possible to his riding style.
Filip Salac (12). Photo courtesy Gresini Racing.
FILIP SALAČ #12
Two days of test here in jerez, it felt like the first day of school! We decided to focus on the feeling with the bike: I’m already adapting to it quite well and I enjoyed every single lap! I’m quite happy as after a positive first day, I did improve my lap time again by 7 tenths in day2. I had a small crash with the soft tires on the second day so I didn’t have the chance to make the time attack and I’m a little bit upset about it, but the pace was not bad with the hard tires. The team is doing a great job and I can’t wait to be back on this track in a few days!
After an infinite winter beak it is so exciting to be back on track. In these two days of testing we tried to find the best direction to improve the feeling with the bike and we can consider ourself satisfied as we were able to try a lot of things. We were fast with the hard tyre but when we put the soft ones for the time attack I crashed in the first lap, so I didn’t have the chance to improve my personal best. On the other hand I have a great feeling with the bike so I’m sure our ideal lap-time is better than the one we made in those two days and we will prove it in the next test.
Sunoco Superbike 1000 race winner Maximilano "Maxi" Gerardo (center), runner-up Alex Arango (left), and third-place finisher Christian Miranda (right) at a PanAmerican Superbike race in 2022. Photo courtesy PanAmerican Superbike.
Maximilano Gerardo Takes Four Wins at PanAmerican Superbike Round Three
Our big winner from round three of PanAmerican Superbike is Maximilano Gerardo with four race wins by sweeping both the SuperStock 1000 and SuperBike 1000 classes. Max started the day out with a 0.379 second win in the SuperStock 1000 Grande Corsa. He finished the day with a one second win in the Sunoco SuperBike 1000 Sprint along with a class record of 1:24.634.
This round we also saw Stefano Mesa coming back to his old stomping grounds. Stefano walked away with race wins in the SuperStock 600 Grande Corsa and Sunoco SuperBike 600 Grande Corsa and a third place finish in the Sunoco SuperBike 1000 Grande Corsa.
The great performances was not just limited to race wins. We were able to see twelve track lap records broken, and in some races the record was broken multiple times by different racers.
The first of the records was broken during our SuperStreet / Moto 3 Grande Corsa. Julian Correa and Belladonna Britanni both broke the lap record set last season by Belladonna, but Julian’s 1:34.632 was 0.167 faster than Belladonna. Julian Correa now holds both the Amateur and Expert Moto3 lap records at Palm Beach International Raceway and Homestead Miami Speedway! In that same race, Eduardo Aguayo set a new SuperStreet 300 Amateur lap record with a 1:43.688. While all that was happening, Avery Dreher beat his own SuperStock 400 Expert lap record by almost one second, with a 1:34.190!
Taking a look at our more seasoned racers, we have quite a rivalry building between Paul Vance and JM Padron. These two racers faced off four times. Their first meeting was in the Formula Twin Grande Corsa. Paul won the race while also setting a new Formula Twin Expert lap record of 1:32.077. Two races later, these two faced off in the Euro Light Grande Corsa. JM Padron evened the score with the win over Paul. Later in the afternoon they would have another face off in the Euro Light Sprint race. Paul was able to get some payback with a 0.345 second win over JM to take the lead, 2-1. In their final match of the day, Paul and JM gridded up for the Formula Twin Sprint race. Paul had set a high bar in the Grande Corsa race. But, JM stepped up to the challenge by not only winning the sprint race, which means Paul and JM ended the day in a 2-2 tie for wins, but JM’s 1:13.711 beat the lap record Paul had set earlier in the day.
We are looking forward to more battles at round four at Palm Beach International Raceway in April!
PanAmerican Superbike would like to thank our 2022 sponsors for their continued support!
Sunoco Racing Fuels
Southern Racing Fuels
Palm Beach County Sports Commission
Bridgestone Tires
Dunlop Motorcycle Tires
Envy Racing Apparel
MYLAPS Sports Timing
Florida Track Days
For more racing information visit: www.PanAmSbk.com
CJ Lukacs (77) leads Trisha Dahl (144) and the rest of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. field at PittRace in 2021. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
ROYAL ENFIELD ANNOUNCES 2022 BTR ROAD RACING PROGRAM
New and returning riders, more races and a bigger BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. program for 2022
The women of Royal Enfield’s BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. will be back at MotoAmerica for 2022, with more racers and more rounds! Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Royal Enfield North America.
Milwaukee, WI (Wednesday, February 9, 2022) – The field is set for the 2022 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) season, and as promised, the new program is the largest yet. The BTR Road Race roster doubles in size from the previous season, with 15 women on the grid, and the Royal Enfield exhibition is set to visit six MotoAmerica venues in 2022. Professional road racer and crew chief Melissa Paris also returns to Royal Enfield BTR as the mentor to the women through each phase of the program.
“The excruciating process of selecting the participants from hundreds of applicants is now over, and we have our BTR Road Race field in place,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead – Royal Enfield Americas. “We are excited to welcome back four women from previous seasons, plus one making the switch from flat track, along with 10 new faces. Royal Enfield, MotoAmerica and all the BTR sponsors are looking forward to sharing the stories, personalities and progress of these amazing women from different backgrounds and experience levels as they go through the season.”
Each of the 15 participants receive a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycle that they will spend the next three months (the “Build” phase of the program) designing and building. Melissa Paris will work with each rider to create a design and build their race bike before they begin training.
The 2022 Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is the base motorcycle for BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Race at MotoAmerica. Photo courtesy Royal Enfield North America.
THE RIDERS
Kayla Thiesler, Michaela Trumbull, Alyssa Bridges, Trisha Dahl and Bridgette LeBer make their return to the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program, with LeBer crossing over from the flat track side and returning to her road racing roots. They will be joined by 10 new women joining the program, which was opened up to racers of all experience levels for 2022, rather than focusing on new riders. Find bios on all 15 women coming soon at the Build. Train. Race. website.
2022 BTR Road Racing Roster
Kayla Thiesler, 26, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Michaela Trumbull, 29, Sheridan, Wyoming
Alyssa Bridges, 31, Orange County, California
Trisha Dahl, 31, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Bridgette LeBer, 29, Port Angeles, Washington
Ash Truxal, 31, Oakland, California
Chloe Peterson, 31, Steger, Illinois
Cora Tennyson, 36, Brandenburg, Kentucky
Crystal Looy, 34, Thousand Oaks, California
Hannah Stockton, 23, Kansas City, Missouri
Jenny Chancellor, 46, Tumwater, Washington
Jessica Martin, 38, Savannah, Georgia
Kayleigh Buyck, 30, Sodus, New York
Nicole Pareso, 34, Carrolton, Ohio
Patty Paul, 57, Berrien Springs, Michigan
“Holy smokes, I get to do this again!” exclaimed returning BTR Road Race rider Alyssa Bridges of Dana Point, California. “This program has changed so many things in my life and I can’t believe we get to do it again. I’m honored to be asked to return for a second season. This time last year I had never modified a motorcycle to such a great extent, and never set foot on a racetrack. I’m sure this year will be different from last, but I’m so grateful to be asked to join again.”
“This whole experience is a dream come true,” said BTR Road Racing newcomer Kayleigh Buyck of Marion, New York. “I never would have thought I would be chosen to be a part of something so inspiring and motivational. I only hope this encourages many more women to chase their dreams and help the sport grow!”
New riders will join with returning riders such as Tricia Dahl for the 2022 Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Racing program. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Royal Enfield North America.
THE SPONSORS
Along with a number of riders, many sponsors are back for the 2022 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program. The Road Racing program sees the return of S&S Cycle, Maxima Racing Oils, BOXO USA and Öhlins USA Suspension while new sponsors Arai Helmets and AGV come on board for the 2022 season.
The BTR Road Racing women will each build out their own unique sponsor deck that can extend to include a different number of sponsors and/or parts. Stay connected for more information on each race bike throughout the Build phase of the program at https://buildtrainrace.com/road-racing/.
“It means the world to us to have such generous support from these great companies,” said Poland. “Being able to send the Royal Enfield BTR women out onto the track with premium parts, support and protection is everything. Huge thanks to everyone who is behind our 2022 BTR Road Racing program. We can’t wait to see it all come together this season.”
THE SCHEDULE
Up from the previous year’s schedule of three rounds, BTR Road Racing is slated to run six rounds within the MotoAmerica FIM North American Road Race Championship for the 2022 season. Along with a return to Brainerd, PittRace and Barber Motorsports Park, BTR has added VIR, Road America and New Jersey to the 2022 schedule.
“The Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. racers and crew were a pleasure to have in our paddock last year,” said MotoAmerica Communications Manager Paul Carruthers. “The series was embraced by our fans, the rest of the paddock and the industry. We’re excited to welcome them back this year for twice as many rounds, and with even more racers.”
2022 Royal Enfield BTR Road Racing Schedule
May 20-22 (Rnd 1) Virginia Int’l Raceway, Alton, VA
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the midsize motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market.
Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 140 dealers in North America, including the contiguous U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. RENA currently offers the all-new Meteor 350, Himalayan and the 650 Twins (INT 650 and Continental GT 650) motorcycles, along with a range of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories and apparel.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) catching air during testing at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Razgatlioglu pips Rea to top spot at Portimao in a day of scintillating pace in the 1’39s
Wednesday, 9 February 202s
Both Razgatlioglu and Rea lapped in the 1’39s bracket, the first time such a lap time had been achieved at Portimao on a WorldSBK machine
The final day of testing for MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship teams and riders at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve came to a close on Wednesday after some incredible, lap record pace from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with the pair lapping the 4.592km circuit in under 1’40s using Pirelli’s new SCQ tyre.
RECORD-BREAKING PACE AT PORTIMAO
Rea was the first rider to dip below the 1’39s bracket just before the midway point of the session with a 1’39.851s but reigning World Champion Razgatlioglu was able to better more than two tenths with just over an hour of testing remaining; the pair split by just 0.235s. Razgatlioglu’s time of 1’39.616ss beat his own pole time from 2021 by almost 0.5s. Razgatlioglu set six lap times in the 1’39s bracket across five different runs, on laps 28, 45, 48, 49, 53 and 61, while Rea set one lap time in the 1’39s.
It meant Razgatlioglu, who had been working on electronic setup changes with his team, finished the two-day test, and his first of 2022, on top of the timesheets by 0.235s ahead of Rea after completing 66 laps. The six-time Champion completed 87 laps on his ZX-10RR as he continued to test new items and components on his ZX-10RR, using the SCQ tyre for his best time.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed the top three as he continued to adjust to life back at Ducati. Despite a Turn 8 crash that brought out the Red Flags, the Spanish rider was able to add 68 laps to his tally for the test with a best time of 1’40.055s. Bautista has been able to try a new swingarm on his Ducati Panigale V4 R and a smaller fuel tank to suit his stature throughout the test as well as trying Pirelli’s SCQ tyre to be used throughout the 2022 campaign.
KEEPING THE TOP THREE CLOSE
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came home in fourth place as he looked at his outright performance on the ZX-10RR after hailing Tuesday’s running as one of his best days in Kawasaki colours. Lowes added 83 laps to his tally for the two-day test with a best time of 1’40.335s. The British rider also wanted to try the SCQ tyre throughout the test with the tyre supplier bringing new solutions of the tyre compared to what was available at the Jerez test.
Around three tenths before Lowes was Italian rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) who completed 77 laps as he and his team worked on some new parts as well as the setup of electronics on his YZF-R1. Locatelli’s best time was a 1’40.674s as he prepares for his second campaign in WorldSBK.
Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) headed up the Independent riders on day two of the test despite an afternoon crash at the highspeed right-hander of Turn 1. The German rider was okay following the crash that brought out the Red Flag although cost him some valuable track time ahead of his rookie season. Oettl, who had been looking to improve his Ducati’s set up for him, completed 63 laps on Wednesday with a best time of 1’41.061s, putting in a late lap to jump up to sixth in the standings. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was able to try a new swingarm on his Ducati Panigale V4 as well as the new SCQ tyre from Pirelli, with the Italian completing 52 laps for a best time of 1’41.143s.
ROUNDING OUT THE WorldSBK FIELD…
French rider Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was able to get his hands on some new parts for his Yamaha YZF-R1, components that had been used in 2021 by the factory squad, including a new fairing and screen. While testing these items, Ponsson racked up 51 laps with a best time of 1’42.374s.
Rookie Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) rounded out the WorldSBK field on his second day of action on his Ducati bike, with the Sammarinese rider adding 54 laps to his tally. On his first time with a WorldSBK machine, and his first time on track since an injury sustained at Magny-Cours, Bernardi posted a best lap time of 1’42.961s.
BULEGA DOUBLES UP IN WorldSSP
WorldSSP rookie Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) topped the timesheets for the second day running on his Ducati Panigale V2 machine with the Italian manufacturer returning to WorldSSP for 2022. Bulega first tested the bike in November at Jerez and added another 48 laps of experience to the bike in Portugal, with a best time of 1’43.876s. Another rookie, Maximilian Kofler (CM Racing), was second in the standings on day two of testing with the Austrian racking up 58 laps with a best time of 1’45.511s. Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team), testing in place of Oli Bayliss who fractured his ankle in a crash on day one, added 46 laps to the team’s tally over the course of the Portimao test with a best time of 1’46.946s.
WorldSBK times at the end of day two:
1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’39.616, 66 laps
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.851s, 87 laps
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.055, 68 laps
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.335s, 83 laps
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’40.674s, 79 laps
6. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) 1’41.061s, 63 laps
7. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.143s, 52 laps
8. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) 1’42.374s, 51 laps
9. Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’42.961s, 54 laps
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More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Good KRT Progress in Portugal
After two days of testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve between 8 and 9 February, KRT WorldSBK riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes made great progress in their preparations for the forthcoming 2022 season.
Rea ended up the second fastest rider overall, with Lowes fourth quickest around the 4.592km long circuit in the hills above the coastal town of Portimao.
Consistently dry weather was experienced through the two days, with the winds just picking up a little in the afternoon of day one.
In the first half of the final day Rea set the first ever lap time under the 1’40 barrier at Portimao. In the afternoon he improved his personal best to 1’39.851 on the 2022 Ninja ZX-10RR.
Rea and his crew worked on chassis and electronic set-ups, with the results of a long run in the afternoon session being particularly positive, especially in terms of tyre usage over full race distance. Jonathan also set his best lap time on one of the new SCQ development tyres that single make supplier Pirelli brought to his test.
Lowes’ best lap of 1’40.335 was set after spending the vast majority of his track time comparing and contrasting parts to find a base set-up for the start of the new season.
Alex was particularly happy to have set a high number of laps overall, and at a good pace, proving that his physical condition is much improved from last season.
Always a popular circuit for testing and racing, Portimao will host the ninth round of the 2022 WorldSBK season, between 7-9 October. The season starts in earnest at Motorland Aragon in the north of Spain, between 8-10 April.
The next KRT pre-season test sessions will take place at their ‘home’ circuit of Montmelo, in Catalunya, on March 25 and 26.
Jonathan Rea. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “We got a lot of laps in at this test. We have been going back and forward because we had a couple of chassis items we were not sure about. Finally I think we can be pretty confident that we have confirmed a couple of items we found in Jerez at the previous tests. We finally put the package together. In the middle of the day Pirelli brought some tyres that we had to try and then we worked on our plan in the afternoon. We did a long race simulation at the end – and some practice starts that were much better than the ones on the first day. During the long run the feeling was that the set-up was taking some feeling away ‘from my hand’ but it is actually better. Normally in Portimao there is a big tyre drop after ten or 15 laps, but today I did not experience any drop in the long run. I’m pretty happy with that and we will keep working on that side of things. It is important to be fast but it is important to be fast at the end of races. I think we can safely say we managed that today. So, all-in-all, it was a pretty solid day. I think we have a pretty good handle on what our base set-up is going to be to start the year.”
Alex Lowes. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “We have had a really good test here and I think I did 162 laps over the two days. That is the best thing for me because I have not done a full day’s testing for over a year because of the all the injuries I have had. So to do 160-odd laps at a good pace, no mistakes, and while working hard on the bike; I am really happy. That is one box ticked off. In terms of settings on the bike we made some improvements but it looks like the other guys have also made some. I am really happy with the work we have done but we still need to find a couple of tenths or so before the start of the season. This is the best I have felt on the bike in a long, long time. I am really happy and we are going to work hard with my crew chief Marcel during this little break before we have our Montmelo test at the end of March.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “Over the two days Johnny set a lot of laps. Today, at the end, he was tired because we made so many laps and even in the afternoon we made a real long run, 19-20 laps. We made a good test. We have been focusing during the tests in Jerez and Portimao to understand some items to build the base to start the season in Motorland Aragon. Here, we had a chance to compare things again in these two days and the weather was very good. We collected very helpful information to understand the next step to build the package. We also focused with the electronics to give a little bit to Johnny in some areas. We are all happy and now we have time to analyse some things and prepare for the next test. We have had the first impressions of our competitors at this test and I think everybody knows who will be fighting for the championship. It is a little bit more clear. Now, we will try to prepare everything for the next test.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, stated: “We had a very good test and clearly Alex made an impressive recovery from his 2021 injuries over the winter. He did not feel any type of fatigue. He is at full strength, so it is impressive how well he recovered in the last two-and-a-half months. A lot of respect for that. Alex was able to increase his speed lap-by-lap over these two days. We did not make any change to the bike set-up we just tested our updated material. This Portimao test was the point for us to have a clear idea about our bike specification for the coming season. From today we can say that we know what we will race for about 99% of the bike. This was our target and we reached our target. Alex was fast, ridiculously consistent when he did his long runs, and I am happy he could match his race speed to the competition. On race tyres and over distance he can match their speed. We are very confident and we have two more tests in front of us before the start of the season. Now, we can start to look at the smaller details because all the big items are done.”
More, from a press release issued by Team GoEleven:
WHAT A FIRST TIME, PHILIPP!
Two days of testing in Portimao, on the spectacular Algarve track, marked Philipp Oettl’s debut on the Ducati Panigale V4-R Go Eleven! Although it was the beginning of February, the weather and track conditions were almost perfect, with temperatures around twenty degrees and sunshine.
In the first session the German rider goes on track with a basic set-up coming from last year’s race; session after session, the team tried to get to know and get in touch with Philipp’s working method, making small steps forward each time he entered the track. Oettl’s approach was really professional, changing a little in terms of set-up and trying to focus more on ergonomics and riding position. At the end of the first day, the Go Eleven rider concluded just one second far from the top, surprising everyone with his immediate speed and confidence with a powerful and particular bike as the Ducati V4-R.
DAY 1 RESULTS:
P 1 J. Rea 1.40.621
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.101
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.132
…
P 7 P. Oettl + 1.086
On the second day Philipp, who does not have a particular feeling with the splendid Portuguese track, concentrated his work on finding the perfect seat’s height and the position of the handlebars, in order to find a definitive solution for the rest of the season. In the afternoon the interest moves to the tyres, trying different compounds, but without using the new “super soft” SCQ, in this two days only available to riders with more experience in Superbike. Oettl has always constantly improved his references, and, despite a small crash without consequences, at the last exit he improved a further two tenths of his best. It should be emphasized that Oettl’s laptimes came with a racing tyre, always riding alone and without following the slipstream of other protagonists.
DAY 2 RESULTS:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 1.39.616
P 2 J. Rea + 0.235
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.439
…
P 6 P. Oettl + 1.445
An excellent start for the Go Eleven, the team members, at the first test together, immediately had an excellent relationship with the rider. Now we will have to continue the work and development in view of the next pre-season tests, which will be held in about a month, on the Misano home track. After this start, the Team can’t wait to get back on track!
Philipp Oettl (5). Photo courtesy Team GoEleven Ducati.
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“The first day of testing was more about getting to know the bike, the electronic set-up, the work with the Team and starting to concentrate on the ergonomic. The second day we started focusing on the ergonomic, too, with different handlebars, seat position and testing a new higher seat. It seemed that we found a quite good set-up for me, I felt quite comfortable on the bike. When we tried the “old” qualifying tyre I had a small crash, but nothing too serious. After I was able to improve again with race tyre. At the end we did some start practices, too. Riding the superbike is quite complex, there are many areas on which you can work, but now we have some important informations regarding the riding style, regarding what is necessary to do with the Ducati Panigale V4-R. I am really happy about this two days here, now I will try to get ready for Misano test!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“I think Philipp surprised everyone, including me! The time he has set is really good for his first time on a Superbike, especially on one of the toughest tracks in the World Championship. This obviously makes us happy, but the important thing is the feeling he had right from the start with the bike and with the team. The goal of this test was to learn and get to know each other, he with the team and with Ducati, find the right ergonomics on the seat and find the right method of working together. I would say we did it. I’m happy with Philipp’s work, and I like how he works on himself, he learns really fast and that is amazing! Very good job, but now we have to continue like this!”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Razgatlıoğlu Fastest as Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Kickstart 2022 Testing at Portimão
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
The Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK squad completed a successful first pre-season test for the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve today, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli completing 288 laps between them.
Following two days of on-track running at Portimão, where the focus was on assessing detailed electronic and mechanical updates, Yamaha will take on board the riders’ feedback and analyse the data captured to continue their pre-season development work. Both riders also had a chance to run Pirelli’s new SCQ qualifying tyre and try some riding position updates from Yamaha.
Razgatlıoğlu was back on track with his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK for the first time since being crowned 2021 World Champion in Indonesia in late November, and made positive progress with the new updates. Although the team’s focus was not on outright pace, the Turkish rider ended the first day second fastest after completing 69 laps. On Day 2, the team continued to refine the set-up, which saw Razgatlıoğlu set a blistering pace to go fastest of all with a lap time of 1’39.616 in the afternoon – the fastest ever superbike lap at Portimão.
Heading into his second WorldSBK season, Locatelli enjoyed plenty of running across the two days. The Italian quickly felt comfortable on the #55 Yamaha R1 WorldSBK, completing 73 laps on Tuesday and going fifth fastest. On Wednesday, the 2021 Rookie of the Year ran another 79 laps with his 1’40.674 placing him fifth overall, pleased with updates provided by the team through the winter and at the test.
Next for the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team will be the Aragón test on 3-4 April, where the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will also take to the track for the first time this year.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P1 (1’39.616) – 136 laps
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“After a long time, we ride for first time yesterday and I am very happy to be back with the team and on my bike. On the first day, we try the electronic updates and we work through every session to try to find the best set-up. Also, today we were working a lot to find a good set-up but it is not 100% yet because this is all still very new. This is step-by-step and now Yamaha will look at the data and we try again at the next test. I’m very happy with these two days, we set some very good lap times with the race tyre also. Thank you to my team, they do an incredible job like always.”
Andrea Locatelli: P5 (1’40.674) – 152 laps
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“It was our first days of testing for this year and the feeling with the bike came immediately good for me. We worked a lot with the race tyre, so we didn’t focus on one fast lap, but to work around the bike. We understand a lot more now, and we can for sure arrive in Aragón more ready. Now, we will see what we can do together for the new season. We improved a lot on the rider position as well, which is important for my feeling on the bike. We need to find more on the set-up, but we will also have new parts to try at the coming tests. My team has worked hard and I’m very happy for what they have achieved over the winter, I am sure we will be ready for the first race.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“It’s great to be back at work, especially in beautiful weather in early February at the Algarve International Circuit. It’s been a long time off the bikes for Toprak and Loka, neither have turned a wheel since our fantastic last day of the 2021 season. Yesterday was a case of getting them up to speed as much as it was about the technical details. We didn’t have a big test program here, but the modified riding position parts that Yamaha brought were immediately very positive for both riders, improving the feeling on corner entry and their general feeling to control the bike. We’ve also worked on some electronic updates, which required patience for both riders, but in the end we were able to get through that full program as well with competitive lap times. To end the test quickest was great, particularly considering this is our first running of the year. We’ll just keep working away and we look forward to the next stages of development in Aragón in a few weeks’ time.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Two days of intense work for Bautista and Rinaldi in the first testing of the 2022 at Portimao. Bulega already at ease with the PanigaleV2
The first two-days testing for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team concluded at the Algarve circuit in Portimao (Portugal) today.
After a first session dedicated mainly to getting back in touch with their respective Panigale V4R bikes following November’s tests at Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), Alvaro Bautista (149 laps completed) and Michael Rinaldi (123 laps completed) worked intensively this morning on the set-up, also trying out new technical solutions ahead of the new season that will kick off in early April at the Mortland circuit in Aragon (Spain).
In the afternoon, Bautista tested the new tyres introduced by Pirelli, finishing with a time of 1’40.055 set in the last run with the rear race tire.
Rinaldi , on the other hand, was forced to stop before the end of the session due to a muscular discomfort in his back that prevented him from attempting the time attack. The italian rider ended the two days testing his best time of 1’41.143.
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“I am very satisfied with these two days of testing. The feeling is already good and I am having a lot of fun. I feel that the experience I have gained over the last few years is helping me. If I have to be honest, I have found myself on the bike better than I expected. We worked a lot on the tyres today, trying out the new solution brought in by Pirelli. I am only sorry for the crash this morning: I made a mistake, luckily without consequences. I can’t wait to be at Misano”.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“It has been a tough two days of testing. On the first day, we lapped without working on the set-up in particular: the feeling was positive, and – with the race tire – we had better results than last year’s race. Today we concentrated on some new solutions without trying to set the lap-time. Unfortunately, because of the pain in my back, I wasn’t able to try the new SCQ brought by Pirelli”.
LCR Honda has released videos (below) introducing its 2022 FIM MotoGP World Championship riders: LCR Honda Castrol’s Alex Marquez and LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami.
Buildbase Suzuki riders Christian Iddon (left) and Danny Kent (right). Photo courtesy Buildbase Suzuki.
Iddon joins Kent at Buildbase Suzuki
Buildbase Suzuki has announced that Christian Iddon will race a GSX-R1000R superbike in the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, alongside former Moto3 world champion Danny Kent, who remains with the team for a second consecutive season.
Iddon, who finished fourth in last season’s championship standings after a brace of wins and 11 further podiums, returns to the Japanese manufacturer after campaigning GSX-R machinery in 2015.
He will partner Kent in the official Suzuki superbike squad, who is looking to build on the positives from an injury-curtailed 2021 season that saw him take his maiden British Superbike podium at Thruxton, before a fractured and dislocated hip sustained at Donington Park cut short his year.
Christian Iddon, “To be honest I was surprised to find myself looking for a ride, going into the winter, but things always seem to fall into place and I’m really pleased to be joining Buildbase Suzuki and Hawk Racing. I think we’re cut from similar cloth in that they love their racing, they’re very passionate about it, and they just quietly get on with it. I also think the team is underrated by a lot of people – though not by me – despite their achievements, and they don’t always get the recognition they deserve. But, you only have to look at the races and championships they’ve won and how they always get the best out of their riders to know it’s a great team. So I think we’re well-suited to each other.
“And I think we can mount a serious title challenge. That’s got to be the aim, to be champion can only ever be the aim. Of course that’s not easy with so many bikes so close on performance and good riders on the grid, but if we get the best from the bike and from me we can have a go.
“Even though it was the previous bike that I raced before, I know the Suzuki is known for having a compliant chassis, and from being on track with the new bike over the last couple of seasons I can see where it’s strong and I know it’s fast enough. We need to focus on making it consistently competitive, and improve at some of the circuits where it’s struggled in the past. But first I’ve got to find my feet and get comfortable as quickly as possible. I’ll hopefully get out on a race-prepped GSX-R before official preseason testing gets underway, but there are enough official tests to get up to speed. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Danny Kent, “I’m really grateful to Steve and Stuart [Hicken] for giving me another year with the team. Obviously I missed the whole second half of last season with the injury, but we definitely saw some positives in the first half of the year, the podium at Thruxton being the standout. But, it was my first full year on a superbike and I felt I was adapting more and more and the potential was definitely there. I was gutted to miss the second half of the year, especially as I could see the development of the bike and the improvements the team were able to make that resulted in a couple of wins.
“My hip is getting better. It’s not at 100% but it’s going in the right direction. A lack of strength is the biggest thing; the muscles have deteriorated and it feels weak, I can’t apply the same force, but I’m working with Loughborough University and I have seen a significant improvement. But it was a complicated injury – I was bed-bound for a week waiting for an operation, as they could put it back in place but it kept falling out because of the fracture – and I have to see specialists every three months for the foreseeable future. I’ve not ridden a bike since, though, so I’m looking forward to riding in February, hopefully, and getting some laps in on a superstock bike to get comfortable again and get up to speed. No matter what training you do nothing compares to riding a bike, so that’s going to be important.
“I’m looking forward to having Christian [Iddon] as a teammate. He’s been a serious championship challenger for the last couple of years and there aren’t many better riders for me to learn from. He’s one of the most established riders in the paddock, he’s got lots of experience and he’ll be a podium challenger, so I think it’s a great signing for the team. I’m excited to get going.”
Steve Hicken, Buildbase Suzuki team manager, “It’s been a tricky winter, with it looking like plans were in place, but things change and we’ve had to adapt but ultimately I think it’s worked out well for everyone involved. Christian is obviously one of the most talented riders on the grid, and was still in with a chance of winning last year’s championship up until the final round, so he’s definitely shown his pedigree in BSB and, even though the GSX-R has moved on a lot since 2015, he has previous experience and understands the basic Suzuki DNA. If we can get him up to speed nice and quickly on a bike we’ve won races on every year, there’s no reason he can’t challenge at the front again.
“Danny was really unlucky last year. He was still adapting to riding a superbike and we’d made lots of progress with him, and there were plenty of glimpses of his potential, the highlight obviously being his podium at Thruxton. His injury was disproportionate to the fairly innocuous crash that caused it, but he’s working hard on his recovery and we’re confident we can keep building on the positives from last year.”
The opening round of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place on the Silverstone National Circuit on 15-17 April.
The Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia, as seen while under construction in 2021. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Pertamina to title sponsor Grand Prix of Indonesia
A three-year agreement from 2022-2024 sees the Indonesian energy giant take top billing as MotoGP™ heads for Lombok
Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Dorna Sports and Pertamina are delighted to announce an agreement for the title sponsorship of the Grand Prix of Indonesia. From 2022 until at least 2024, the official name of the event will be the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.
After more than two decades, the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship returns to Indonesia in 2022 as the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit, a stunning brand new development on the island of Lombok, plays host. Indonesia is one of the most important markets for MotoGP™, with an incredible amount of passion for motorcycle racing and motorcycles amongst the population of more than 270 million, and the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia is all but guaranteed to become one of the most vibrant on the MotoGP™ calendar.
This new title sponsorship agreement strengthens both Pertamina and Indonesia’s presence in the sport further, in addition to sponsorship of the Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team in the Moto2™ World Championship and the brand new Mandalika venue itself. The Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia ensures Pertamina, Indonesia and the island of Lombok remain front and centre on the international stage.
Brahmantya Satyamurti Poerwadi, Corporate Secretary of Pertamina Group: “As National Energy Company, Pertamina is always committed to energizing Indonesia. By bringing MotoGP to the Pertamina Mandalika Circuit for the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, we’d like to show to the world that Indonesia is listed among the countries with huge motorsports fans. This event also aligns with Pertamina’s products and services, opens up new opportunities in global-scale business developments and supports national economic growth.”
Marc Saurina, Senior Director of Global Partnerships at Dorna Sports: “We are delighted to welcome Pertamina as the title sponsor of the Grand Prix of Indonesia, with three events already confirmed as this new partnership begins. As title sponsor of the new Mandalika venue and thereby a presence in the Moto2 World Championship already, Pertamina’s commitment to motorcycle racing was already proven and this new agreement only serves to strengthen the relationship further. It’s fantastic news for Indonesia, MotoGP and for the event. After more than 20 years away, we cannot wait to return to Indonesia and enjoy the pure passion the country has for our sport.”
Jonathan Rea was quickest on Day One of WorldSBK testing in Portugal but not by much. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Editorial Note: Danilo Petrucci is riding a factory Ducati Panigale V4 R Superbike on MotoAmerica-spec Dunlop tires at the test, but he is not running a timing transponder. According to sources at the test, Petrucci’s best lap time on his first day on the Ducati and Dunlops is very close to the best lap time turned by Michael Ruben Rinaldi on his Aruba.it Racing factory Ducati.
Danilo Petrucci (9) heading out on track on Dunlop tires at Algarve International Circuit. Photo by S. Omeone.
Rea edges out Razgatlioglu, Bautista by just 0.132s as day one at Portimao concludes
All three manufacturers represented in Portugal claimed a spot inside the top three with just a tenth separating Kawasaki, Yamaha and Ducati
Day one of testing for MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship teams and riders at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve concluded on Tuesday as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) headed the eight-strong WorldSBK field in Portugal. Rea, in his third test of the off-season, finished the day around a tenth clear of his nearest rivals after seven hours of testing.
TOP THREE SEPARATED BY 0.132s
Day one of testing was the first time Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) shared a track together since the end of the 2021 season, but they remained close together in the times in Portugal. Rea, who was looking to confirm items that he and KRT had tested in two previous tests at Jerez, as well as trying new chassis and electronic components, posted a best time of a 1’40.621s after completing 71 laps on his ZX-10RR.
Razgatlioglu ended the day in second place after posting a 1’40.722s and completing 69 laps on his 2021-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 machine. The team has brought electronic updates to the test to try once Razgatlioglu and teammate Andrea Locatelli got up to speed having not ridden the R1 since Indonesia, as well as some new components to aid with rider positioning on the bike.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed third place on a strong day for the Spanish rider as he returns to Ducati, finishing just 0.132s down on Rea’s fastest time. Although Bautista’s primary aim for the day was to work on finding speed and re-adjusting to the Panigale V4 R, he was able to try out a new swingarm on his machine as well as a new item around the fuel tank of his bike. Bautista completed 82 laps, the most of the entire field, on day one of his second test with Ducati since re-joining, with a best time of 1’40.753s.
KEEPING THE TOP THREE IN SIGHT…
Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) comeback from injury sustained in Indonesia culminated in the Portimao test with the Italian finishing in fourth place after day one. The Italian was aiming to try out a new swingarm for his Ducati Panigale V4 R machine and then having to decide whether to stick with the 2021 spec or switch to the 2022 spec swingarm for the upcoming season. Rinaldi’s best time was a 1’41.261s after he completed 81 laps.
Despite a crash at Turn 14 around halfway into the afternoon running, Locatelli was able to finish fifth in the standings with a best lap of 1’41.440s and 70 laps to his name. Like with Razgatlioglu, Locatelli’s main focus throughout the test was getting back on the bike after so long without riding and while the crash cost him some time, he was still able to put in plenty of laps as he racked up a total of 73.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed sixth place in the standings on day one as he, like teammate Rea, looked to confirm new items as well as test a new component on the rear of his ZX-10RR. The British rider also had new electronic components to try but the majority of the focus was on the chassis. Lowes completed 80 laps on day one with a best time of 1’41.477s.
ROOKIES AND INDEPENDENT RIDERS
Just two tenths behind Lowes was rookie Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) on his first day on the Ducati Panigale V4 R as he makes the step up from WorldSSP to WorldSBK. Oettl’s main goal for the day was to understand the bike and team as he prepares for his maiden WorldSBK campaign, with the German rider completing 57 laps on his way to sixth in the standings, with a best time of 1’41.707s. French rider Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was seventh in the standings as he got back on his Yamaha YZF-R1 machine for the first time since the end of the 2021 season, with Ponsson trying new components aimed at improving his position on the bike. He racked up 57 laps on day one with a best lap time of 1’43’167s. Another rookie, Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team), rounded out the WorldSBK field on his return from a back injury sustained at the 2021 French Round. Riding the Panigale V4 R for the first time, the Sammarinese rider completed 61 laps with a best time of 1’44.053s.
BULEGA LEADS THE WAY IN WorldSSP
Three WorldSSP riders took to the Portimao track on Tuesday with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) leading the way. The Italian claimed top spot in the class with a 1’44.683s after completing 74 laps, ahead of fellow rookie Maximilian Kofler (CM Racing). The Austrian put in 40 laps on his first day with the Ducati Panigale V2 but lapped more than two seconds away from Bulega, who was on his second test with the bike. Oli Bayliss’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) day came to a premature end after he had a crash at the left-hand hairpin of Turn 5 in the early stages of the day, with the Australian completing nine laps.
WorldSBK times at the end of day one:
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.621s, 71 laps
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’40.722s, 69 laps
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.753s, 82 laps
4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41’261s, 81 laps
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’41.440s, 73 laps
6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’41.477s, 80 laps
7. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) 1’41.707s, 67 laps
8. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) 1’43.167s, 57 laps
9. Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’44.053s, 61 laps
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Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
