More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Domin-eight: Locatelli secures eighth consecutive WorldSSP victory

Andrea Locatelli survives early pressure from Jules Cluzel to move into seventh place in the all-time WorldSSP winners list

Italian rookie Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) continued his streak of race victories in FIM Supersport World Championship as he secured a win in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon for the Pirelli Teruel Round as he survived early pressure to make it eight in a row. Locatelli, like in all races so far this season, started from pole position and claimed the fastest lap on his way to victory.

Locatelli had initially fallen behind Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing) at the start but quickly swept past the Spanish rider on the opening lap to regain the lead. Despite trying to pull a gap to the rest of the field, Locatelli was put under pressure in the early laps by Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha); the Frenchman unable to pass Locatelli.

Cluzel would end up in a battle with Raffaele de Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) for second place with the Italian rider getting by despite strong defence from Cluzel; the Frenchman completing the podium but lost more ground to Locatelli in the Championship fight as Locatelli moves 54 points clear at the top.

Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished the race in fourth place ahead of teammate Philipp Oettl in fifth while Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) equalled his best WorldSSP result of his career; the 2019 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship title winner finishing in sixth place.

It was a career best finish for Hungarian rider Peter Sebestyen (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth) with a seventh-place finish at MotorLand Aragon; Sebestyen continuing to show impressive pace throughout the weekend as he looks to make a step forward. Gonzalez and Sebestyen had a battle that lasted until the last lap with Gonzalez just holding on. Danny Webb (WRP Wepol racing) finished in eighth place with Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) and Federico Fuligni (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) completing the top ten.

Alejandro Ruiz Carranza (EMPERADOR Racing Team) finished in 11th place as the highest placed WorldSSP Challenge rider while Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) secured his best result of the season with 12th place. Kevin Manfredi (Altogoo Racing Team), Axel Bassani (Soradis Yamaha Motoxracing) and Andy Verdoïa (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) rounded out the points.

Viñales did not finish the race following a crash on Lap 3 while Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) retired from the race after a high-speed crash at Turn 7 on Lap 5. Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) was the first retirement from the race following an incident on Lap 1 while Patrick Hobelsberger (Dynavolt Honda), Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) and Lachlan Epis (MPM Routz Racing Team).

P1 Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team)

“It’s a great day. The work we did this morning was good for the race. We tried to push hard from the opening laps. I can push every lap, this is so good because with the hot conditions we are very strong. We still need to work a little bit for the conditions because maybe it’ll be cooler.”

P2 Raffaele de Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)

“I am very happy. In the last race I had good pace, but we didn’t improve in qualifying. Today, I did improve in qualifying and it was possible to have a good start. Like always, my first and second lap is not fast but I’m happy at the end.”

P3 Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha)

“It was a difficult race. I really enjoyed the beginning of the race because I felt like I was strong, but after three or four laps I had a tyre drop and I didn’t understand what happened. I felt this morning that I could do one very fast lap, I did a really fast lap in superpole, but after two or three laps it drops, and it did during the race. It was not easy as I did not know if the guys behind could come back but, in the end, I was an easy third. It was so difficult. I was losing the front everywhere, pushing into the corner entry and sliding like crazy. 16 points is okay for today and tomorrow we’ll try for a bit more.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:

Michael Rinaldi (Rider):

“I can’t find words to describe my first Superbike victory! We knew we were strong after yesterday’s practice, but not so strong as to win with a gap. I am really happy both for me and for the team, they deserve it. I’m trying to enjoy the moment, I still haven’t quite realized what happened! After a difficult period like last year, being able to win is incredible, but now some well-deserved rest and recharge our batteries for tomorrow.”

Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager): 

“It is something magic, it’s difficult to describe the emotion I feel, after so many sacrifices and everything we have been through to get here. Today we are on the top floor, we won! This is a dream of life that comes true , and I have to say thanks to Michael, the whole team and the sponsors, thanks to them we are here and it’s dedicated to them. Let’s enjoy the moment, but let’s get back to work immediately because tomorrow we have another race to do and we can’t waste time! It is also dedicated to Andrea Antonelli, he is always with us and I’m sure he will have pushed us for the whole race!”

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More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

#TeruelWorldSBK – Day 2

Rinaldi claims sensational maiden WorldSBK victory

Michael Ruben Rinaldi wins his first WorldSBK race in stunning fashion as Scott Redding crashes out from third place

A new face stepped on top of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) claimed a sensational maiden victory in Race 1 for the Pirelli Teruel Round at MotorLand Aragon. Rinaldi had started from second on the grid and had topped all three Free Practice sessions as he continued his impressive pace.

Despite appearing to get a bad start, Rinaldi held second place on the opening lap but used the straight line speed advantage of his Ducati machine to pass Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the run to Turn 16 on the opening lap and from there, he did not look back; lapping consistently faster than the reigning Champion.

Rea finished the race in second place, almost six seconds behind Rinaldi but the 20 points gained on Championship rival Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati), with Redding crashing out on Lap 7 while under pressure from Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), means the five-time Champion is now 30 points clear of Redding.

Redding’s ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati teammate, Chaz Davies, claimed a podium as two Ducati machines finished in the top three. Davies was in a battle for third with Bautista before the Spanish rider crashed at Lap 14 on Turn 14 and retired from the race. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) finished in fourth place for the 18-lap race as the lead Yamaha rider, one place ahead of teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled both the field and illness to take a sixth place finished after a titanic battle with numerous riders. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his best result of the season with eighth place with Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) claimed a top ten finished ahead of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finished in 11th place ahead of Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in 12th. Just four seconds separated Lowes in sixth and Baz in 12th to show how competitive the WorldSBK field is in 2020. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) secured a 13th place finish while Matteo Ferrari (Motocorsa Racing) secured a points finish on his WorldSBK debut, finishing ahead of Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) to complete the points.

Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) was the last classified rider in 16th place after an incident in the early stages of the race, with Bautista and Redding not completing the race alongside Roman Ramos (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR), Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) and Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) also not retiring from the race.

P1 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN)

“It’s unbelievable! I’m very happy but I don’t know how to explain this emotion right now. It was a difficult year last year but this year I’ve found a family. Always I’ve had some people behind me who support me in difficult times. Now we are here! I couldn’t hope for a better race and I will enjoy this.”

P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

“I did my best. Yesterday, I tried a long run with the soft tyre and we made it work to the end but something in my head was telling me it was too much of a gamble. When I saw Michael and his pace, with the SCX tyre, the rhythm he could do was incredible. Maybe tomorrow we could do a more aggressive strategy but super happy to pick up 20 points. I feel like we got the best out of the bike today.”

P3 Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)

“I was so undecided; I don’t think I’ve ever been so undecided on the grid over a tyre choice. It was just at that cut off  temperature where the SCX tyre starts to work. In any case, it was a risk. I knew Alvaro was going to run it and I knew Michael was going to run it. With their size and weight being a lot less, I think it’s an easy decision for them whereas for me it was a bit of a roll of the dice. In some ways it worked, in other ways it didn’t. We have to evaluate how to improve our package to make better use of that tyre tomorrow if we’re going to run it. Overall, I’m satisfied. It was a tough race, conditions were really different compared to last week. Really hot, really greasy. Happy to be on the podium! Congratulations to Michael Ruben Rinaldi, he rode awesomely and absolutely disappeared. No one had an answer for him. He’s been somewhat of a little brother in the Aruba Ducati fold in the last few years, so the annoying little brother has come into his own!”

More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:

Pata Yamaha Pair Push Forward to Top Five Finishes at Aragón

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team with Rizla riders Michael van der Mark and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu both made positive progress to finish Race 1 in the top five at the Teruel FIM Superbike World Championship round at MotorLand Aragón today.

During the Tissot Superpole session, Van der Mark was fastest of all riders in the first sector of the tricky Spanish circuit and on course to set an impressive overall qualifying time, when unfortunately, the Dutchman was held up by another rider on the 5.077 km lap. He managed to make a second lap on the Pirelli qualifying tyre but was unable to improve on his start position of 12th for the race.

With work to do to make up places, the 27-year-old kept his cool to finish fourth in his 150th WorldSBK race with a mature ride using the softer “X” tyre, normally selected for the 10-lap sprint race, to find more grip.

Razgatlıoğlu made a lightening start from a much-improved seventh on the grid and was able to cut through the field to fourth position in the first corner. This enabled him to go with the front runners in the early stages of the race, however he began to lose time as grip levels dropped and eventually finished just behind team-mate Van der Mark in fifth position.

Tomorrow morning the two Pata Yamaha riders look to come out swinging in the Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 local time (GMT+2), as they fight to improve their grid position for Race 2 at 14:00.

Michael van der Mark: P4

“This morning we were just unlucky in Superpole, I caught a slower rider on my quick lap so I had to roll off and try again, but the best of the tyre was gone so I had to start from 12th position – which is far from ideal, especially at this track. We knew we had a good pace and would need to have a good start – I managed to pass a couple of guys from the beginning but I was using the softer “X” tyre and understood that I had to stay calm and try to be consistent. It was a bit of a lonely race after I’d made the initial passes but it worked out to stay calm and consistent, and in the end we finished fourth which is not so bad. I think we can improve the bike a little bit and tomorrow in the Superpole Race I need to fight hard for a better starting position.”

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P5

“Today my qualifying position was not bad, much better than last weekend, but I went wide at Turn 1 of my fast lap so maybe there was more time to be gained. From seventh position on the grid, I made a good start on my Yamaha R1 and in the beginning of the race I tried to follow Redding in the front group. My rear grip was better than last weekend but after six laps it was not possible to keep going forward with the podium group. We take good points in fifth today, and tomorrow we will fight in the Superpole Race to get a good starting position for Race 2.”

Paul Denning, Team Principal

“The only target for this back-to-back Aragon event was to improve from last weekend, and today’s race showed that we managed to take some decent steps forward. Michael rode a very strong race, managing the softest “X” tyre excellently. Despite starting from 12th, from the first lap he fought his way through very well. With a better grid position, which was compromised in qualifying by running into traffic on a lap that looked like it would have achieved a front row start, we believe Michael would have been in the podium fight. Toprak qualified well, a good step forward from last weekend and then raced very hard, but unfortunately ran out of grip earlier than Michael. Nonetheless, a fifth position keeps him very much in the fight for third place overall in the championship. He himself has improved his understanding of the key to this Aragon circuit and hopefully we can take another step forward tomorrow. Finally, congratulations to the GoEleven team and to their rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi – to win your first WorldSBK race in such dominant fashion is a real thrill!”

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Rea Second In Saturday Race

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Jonathan Rea rode from pole position to a clear second place after 18-laps of the Motorland in WorldSBK race one, while Alex Lowes (KRT) battled his way to sixth despite suffering from a debilitating bout of gastroenteritis.

In the opening race of the Teruel round, held at the same Motorland Aragon circuit as the previous WorldSBK event last weekend, Rea made a clean start but was soon overhauled by first time race winner Michael Ruben Rinaldi.

Keeping up a strong and consistent pace Rea took his 11th podium finish of the season, and 20 important points after a race in which his main championship rival, Scott Redding, fell and no-scored.

After suffering from a bout of gastroenteritis severe enough to keep him from riding in FP3 this morning, Lowes had a tough race but stuck to his task with great determination. He finally moved from tenth at one stage to sixth at the chequered flag, scoring ten points in his own battle for championship position. Even with his health issue today Alex still saw three factory machines finish behind him.

In Tissot-Superpole, shortly before race one, Rea equalled the number of career Superpole trophies of Troy Bayliss – 26 – to go joint third in the all-time rankings for this specialised form of grid qualification. Jonathan beat his own previous track best from last weekend’s race – 1’48.860 – with his 1’48.767 from today.

Despite the negative effects of his illness, Lowes showed his grit and desire to take a third row starting spot for race one after Superpole, in ninth place.

Tomorrow – to complete six individual races at Motorland over two consecutive weekends – there will be a 10 lap Superpole sprint race in the morning and then a second full distance 18-lap finale at 14.00. Jonathan leaves the Saturday action behind with a 30-point championship lead; while Alex is in sixth place overall.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “Track position at Motorland is everything so we put a lot of concentration into that Superpole lap. Thanks to the guys for giving me a great bike and the lap was good. I decided to go early in the Superpole session because I thought that if I could go out on track just on my own, with no distractions, there would be no excuses. I was super-happy with the lap time and a clear view into T1. I knew that if I could be in front I could dictate the pace more. With the temperature going up the softest SCO rear tyre would be an option for a lot of people, so sitting on the grid I knew I might have to attack and defend on different fronts, and manage my race accordingly. When Michael came through it was obvious which tyre he was on because in two corners he had a gap. I was hoping he would come to me as the race went on but Michael did a really good job.”

Alex Lowes, stated: “I want to say a massive congratulations to Michael Ruben Rinaldi. To win your first WorldSBK race is an amazing feeling. I remember when I won my first one. For me it was a tough race today. I have been struggling physically this weekend so I missed this morning’s practice session. I had no energy and I have not been able to keep any food inside so the race was really tough for me. I tried to make a good start and just race the guys in front of me. But that was still one the toughest races I have done so far because I had no energy to force the bike around. I had a little fight, which made me focus on the race, and we managed to take sixth position.”

Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished Superpole 15th and was 13th in the race after a difficult first few laps. Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was top Kawasaki privateer in Superpole, 13th and then 16th in race one, just missing out on a championship point. Roman Ramos (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) qualified 18th on the grid but finally entered the pits to retire.

More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:

#TeruelWorldSBK Race1. Great comeback for Chaz Davies (P3) who conquers his fourth podium finish of the season. Following a good start, Scott Redding crashes on lap 8

It’s a bittersweet Saturday for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. Chaz Davies is the protagonist of another exciting comeback and finishes the Pirelli Teruel Round in third place. Scott Redding fights with Rea (Kawasaki) for the second position but crashes on lap 8.

On the day that will be remembered for the first WorldSBK success of an extraordinary Michael Rinaldi riding the Ducati Panigale V4 R of Team Go Eleven, Chaz Davies gets the fourth podium of his season despite a difficult qualifying that forces him to start from the eighth position.  The Welsh rider’s race pace, however, is incisive and allows him to easily pass first Sykes (BMW) then Van Der Mark (Yamaha). From the middle of the race Chaz tries to chase Bautista who overcomes 3 laps to the end to conquer the third step of the podium.

Scott Redding starts from the front row (P3) with Rea and Rinaldi. The start is good and allows him to turn second at the first corner. Rinaldi’s race pace is better and allows the Italian rider to overtake both Redding and Rea in the first two laps. Scott tries to stay glued to his compatriot but on lap 7 he has to defend himself from Bautista’s (Honda) attack. The feeling with the front is not of the best and Redding crashes on lap 8.

With the third place in Race-1 of the Pirelli Teruel Round, Chaz Davies (136 points) takes the third position in the Superbike World Championship standings.

For the first time in the season, Scott Redding (179 points) closes with a DNF. His gap from Rea is now 30 points.

P3 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

“Getting on the podium is always nice even if I must admit that I would have preferred to take a step forward compared to the two second places obtained last weekend. The weather conditions were very different and this forced us to work a lot on the bike and tires. I chose to race with the soft tire (X) but I had to manage from the first laps to finish the race with a good pace unlike Rinaldi, who has a different weight and could push to the maximum. Anyway, I congratulate him for his extraordinary victory”.

DNF – Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

“It was a very difficult race because since the first laps the feeling with the front was negative. 30 points? It’s a big gap to give to an experienced driver like Jonathan Rea. Now we have to do our best to beat him in every race. My goal is to continue to fight for the championship and I will certainly not give up now after the great work we have done so far. It is clear, however, that we will have to make great improvements to try to recover the disadvantage”.

More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:

Solid race Saturday for BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team at MotorLand Aragón.

Fifth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship 2020 season.

Fourth place for Tom Sykes in Superpole.

Eugene Laverty finishes eighth after a strong recovery race; Sykes finishes tenth.

Alcañiz. After a difficult first race weekend in the FIM Superbike World Championship at MotorLand Aragón (ESP), the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team recorded an upwards trend in the second part of the double-header. In Superpole on Saturday, Tom Sykes (GBR) finished in P4 with his BMW S 1000 RR. Team-mate Eugene Laverty (IRL) sparkled in the first race with a strong recovery to move up into eighth place, claiming his best race result so far with BMW. Sykes also crossed the finish line in the top ten, in tenth place.

The racetrack near Alcañiz is hosting the WorldSBK for the second time in the space of just a few days with the fifth round of the 2020 season being held there this weekend. In Superpole on Saturday morning Sykes set the fourth-fastest time, which saw him qualifying for the second row of the grid. Laverty finished qualifying in 16th place.

In the race on Saturday afternoon, initially Sykes held his ground in the top five, but lost positions as the race went on, finishing in tenth. Meanwhile, Laverty set off on his journey up the field from 16th on the grid. On lap 14 of 20 he had reached the top ten, then on lap 16 he moved up into eighth place where he remained to the finish line.

Quotes after race one at MotorLand Aragón.
 
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “I’m happy with both riders finishing in the top ten. Congratulations to Eugene, who battled his way up the field well in the race with the potential to finish in P6. It wasn’t easy to roll up the field from behind; it was a good performance, but a 24 second deficit to the winner shows that we are still a long way away from where we want to be. It was good, however, to see that Eugene has gained more confidence in his motorbike and is able to battle for positions. We hope that this positive trend continues on Sunday. Tom had a good start from fourth on the grid after a very strong lap in Superpole. Looking at the first race weekend here at Aragón, this made up a lot. However, Tom lost a few positions over the first half of the race. We knew that we wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace of the best-placed riders on this track but our goal tomorrow is to pick up as many points as possible in Superpole and then in the race.”

Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It was a good Superpole from Tom, while Eugene could not make anything out of his qualifying tyre and obviously his grid position reflected that. In the race, we got away reasonably well. Tom got a good run, made a mistake and lost three places, dropped down in a group that was kind of from six to 12th. Eugene, on the other hand, made good use of his race pace and his tyre and came through the pack, while Tom went the other way. I am happy for Eugene to get a good top-ten result. Tom on the other hand did not live up really to his expectations, got dropped back and didn’t had anything to fight with. We are going to be happy with eight and tenth, going to work overnight, trying to find some mechanical grip that we can use in the race tomorrow to make up that straight-line deficit.”

Eugene Laverty: “Actually, it has been our best race so far this year. Starting from 16th is still difficult but unfortunately at the moment we can’t go faster with the bike, but at least we can keep a good rhythm in the race. It’s tough from down there but I managed to come forward in the second half of the race and I used a bit of my experience to manage the bike well in the end when the tyres were slimy and the others suffered and were making mistakes while I kept smooth and came forward. It was a good race and I think we have definitely done something. For tomorrow’s Superpole race I’ve given myself a task because it’s going to be tough from P16 but I will be aiming for the top nine because that gives you a top nine grid position for race two. That is going to be my only goal for the Superpole race. And in the final race – no matter where I will be starting from – I’ve got to go forwards. We are trying to improve the bike further and to finish the weekend on a real high.”

Tom Sykes: “It’s a shame today as we are still riding around some limitations. In Superpole, it’s very easy to manage the BMW S 1000 RR, I feel very relaxed on the bike and where I need to be. In the races we certainly have some strong points, but we are still missing out quite big in some areas so that is difficult. For the race we had a good start, but ran into trouble with braking as I was overriding the bike, which ultimately had a knock-on effect in the remaining 12 laps. It’s tricky but we are always learning. I’d rather have a difficult year this year, build up the knowledge and come back next year stronger, but for now it’s hard to take. On paper and the way things feel, I know I am so much better than this. For sure, like I said, there are some really strong points on the package, just at the moment we are not able to see the full potential of the BMW S 1000 RR. There is good spirit from the boys, the whole of the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team are trying new things and working hard so we will come back tomorrow and give it our all.”

More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing:

WorldSBK, Melandri retired in Race 1 at Aragon

Aragon (SPA), 5 September 2020. It a bitter Saturday for Marco Melandri and Barni Racing Team at Motorland Aragon, which held the fifth round of the WorldSBK. In the morning free practice the #33 managed to lower his best lap by almost eight tenths compared to yesterday, but he was not able to be as incisive during the rest of the day. The time lap scored in Superpole (1’50.462) forced him to line up in seventeenth position on the starting grid, while his race lasted only five laps.

After risking a crash several times, while he was in seventeenth position, the rider from Ravenna preferred to take his Ducati Panigale V4 R back to the pits and retire.

Marco Melandri

Superpole: P17 – Gara 1: DNF

“This morning it seemed that the situation had improved, then already in the Superpole we went back. In the race I just couldn’t ride, I’m in trouble in braking and I have no grip on the rear. I went wide in a couple of corners and I risked to crash several times, so I decided to stop. I’m sorry for the team that is working hard but we are missing something.”

Marco Barnabo, Team Principal:

“We continue to work tirelessly on the bike, but the rider’s feelings do not change. This morning it seemed that things had improved a little bit, but when temperatures change we struggle with the same problems and we have to restart. Today, after having risked several times the crash, the rider decided to stop.”

More, from a press release issued by GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team:

A growing Saturday ends with another Top-10

With conditions always marked by high temperatures, the GRT team riders took to the track again today, bringing home good results in race 1 after complicated qualifying.

The morning in Aragón opened with FP3, in which Caricasulo and Gerloff immediately found themselves well, setting the seventh and 10th times, respectively. Temperatures rose during the Tissot Superpole, however, and the two rookies suffered more, with Caricasulo in 11th position, while his teammate was only 14th. Once the moment of race 1 arrived, however, the performance of the two drivers improved: Caricasulo managed to enter the fight of the second group, crossing the finish line in ninth place, with Gerloff just behind in 11th position, still not fully satisfied with the setup of his motorcycle.

The Italian driver, who had struggled in yesterday’s free practice, is very satisfied with the solutions made this morning, which allowed him to be competitive in the race: “It was a positive day. We changed the bike a lot compared to yesterday, and this morning before FP3 I was hoping with all my heart that the change would have a positive response. So it was, and thanks to the new solutions the entire front end of the bike has improved, both on the flying lap and on the distance. In qualifying we went better than usual, although perhaps we could have done a little better, and in race 1 we managed to fight in the second group of drivers. Tomorrow, the goal will be to improve even more and to be able to fight with more confidence in that group, possibly putting some behind us too. It is much warmer than last weekend, and this is a condition that has always put me in difficulty, because my feeling with the front decreases. With the changes this morning, however, we were finally able to improve the bike, and to make its behavior more constant in these conditions. We hope to continue on this path also tomorrow. ”

Less satisfied is Gerloff, who felt the heat more, especially in race 1: “Our Saturday started well, with some excellent changes that this morning, in a bit cooler conditions, allowed us to go fast. Despite a bad qualifying, I couldn’t wait to get out on track for Race 1, because the bike was doing particularly well on the race tire. I got off to a good start, with a couple of overtakes, and got hooked on Loris Baz and Michael van der Mark, but I quickly realized that the changes made this morning in the cooler weather weren’t working as well in the heat of the race. It almost seemed that the limit of the bike was not the same as in the morning: I gave everything, but I was still struggling more than I expected. In the end I stayed close enough to the group in front of me, but I’m still disappointed, because I thought I could fight with them. At least now we know that the direction we took today was wrong, and we can retrace our steps, hoping that this change of direction will bring positive results. This is our goal for tomorrow. ”

Technical Coordinator Damiano Evangelisti congratulates the winner and, after today’s improvements, remains positive in view of tomorrow: “First of all, I would like to congratulate Rinaldi because, in a season in which he is proving to have reached the maturity needed to stay ahead, today a very concrete victory has arrived. I know him, I know how hard he tries to aim high, so I’m very happy for him. Returning to us, I was sure that after yesterday we would react: I was convinced that we would be able to put the riders in the right condition to face these races with a much higher temperature than last weekend, and we succeeded. My compliments also go to Federico, who made his best Superpole of the season, and completed a very concrete race 1. Ninth place is good for us, who are always aiming to get into the top ten, but being a second and a half from sixth is what shows us that we are improving race after race. Tomorrow, as regards Federico, we will have to understand how to maintain a good performance in the final laps, because today we had a very good first part of the race, but we lost a bit too much performance from the middle forward. The goal for tomorrow is therefore to improve the second part of the race. With Garrett, I think unfortunately we didn’t get to the race with the best possible setup. The changes he made during FP3 and Superpole seemed to work well, but, in hindsight, we never did enough laps to check their behavior as the tires dropped. In the race he therefore struggled a bit more than expected, but it was still useful experience to understand how to adjust the shot. The boy certainly has more potential than he has seen today, and I’m sure he too will be strong tomorrow. ”

After today, the two standard bearers of the GRT team maintain the same positions in the world rankings: Gerloff remains 12th, with 33 points, while Caricasulo now has 29, and occupies the 14th position. The Spanish weekend will close tomorrow: the Warm Up will kick off the day at 9, and will be followed by the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2, at 11 and 14 respectively.

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More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Locatelli fastest after Friday WorldSSP action at MotorLand Aragon

Italian rider Andrea Locatelli continues to top sessions as he searches for win number eight of the season

FIM Supersport World Championship action continued at MotorLand Aragon with Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) topping the combined Free Practice classification for the Pirelli Teruel Round after going fastest in both practice sessions on Friday; the Italian going more than half a second clear of his nearest rival.

Locatelli has won every race, claimed every pole position and secured every fastest lap so far in the 2020 WorldSSP season and has shown impressive pace again as he topped the times on Friday, finishing ahead of Raffaele de Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) as the second-placed Italian rider showed strong pace from the start of the action. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was third after Friday running as the highest place Kawasaki rider on the grid.

Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) was fourth fastest as the Estonian rider looks to rebound from a difficult Aragon Round where he retired from both races, beating Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) by just 0.060s in fifth place. Cluzel, currently second in the Championship, will be hoping to make a step forward ahead of Saturday’s Tissot Superpole and Race 1 in order to take the fight to Locatelli as he has done in the early stages of recent races. South African rider Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) finished the day in sixth place as he chases his first WorldSSP podium.

Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing) was seventh fastest for the day after showing impress pace in Free Practice 2; the Spaniard bouncing back from a crash in Free Practice 1 where he was unable to set a time. Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) was in eighth place with Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Hungarian rider Peter Sebestyen (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth) once again showing strong pace to be in the top ten.

Federico Fuligni (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) finished in 11th place ahead of Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) in 12th; Webb once again showing competitive pace in the team run by James Toseland. Alejandro Ruiz Carranza (EMPERADOR Racing Team) was the highest placed WorldSSP Challenge rider in 13th place, ahead of Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team); the Turkish rider crashing in Free Practice 1 but able to get back out on track for Free Practice 2. Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) completed the top 15.

It was an action-packed day for Galang Hendra Pratama (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) as the Indonesian rider crashed in both practice sessions on Friday but able to set the 17th fastest time overall. Patrick Hobelsberger (Dynavolt Honda) also suffered a crash in Free Practice 2 and was slowest overall after Friday running.