WorldSBK Race Lap Record: 1:34.720, Jonathan Rea, 2015

WorldSBK Pole/Circuit Best Lap Record: 1:33.640, Tom Sykes, 2018

Motul FIM Superbike World Championship

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

Rimini, San Marino

June 23, 2019

Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), 21 laps, Total Race Time 34:06.731, Best Lap Time, 1:36.887

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey (Kaw ZX-10RR), -0.381 second, 1:36.814

3. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -5.880 seconds, 1:37.079

4. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -6.203, 1:37.158

5. Michael Rinaldi, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -7.147, 1:37.172

6. Tom Sykes, UK (BMW S1000RR), -7.682, 1:37.375

7. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -10.916, 1:37.222

8. Michele Pirro, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -14.268, 1:37.609

9. Lorenzo Zanetti, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -20.043, 1:37.669

10. Jordi Torres, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), -22.127, 1:37.875

11. Markus Reiterberger, Germany (BMW S1000RR), -27.107, 1:38.094

12. Loris Baz, France (Yam YZF-R1), -27.475, 1:38.179

13. Samuele Cavalieri, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -36.333, 1:38.293

14. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Duc Panigale V4 R), -37.033, crash, 1:37.017

15. Sandro Cortese, Germany (Yam YZF-R1), -47.697, crash, 1:36.896

16. Marco Melandri, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), -50.834, crash, 1:36.950

17. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -65.352, 1:39.588

18. Leandro Mercado, Argentina (Kaw ZX-10RR), -3 laps, DNF, crash, 1:38.337

19. Yuki Takahashi, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -4 laps, DNF, crash, 1:38.919

20. Alessandro Delbianco, Italy (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -12 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:38.554

21. Dominic Schmitter, Switzerland (Yam YZF-R1), DNS

World Championship Point Standings (after 18 of 37 races):

1. Bautista, 330 points

2. Rea, 314

3. Michael van der Mark, 188

4. Lowes, 164

5. Haslam, 153

6. Razgatlioglu, 121

7. Melandri, 116

8. Davies, 114

9. Sykes, 110

10. Cortese, 93

11. Rinaldi, 77

12. Torres, 75

13. Reiterberger, 56

14. Eugene Laverty, 32

15. Baz, 28

16. TIE, Leon Camier/Mercado, 26

18. Zanetti, 21

19. Kiyonari, 14

20. Tommy Bridewell, 12

21. Takahashi, 11

22. TIE, Pirro/Delbianco, 10

24. Cavalieri, 6

25. Hector Barbera, 3

(Above) Jonathan Rea (1) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) racing for the lead in Race Two. Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:

#RiminiWorldSBK – Day 3:

Rea conquerers his 75th WorldSBK victory as Bautista crashes early on

Reigning World Champion wins after going head-to-head with Toprak Razgatlioglu on the final lap, slashing Bautista’s lead to 16 points

With a 39-point advantage over Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) had a comfortable margin ahead of Race 2 in WorldSBK, combined with a pole position start. The 34-year-old Spaniard looked set for another win but, for a second round, Bautista crashed out of the lead at the start of Lap 2 at Turn 4. This made for an incredible battle at the front as the championship catapulted into life in Italy.

With the race underway, Bautista took the holeshot into Turn 1 as the pack filtered through as neat as possible. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) blasted through the order and was into third by Turn 1, challenging Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) into Turn 4. At Turn 14, Jonathan Rea sliced under the Turkish rider for third place.

Then, drama at Turn 4 on Lap 2 as Alvaro Bautista made another error, crashing out of the lead as the front end gave way. The Spaniard crashed out, leaving Leon Haslam in the lead ahead of teammate Rea, whilst Razgatlioglu was third ahead of Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) and Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Bautista re-joined but was at the back of the field.

With 18 laps to go, it was Razgatlioglu who put a move on Rea at Turn 4, before leading at Turn 1 a lap later, ahead of Leon Haslam. At Turn 14 on the same lap, Rea lunged ahead of Haslam, as the five-time WorldSBK race winner began to fade away. The number 91 then suffered a collision with Marco Melandri as the Italian tried an audacious pass into Turn 2. Both stayed upright but it allowed Razgatlioglu and Rea to break away.

It was another race to forget for Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK), from a weekend that looked to show so much promise after Saturday. The German crashed once more but re-joined the race.

With 12 laps left to go, the race was far from decided, with two separate battles: Razgatlioglu defended at the front from Jonathan Rea, whilst Leon Haslam held on to third ahead of Marco Melandri, as Alex Lowes began to claw time back on the battling duo ahead of him. Meanwhile, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) was lapping half-a-second a lap quicker than those ahead of him.

Three laps to go and it was another disaster for the GRT Yamaha squad, as Marco Melandri crashed at Turn 8, as grip deteriorated with rising track temperatures. Melandri’s crash promoted Bautista into the points. A lap later, and the battle for the race win had calmed, as Rea made a mistake at Turn 10, momentarily letting Razgatlioglu off the hook.

The final four laps was when Jonathan Rea made his move out front, taking the lead at Turn 1. It was a heart-in-mouth moment for Razgatlioglu at Turn 4 however, as he came within millimetres of hitting the rear of Rea, with his rear wheel in the air. The fight was far from done, as the 22-year-old Turkish rider stayed glued to the rear end of Rea.

The final lap beckoned, and it was going to be a head-to-head between the young pretender and the four-time WorldSBK Champion. Razgatlioglu tried at Turn 4 but thought better of it, waiting until Turn 8 to make his move. Toprak ran wide, with Rea slicing back ahead and the gloves were really off. As the lap came to a close, Rea defended superbly and despite Razgatlioglu bouncing up the rear wheel of Rea at the final corner, he couldn’t get the better of the reigning-quadruple WorldSBK Champion. Rea took the win ahead of the Turkish star, to take a 75th WorldSBK win and become the highest point-scorer of all time. Third place went to Leon Haslam, ahead of Lowes and Michael Ruben Rinaldi.

Sixth went to Tom Sykes ahead of Chaz Davies, whilst Michele Pirro (BARNI Racing Team), Lorenzo Zanetti (Team Goeleven) and Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) completed the top ten, in a frantic, feisty end to Race 2.

The championship gap is down to 16 between Bautista and Rea at the top, whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu moved into the top Independent slot in the championship, with his best ride of his WorldSBK career.

P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

“Toprak did an incredible job! Congratulation to him and his team I had to wait because I had to conserve the tyres and even with that, in the end, I was struggling a bit, and I could see that he was struggling as well on the front, trying to closing the lines. I’d just kept pushing because that 25 points were important but the conditions today compared to the rest of the weekend were difficult. It was very slippery out there, so I tried my best to minimize the risk and take the maximum. This was a really good race, and now I am looking forward to Donington”.

P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)

“I started from the fourth position, and after a few laps, I found a good feeling with the bike. I try to take the lead, and when I got there I kept pushing all laps, and I saw that the gap was increasing, but on the final lap Jonny caught me, and we had I fought with him! It wasn’t easy. He took the lead, I tried again, but in the end, I couldn’t get back to first place. I am pleased especially after the big crash I had yesterday, and I want to dedicate this race to my crew! Thanks to them. I am happy because this has been my best race and I will try again in Donington!”

P3 – Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

“We definitely made a good step, but I felt we were struggling a bit in the race. I had a good battle with Alex Lowes for the third step of the podium so I can’t be too unhappy, but I felt I had to manage a few little issues. I think that everybody was in the same position. The temperature is high today. I enjoy the battle! My home race is next so I can’t wait for that one”.

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Rea Wins Kawasaki Podium Lockout

Jonathan Rea (KRT) finished fifth and then first in the two WorldSBK races at Misano today and with his team-mate Leon Haslam third in Race Two, and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) second, it was an all Ninja ZX-10RR podium. Rea has cut Alvaro Bautista’s championship lead to just 16 points this weekend

Before the Race Two podium domination the ten-lap Tissot-Superpole race – effectively a sprint race – provided had already provided a podium for KRT, as Leon Haslam took third spot in a crash-strewn race. Rea had led the race, then fell from second place, remounting to take fifth place.

On a dry track in Race Two, which was hotter than the morning Superpole race, Bautista took a lead after his sprint race win. He fell on lap two, allowing first Haslam, and then Razgatlioglu and Rea, to do the front-running.

Rea and Razgatlioglu had a crowd-pleasing fight for the final win of the weekend on the final laps, with the eventual margin of victory only 0.381 seconds. Rea now has 75 career race wins, and a round figure of 150 career podiums from 262 race starts.

The three Ninja ZX-10RR riders that filled the Race Two podium – Rea, Razgatlioglu and Haslam – are the same three riders picked to race in the official Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8 Hours squad next month.

After the Sunday races at Misano Kawasaki has now scored over 400 podium places in WorldSBK, with a new total of 403.

Arriving 41 points behind Bautista, Rea now leaves Italy for a home round in the UK next time out just 16 points adrift, and with two more race wins to his credit.

Haslam is still working toward finding an ideal set-up but his strong recovery from two crashes at Misano saw him leave with two more podium finishes, his first top threes since round one at Phillip Island. Haslam is fifth overall, just 11 points from fourth place as he approaches Donington, a circuit which is almost literally a home round for him.

In the championship standings Bautista has 330, Rea 314, Van Der Mark 188, Alex Lowes 164 and Haslam 153.

The next round will be held at Donington Park, between 5 and 7 July.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “Winning two races at Misano was good for us, especially the two important races. Unfortunately in the Superpole Race today I made a big mistake in turn ten, when I lost the front. But I restarted to finish fifth which was all important for the weekend. Race Two today was a tough one because the temperature was hot. I was very unsure of the pace. I felt like it was slow but I did not want to push any faster. I saw Alvaro go down very early in the race and the conditions out there were very tough, especially for the front tyre. The rear was just not digging in and going forward, it was just spinning so much – but we won, which was the main thing. It was a super-nice day for Kawasaki because we put three bikes on the Race Two podium. Team Suzuka! Donington next and we will go to every track with an open mentality.”

Leon Haslam, stated: “The third place in the sprint race today was just a matter of staying on and bridging the gap to Tom Sykes, and I managed to pass him on the last lap. This afternoon I was struggling from lap one and did not have much front feeling, but I think everybody was in the same position. When Johnny and Toprak came past I felt I could have pushed to go with them but I had already risked too much so I had to run my own race. Alex was then behind me and I did not want to give up the podium, so I fought a little bit at the end. We have made some good steps from the Jerez test but there are little things we are still finding out.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) finished just behind Haslam in fourth place in the short race but finished in a strong second place in Race Two, running out front of his fellow Kawasaki riders for 13 laps. He is now sixth overall and the top Independent Rider in the championship standings.

Toprak Razgatlioglu, stated: “For me, Race Two was my best race. In the short race I did not like the feel because yesterday I had a big crash and we tried the second bike. I did not have a good feeling in the race because the rear was sliding too much. I knew Race Two was important because I started from fourth position and I needed to stay with the front group. In the race I followed Johnny and Leon after Bautista crashed and I felt the bike was good, especially under had braking. I pushed in all laps and made a gap but I saw Johnny was coming. In the last lap I tried to get to the front again but it was not easy. After my crash yesterday this podium was for my crew who did a good job, and we tried a small set-up change that worked. Imola, Jerez and here, on the podium.”

Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) finished eleventh in the sprint and then tenth in Race Two. He is 12th in the championship standings.

Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) pushed himself to ninth in the sprint but fell in Race Two. He remounted but was eventually forced to retire. Leandro, despite missing some races through injury, is 17th in the points.

More, from a press release issued by BMW WorldSBK Superbike Team:

Solid points gained for BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

Following on from yesterday’s podium success the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team prepared for the final two races of the weekend under hot and sunny conditions. Tom Sykes lined up in P3 for the 10 lap sprint race with team mate Markus Reiterberger respectively on the fourth row in P12.

Sykes got off to a good start despite dropping a place and maintained P4 for the next 5 laps until a charging Alex Lowes passed him on Lap 5. The race was far from over and a chance at a podium loomed once again with crash from Sandro Cortese at T16 and then Jonathan Rea at T10 meant Sykes was now running in P3, with Leon Haslam hot on his tail with just 2 laps to go. Unfortunately, Tom Sykes suffered a cruel mechanical issue with just half a lap to go resulting in a DNF.

Markus Reiterberger equally got off to a good start as he ended lap 1 in P13 battling with Frenchman Loris Baz and Honda’s Yuki Takahashi. With the crashes in front of him Markus would end his race in P13.

The final race of the weekend soon approached but following Tom Sykes’ DNF in the previous race it meant he had to start P11 on the grid. Again Sykes got off to a good start promoting himself up two places sitting in P9 just behind Cortese and Michael Ruben Rinaldi, however with another crash from #11 Cortese and #7 Chaz Davies this meant he would inherit P7 with 10 laps to go. Sykes struggled to get passed Rinaldi as the gap to him grew bigger with every lap and looked set for P7 in the race, but with another Yamaha crash from Marco Melandri a solid P6 was all that could be managed come the chequered flag.

Between the sprint race and Race 2 for Markus Reiterberger big changes were made to his BMW S 1000 RR with the head angle and swing-arm angle included on the list. Markus found himself in a 4-way battle for P12 in the early stages of the race but broke away from the group again with Frenchman Loris Baz. With the crashes ahead of him in the race Markus brought his BMW S 1000 RR in P11 – his best result of the weekend.

Round 7 of the WorldSBK Championship has been one to remember for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team following their maiden podium of 2019. The team will now re-group and get set for SMR’s home race at Donington Park in just 2 weeks’ time.

Shaun Muir – Team Principal

“We are really gutted for Tom. He has put all his effort in and got very little reward for it in the sprint race when with just half a lap to go he had a mechanical DNF when he could have been on the podium. That would also have meant third on the grid for the main race but he had to go from P11 on the grid and we all know that it’s difficult to pass the Ducatis in a straight line. He came within 1.8 seconds of the podium from 11th on the grid and I think that shows the talent and effort that he put in there. So, we apologise to Tom for not giving him the tools today. However, I think we can all see that there has been real progress and he is going to come back strong for sure at Donington.

Markus on the other hand is still struggling to find his real form and we’re not yet where we want to be, we will look at all the data and sit down to discuss the set-up for Donington and hopefully with the cooler track temperatures it can be good towards our tyre wear and he and Tom can come back and do a good job at our home round.”

Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director

“On the whole, we can be very happy with the Misano weekend. It is obviously a shame that we were denied our next podium by a mechanical issue this morning. However, you must not forget that this kind of thing can always happen with a fledgling project like ours. We will analyse what the cause was. That is part of the learning process.

The podium in Saturday’s race was the next important step with our new BMW S 1000 RR. The sprint and main race on Sunday allowed us to demonstrate the progress we have made with the development of the RR. The performance was spot on. If Tom had started from further up the grid in the afternoon, he could have challenged for a spot on the podium again. In the end, he missed out by under two seconds. However, his sixth place was another good result. The hard work also paid off for Markus and his crew. They took a step forward and this is the direction to go now. We now must continue this positive trend at Donington Park.”

Tom Sykes (GBR)

“It was a little bit unfortunate. I honestly feel that we had three podiums in reach. We were third in the sprint race until the last lap and had a issue which allowed Leon Haslam to come close and then unfortunately we retired.

That didnt help the cause as this meant that I started the last big race from the fourth row which cost me some time in the first few laps. The whole BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team did a great job. I feel if we had started from the front row we could have gone away, kept our rhythm and I definitely feel that this would have allowed another podium position. So a little bit of a shame but on the plus side we’ve had a podium, we finished second this weekend with the all-new BMW S 1000 RR, we are showing its potential. Even in this last race we had very good consistency. We will build on this.”

Markus Reiterberger (GER)

“Today was better than yesterday, although my start was not so good in the Superpole race and a mistake cost me valuable time. The result was that I had to settle for 14th on the grid in race two. However, I made a good start and was able to hold on to 12th and later 11th place for the whole race. I did my best, did not make any mistakes, and brought the BMW S 1000 RR home safe and sound. The track conditions were more difficult today. It was very hot and I have never known there be so little grip. It was tough for everyone, but we coped well. We have taken a small step forward, which gives us more confidence. We will continue to work hard to improve. So a big thank you to the whole team.”

More, from a press release issued by Moriwaki Althea Honda Racing:

A tough Sunday for the Moriwaki Althea Team at Misano.

The third and final day of the WorldSBK race weekend at Misano proved to be a challenging one for the Moriwaki Althea Honda Team. After some very heavy rain on Saturday, both the Superpole race and Race 2 took place under clear blue skies and in high temperatures today.

Yuki Takahashi concluded the morning’s sprint race in 14th place, followed by team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari in 15th. Yuki was pushing hard in Race 2 trying to catch Sandro Cortese in 15th place but he unfortunately crashed with two laps to go, though with no physical consequences. Kiyonari concluded Race 2 in seventeenth position.

Ryuichi Kiyonari

SUPERPOLE RACE P15 RACE 2 P17

“This Misano round has been tough for me because I could not improve my feeling with the bike, especially with the front, and the fluctuating conditions over the weekend did not help the situation. Having said that, it is me who has to adapt to this kind of tricky conditions and for this reason I wish to apologize for the team for a less than satisfactory weekend”.

Yuki Takahashi

SUPERPOLE RACE P14 RACE 2 RET

“We made quite a good start in the Superpole race and the decision to use the Pirelli soft tyre was a good one, as it worked well during the race and we were able to lap consistently enough until the end. We also changed something in terms of set-up, looking for more grip, and I think we saw a little improvement. We continued in that direction also for Race 2, adjusting the bike’s settings a bit, and I was happy with my feeling on the bike. We know it is not enough yet of course, but we worked very hard and I hope this work will be useful for the future. I also wish to say sorry to the team for the race 2 crash, as I made a mistake in braking, and I thank everyone for their support and hard work this weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Lowes Returns to the Podium in Sweltering and Slippery Misano

Alex Lowes returned to the podium today in Misano, with a superb ride to second place in the 10-lap Superpole sprint race. The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider looked all set to repeat his podium performance in Race 2 this afternoon but, with grip levels at an all-time low, Lowes erred on the side of caution and took the points for fourth place rather than risking all to pass Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam on the final lap.

Rising temperatures and a slick track surface made for a difficult first outing for the WorldSBK grid today but, unfazed by the tricky conditions, Lowes rode an intelligent race to second place in the 10-lap sprint race. Grip was at even more of a premium for Race 2, with a number of riders caught out by the increasingly unpredictable track, but Lowes again rode to the limit dictated by the conditions, to round out his weekend with another points scoring finish in fourth place. The results mean that Lowes remains fourth in the championship standings with 164 points, but with the gap to his teammate in third now just 24 points.

It proved a frustrating day for GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK rider, Sandro Cortese, with crashes in both races while running close to the front. The reigning Supersport World Champion made the most of a front row start in the sprint race to initially challenge for the podium but was left disappointed after losing the front and crashing out of third place just after half race distance. Cortese was keen to make amends in Race 2 but, again, the GRT Yamaha rider was caught out by the tricky conditions in the early stages and crashed while running with the lead group. Cortese managed to rejoin and salvage a single point in 15th place at the chequered flag.

Marco Melandri rode an impressive sprint race, which he started from 19th on the grid as a result of a penalty imposed after Race 2 in Jerez. The veteran Italian picked up places on every lap to eventually finish sixth and claim a second row start for Race 2. Unfortunately, Melandri was unable to capitalise on this due to a crash on lap 13 while challenging for the podium positions. The GRT Yamaha rider remounted but finished outside the points in 16th place.

Loris Baz continued his familiarization with the Ten Kate Yamaha Supported WorldSBK R1 today, but with hot and sunny conditions replacing the torrential rain of yesterday, the Frenchman was unable to replicate his top five finish in Race 1 today. 12th in the sprint race this morning, Baz rounded out his Misano weekend with a points scoring 12th place finish again in Race 2 this afternoon.

Pata Yamaha’s Michael van der Mark returned to the Misano paddock today, following his heavy crash in FP2 on Friday. The Jerez race winner was sporting a plaster cast on his injured wrist but was able to confirm that further examination had revealed that the two ribs thought fractured on Friday were in fact just bruised. Van der Mark will undergo surgery at Rimini Hospital to plate his fractured right radius, after which a decision will be made in conjunction with his medical team as to when he will be fit to return to action.

Alex Lowes

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK

“The weekend has been a pretty good one overall, marred only by the mistake yesterday when I was trying to win Race 1. I got caught out by new standing water, which was a bit unexpected at that point in the race, but I’ll learn from it. This morning was good, and I was expecting to be stronger this afternoon, but we struggled a bit with acceleration as the temperature rose and grip went down. We’d made some changes to the bike compared to Friday, but the worsening track condition made it difficult to assess whether these were an improvement or not. It was tough for everyone in the race today. I tried to pass Haslam a few times, but I didn’t feel comfortable on the front and couldn’t make the passes stick, so I had to settle for fourth in the end. Now it’s off to Donington, my home track, after a two-day test in Suzuka – I’m looking forward to it!”

Sandro Cortese

GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK

“First of all, I’m very sorry for the team and my crew, as they did a fantastic job this weekend and it’s a shame we leave here with just one point after today, because a lot more was possible, including a first WorldSBK podium finish. The positive thing is that we made a big step since Jerez and I was able to run with the front group, which was our goal for this weekend. In the end I had two crashes where I lost the front and both times I didn’t feel I was on the limit but, once again, I learned a lot this weekend. A big shame and a big disappointment because everyone gave their all this weekend. But that’s racing; you have ups and you have downs. Now I am looking forward to working hard to be ready for Donington.”

Marco Melandri

GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK

“Actually, it was a good weekend for me, even if I missed the result in Race 2 today. In the sprint race the bike felt much better for me; we knew it was going to be hard to finish top nine from 19th on the grid but, in the end, I had a little bit of luck and finished sixth. In Race 2 I got a good start, but I wasn’t going to accept to finish fourth, so I was pushing hard to pass Haslam, which wasn’t easy. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake and went down. I’m sorry for the team and for Yamaha because they’ve been working so hard and they never gave up, even after difficult days. That makes me more motivated than ever for the next round in Donington, a track that will suit the Yamaha well.”

Loris Baz

Ten Kate Yamaha Supported WorldSBK

“Overall, it’s been a good weekend, with the fourth place yesterday putting a smile on people’s faces in the team. The sprint race was tough today, as I was expecting a good feeling after the warm-up, but in the race the feeling was gone and I felt close to crashing on the front in every corner. We made a change for Race 2, but that just moved the problem from the front to the rear and I was spinning up everywhere. It’s the first time I’ve ever had more grip on the last lap than the first! I finished 12th, picked up some points and continued the learning process. At the moment, the most important thing for us is to finish every race, collect the data and increase our understanding of the bike and the tyres. Now we head to Donington, where we will try to make another step.”

Andrea Dosoli

Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager

“It’s been a weekend of mixed fortunes in terms of results, but they don’t truly reflect the performance of the Yamaha R1s here in Misano. Michael was fastest in the dry on Friday before his unfortunate FP2 crash left him unable to continue, while Alex returned to the podium with second place in the sprint race and then backed that up with fourth place in Race 2. He was also leading the wet Race 1 by a considerable margin before he was caught out by the worsening conditions and crashed. Loris also showed that our R1 is competitive in the wet by finishing fourth in the same race, despite a limited amount of time on the bike. Sandro demonstrated his pace today by running towards the front in both races, although his challenge for a first WorldSBK podium was ultimately spoiled by two front end crashes. Marco, who on Friday struggled to find the feeling that made him so competitive in Jerez, improved things in the races. Sixth in the wet yesterday was followed by him battling for the podium in a dry Race 2 today, until a small mistake dropped him out of the points. While these performances show clearly that Yamaha has a competitive package in all conditions, we need to continue working to ensure that this is better reflected in the results from the next race onwards.”

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

Álvaro Bautista crashes out in Race 2 in Round 7 of the Superbike World Championship at Misano Adriatico, after winning the Superpole Race, while Chaz Davies arrives twice at the flag, but in 17th and 7th place

For the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, the Riviera di Rimini Round of the Superbike World Championship proved to be more complicated than expected, with both riders – Álvaro Bautista and Chaz Davies – for various reasons unable to bring home satisfactory results in the home race for the Aruba team and for Ducati.

Due to a crash at Turn 4 on lap 2 of the second race while he was in the lead, the championship leader Bautista saw his advantage in the table reduced to just 16 points over his closest rival Rea (Kawasaki). Bautista did manage to get back on the bike and finish the race in 14th place, picking up just two points. This morning, he dominated the Superpole Race over ten laps, taking the chequered flag ahead of Lowes (Yamaha) and Haslam (Kawasaki).

Unfortunately, it was another difficult weekend for his team-mate Chaz Davies, who struggled in both races today. In the Superpole Race, following a crash at Turn 14 on lap 3, he finished in 17th place after rejoining the race. After making some modifications to the set-up for Race 2, Chaz struggled with a lack of grip and was unable to go any higher than seventh place.

Bautista still leads the table with 330 points, 16 more than Rea, while Davies is in eighth place with 114 points. The next race in the championship – the UK Round – will take place in two weeks’ time at the Donington Park circuit, from 5th to 7th July.

Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19) – 1st / 14th

“I’m happy but at the same time very angry with myself about the results of today’s two races. It went well in the morning’s Superpole Race because we were on really top form. After a good start I immediately took the lead, and set the pace right down to the chequered flag. In Race 2 it was very hot and the track didn’t have as much grip. On lap 2, I didn’t do anything strange at Turn 4, but just lost the front and crashed. Pity because our potential was obviously to fight for the win. Maybe the error came about because I was too confident after the win in the Superpole Race, but in any case we must have a good look at the data because I’ve made two similar mistakes in the last two races, and that’s not good. We have to understand why so as not to repeat the same mistakes and lose more points.”

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 17th / 7th

“It has been a difficult Sunday for me. I lost the front in the Superpole Race in Turn 14, and as a result didn’t get the chance to start in the top 9 for Race 2. Then we made some changes for Race 2, but they didn’t give us the step we needed. It was a critical racetrack today because grip was low, but it was the same for everyone. I just felt like I’ve got no adaptability with the bike, even though I tried to change my style during the race. It’s a bit frustrating to finish races like that, because I know we can do better than that. We just need to learn from the information and work hard in the areas that are letting us down at the moment.”

Supersport Race Lap Record: 1:38.193, Sandro Cortese, 2018

Supersport Pole/Circuit Best Lap Record: 1:37.482, Jules Cluzel, 2015

FIM Supersport World Championship

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

Rimini, San Marino

June 32, 2019

Race Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Randy Krummenacher, Switzerland (Yam YZF-R6), 19 laps, Total Race Time 31:57.912, Best Lap Time 1:40.100

2. Federico Caricasulo, Italy (Yam YZF-R6), -0.084 second, 1:39.930

3. Lucas Mahias, France (Kaw ZX-6R), -0.161, 1:40.071

4. Jules Cluzel, France (Yam YZF-R6), -2.373 seconds, 1:40.185

5. Hikari Okubo, Japan (Kaw ZX-6R), -6.642, 1:40.115

6. Lorenzo Gabellini, Italy (Yam YZF-R6), -12.098, 1:40.495

7. Hannes Soomer, Estonia (Hon CBR600RR), -14.898, 1:40.379

8. Kevin Manfredi, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), -19.885, 1:40.781

9. Thomas Gradinger, Austria (Yam YZF-R6), -19.933, 1:40.892

10. Massimo Roccoli, Italy (Yam YZF-R6), -20.064, 1:40.876

DQ. Maria Herrera, Spain (Yam YZF-R6), -13 laps, pitted, 1:43.618

World Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 12 races):

1. Krummenacher, 160 points

2. Caricasulo, 138

3. Cluzel, 107

4. Okubo, 70

5. Mahias, 66

6. Gradinger, 60

7. Raffaele De Rosa, 58

8. Isaac Vinales, 45

9. Corentin Perolari, 41

10. Peter Sebestyen, 33

WorldSBK Race Lap Record: 1:34.720, Jonathan Rea, 2015

WorldSBK Pole/Circuit Best Lap Record: 1:33.640, Tom Sykes, 2018

Motul FIM Superbike World Championship

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli

Rimini, San Marino

June 22, 2019

Restarted Race One Results (wet conditions, all on Pirelli tires):

1. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), 18 laps, Total Race Time 32:16.526, 1:46.130

2. Tom Sykes, UK (BMW S1000RR), -3.692 seconds, 1:46.794

3. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Duc Panigale V4 R), -7.756, 1:46.302

4. Loris Baz, France (Yam YZF-R1), -12.932, 1:47.154

5. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -15.801, 1:46.857

6. Marco Melandri, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), -41.963, ran off track, 1:48.002

7. Sandro Cortese, Germany (Yam YZF-R1), -45.967, 1:48.397

8. Yuki Takahashi, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -46.479, 1:48.627

9. Lorenzo Zanetti, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -47.695, 1:49.019

10. Leandro Mercado, Argentina (Kaw ZX-10RR), -48.026, 1:48.665

11. Alessandro Delbianco, Italy (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -49.700, 1:48.550

12. Jordi Torres, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), -49.833, 1:48.948

13. Samuele Cavalieri, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -68.793, 1:49.451

14. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -73.510, 1:49.984

15. Markus Reiterberger, Germany (BMW S1000RR), -96.134, ran off track, 1:49.758

16. Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey (Kaw ZX-10RR), -1 lap, DNF, crash, 1:48.034

17. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -6 laps, DNF, crash, 1:46.903

18. Michael Rinaldi, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -8 laps, DNF, crash, 1:48.118

19. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -10 laps, DNF, crash, 1:46.161

20. Michele Pirro, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -10 laps, DNF, crash, 1:48.302

21. Dominic Schmitter, Switzerland (Yam YZF-R1), -10 laps, DNF, retired, 1:53.203

More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Race And Superpole Wins For Rea

Four-times World Champion Jonathan Rea and his KRT Ninja ZX-10RR dominated the proceedings at Misano on Saturday, taking his third Superpole of the year before running out a clear winner in a wet Race One. Rea’s win made it 130 WorldSBK race victories for Kawasaki riders since the series started in 1988, cementing Kawasaki’s position as the second-most successful manufacturer in this regard.

After overnight rains and damp patches this morning Tissot-Superpole was held in the dry, with Rea finishing 0.355 seconds faster than his closest rival.

As the skies darkened and then lighting storms dropped heavy rain in waves it took three attempts to hold what was finally an 18-lap race.

One ‘start’ was red flagged after just three laps had been completed. This period of track action did not count for points but it changed the grid positions in a shortened 18-lap finale on Saturday. All the riders took their eventual grid from where they had been ranked after three full laps, putting Rea second on the grid.

After the third start procedure in just over an hour Rea and Alex Lowes got clear of the chasing pack and disputed the race lead, until Lowes fell and Rea rode on alone to win by 3.692 seconds, with rainfall alternately intensifying and reducing as the race unfolded to a finish.

It was a promising race at the beginning for sixth place Superpole qualifier Leon Haslam (KRT) as he passed both factory Ducatis to move into third place. He suddenly fell and lost his entire gearchange and footpeg assembly, causing him to enter the pits and finally retire after lap 13.

Rea made up nine points on championship leader Alvaro Bautista today and there are two more WorldSBK races to come at Misano on Sunday 23 June. First there will be a ten-lap Tissot-Superpole race and then a final full distance race in the afternoon, scheduled for 21 laps.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “I had done next to zero laps in the wet this season, even in winter testing. The first time we came across the wet was in morning warm-up at Imola. The gamble to stay inside the box in the wet morning warm up today still paid off, but we did not expect the rain clouds to come for the race. I was very nervous as we did not really have a wet set-up. So we just tried to maximise our potential, ride my own race and our bike works well in these conditions. It is a very stable bike but the track was changing lap-to-lap. Sometimes we had a lot of surface water, sometimes zero surface water. You need much more concentration in a wet race, because the bike is moving much more underneath you and you have to be very precise, especially with the white lines and the kerbs. When Alex came past I was not prepared to take that risk to go that fast. When I was leading the race I tried to manage my rhythm and the gap to behind. Arturo my mechanic was super-good with my pit-board so I could enjoy the last lap.”

Leon Haslam, stated: “I finally got past both official Ducatis and I gapped them both straight away. I was starting to close in on Tom Sykes for second and then tried to close the gap. I had not had any really big wheel spins all through the race and then I had a massive highside out of turn five. I probably should have settled for third rather than push on to try and take second.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) was on course for seventh place after getting to the front of a battling group of riders, but he fell on the final lap as heavier rain reappeared and no-scored. Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was tenth from the 15 finishers, in a race that featured 20 starters. Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was the final rider in the big midfield group, ending his day in 12th place.

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Missed Opportunity for Lowes as Baz Leads the Yamaha Charge in Misano

Race

The weather made for tricky conditions in this afternoon’s WorldSBK Race 1 in Misano. After a delay due to the onset of heavy rain it was Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider, Alex Lowes, who took a commanding lead when the race finally got underway, only for the race to be stopped after three laps as the storm intensified. Seven laps into the restarted race and Lowes was back at the front and pulling away from Jonathan Rea, until the 28-year-old Briton was caught out by standing water on the inside of turn 11 and crashed out of the race. As a result, it was Loris Baz who was the first Yamaha rider home in fourth place, in just his second appearance on the Ten Kate Yamaha Supported WorldSBK R1. The GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK pairing of Marco Melandri and Sandro Cortese had an eventful race, battling throughout for position and eventually finishing in sixth and seventh places respectively.

It was Cortese who made the early running today, as an impressive Superpole performance saw him qualify second, to secure only his second front row start aboard the GRT Yamaha R1. Lowes headed up the second row having qualified fourth, while Melandri and Baz were expecting a tough race after securing positions 13 and 16 on the grid.

Disruption due to rain meant that WorldSBK Race 1 finally got underway at the third attempt, with Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes immediately pulling away at the head of the race. Lowes shadowed the reigning World Champion until the spray from Rea’s bike made visibility an issue, at which point he made his move for the lead. Lowes had built up a lead of more than a second when he crashed out at turn 11 after aquaplaning on standing water.

In the meantime, Baz had managed to work his way through the field, passing the two GRT Yamaha riders who were battling for position in a six-rider group, and slotting into fifth place behind Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista. When Haslam crashed out the Frenchman pushed hard to catch Bautista for the final podium place but was unable to match the Spaniard’s pace on a drying track and had to settle for fourth place at the line.

Melandri and Cortese got the better of the group in which they had been battling for the majority of the race, pulling away in the closing stages of the 18-lap race to secure sixth and seventh places at the chequered flag.

Pata Yamaha rider, Michael van der Mark, played no part in proceedings today, following a heavy crash in FP2 yesterday in which he sustained a concussion, a fractured Trapezium and Radius in his right arm and two fractured ribs on his right side. The Jerez race winner remained in Rimini Hospital overnight as a precautionary measure but has now been released. Van der Mark will undergo surgery on his fractured radius early next week, after which doctors will be able to better assess the time needed for recovery.

Alex Lowes

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK – DNF

“I felt good in the wet conditions this morning and the bike was working well. In the race I was waiting behind Jonathan because 18-laps is a long race in the wet and I didn’t want to use up the soft compound rear tyre too early. There was a lot of water on track and at one point I was struggling to see through the spray thrown off Jonathan’s bike, so I put in a pass and managed to pull a bit of a gap. I was feeling strong and hadn’t had any slides at all, which is sometimes worse because it builds confidence. When I arrived into turn 11, I could see that there was a lot more water on the track than on the previous laps. I tried to brake a bit more before I went in but I just lost the rear as it aquaplaned and I was off. Sorry to the team and to Yamaha, a victory or at worst a podium was there, and it was shame to finish this way today.”

Marco Melandri

GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK – P6

“It was a very, very difficult day, both in the dry and the wet. I never had the feeling with the bike that I was looking for, especially on maximum lean angle. During the race I made a mistake at the beginning when I tried to brake later to stay with the group, but the pace was simply not there today. Difficult conditions, a difficult race and a difficult situation. Tomorrow we will start the sprint race from the back because of the Jerez penalty, so I have nothing to lose. Top nine is the target, but I suspect it’s not going to be easy.”

Sandro Cortese

GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK – P7

“It was a very tough race, as the conditions were very difficult but. It was a completely new situation for us, as we’ve never raced this bike in the rain, so it was a pretty steep learning curve for both me and the team. This meant we weren’t in a position to fight for the top positions, but the goal was to finish the race with as many points as possible, and this is what we did. Of course, I’m not completely happy with seventh after qualifying second on the grid, but I think we have a good day ahead of us tomorrow, with two races in which we can build on what was, overall, a fairly positive start today.”

Loris Baz

Ten Kate Yamaha Supported WorldSBK – P4

“Four weeks ago, the team were still building the bike and everyone else had done 14 races, while we had completed not even one lap, so it feels good to finish fourth here today. I’m really happy with the result but also with the progress we’ve made with understanding the bike in the dry. I was angry with myself for crashing in Superpole this morning, but the race was cool. When Haslam crashed I pushed really hard to catch Bautista for the final podium place but, as the track started to dry, he was able to increase his pace and it wasn’t possible to close him down. I’m really happy with the result and big thanks to all the guys in the team for their hard work.”

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

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and Tom Sykes celebrate first podium for the new BMW S 1000 RR in WorldSBK.

Tom Sykes finishes runner-up in Saturday’s race in the FIM Superbike World Championship at Misano.

Team-mate Markus Reiterberger comes home 15th.

Dr. Markus Schramm: “We can be very proud of what we have achieved today”.

Misano. When the chequered flag was waved at Misano (ITA), the joy in the garage of the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team knew no bounds. Tom Sykes (GBR) finished runner-up in Saturday’s race to claim the first podium for the new BMW S 1000 RR in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK). Despite racing in treacherous conditions, Sykes kept a cool head and was on course for a podium finish throughout the entire race which was red flagged due to rain. Team-mate Markus Reiterberger (GER) was 15th.

Sykes laid the foundation for his podium result in the morning’s dry Superpole qualifying when he landed his RR on the front row of the grid in third place. However, patience was initially the order of the day in the afternoon. A heavy shower caused the start of the race to be delayed by 25 minutes. Sykes defended third place and held on to the position until inclement weather caused the race to be red flagged. The race eventually restarted after a break of almost half an hour. Sykes once again showed his wet-weather ability, not only keeping the chasing pack at bay, but also opening up a small gap to fourth place. When leader Alex Lowes (GBR / Yamaha) crashed out on lap nine of 18, Sykes adopted second position – and never looked at risk of losing that place.

Reiterberger had finished 12th in Superpole qualifying. However, he fell back through the field in the opening stages of the race. After the interruption, he started the remaining 18 laps from 17th place. While many other riders crashed in the difficult conditions, Reiterberger guided his RR home in 15th place to pick up another world championship point.

Quotes after race one at Misano.

Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad: “Congratulations to Tom Sykes and the entire BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. It is fantastic that our fledgling project has been able to celebrate the first WorldSBK podium for the new BMW S 1000 RR at only the seventh event of the season. This is confirmation of the commitment, passion and hard work that everyone in the team has put into the project since we started out in the winter. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone. Tom gave a fantastic, commanding performance in the rain. And the team gave him a bike, in the RR, that was capable of a podium finish. We can be very proud of what we have achieved today.”

Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “We have achieved our first goal with the new BMW S 1000 RR in WorldSBK – we made it onto the podium. That is excellent, and the best possible reward for all the hard work the team has tirelessly put in. We set ourselves the goal of improving consistently towards the front of the field. With Tom’s second place today, we have taken the next step. The track conditions were far from easy today, but Tom and the team mastered this challenge superbly. We hope we can back up this success tomorrow. Markus had a difficult race, but tomorrow is a new day and we are confident that the tide will turn again for him.”

Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “We are absolutely delighted for everyone at BMW, for the whole project, for everyone in Germany and in Guisborough at SMR. It’s been a proper joint team effort and to have Dr. Markus Schramm, the Head of BMW Motorrad, here to witness that is absolutely fantastic. We took the gamble and did not go out with Tom this morning in the wet free practice three thinking it would be a dry afternoon, but the clouds opened up and it was wet all the way until the chequered flag came out. It was a very difficult, stressful period with the delayed start and the re-start. But anyway, we had a full 18-lap race and Tom thoroughly enjoyed riding in the wet and more than earned his P2 in the race. We’re absolutely excited. The downside is that Markus really had a difficult race. He got caught within the very back of the pack and there was a lot of spray and he ran off at turn eight. It was a tough day for Markus and he wants to put that behind him. But now we must celebrate the first podium for this new project. I think that is has come ahead of schedule and it’s certainly something that we should be proud of as the team. Hopefully we can build on this and keep the momentum going into tomorrow and into Donington Park.”

Tom Sykes: “To say that I am very happy would be a slight understatement. I am very, very happy and it’s just credit to all the guys in the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. We’ve been working really hard and finally we’ve got the result which I feel we deserve. We’ve been pushing forward and it’s absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed riding in the wet conditions. The BMW S 1000 RR gave me some great feedback today and what a better place to do that than here at Misano in front of some amazing fans. So we will try and keep that momentum together and try to get the results tomorrow. Thanks to all!”

Markus Reiterberger: “Congratulations to Tom and the team on a superb result and the first podium for BMW. I was a little surprised that it rained this morning. However, I was happy about that, as I was quick in the rain during the test here. I gave it my all in Superpole, but it was only good enough for 12th on the grid. We just need to make a few more adjustments to the bike and my riding style. Unfortunately, the wet race was disappointing. I lost positions in the first part, as my starting position meant I had absolutely no visibility in the spray. I was then able to make up a few places in the second part of the race, but touched the white line during an overtaking manoeuvre, got my braking wrong and had to veer off into the gravel. After that, I just made sure I finished. Fortunately, I picked up a point.”

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

The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team takes home two good results in the pouring rain at the Misano World Circuit: a third place for Álvaro Bautista and a fifth place for Chaz Davies in Race 1.

Álvaro Bautista and Chaz Davies scored two good results today – a third and a fifth place respectively – in Race 1 at the Misano Adriatico circuit in Round 7 of the Superbike World Championship. Difficult conditions, with heavy downpours, caused delays in the starting procedure, initially scheduled for 14h00. In addition, the race was interrupted when the red flags came out after just three laps because the track conditions were impracticable. As a result, the race was shortened to 18 laps and was won by Rea (Kawasaki).

Davies was very effective in the early stages in spite of the difficult conditions. The 32-year-old from Wales, who started from the ninth grid slot, rapidly made up ground until he reached fourth place. Unfortunately, a small problem meant he had to drop a few places but he did eventually finish the race in fifth. After qualifying fifth in this morning’s Superpole, Bautista took a few laps to gain confidence with the difficult conditions, which he had never encountered before in Superbike, but by running a careful second part of the race and capitalizing on the difficulties of other riders, he took home a well-deserved third place.

Tomorrow the ten-lap Superpole Race gets underway at 11.00 CET, with Race 2 following at 14.00.

Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19) – 3rd

“Today there were many things new for me, first of all these difficult conditions. As well as doing my first Superbike race in the wet, with the delay in the start and the red flag two times, it was difficult to keep concentration. I made a cautious start to try and understand the conditions of the track; in some parts it was raining too hard while in others the situation was a bit better and when I understood that I could get my feeling and pace. Lap by lap I felt more feedback and went more to the limit so I’m happy for the feeling with this race. It was important to get points and to do it with a podium was a good result.”

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 5th

“It was the first wet race with the Panigale V4 R so overall it wasn’t such a bad performance. I had a problem in the middle of the race with the electronic shifter, then it cleared itself and was fine again, it was probably water-related. That upset my rhythm a bit because I was more or less in with the fight for the podium. I lost a bit of time trying to manually backshift, but to a limited effect. In the last four laps I got back into the rhythm again but the gap to the others was a bit too much. I was quite happy with the feeling with the bike in those conditions, it’s just a shame we didn’t really get to fight with the right package for the whole race distance.”

More, from a press release issued by Moriwaki Althea Honda Racing:

Yuki Takahashi fights to finish 8th in Race 1 at a wet Misano, Kiyonari 14th

The first Superbike race of this Riviera di Rimini WorldSBK round was affected by a thunderstorm which meant that the start was delayed and then red-flagged just four laps after the lights went out due to the track conditions. The race was restarted a short time later but reduced to a distance of 18 laps.

Starting from 19th on the grid, Yuki Takahashi had already worked his way up to eleventh place before the race was interrupted. Re-starting from the fourth row (the grid established according to the positions the riders held at the time of the interruption), the rider fought hard in a group comprising fellow Honda rider Delbianco, Melandri, Cortese and Rinaldi. Despite the difficult conditions, and on and off rainfall, Takahashi ultimately crossed the finish line in a very positive eighth place.

Ryuichi Kiyonari finished inside the points zone, in fourteenth place, but it was a less than satisfactory result for him, as he was hoping for better feeling in the wet conditions and a better final race result.

Yuki Takahashi

8TH

“It was a good race for us as we were able to fight for a top ten position. Conditions were really tricky, and you had to ride as safely as possible but also fight as hard as possible! During the free practices we worked hard trying different settings in order to be as prepared as possible for this situation. The team did a very good job and I want to thank them for that. I’m very happy and hope we can continue in this way also tomorrow. At the same time, I’m sorry Leon (Camier) has had to miss this round and I hope to see him back in action very soon”.

Ryuichi Kiyonari

14TH

“I’m very disappointed because it was another difficult day for me. When we tested here three weeks ago, I had better feeling in both wet and the dry, but today I did not feel good in the rain. It was difficult for me to push so I tried to finish the race as well as possible and not crash the bike. At least we were able to gather some interesting data that will be useful in similar conditions in the future”.