Buckle up to rumble Down Under as the fight for the crown reaches fever pitch
Monday, 10 October 2022
It’s an overused phrase, but there truly is nowhere like Phillip Island. A Grand Prix circuit so perfectly poised to deliver great racing – and serve up an incredible experience in the saddle – that it’s almost a myth unto itself, there could be no better stage to kick off the next double header. If that wasn’t enough, there are also now five riders within 40 points, with 75 still up for grabs. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) remains the Championship leader, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is now within just two points, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) within 20, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) 39 and, last but by absolutely no means least, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) is the rider at a deficit of 40. But they say there’s no place like home…
Miller will be firmly in the spotlight this weekend as he rides with the factory Ducati on home turf for the first time, and he has chance to turn that into even more momentum. Of the top five in the title fight he’s scored the most points across the triple header – 56, with the next best being Bastianini on 42 – and over the two flyaways it’s a whopping 45/50 for the number 43. For comparison, across Motegi and Buriram Bastianini has scored 17, Bagnaia 16, Quartararo eight and Aleix Espargaro just five points. It’s closed at the top as one rider or another has faltered, but Miller has chased down that gap because he absolutely hasn’t. So what has he got on home turf?
Far enough back to ride without too much pressure from the standings and with good speed shown at the Island, he’ll be one to watch, and in terms of pressure the same can be said of Bastianini, although the Italian doesn’t have the best record at the track. Aleix Espargaro has a pretty good one and Bagnaia impressed the last (and first) time he rode a premier class machine there, and then there’s Quartararo. The Frenchman hasn’t had the best results or luck Down Under, but he’ll be hoping to turn that around at a circuit that should be much more Yamaha, flowing territory.
When it comes to track records, however, there are two names that immediately stand out. The first is Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), who brought a Yamaha win drought to an end in 2018 and was then the only rider able to stay anywhere near Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in 2019 before a crash out as they battled on the final lap. Viñales returns to the track on a newer machine to him, but one he’s getting more and more consistently fast on. Is Phillip Island underlined as another real shot at victory? At Silverstone he was less than half a second shy.
The other name is the aforementioned Marc Marquez, and the number 93 has been miraculously, poetically fast Down Under. As his return continues to gain momentum, it would be no surprise to see Marquez fire up a little Jaws music for the rest of the field this weekend. Is it too soon? Is it just soon enough? Physically, the circuit flows in a kinder layout to take on when not at 100%, and it’s a leftie tailor-made for the king of anti-clockwise circuits. It would be quite a story, but if there’s anyone who loves writing a story on a motorcycle, it’s Marc Marquez.
Experience could also work in the favour of the more veteran riders on the grid – including Marquez – as the field once again prepare for a first visit since 2019. The list of those who’ve never raced Phillip Island in the premier class is longer than just the 2022 rookies, with even the likes of 2020 debutants Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) facing it down for the first time. In terms of racing you can also add Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to that list as he was unfit for Sunday on our last visit, and even, arguably, Quartararo. The Frenchman didn’t make it to Stoner Corner on Lap 1.
In terms of the full-blown rookies, it will be a big weekend for Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) as he races on home turf, and the Aussie will want some more points after a tougher season. Phillip Island could prove be the deciding showdown in the fight for Rookie of the Year, with Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), fresh from his first premier class pole position, facing another shot at that title.
The Teams’ Championship is on the line too, with Ducati Lenovo Team ahead and needing to outscore Aprilia by 16 points to tick off two out of three in their mission to take the triple crown. Top Independent Team rider could also be wrapped up by Bastianini, although the Italian isn’t too far clear of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) as it stands. Zarco is also in play as Prima Pramac look to secure the Independent Teams’ title. Finally, another one to watch of a different kind is the return of Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), as he plans to try and get back on track at Phillip Island, a circuit that holds some good memories for the two-time World Champion.
Five riders, 40 points, and one ribbon of poetry written in tarmac. This weekend the Animoca Brands Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix promises much and will likely deliver even more, with too many headlines already drafted as we make the journey south to Phillip Island. Join us for another stunner on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +11) as the screw turns on the title fight once again.
4 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – Ducati – 180
5 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 179
1.5 points in it as Moto2™ arrives on the island
Who will blink first? Fernandez vs Ogura revs up Down Under
Despite torrential conditions that seemed tailor made for either Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) or Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) to blink first in the brutally close 2022 Moto2™ Championship fight, both remained poised and pretty fast at Buriram – and they finished right next to each other once again. With half points awarded, it’s now just 1.5 splitting the two with three rounds remaining, and it’s quite literally never been closer at this stage of the season.
Now, it’s time for Phillip Island. Experience could be key for many as the paddock returns to the track for the first time since 2019, but Fernandez and Ogura will likely remain pretty closely matched. That said, it is Fernandez who’s got the lap count Down Under, and in Moto2™…
1.5 isn’t much to separate two riders as the Moto2™ field prepare to fight it out for the final 75, so tune in for the first showdown of the deciders as the intermediate class take on the stunning Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit at 12:20 (GMT +11).
2 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 237
3 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – 185
Moto3™: match point Guevara
The GASGAS rider is on the edge of glory with three rounds remaining
After a stunning season so far, Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) heads into Phillip Island with his first match point in Moto3™. With two rounds remaining, 50 is the magic number in terms of the points advantage he needs by the flag – and he’s got 49 on the way in. Still, the challenge is a real one as the number 28 rides Phillip Island for the very first time, with key rivals already counting on a little more experience.
Guevara’s closest rival is now Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) as the Italian took another impressive win at Buriram, and he was joined on the podium by Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Mx Racing Team) once again – who remains fourth overall but is getting closer. Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), meanwhile, crashed out in Thailand through no fault of his own, but had been left back in the pack after a difficult qualifying. Can he fight back at Phillip Island?
With 50 needed and 49 in hand, Phillip Island is quite the playing field for Guevara to face down his first match point. Tune in as Moto3™ go racing at 11:00 (GMT +11) to see if the first World Champion of the season will be crowned!
The 50th WERA Grand National Finals will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on October 20th to 23rd. Everyone is invited to join us and celebrate 50 years of this tradition!
Thursday will be a Practice Day.
Friday will host the final round of the N2/WERA National Endurance Series presented by Dunlop with the two-hour small-bike endurance race starting at 10:00 a.m. and the four- hour big-bike endurance race starting at 1:00 p.m.
Saturday will be WERA Sportsman Finals where the best in each region vie for the National Champion in their class with a winner-take-all-Championship runoff. Riders must have run or entered in the class once during the season. Also, the 400cc AMA Superstock class will run on Saturday.
Sunday will be the final round for the Pirelli/WERA National Challenge Series featuring the Michelin/WERA Superbike class. WERA is also hosting the AMA Road Race Grand Championship Classes at the 50th WERA GNF. These classes will run and winners will be crowned AMA Road Race Grand Champions. These classes will also help determine the 2022 AMA Road Race Horizon Award winner.
On-Line entry is available for riders with a valid WERA license and will remain open until 10/16/2022. If you are running the AMA Road Race Grand Championship classes and need a WERA license please email: [email protected]. In the case of the N2/WERA National Endurance race, pre-entry needs to go through N2.
Come on out and join us for this historic event and help us celebrate!
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was founded in 1973 and remains the foremost place to develop talent in the sport of motorcycle road racing. The legacy of Pro Riders on a National and World level is legendary. All events are run by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with a co-sanction by the AMA and they go coast to coast offering entry-level racing with the WERA Sportsman Series as well as a Pro-Am Series which is the Pirelli/WERA National Challenge Series. WERA also offers Vintage Racing and hosts the Concours de ’Competition and Concours d’ Elegance in July at Barber Motorsports Park. Endurance racing is also on the menu with our partner N2 and runs 4-5 events a year with a big-bike endurance race and an ultralightweight endurance race. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was voted the 2017 AMA Track Organizer of the year.
For more information on WERA Motorcycle Roadracing please check out our web site at wera.com.
American Kayla Yaakov Podiums In Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale in Portugal:
“I Had A Lot Of Confidence…”
by Michael Gougis
Kayla Yaakov had an awesome year of racing before she even got on the plane to Portugal. At 15, she became the first -ever female race winner in MotoAmerica competition when she led most of the second Junior Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park and crossed the line first.
Kayla Yaakov with her Yamaha YZF-R3 racebike in the paddock at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Photo by Michael Gougis.
But at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, Yaakov showed that she could be a force at the International level as well. Taking to the grid in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale two-race shootout on Saturday, Yaakov just missed out on the podium in Race One – and stormed to second place in Race Two, standing on the podium at a Superbike World Championship event weekend.
“It shows that Americans can do it, that we’re fast, and that MotoAmerica is at a really high level,” said Yaakov.
The young racer says that Tom Halverson, Assistant Manager of Yamaha’s U.S. Racing Department, was looking for a rider to bring over to the R3 event, since Attack Racing was bringing two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne to race as a wild card in World Superbike. Yaakov got the nod.
The series pits contestants against each other on identically prepared Yamaha YZF-R3 racebikes. They are basically stock except for a racing exhaust and suspension work, Yaakov says. She raced the series in 2021, so when she showed up at Portimao, she was already familiar with the bike – and with Yamaha.
“We thought it was a great opportunity to come over here, be with Yamaha, learn the track, see some people that I knew from doing this last year and have a good time,” Yaakov said. “With Jake (Gagne) and (former MotoAmerica Yamaha Superbike winner Garrett) Gerloff being here, it was cool to be here with a bunch of Americans.”
After qualifying, Yaakov had a pretty good idea she was going to be competitive. “I had a bit of confidence going into the race – I basically qualified without any draft,” she said. “I knew it was going to be a little bit difficult, because of starting 10th, but either way I’m going for it. The goal’s to have a lot of fun, stay out of trouble and put it all on the table in the last couple of laps.”
Kayla Yaakov (31) says that racing at the front of an International field of riders “shows that Americans can do it, that we’re fast, and that MotoAmerica is at a really high level.” Photo by Michael Gougis.
Race One saw her pushed out wide into the first turn. But Yaakov started picking her way through the field and was in the podium places on the final lap. But coming out of the final turn, the rear slid and “it killed my drive going onto the front straight, so I just missed out on the podium. Either way, though, it was good,” she said.
If Yaakov thought she could be competitive before the first race, she absolutely knew she could be in the second one. “I had a lot of confidence from Race One because I knew I could run the pace,” she said. “With the laps shortened, I knew I was going to have to make my passes quick.”
Kayla Yaakov celebrates after finishing runner-up in the second Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale race in Portugal. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Attack The World! Gagne In The WorldSBK Points At Portimao
By Michael Gougis
In the end, it was hot, hard work, but the reward for Attack Racing’s foray into WSBK competition was a WorldSBK point for its 15th-place finish in Race Two.
It’s hard to overstate how complicated showing up for a single race weekend in a new series actually is. For example, the team had to try all of the available tires, rather than relying on their notes from the previous visit to the Algarve circuit to simplify their evaluation of the available Pirelli rubber.
Unlike the other teams that had data from prior visits to the circuit, Attack Racing had to throw all of the available Pirelli tires at Jake Gagne to figure out what would work, and decided to use the Sunday warmup simply to evaluate suspension. “We were using anything that still held air,” Pirelli’s U.S. Road Racing Manager Oscar Solis said. Photo by Michael Gougis.
With the number of tires limited by WorldSBK regulations, and with practice time limited, the team decided to test all of the available compounds as early as possible during the weekend. This meant that their supply of tires was limited, and they made the strategic decision to simply use Sunday morning’s warm up session to test suspension settings on worn rubber and not go for a time.
A quick debrief and congratulations back at the Attack Racing garage after a hard weekend’s work. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Things got better in the Superpole Race. Rider Jake Gagne’s best lap was just a tick over 1.4 seconds slower then race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu’s fastest time. Gagne notched a 16th, just behind extremely experienced World Superbike racer Eugene Laverty.
Race Two started out challenging, with Gagne stuck in the all-too-typical mid-pack World Superbike first-corner scrum. Once Gagne found his rhythm and a bit of clear track, he was able to start to put all of the team’s knowledge from the weekend and his experience from his track time to use.
Get stuck in a scrum mid-pack at the start of a Superbike World Championship race, get pushed off the track and it’s easy to lose six full seconds to the leaders. Jake Gagne (33) found himself having to deal with close-quarters racing at the world’s highest level of Superbike competition. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Americans Max Toth, Kaleb De Keyrel, and Dr. Carl Price, MD, are racing in the CIV (Italian) Aprilia RS 660 Cup season finale this weekend at Imola, in Italy.
Toth, who came into the final race leading the Aprilia RS 660 Cup Championship points, finished Race Two in second, 0.117 second behind title rival Francesco Mongiardo. Toth and Mongiardo ended up tied in points and race wins. According to sources at the track, Mongiardo was awarded the Championship based on having the most recent race win.
De Keyrel, the 2021 MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup Champion, finished third in Race Two, and Price, the MotoAmerica Medical Officer, took 15th on Sunday.
One even for Razgatlioglu and Bautista in Portimão on standard SC0 Pirelli tyres
The Turkish rider wins the Superpole Race but the Spaniard dominates in Race 2, Aegerter takes WorldSSP and Gennai wins the final WorldSSP300 race of the year
FOCUS ON THE SUPERPOLE RACE
(asphalt: 33° C / air: 24°C)
In the Superpole Race, the riders also used the rear qualifying solution represented by the SCX in Portimão. In the sprint race, 9 riders opted for this solution but the majority, including those on the front to rows of the grid, chose the standard SC0. Only one rider, Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team), used the B0624 development SC0 tyre. At the front, decisions were split between the standard SC1 and the A0674 development SC1. The Superpole race ended with a podium identical to that of Race 1, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) on the top step, Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) second, and pole man Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) third. The latter did the race fast lap on the fourth lap with a time of 1’40.135, a new track record. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), finishing sixth, was the best of the private team riders.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy Pirelli.
TYRES IN ACTION IN RACE 2
WorldSBK (asphalt: 40° C / air: 26° C)
In Race 2, the rear in standard SC0 compound was once again the most used, chosen by 23 out of the 26 riders on the starting grid. At the front, the A0674 development SC1prevailed,prevailed, used by all three of the riders on the front row in combination with the rear standard SC0. The podium was once again a three-way battle between Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha), Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki), and Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati). The three took turns in the lead throughout the race but in the end, the Spanish Ducati rider had the edge, finishing first ahead of his main rival for the title, Toprak Razgatlioglu (second) and Jonathan Rea (third). Three different brands on the podium yet again (Ducati, Yamaha, and Kawasaki).
Alvaro Bautista (19) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy Pirelli.
WorldSSP (asphalt: 40° C / air: 25° C)
In Race 2, tyre choice was identical to that of Race 1, so all the riders were on SC0 rear and SC1 front solutions. It was an extremely heated race with a duel between pole man Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) until three laps from the end. Winning the race was the Swiss Yamaha rider, whereas the Italian Ducati rider crossed the line fourth. Behind the reigning World Champion were Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing Verdnatura WorldSSP), finishing second after starting from the ninth spot on the grid, and Turkish rider Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), third after recovering an amazing 11 positions. With this victory, his 13th this year, Aegerter has broken the record of wins in a single WorldSSP season but, what’s more, he has further widened the gap in the overall championship standings ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team).
World Supersport Race Two winner Dominique Aegerter (center), runner-up Raffaele De Rosa (left), and third-place finisher Can Oncu (right). Photo courtesy Pirelli.
For more details on the tyres used in the race by the individual riders in the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes, please see the sheets attached to this press release.
WorldSSP300 (asphalt: 40° C / air: 24°C)
Victory in the second WorldSSP300 race went to Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) on Yamaha, finishing ahead of newly crowned 2022 World Champion Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team), second, and compatriot Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha), third.
Mirko Gennai (26) won World Supersport 300 Race Two in Portugal. Photo courtesy Pirelli.
GIORGIO BARBIER, MOTORCYCLE RACING DIRECTOR
“Noting that, on a demanding track like this one, the standard solutions were the most used and popular among the riders is definitely important feedback for us which shows how solid and versatile our current range is. The decision not to bring the SCQ to this round and to rely on harder solutions was the right choice and the fact that the standard SC0 was the most used even in the Superpole Race is confirmation of this. The pace was extremely high for everyone this weekend, with several records broken in all the categories and race times in WorldSBK which averaged 1 second per lap faster than last year – a rather significant result. Honourable mention for the winner of the MotoAmerica Superbike championship, Jake Gagne, who, in a wild card spot here with Yamaha, proved his ability to be competitive in the top class. With this final European race in the books, all that’s left is to see what happens in the last three rounds between South America, Asia, and Australia.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
Gerloff Recovers to Ninth in Portimao Race 2
American Garrett Gerloff was the Top Independent Team rider in Race Two. He was joined in Parc Ferme by another #31 – MotoAmerica Junior Cup racer Kayla Yaakov. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s Garrett Gerloff recovered to a ninth-place result in Portimao’s second FIM Superbike World Championship feature race at the Algarve International Circuit, with Kohta Nozane outside the points.
In the Superpole Race, Gerloff showed promising speed but unfortunately fell after challenging inside the top nine positions. His Japanese teammate enjoyed a decent start, but was unable to make significant progress, ending 20th.
Afterwards, in the warmer second race, Gerloff get off the line well but light contact dropped him to 17th place at the end of the first lap. The 27-year-old managed his tyres well and showed blistering pace towards the latter stages, eventually finishing ninth as the Top Independent Rider.
On the other side of the garage, Nozane enjoyed a decent getaway and fought his way into top 15 contention. The Japanese Ace battled with those around, but struggled with the tyre wear in the final laps, eventually finishing 21st.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will now travel to Argentina in two weeks for the tenth round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship.
“The crash in the Superpole Race was a real shame. I had a good feeling on the bike and I strongly believe we could have had a strong result, which would’ve meant a better starting position for Race 2. Anyway, I had a good getaway in the second race but someone forced me wide and I had to recover from 17th. We had really good pace and at least we scored a decent amount of points, which is not too bad considering. I’m a bit disappointed because I believe we could do more, but we’ll take away the positives. I’d like to say a massive thank to the guys for rebuilding the bike after the sprint race, they did a super job once again.”
Kohta Nozane: SPRC – P20 / Race 2 – P21
“Overall it was a tough weekend. Things went a little bit better today but I couldn’t make it into the top 15. We’ll check the data to be more consistent in Argentina. We know our potential is higher and I’m eager to prove it for myself and the team to finish this year in the best way possible.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Takes Third Portimao Podium Finish
Jonathan Rea (KRT) secured two third places in the final WorldSBK races at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve while his team-mate Alex Lowes aded a fourth and fifth place to his Portimao record on Sunday 9 October.
Once again the 4.592km long and heavily undulating circuit provided great entertainment for the fans – and a great challenge for the riders – with the final two races of the weekend proving to be tense affairs.
In the Superpole Race on Sunday morning Rea and Lowes pushed hard from the start, with Rea even setting a new lap record of 1’40.135 on lap four as he closed in on the leading duo of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista.
Rea would finish third and Lowes a close fourth in the ten lap ‘sprint’ race.
In Race Two Rea was determined to not let early leader Toprak Razgatlioglu get away and passed him on lap one, into the tight downhill infield hairpin. Rea then tried to lead the race and control the pace to save tyre life for the all-important final laps.
He would be passed by both Razgatlioglu and eventual race winner Alvaro Bautista and was unable to stay in close contention for the win, ending up third place for third time in the Portimao races.
Lowes had another strong ride after his satisfying Superpole race performance in the morning and was in fourth place until overtaken by Michael Ruben Rinaldi in Race Two.
He would make ground back to his rival near the end but not quite enough to re-take fourth. Alex is now sixth on the championship with three rounds and nine individual races to go.
In the current points standings Bautista has 448, Razgatlioglu 392, Rea 366, Rinaldi 232, Locatelli 196 and Lowes 189
The WorldSBK riders will now leave the European phase of the championship behind to embark on the first of three ‘long-haul’ events, at the Circuito San Juan Villicum in Argentina, between 21-23 October 2022.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I was really on my limit today. In Race Two, when I was at the front I tried to step back a little bit to manage the tyre and not take so much risk. But when Alvaro came past and went to the front his pace was fast. I also saw the urgency of Toprak to try to disrupt Alvaro’s rhythm a little bit. That was just keeping me in the fight but as soon as he got some clear track that was him gone. Then I thought Toprak may come back to me, so I kept my rhythm, but it wasn’t enough. I really struggled in T14, getting into and around it, and when the tyre dropped it was even worse. No regrets; I did my best and just got beat by better guys today. I was frustrated to be that far back but that is our reality.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “It was good today. From morning warm-up I made a slight change with the front forks and it felt good. In the Superpole race I was coming back to Jonathan and I actually felt a bit stronger than him then. In Race Two I kept the bike the same but on a full tank of fuel I had some big locks from the front end straight away, so that put me off for five or six laps. That didn’t allow me to go with the front guys. From the mid part of the race, if I was there at the front, I had the same pace as Jonathan for the second part. Apart from that, I have to be happy. I pushed to the end, I was catching Rinaldi, and that was as much as I could have done. I feel good on the bike, we just need to keep trying to improve.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 14th in the sprint race but a faller, without injury, in Race Two.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 24th in the Superpole race and 23rd in Race Two. Leon Haslam (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) ended up 19th in the sprint and but had to pull out of the final race after a few laps and he retired in the pits.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Double top ten for Vierge on Sunday at Portimão
Team HRC has concluded the ninth WorldSBK round at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve with a double top ten finish for rider Xavi Vierge in the day’s two races. Iker Lecuona had a more challenging Sunday, as he crossed the line twelfth in the sprint race before crashing out while fighting for seventh place in race 2.
In the morning’s ten-lap Tissot Superpole race, Lecuona lost a lot of ground off the line, slipping back to nineteenth, while Vierge was in eleventh place. Iker immediately set to work, pushing hard to make up positions and climbing to fifteenth by lap three. By lap six he was up into thirteenth, just behind Vierge, twelfth, with the two riders then exchanging places on the very next lap. Battling it out with rival Oettl in the final stages, the Team HRC riders crossed the line tenth (Vierge) and twelve (Lecuona), with Xavi missing out on the chance to gain a third row start by just 0.069 of a second to Loris Baz.
The second 20-lap Superbike race ran in sunny conditions and according to schedule. Eleventh on the grid, Lecuona was in tenth place by the end of lap one, immediately followed by team-mate Vierge. Both factory riders made up a position on lap four and by the mid-race point, Iker was lying eighth just ahead of Xavi, ninth. Unfortunately, on lap thirteen Lecuona crashed as he headed into the penultimate corner. Unhurt, Iker jumped back on his bike and re-joined the race despite having dropped back to last place. The Spaniard valiantly continued and finished race 2 in twenty-second place. Vierge held eighth place from the point at which his team-mate crashed all the way to the line, securing more important championship points.
At the end of this ninth championship round, Lecuona lies eighth in the standings with 163 points and Vierge places tenth with 115. The next round of the WorldSBK championship will take place at the San Juan Villicum circuit in Argentina on 21-23 October.
Xavi Vierge 97
SPRC P10 – RC2 P8
“This weekend was positive for us in many aspects, even though the results don’t totally reflect our potential. We were able to significantly improve our feeling compared to yesterday and it’s just a shame we missed out on P9 in the sprint race by just a fraction of a second, because starting from the third row, rather than the fifth, would have made things easier in race 2. Anyway, it was as it was. I didn’t make a bad start anyway and was able to maintain good, consistent pace and finally achieve a solid result. I really think we did a good job overall – we collected a lot of information and are going in the right direction for the future. In the short term we need to improve in qualifying so to have more cards to play in the race. As always, thanks to the squad for their hard work and total commitment.”
Iker Lecuona 7
SPRC P12 – RC2 P22
“It was a hard weekend for us, but I’m happy and appreciate the way HRC and the team reacted and found a solution to some issues we were facing. Yesterday we struggled a lot in the hot conditions, and so we changed the bike’s setup ahead of today’s races. I felt really good in warm-up; the pace was there, and I could make some strong laps. Then I made a terrible start to the sprint race and found myself somewhere around twentieth position at the end of the first lap and I lost every chance in that moment. We later understood what happened but, in that moment, all I could do was try and recover as much as possible. I finished twelfth in the end, non a great result but acceptable all things considered. From the Team and Japan they did a great job providing a different mapping for the launch control, as that worked amazingly well in race 2. I was able to make up four places on the first lap and felt good with the bike, the electronics and everything throughout the race. I was chasing Redding and waiting for the best moment to attack him on the final lap and then, I’m not sure how, but I had a small crash at turn 14. I got back on the bike and was way back with no chance to reach the points zone, but I finished the race out of respect for the team and to thank them for their hard work and for the fact they never stop giving their all and positively addressing every difficulty we encounter. Now we’ll focus on Argentina.”
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:
Two from Three Wins for Razgatlıoğlu and Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK in Portimão
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu masterfully won the Superpole Race at the ninth round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal today, but was denied a victory “triple” in Race 2 where he finished in a hard-fought second position.
Without strategic tyre conservation, races decided by just tenths of a second have become a mainstay of this year’s WorldSBK competition in the 10-lap Superpole Race, as demonstrated brilliantly by Razgatlıoğlu this morning as he fought tooth and nail against the Ducati of Alvaro Bautista – ultimately winning by just 0.123s at the line.
But, as track temperatures rose above 42 degrees Celsius this afternoon for the 20-lap feature race, retaining tyre life was needed once again. Starting from pole position, Razgatlıoğlu followed his tried and tested approach to the race, initially following Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) in an attempt to conserve grip for the closing stages of Race 2.
Then, the “titanic trio” of Razgatlıoğlu, Rea and Bautista once again went head-to-head, each attacking for the lead throughout the middle part of the race. With absolutely nothing to separate Razgatlıoğlu and Bautista across Portimão’s 15 corners, ultimately it came down to Portimao’s main straight to determine the outcome of the race.
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK teammate Andrea Locatelli had two somewhat lonely races where he finished in strong and consistent sixth positions, but with improved pace throughout the weekend, the Italian rider leaves Portugal with more confidence for the final races of the season.
The WorldSBK Championship fight continues overseas almost immediately as the teams travel to Argentina in one week for the first of three fly-away events – Circuito San Juan Villicum plays host to Round 10 from 21-23 October.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – SPRC: P1 / Race 2: P2
“Speaking first about this morning, because I am really enjoying the Superpole Race! Bautista passed me in the straight and then I passed him again many times – but the afternoon, the second race Alvaro is improving and he came back very strong again, and I am not easily passing him. I keep fighting for the win and I understand last three laps the front tyre is locking so I say okay, second position is enough because every lap, I catch him, and the last corner exit he go again – you know – the straight is crazy because his bike is very fast. I am happy, we are second position and we take good points for the championship, also I say thanks to my team because incredible job this weekend. We start very strong with two wins and second position finish today, this is not good enough but anyway, we are happy. My strategy is working perfect for the Superpole Race but in second race it was not quite enough! Again podium, and we keep fighting for the win – now I am looking at Argentina. It will not be easy, we know Ducati is very strong there but I try my best.”
Andrea Locatelli – SPRC: P6 / Race 2: P6
“The Race 2 rhythm was really fast again and I think I lost the possibility to stay with Alex and the front group after the second or third lap when Bassani crashed. In the end though, it was another positive weekend overall, we have good confidence with the bike and we know what we need to do. We have more info now and here we were stronger and we bring home some more points, so now we look forward to prepare for next week. This year, the level of WorldSBK is becoming higher – we are riding really fast every race. For me, it is not easy to be honest, I want more and we need to keep working. For sure I don’t have as much experience with the superbike, it’s just my second year but we have a good base and the aim is to keep pushing to take the maximum results.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK:
“Honestly a great weekend for the team at this fantastic Portimao circuit, with two victories and a fighting second place for Toprak – and a very good comeback for Loka with a big handful of points after such a disappointing Barcelona event. Toprak simply could not have done more, there was nothing left on the table in any of the races and his team did a brilliant job to give him probably the best R1 we’ve had all season. But, in the end, over 20 laps in Race 2 it wasn’t enough against the combination of Bautista and his machine. Full credit to him, he is riding beautifully, but for riders of the quality of Toprak and Jonathan Rea to see their competitor disappear only in a straight line is quite frustrating and means that there is a clear technical advantage in the overall package, which we believe needs to be considered within the Championship’s balance of performance criteria. We’ll move on to the last three rounds in Argentina, Indonesia and Australia in very positive spirits after a great weekend and push for more victories.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
SO CLOSE TO THE TOP TEN, BUT MISSED BY JUST A FEW TENTHS!
Solid Sunday for Team Go Eleven on the Rollercoaster of Portimao. Philipp conquers a double eleventh position, always finishing really close to the Top Ten, just a few hundredths from tenth place. That’s a pity he didn’t hit the target, but the German rookie has always shown himself to be competitive and fighting for important positions, also in terms of final gap in the race.
In the Warm Up, Oettl immediately proves to be fit and in line with the target performance, setting his pace on a low 41 for several consecutive laps. He does not risk that much and saves some energy in view of the races.
Warm Up:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 1.40.116
P 2 A. Bautista + 0.394
P 3 A. Lowes + 0.404
…
P 11 P. Oettl + 1.130
In Superpole Race Philipp and Team Go Eleven take a risk; they choose the rear SCX, the soft qualifying tyre, which, at least on paper, should provide extra grip in the first few laps, and suffer at the end. Oettl starts well, then a contact in turn three with Gerloff slows down him a bit; contrary to what is predictable, in the first two laps, he struggles to find the right pace, but from the third lap onwards he lights up and closes the gap with the Top Ten. He comes back, fight with Vierge, but in the final stage the tyre drops and he can’t take advantage of his strong point, the exit at the last corner. He finishes eleventh, in the slipstream of the Hondas and Baz, but unfortunately he does not improve his grid for Race 2. The choice of the SCX, perhaps, turned out to be wrong, but it was a calculated risk, which had to be taken to look for something different. In any case, once again, the group we are fighting with was just a few tenths ahead, and the performance of rider number 5 was definitively positive.
Superpole Race:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 16’45.342
P 2 A. Bautista + 0.123
P 3 J. Rea + 1.434
…
P 11 P. Oettl + 12.692
In Race 2 Philipp starts badly as he is outside in the first three corners, thus losing some positions. In the first few laps, he can’t ride below 42, finding himself fighting with slower riders, and not riding his own lines. After overtaking Mahias and the BMWs of Van Der Mark and Laverty, Philipp is 3.8 seconds behind Loris Baz, who was then first of the Independents. He starts a very long run-up, riding on the low 41, 41 and a half, so much so that he manages to close the gap before the last 4 laps. Gerloff also recovers, gets into a fight with Philipp, manages to take a small advantage and tries to attack Baz. Due to the fight between the two, Oettl finally closes up and tries to play his cards; he overtakes Loris once, then the French is back on the inside, Loris overtakes the American, but the latter manages to create a small gap, which will be decisive. In the last lap, everything happens; Philipp attacks in turn one, goes long, Baz misses shortly after and in the end they arrive really close. Go Eleven takes home another eleventh place, a good result, but still aware that we could have entered the top nine with a couple of faster laps in the first part of the Race.
Race 2:
P 1 A. Bautista 33’40.730
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 2.256
P 3 J. Rea + 4.758
…
P 11 P. Oettl + 24.047
WorldSBK concludes the European Rounds, and moves overseas, to Argentina, where Round 10 will take place. The track is spectacular, the atmosphere there is always very warm, and despite the distance, we are sure that the show will be guaranteed. See you in El Villicum, 21-23 October 2022!
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“Overall we did a good job this weekend, I didn’t feel good this weekend, I was a bit sick, and it didn’t help our progress. I think we did a good work, we finished strong, we were fighting. I wanted the Top Ten so hard, especially in the last race, but we just went close. I think we are in a good way, in a positive group of results and we have to continue like this. In the last lap today I tried to overtake Baz in the first corner, but I went off the track, then I was back in the track thinking it was over, but he made a big mistake, so I was close to him again, but the finish line came and I couldn’t pass him. Let’s see the next round, I think we can be in the fight there, too. ”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“In Superpole Race we risked the soft tyre, we expected something more, but the performance of the tyre was strange, different from what we expected. In Race 2 he remained outside the first corners, trying to take advantage of more free space, however we could not recover anything. I think then he had a good race, fighting the Best Independent almost to the checkered flag. We have to consider that he has had stomach problems for 2 days, and he was not in perfect shape, then on a so difficult and physical track, having no energy certainly does not help. Also for this reason I am happy with the tenacity and determination that Philipp is showing us. Every race we grow and improve in some area so we have to continue this trend!”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
BMW Motorrad Motorsport concludes European WorldSBK season with top eight finishes in Portimão.
Best BMW race result was seventh place for Scott Redding in the second main race in Portimão
Loris Baz reaches the top 10 in all three races
After nine race events in Europe, the FIM Superbike World Championship 2022 now heads overseas as the end of the season approaches
Portimão. BMW Motorrad Motorsport concluded the European season in the FIM Superbike World Championship with top eight finishes. Scott Redding (GBR) from the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team produced the best race result in Portimão (POR). He finished seventh in the second main race on Sunday. Once again, the most consistent BMW rider was Loris Baz (FRA) from the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, who reached the top 10 in all three races. Michael van der Mark (NED) chased his way up from 20th on the grid to finish eighth in the Superpole Race. Eugene Laverty (IRL) scored one point on Saturday. Portimão was the ninth and final European event of the year. The tenth round of the WorldSBK season will take place in two weeks (21st to 23rd October) in San Juan, Argentina. The final events will then follow in Indonesia and Australia.
After Superpole qualifying, Baz started the first race on Saturday from seventh place, with Redding alongside him in eighth. Laverty was 17th on the grid, with van der Mark 20th. Redding was the best-placed BMW rider in seventh place, only to make a minor error on the final lap. He took a tumble before rejoining the race and crossed the line in 18th. Baz was also on course for the top 10 during the entire race, finishing ninth. Van der Mark in 14th and Laverty in 15th completed the points positions.
Van der Mark moved up from 20th to eighth place during the ten-lap Superpole Race on Sunday morning. Baz again finished ninth, while Redding dropped back some places during the closing laps to finish 13th. Laverty crossed the line in 15th position. Redding bounced back to finish seventh in the subsequent second main race. Baz repeated his top ten performance, finishing 10th. Van der Mark was twelfth and Laverty 16th, just missing out on the points.
Portimão was the final home race for Laverty, who lives near to the circuit. Next season, the 36-year-old will move into management with the Bonovo action BMW Racing team. An event on Saturday evening saw many companions take a look back at his long career in international racing, and the team presented him with a special gift – the BMW M 1000 RR that had been prepared for his guest appearance in the IDM.
The race weekend was overshadowed by the serious injuries sustained by Dutch rider Victor Steeman in an accident in the Supersport 300 class.
Quotes after the Portimão races.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “It was a difficult weekend, and we are not where we should be in terms of results. Loris and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team reached their top 10 objective in all three races, which was good. It was a shame that Scott fell yesterday. It was a minor rider error and that annoyed him most of all. But he was just trying to defend his position. Scott had problems with his X tyres in the qualifying race and could not keep up with the pace. Finishing seventh in the second main race was OK, but the gap to the leaders was just too large, it’s nearly one second per lap. I was very happy that Michael was able to move up from 20th to eighth in the Superpole Race. That’s a sign that he is on the way back, and that was good to see. Eugene didn’t quite get the results we were hoping for in his final races in Europe, but he and the team will give their all as the season draws to a close. Overall, we were definitely not in the position we were before Barcelona. We must continue to work hard to make progress. Congratulations to our BMW M brand team-mates in the DTM, who won the team and drivers’ titles. They managed it, and that’s what we need to do as well.
“Unfortunately, the race weekend started with some sad news for us. It was dreadful to hear that BMW BSB rider Chrissy Rouse succumbed to his injuries after that serious accident in Donington Park. We would like to express our sincere condolences to his family, his friends and his team. Our thoughts are also with Supersport 300 rider Victor Steeman. We hope to hear positive news soon.”
Loris Baz, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team (SP: 7 / R01: 9 / SP Race: 9/ R02: 10): “We had some great fights in all three races. I think our set-up in the Superpole Race this morning was not perfect, I felt like I had to squeeze the brakes very hard all the time. But I was close to Scott, which is good, until the last lap, where I had a big moment. Overall, it was quite a good weekend considering the issues we had in the beginning. I just hope we’ll soon have a full weekend without any problems, where we can work all the way through the weekend, find a good setup and improve the bike. We can’t blame anyone; we just have been unlucky. I think overseas will now be very different, you never know what to expect. But we made it into the top ten, which is the target. Anyway, I hope we can be in the top five soon.”
Scott Redding, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (SP: 8 / R01: 18 / SP Race: 13 / R02: 7): “To be honest, the weekend was not great. We struggled again. Maybe not as much as in Barcelona, but we were still not where we want to be. Our weak point still costs us too much time. There is not much I can do. The guys worked well to give me a better feeling in some areas and helped me with the tyre life, so I was able to be more consistent to the end. But I need performance on the exit of the corner and at the moment there is no solution yet. We still have a lot of work to do, and everyone is working really hard. But sometimes you need to go really deep to come to a solution that makes the difference. We will get there. It just takes time.”
Michael van der Mark, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (SP: 20 / R01: 14 / SP Race: 8 / R02: 12): “We made a massive change compared to yesterday with the bike. The warm-up felt okay. In the Superpole Race, I had an amazing start, gained a lot of places, and immediately felt that I had a really good pace. We decided to go with the SC0 tyre to keep the distance and also because I just need more time with the bike. At the end, it was the right choice for us. We were really fast in the Superpole Race. It makes life a little bit easier to start from P8 in race two. I had a good start, just got tangled up in a few moments of the first lap. To be honest, I didn’t have the best grip from the start. I dropped a few positions because I couldn’t stay with the guys in front of me. In the end I had a solid pace, I was not incredible fast but also not slow. I calmed down a bit and got more miles under the belt. It was good to finish the race and to score another few points.”
Eugene Laverty, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team (SP: 17 / R01: 15 / SP Race: 15 / R02: 16): “Right now, all we can do is keep working to improve on where we’ve been lately. This weekend, the team did a fantastic job. Instead of trying to do big leaps we’ve worked on our weaknesses to improve the bike. Honestly, in the final race, the bike was the best it has been in a long time. It was doing many things correctly, now we must study the power delivery, as after four laps it seems to be killing the rear tyre and after that we go backwards. We need to dig deep into it and improve this. Because when the tyre is gone after four laps, the 20 laps are really long.
“Last night was such a huge surprise. I was so focused on this weekend, like I’ve approached every weekend for the last 16 years. I got into my routine, and it didn’t matter in my mind that it was the last European round, but suddenly I began to bump into these familiar faces and people had surprised me. My wife Pippa organised a lot of events. In this celebration, it was very nice to see so many of my former teams, my former teammates and of course my current Bonovo action BMW Racing Team. It was also amazing to have Dr. Markus Schramm here as well. To top it all off, there was a bike underneath the cover, and I could see there was a number 50 there and I thought it was a presentation, but when they told me it was my present, I couldn’t believe it. I felt like a kid at Christmas! So, a big thank you to Jürgen Röder and everybody for this event and this incredible gift.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Fantastic win for Bautista in Race-2 at Portimao. Rinaldi (P4) always in the battle for the podium. Exciting recovery by Bulega from P30 to Top-10 finish in WorldSSP
Another extraordinary Sunday for Alvaro Bautista and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. The Spaniard won an amazing Race-2 at the end of a spectacular battle with Razgatlioglu (Yamaha), while Michael Rinaldi finished in fourth place after fighting all race for the podium.
Starting from the second position on the grid obtained with the P2 in Superpole Race, Bautista chased Razgatlioglu and Rea (Kawasaki) for the first eight laps. On lap nine he made a masterpiece with a double-overtaking move that allowed him to take the lead. Razgatlioglu attacked him with three laps to go but Bautista defended himself well and finished first by a margin.
Rinaldi made the most of the second row gained in SPR and at the first corner, he was already in fourth. His pace was incisive and allowed him to stay with the podium group for more than two-thirds of the race (P4).
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“A very good result. I am very happy. We encountered a few more difficulties than at the weekend in Barcelona also because we knew that Toprak and Johnny would be very strong on this circuit. As always we came with no expectations but it’s clear that I would have signed to go home with two second places finish and a win. The classification? I’ve been saying it since the start of the season: my goal is to have fun racing this bike. Then in Australia we will do the maths”.
P4 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I am satisfied with today’s race also because we managed to overcome the problems we experienced yesterday, after having skipped FP3 completely. There’s only a little bit of regret left for the last six laps because the tyre drop was very noticeable. Compared to last year, however, on this track we have made an important step that confirms the good work we are doing”.
WorldSSP
With a crazy comeback, Niccolò Bulega ends with a smile a weekend made impossible by the technical problem that did not allow him to take part in the Superpole. Starting last (P30) as in Race-1, in Race-2 the Aruba.it Racing WSSP team rider recovered twenty positions to finish tenth.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“It’s clear that you can’t be satisfied with a Top 10. But the satisfaction remains for having made a good comeback and also for the fact that the feeling with the bike was really good. Now we go to Argentina to get back to the positions we deserve.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bautista prevents a Razgatlioglu hat-trick at Portimao with Race 2 victory
The Ducati rider won Race 2 ahead of Razgatlioglu and Rea to extend his Championship lead
Race 2 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista claimed his 28th WorldSBK victory as he finished 2.256s ahead of Razgatlioglu.
His Championship lead extended to 56 points over the Turkish rider.
“For sure, it has been three amazing races with a lot of fighting at the front. Yesterday, I needed the last six laps of the race to get to Toprak and fight for victory. In the Superpole Race, I knew it was maybe difficult to beat Jonathan and Toprak because they were very fast. I think they were a bit better than us at this track with these conditions. This morning, I was very determined, and my plan was to stay with them because I can finish with them, that means I have the chance in the afternoon to fight for the victory. In the end, I was quite fast in the morning as well. I could be with them, especially with Toprak. He had a really incredible pace in the morning. In the afternoon, I had a better position on the grid. I made a normal start and I lost position to Jonathan, but I was there. When Jonathan was in front, Toprak was behind him just saving the tyre life. I think Jonathan was struggling a little bit more than Toprak to push. I decided to take the lead and increase the pace, make the others force their tyre. I’m happy because the last laps, even if Toprak tried to overtake me a couple of times, he was struggling more so in the last few laps he stayed away.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu was second in Race 2 as he claimed his 75th podium in WorldSBK.
He is second in the standings and has a 26-point advantage over Rea.
“In the afternoon, Alvaro improved and came back very strong again. It wasn’t easy to pass him in Race 2, but I kept fighting for the win. In the last three laps, the front tyre started to lock. I said second place was enough. Every lap, I caught him, and, on the exit of the last corner, he got ahead again on the straight; his bike is very fast. We finished second and we take good points for the Championship.”
P3 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea completed the Race 2 podium. He finished 4.758s behind Bautista and 2.502s behind Razgatlioglu.
He remains third in the Championship standings, with 366 points.
“I’m a little be disappointed with the results. I really came here wanting to try to get a race win under my belt but no regrets. I did my best. I got everything out of my ZX10RR. My team worked incredibly well. Race 2 I enjoyed a lot, I was riding on the limit to be there. I got to the front and tried to relax to control the tyre a little bit. But when Alvaro came by, his pace was really fast. Some areas to really improve when the grip level just drop with our bike.”
P4 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi was fighting for a podium place but dropped back from the lead trio, finishing in fourth place.
He stands in fourth place in the standings with 323 points.
“It’s been always an improving weekend. Unfortunately, yesterday morning, during FP3, I couldn’t ride because of a technical issue. It ruined our first race a bit because I made the wrong tyre choice for Race 1. But today was a different story. We tried to do a good job in the Tissot Superpole Race which allowed us to start from fifth position for Race 2. The pace was amazing. I tried to stay with the top three guys. I stayed there until five or six laps until the end because when the tyre dropped, I could be fast enough to stay there. So we missed something. But you know, it’s another track, the pace was amazing.”
P5 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Lowes was battling with Rinaldi, with the Italian taking the advantage and the British rider finishing in fifth place.
A top five finish meant Lowes recovered sixth place in the standings.
“To be honest, I felt quite good in that last race today. We made a small change on the front of the bike. Apart from when I had a fuel tank of fuel, I was struggling with the front locking a little bit but apart from that, I felt really good. But unfortunately, my pace was not as fast as the guys at the front. That was incredible the pace they had. I was still able to make low 1‘41 on lap 15, 16 and I was losing ground so respect to them! The tyres still haven’t changed much since last year and the pace was really, really impressive. I missed a little bit to go with these guys but a great weekend, a great qualifying, a good Race 1, Superpole Race was strong. I was really close to and battling with Jonathan. Like I said I missed a little bit at the start of the last race with a fuel tank of fuel. And at the end I was coming back towards Michael but we run out of lap.”
P6 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli completed the top six, finishing almost seven seconds down on Lowes after 20 laps.
The Italian rider remains fifth in the Championship standings, 36 points behind Rinaldi and seven points ahead of Lowes.
“It was another strong race. The rhythm was really fast. I think I lost the gap immediately after the second or third lap when Bassani crashed. I lost the possibility to stay with Lowes. And then I was losing 0.2s or 0.3s every laps. But in the end, it was another great and positive weekend. We have good confidence with the bike. We know what we need to do to around the bike. We have more info now. And also, we were stronger here than in Barcelona. This is positive to look forward and to prepare the next races. We bring some points home so I’m happy about this.”
To note:
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took seventh place as he battled his way up the order, finishing just under a second clear of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC).
The Motul Argentinean Round will take place from the 21st to the 23rd of October at the Circuito San Juan Villicum.
Jake Gagne and the Attack Racing team made significant strides forward in qualifying at their wild card foray into Superbike World Championship competition. The two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion cut the gap to the front to less than 1.6 seconds in qualifying and put his Yamaha YZF-R1 into 16th.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) passed Jonathan Rea (65) for the lead and took the win in Race One in Portugal. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Race One proved to be tougher, as Gagne found himself in an unusual position – in the pack battling for places as he headed into Turn One. His race pace was a step backward, his 1:42.493 best lap just a tick over two seconds slower than race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu’s quickest of 1:40.328, which was a new lap record.
Garrett Gerloff (31) chases Xavi Vierge (97) en route to 11th in Race One in Portugal. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Attack Racing’s Richard Stanboli summed up the difficulties of chasing down the last incremental performance gains that make so much of the difference at this level. “We’re about a day behind,” he said. “Everyone else comes here with so much data about all of the idiosyncrasies of the track. We’ll get this place right just about the time everyone else is in Argentina (for the next WorldSBK race).”
(From left) Enea Bastianini, Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro, and Jack Miller are separated by just 40 points atop the MotoGP World Championship standings heading into Phillip Island. Image courtesy Dorna.
5 riders. 40 points. 1 Phillip Island.
Buckle up to rumble Down Under as the fight for the crown reaches fever pitch
Monday, 10 October 2022
It’s an overused phrase, but there truly is nowhere like Phillip Island. A Grand Prix circuit so perfectly poised to deliver great racing – and serve up an incredible experience in the saddle – that it’s almost a myth unto itself, there could be no better stage to kick off the next double header. If that wasn’t enough, there are also now five riders within 40 points, with 75 still up for grabs. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) remains the Championship leader, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is now within just two points, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) within 20, Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) 39 and, last but by absolutely no means least, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) is the rider at a deficit of 40. But they say there’s no place like home…
Miller will be firmly in the spotlight this weekend as he rides with the factory Ducati on home turf for the first time, and he has chance to turn that into even more momentum. Of the top five in the title fight he’s scored the most points across the triple header – 56, with the next best being Bastianini on 42 – and over the two flyaways it’s a whopping 45/50 for the number 43. For comparison, across Motegi and Buriram Bastianini has scored 17, Bagnaia 16, Quartararo eight and Aleix Espargaro just five points. It’s closed at the top as one rider or another has faltered, but Miller has chased down that gap because he absolutely hasn’t. So what has he got on home turf?
Far enough back to ride without too much pressure from the standings and with good speed shown at the Island, he’ll be one to watch, and in terms of pressure the same can be said of Bastianini, although the Italian doesn’t have the best record at the track. Aleix Espargaro has a pretty good one and Bagnaia impressed the last (and first) time he rode a premier class machine there, and then there’s Quartararo. The Frenchman hasn’t had the best results or luck Down Under, but he’ll be hoping to turn that around at a circuit that should be much more Yamaha, flowing territory.
When it comes to track records, however, there are two names that immediately stand out. The first is Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), who brought a Yamaha win drought to an end in 2018 and was then the only rider able to stay anywhere near Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in 2019 before a crash out as they battled on the final lap. Viñales returns to the track on a newer machine to him, but one he’s getting more and more consistently fast on. Is Phillip Island underlined as another real shot at victory? At Silverstone he was less than half a second shy.
The other name is the aforementioned Marc Marquez, and the number 93 has been miraculously, poetically fast Down Under. As his return continues to gain momentum, it would be no surprise to see Marquez fire up a little Jaws music for the rest of the field this weekend. Is it too soon? Is it just soon enough? Physically, the circuit flows in a kinder layout to take on when not at 100%, and it’s a leftie tailor-made for the king of anti-clockwise circuits. It would be quite a story, but if there’s anyone who loves writing a story on a motorcycle, it’s Marc Marquez.
Experience could also work in the favour of the more veteran riders on the grid – including Marquez – as the field once again prepare for a first visit since 2019. The list of those who’ve never raced Phillip Island in the premier class is longer than just the 2022 rookies, with even the likes of 2020 debutants Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) facing it down for the first time. In terms of racing you can also add Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to that list as he was unfit for Sunday on our last visit, and even, arguably, Quartararo. The Frenchman didn’t make it to Stoner Corner on Lap 1.
In terms of the full-blown rookies, it will be a big weekend for Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) as he races on home turf, and the Aussie will want some more points after a tougher season. Phillip Island could prove be the deciding showdown in the fight for Rookie of the Year, with Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), fresh from his first premier class pole position, facing another shot at that title.
The Teams’ Championship is on the line too, with Ducati Lenovo Team ahead and needing to outscore Aprilia by 16 points to tick off two out of three in their mission to take the triple crown. Top Independent Team rider could also be wrapped up by Bastianini, although the Italian isn’t too far clear of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) as it stands. Zarco is also in play as Prima Pramac look to secure the Independent Teams’ title. Finally, another one to watch of a different kind is the return of Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), as he plans to try and get back on track at Phillip Island, a circuit that holds some good memories for the two-time World Champion.
Five riders, 40 points, and one ribbon of poetry written in tarmac. This weekend the Animoca Brands Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix promises much and will likely deliver even more, with too many headlines already drafted as we make the journey south to Phillip Island. Join us for another stunner on Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +11) as the screw turns on the title fight once again.
4 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – Ducati – 180
5 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 179
1.5 points in it as Moto2™ arrives on the island
Who will blink first? Fernandez vs Ogura revs up Down Under
Despite torrential conditions that seemed tailor made for either Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) or Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) to blink first in the brutally close 2022 Moto2™ Championship fight, both remained poised and pretty fast at Buriram – and they finished right next to each other once again. With half points awarded, it’s now just 1.5 splitting the two with three rounds remaining, and it’s quite literally never been closer at this stage of the season.
Now, it’s time for Phillip Island. Experience could be key for many as the paddock returns to the track for the first time since 2019, but Fernandez and Ogura will likely remain pretty closely matched. That said, it is Fernandez who’s got the lap count Down Under, and in Moto2™…
1.5 isn’t much to separate two riders as the Moto2™ field prepare to fight it out for the final 75, so tune in for the first showdown of the deciders as the intermediate class take on the stunning Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit at 12:20 (GMT +11).
2 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 237
3 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – 185
Moto3™: match point Guevara
The GASGAS rider is on the edge of glory with three rounds remaining
After a stunning season so far, Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) heads into Phillip Island with his first match point in Moto3™. With two rounds remaining, 50 is the magic number in terms of the points advantage he needs by the flag – and he’s got 49 on the way in. Still, the challenge is a real one as the number 28 rides Phillip Island for the very first time, with key rivals already counting on a little more experience.
Guevara’s closest rival is now Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) as the Italian took another impressive win at Buriram, and he was joined on the podium by Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Mx Racing Team) once again – who remains fourth overall but is getting closer. Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), meanwhile, crashed out in Thailand through no fault of his own, but had been left back in the pack after a difficult qualifying. Can he fight back at Phillip Island?
With 50 needed and 49 in hand, Phillip Island is quite the playing field for Guevara to face down his first match point. Tune in as Moto3™ go racing at 11:00 (GMT +11) to see if the first World Champion of the season will be crowned!
The 50th WERA Grand National Finals will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on October 20th to 23rd. Everyone is invited to join us and celebrate 50 years of this tradition!
Thursday will be a Practice Day.
Friday will host the final round of the N2/WERA National Endurance Series presented by Dunlop with the two-hour small-bike endurance race starting at 10:00 a.m. and the four- hour big-bike endurance race starting at 1:00 p.m.
Saturday will be WERA Sportsman Finals where the best in each region vie for the National Champion in their class with a winner-take-all-Championship runoff. Riders must have run or entered in the class once during the season. Also, the 400cc AMA Superstock class will run on Saturday.
Sunday will be the final round for the Pirelli/WERA National Challenge Series featuring the Michelin/WERA Superbike class. WERA is also hosting the AMA Road Race Grand Championship Classes at the 50th WERA GNF. These classes will run and winners will be crowned AMA Road Race Grand Champions. These classes will also help determine the 2022 AMA Road Race Horizon Award winner.
On-Line entry is available for riders with a valid WERA license and will remain open until 10/16/2022. If you are running the AMA Road Race Grand Championship classes and need a WERA license please email: [email protected]. In the case of the N2/WERA National Endurance race, pre-entry needs to go through N2.
Come on out and join us for this historic event and help us celebrate!
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was founded in 1973 and remains the foremost place to develop talent in the sport of motorcycle road racing. The legacy of Pro Riders on a National and World level is legendary. All events are run by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with a co-sanction by the AMA and they go coast to coast offering entry-level racing with the WERA Sportsman Series as well as a Pro-Am Series which is the Pirelli/WERA National Challenge Series. WERA also offers Vintage Racing and hosts the Concours de ’Competition and Concours d’ Elegance in July at Barber Motorsports Park. Endurance racing is also on the menu with our partner N2 and runs 4-5 events a year with a big-bike endurance race and an ultralightweight endurance race. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was voted the 2017 AMA Track Organizer of the year.
For more information on WERA Motorcycle Roadracing please check out our web site at wera.com.
Kayla Yaakov (31) just missed out on a podium in Race One, then came back and took second in Race Two. Photo by Michael Gougis.
American Kayla Yaakov Podiums In Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale in Portugal:
“I Had A Lot Of Confidence…”
by Michael Gougis
Kayla Yaakov had an awesome year of racing before she even got on the plane to Portugal. At 15, she became the first -ever female race winner in MotoAmerica competition when she led most of the second Junior Cup race at Ridge Motorsports Park and crossed the line first.
Kayla Yaakov with her Yamaha YZF-R3 racebike in the paddock at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Photo by Michael Gougis.
But at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, Yaakov showed that she could be a force at the International level as well. Taking to the grid in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale two-race shootout on Saturday, Yaakov just missed out on the podium in Race One – and stormed to second place in Race Two, standing on the podium at a Superbike World Championship event weekend.
“It shows that Americans can do it, that we’re fast, and that MotoAmerica is at a really high level,” said Yaakov.
The young racer says that Tom Halverson, Assistant Manager of Yamaha’s U.S. Racing Department, was looking for a rider to bring over to the R3 event, since Attack Racing was bringing two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne to race as a wild card in World Superbike. Yaakov got the nod.
The series pits contestants against each other on identically prepared Yamaha YZF-R3 racebikes. They are basically stock except for a racing exhaust and suspension work, Yaakov says. She raced the series in 2021, so when she showed up at Portimao, she was already familiar with the bike – and with Yamaha.
“We thought it was a great opportunity to come over here, be with Yamaha, learn the track, see some people that I knew from doing this last year and have a good time,” Yaakov said. “With Jake (Gagne) and (former MotoAmerica Yamaha Superbike winner Garrett) Gerloff being here, it was cool to be here with a bunch of Americans.”
After qualifying, Yaakov had a pretty good idea she was going to be competitive. “I had a bit of confidence going into the race – I basically qualified without any draft,” she said. “I knew it was going to be a little bit difficult, because of starting 10th, but either way I’m going for it. The goal’s to have a lot of fun, stay out of trouble and put it all on the table in the last couple of laps.”
Kayla Yaakov (31) says that racing at the front of an International field of riders “shows that Americans can do it, that we’re fast, and that MotoAmerica is at a really high level.” Photo by Michael Gougis.
Race One saw her pushed out wide into the first turn. But Yaakov started picking her way through the field and was in the podium places on the final lap. But coming out of the final turn, the rear slid and “it killed my drive going onto the front straight, so I just missed out on the podium. Either way, though, it was good,” she said.
If Yaakov thought she could be competitive before the first race, she absolutely knew she could be in the second one. “I had a lot of confidence from Race One because I knew I could run the pace,” she said. “With the laps shortened, I knew I was going to have to make my passes quick.”
Kayla Yaakov celebrates after finishing runner-up in the second Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale race in Portugal. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Jake Gagne (33) battled with Eugene Laverty (50) for much of Sunday's Superpole Race, finishing less than 0.1 second back in 16th. He would move up one more place in Race Two, scoring a World Superbike point. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Attack The World! Gagne In The WorldSBK Points At Portimao
By Michael Gougis
In the end, it was hot, hard work, but the reward for Attack Racing’s foray into WSBK competition was a WorldSBK point for its 15th-place finish in Race Two.
It’s hard to overstate how complicated showing up for a single race weekend in a new series actually is. For example, the team had to try all of the available tires, rather than relying on their notes from the previous visit to the Algarve circuit to simplify their evaluation of the available Pirelli rubber.
Unlike the other teams that had data from prior visits to the circuit, Attack Racing had to throw all of the available Pirelli tires at Jake Gagne to figure out what would work, and decided to use the Sunday warmup simply to evaluate suspension. “We were using anything that still held air,” Pirelli’s U.S. Road Racing Manager Oscar Solis said. Photo by Michael Gougis.
With the number of tires limited by WorldSBK regulations, and with practice time limited, the team decided to test all of the available compounds as early as possible during the weekend. This meant that their supply of tires was limited, and they made the strategic decision to simply use Sunday morning’s warm up session to test suspension settings on worn rubber and not go for a time.
A quick debrief and congratulations back at the Attack Racing garage after a hard weekend’s work. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Things got better in the Superpole Race. Rider Jake Gagne’s best lap was just a tick over 1.4 seconds slower then race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu’s fastest time. Gagne notched a 16th, just behind extremely experienced World Superbike racer Eugene Laverty.
Race Two started out challenging, with Gagne stuck in the all-too-typical mid-pack World Superbike first-corner scrum. Once Gagne found his rhythm and a bit of clear track, he was able to start to put all of the team’s knowledge from the weekend and his experience from his track time to use.
Get stuck in a scrum mid-pack at the start of a Superbike World Championship race, get pushed off the track and it’s easy to lose six full seconds to the leaders. Jake Gagne (33) found himself having to deal with close-quarters racing at the world’s highest level of Superbike competition. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Stefano Mesa (37) leads Nate Kern (9T), Drew Jankord (4L), Steve Metz (13X), Hayden Gillim (77), and the rest of the 4SR Pro Challenge field at Barber Motorsports Park. Photo by etechphoto.com, courtesy AHRMA.
Americans Max Toth, Kaleb De Keyrel, and Dr. Carl Price, MD, are racing in the CIV (Italian) Aprilia RS 660 Cup season finale this weekend at Imola, in Italy.
Toth, who came into the final race leading the Aprilia RS 660 Cup Championship points, finished Race Two in second, 0.117 second behind title rival Francesco Mongiardo. Toth and Mongiardo ended up tied in points and race wins. According to sources at the track, Mongiardo was awarded the Championship based on having the most recent race win.
De Keyrel, the 2021 MotoAmerica REV’IT! Twins Cup Champion, finished third in Race Two, and Price, the MotoAmerica Medical Officer, took 15th on Sunday.
One even for Razgatlioglu and Bautista in Portimão on standard SC0 Pirelli tyres
The Turkish rider wins the Superpole Race but the Spaniard dominates in Race 2, Aegerter takes WorldSSP and Gennai wins the final WorldSSP300 race of the year
FOCUS ON THE SUPERPOLE RACE
(asphalt: 33° C / air: 24°C)
In the Superpole Race, the riders also used the rear qualifying solution represented by the SCX in Portimão. In the sprint race, 9 riders opted for this solution but the majority, including those on the front to rows of the grid, chose the standard SC0. Only one rider, Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team), used the B0624 development SC0 tyre. At the front, decisions were split between the standard SC1 and the A0674 development SC1. The Superpole race ended with a podium identical to that of Race 1, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) on the top step, Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) second, and pole man Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) third. The latter did the race fast lap on the fourth lap with a time of 1’40.135, a new track record. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), finishing sixth, was the best of the private team riders.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy Pirelli.
TYRES IN ACTION IN RACE 2
WorldSBK (asphalt: 40° C / air: 26° C)
In Race 2, the rear in standard SC0 compound was once again the most used, chosen by 23 out of the 26 riders on the starting grid. At the front, the A0674 development SC1prevailed,prevailed, used by all three of the riders on the front row in combination with the rear standard SC0. The podium was once again a three-way battle between Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha), Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki), and Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati). The three took turns in the lead throughout the race but in the end, the Spanish Ducati rider had the edge, finishing first ahead of his main rival for the title, Toprak Razgatlioglu (second) and Jonathan Rea (third). Three different brands on the podium yet again (Ducati, Yamaha, and Kawasaki).
Alvaro Bautista (19) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy Pirelli.
WorldSSP (asphalt: 40° C / air: 25° C)
In Race 2, tyre choice was identical to that of Race 1, so all the riders were on SC0 rear and SC1 front solutions. It was an extremely heated race with a duel between pole man Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) until three laps from the end. Winning the race was the Swiss Yamaha rider, whereas the Italian Ducati rider crossed the line fourth. Behind the reigning World Champion were Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing Verdnatura WorldSSP), finishing second after starting from the ninth spot on the grid, and Turkish rider Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), third after recovering an amazing 11 positions. With this victory, his 13th this year, Aegerter has broken the record of wins in a single WorldSSP season but, what’s more, he has further widened the gap in the overall championship standings ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team).
World Supersport Race Two winner Dominique Aegerter (center), runner-up Raffaele De Rosa (left), and third-place finisher Can Oncu (right). Photo courtesy Pirelli.
For more details on the tyres used in the race by the individual riders in the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes, please see the sheets attached to this press release.
WorldSSP300 (asphalt: 40° C / air: 24°C)
Victory in the second WorldSSP300 race went to Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) on Yamaha, finishing ahead of newly crowned 2022 World Champion Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team), second, and compatriot Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha), third.
Mirko Gennai (26) won World Supersport 300 Race Two in Portugal. Photo courtesy Pirelli.
GIORGIO BARBIER, MOTORCYCLE RACING DIRECTOR
“Noting that, on a demanding track like this one, the standard solutions were the most used and popular among the riders is definitely important feedback for us which shows how solid and versatile our current range is. The decision not to bring the SCQ to this round and to rely on harder solutions was the right choice and the fact that the standard SC0 was the most used even in the Superpole Race is confirmation of this. The pace was extremely high for everyone this weekend, with several records broken in all the categories and race times in WorldSBK which averaged 1 second per lap faster than last year – a rather significant result. Honourable mention for the winner of the MotoAmerica Superbike championship, Jake Gagne, who, in a wild card spot here with Yamaha, proved his ability to be competitive in the top class. With this final European race in the books, all that’s left is to see what happens in the last three rounds between South America, Asia, and Australia.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
Gerloff Recovers to Ninth in Portimao Race 2
American Garrett Gerloff was the Top Independent Team rider in Race Two. He was joined in Parc Ferme by another #31 – MotoAmerica Junior Cup racer Kayla Yaakov. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s Garrett Gerloff recovered to a ninth-place result in Portimao’s second FIM Superbike World Championship feature race at the Algarve International Circuit, with Kohta Nozane outside the points.
In the Superpole Race, Gerloff showed promising speed but unfortunately fell after challenging inside the top nine positions. His Japanese teammate enjoyed a decent start, but was unable to make significant progress, ending 20th.
Afterwards, in the warmer second race, Gerloff get off the line well but light contact dropped him to 17th place at the end of the first lap. The 27-year-old managed his tyres well and showed blistering pace towards the latter stages, eventually finishing ninth as the Top Independent Rider.
On the other side of the garage, Nozane enjoyed a decent getaway and fought his way into top 15 contention. The Japanese Ace battled with those around, but struggled with the tyre wear in the final laps, eventually finishing 21st.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will now travel to Argentina in two weeks for the tenth round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship.
“The crash in the Superpole Race was a real shame. I had a good feeling on the bike and I strongly believe we could have had a strong result, which would’ve meant a better starting position for Race 2. Anyway, I had a good getaway in the second race but someone forced me wide and I had to recover from 17th. We had really good pace and at least we scored a decent amount of points, which is not too bad considering. I’m a bit disappointed because I believe we could do more, but we’ll take away the positives. I’d like to say a massive thank to the guys for rebuilding the bike after the sprint race, they did a super job once again.”
Kohta Nozane: SPRC – P20 / Race 2 – P21
“Overall it was a tough weekend. Things went a little bit better today but I couldn’t make it into the top 15. We’ll check the data to be more consistent in Argentina. We know our potential is higher and I’m eager to prove it for myself and the team to finish this year in the best way possible.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Takes Third Portimao Podium Finish
Jonathan Rea (KRT) secured two third places in the final WorldSBK races at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve while his team-mate Alex Lowes aded a fourth and fifth place to his Portimao record on Sunday 9 October.
Once again the 4.592km long and heavily undulating circuit provided great entertainment for the fans – and a great challenge for the riders – with the final two races of the weekend proving to be tense affairs.
In the Superpole Race on Sunday morning Rea and Lowes pushed hard from the start, with Rea even setting a new lap record of 1’40.135 on lap four as he closed in on the leading duo of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista.
Rea would finish third and Lowes a close fourth in the ten lap ‘sprint’ race.
In Race Two Rea was determined to not let early leader Toprak Razgatlioglu get away and passed him on lap one, into the tight downhill infield hairpin. Rea then tried to lead the race and control the pace to save tyre life for the all-important final laps.
He would be passed by both Razgatlioglu and eventual race winner Alvaro Bautista and was unable to stay in close contention for the win, ending up third place for third time in the Portimao races.
Lowes had another strong ride after his satisfying Superpole race performance in the morning and was in fourth place until overtaken by Michael Ruben Rinaldi in Race Two.
He would make ground back to his rival near the end but not quite enough to re-take fourth. Alex is now sixth on the championship with three rounds and nine individual races to go.
In the current points standings Bautista has 448, Razgatlioglu 392, Rea 366, Rinaldi 232, Locatelli 196 and Lowes 189
The WorldSBK riders will now leave the European phase of the championship behind to embark on the first of three ‘long-haul’ events, at the Circuito San Juan Villicum in Argentina, between 21-23 October 2022.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I was really on my limit today. In Race Two, when I was at the front I tried to step back a little bit to manage the tyre and not take so much risk. But when Alvaro came past and went to the front his pace was fast. I also saw the urgency of Toprak to try to disrupt Alvaro’s rhythm a little bit. That was just keeping me in the fight but as soon as he got some clear track that was him gone. Then I thought Toprak may come back to me, so I kept my rhythm, but it wasn’t enough. I really struggled in T14, getting into and around it, and when the tyre dropped it was even worse. No regrets; I did my best and just got beat by better guys today. I was frustrated to be that far back but that is our reality.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “It was good today. From morning warm-up I made a slight change with the front forks and it felt good. In the Superpole race I was coming back to Jonathan and I actually felt a bit stronger than him then. In Race Two I kept the bike the same but on a full tank of fuel I had some big locks from the front end straight away, so that put me off for five or six laps. That didn’t allow me to go with the front guys. From the mid part of the race, if I was there at the front, I had the same pace as Jonathan for the second part. Apart from that, I have to be happy. I pushed to the end, I was catching Rinaldi, and that was as much as I could have done. I feel good on the bike, we just need to keep trying to improve.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 14th in the sprint race but a faller, without injury, in Race Two.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 24th in the Superpole race and 23rd in Race Two. Leon Haslam (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) ended up 19th in the sprint and but had to pull out of the final race after a few laps and he retired in the pits.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Double top ten for Vierge on Sunday at Portimão
Team HRC has concluded the ninth WorldSBK round at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve with a double top ten finish for rider Xavi Vierge in the day’s two races. Iker Lecuona had a more challenging Sunday, as he crossed the line twelfth in the sprint race before crashing out while fighting for seventh place in race 2.
In the morning’s ten-lap Tissot Superpole race, Lecuona lost a lot of ground off the line, slipping back to nineteenth, while Vierge was in eleventh place. Iker immediately set to work, pushing hard to make up positions and climbing to fifteenth by lap three. By lap six he was up into thirteenth, just behind Vierge, twelfth, with the two riders then exchanging places on the very next lap. Battling it out with rival Oettl in the final stages, the Team HRC riders crossed the line tenth (Vierge) and twelve (Lecuona), with Xavi missing out on the chance to gain a third row start by just 0.069 of a second to Loris Baz.
The second 20-lap Superbike race ran in sunny conditions and according to schedule. Eleventh on the grid, Lecuona was in tenth place by the end of lap one, immediately followed by team-mate Vierge. Both factory riders made up a position on lap four and by the mid-race point, Iker was lying eighth just ahead of Xavi, ninth. Unfortunately, on lap thirteen Lecuona crashed as he headed into the penultimate corner. Unhurt, Iker jumped back on his bike and re-joined the race despite having dropped back to last place. The Spaniard valiantly continued and finished race 2 in twenty-second place. Vierge held eighth place from the point at which his team-mate crashed all the way to the line, securing more important championship points.
At the end of this ninth championship round, Lecuona lies eighth in the standings with 163 points and Vierge places tenth with 115. The next round of the WorldSBK championship will take place at the San Juan Villicum circuit in Argentina on 21-23 October.
Xavi Vierge 97
SPRC P10 – RC2 P8
“This weekend was positive for us in many aspects, even though the results don’t totally reflect our potential. We were able to significantly improve our feeling compared to yesterday and it’s just a shame we missed out on P9 in the sprint race by just a fraction of a second, because starting from the third row, rather than the fifth, would have made things easier in race 2. Anyway, it was as it was. I didn’t make a bad start anyway and was able to maintain good, consistent pace and finally achieve a solid result. I really think we did a good job overall – we collected a lot of information and are going in the right direction for the future. In the short term we need to improve in qualifying so to have more cards to play in the race. As always, thanks to the squad for their hard work and total commitment.”
Iker Lecuona 7
SPRC P12 – RC2 P22
“It was a hard weekend for us, but I’m happy and appreciate the way HRC and the team reacted and found a solution to some issues we were facing. Yesterday we struggled a lot in the hot conditions, and so we changed the bike’s setup ahead of today’s races. I felt really good in warm-up; the pace was there, and I could make some strong laps. Then I made a terrible start to the sprint race and found myself somewhere around twentieth position at the end of the first lap and I lost every chance in that moment. We later understood what happened but, in that moment, all I could do was try and recover as much as possible. I finished twelfth in the end, non a great result but acceptable all things considered. From the Team and Japan they did a great job providing a different mapping for the launch control, as that worked amazingly well in race 2. I was able to make up four places on the first lap and felt good with the bike, the electronics and everything throughout the race. I was chasing Redding and waiting for the best moment to attack him on the final lap and then, I’m not sure how, but I had a small crash at turn 14. I got back on the bike and was way back with no chance to reach the points zone, but I finished the race out of respect for the team and to thank them for their hard work and for the fact they never stop giving their all and positively addressing every difficulty we encounter. Now we’ll focus on Argentina.”
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:
Two from Three Wins for Razgatlıoğlu and Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK in Portimão
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu masterfully won the Superpole Race at the ninth round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal today, but was denied a victory “triple” in Race 2 where he finished in a hard-fought second position.
Without strategic tyre conservation, races decided by just tenths of a second have become a mainstay of this year’s WorldSBK competition in the 10-lap Superpole Race, as demonstrated brilliantly by Razgatlıoğlu this morning as he fought tooth and nail against the Ducati of Alvaro Bautista – ultimately winning by just 0.123s at the line.
But, as track temperatures rose above 42 degrees Celsius this afternoon for the 20-lap feature race, retaining tyre life was needed once again. Starting from pole position, Razgatlıoğlu followed his tried and tested approach to the race, initially following Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) in an attempt to conserve grip for the closing stages of Race 2.
Then, the “titanic trio” of Razgatlıoğlu, Rea and Bautista once again went head-to-head, each attacking for the lead throughout the middle part of the race. With absolutely nothing to separate Razgatlıoğlu and Bautista across Portimão’s 15 corners, ultimately it came down to Portimao’s main straight to determine the outcome of the race.
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK teammate Andrea Locatelli had two somewhat lonely races where he finished in strong and consistent sixth positions, but with improved pace throughout the weekend, the Italian rider leaves Portugal with more confidence for the final races of the season.
The WorldSBK Championship fight continues overseas almost immediately as the teams travel to Argentina in one week for the first of three fly-away events – Circuito San Juan Villicum plays host to Round 10 from 21-23 October.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – SPRC: P1 / Race 2: P2
“Speaking first about this morning, because I am really enjoying the Superpole Race! Bautista passed me in the straight and then I passed him again many times – but the afternoon, the second race Alvaro is improving and he came back very strong again, and I am not easily passing him. I keep fighting for the win and I understand last three laps the front tyre is locking so I say okay, second position is enough because every lap, I catch him, and the last corner exit he go again – you know – the straight is crazy because his bike is very fast. I am happy, we are second position and we take good points for the championship, also I say thanks to my team because incredible job this weekend. We start very strong with two wins and second position finish today, this is not good enough but anyway, we are happy. My strategy is working perfect for the Superpole Race but in second race it was not quite enough! Again podium, and we keep fighting for the win – now I am looking at Argentina. It will not be easy, we know Ducati is very strong there but I try my best.”
Andrea Locatelli – SPRC: P6 / Race 2: P6
“The Race 2 rhythm was really fast again and I think I lost the possibility to stay with Alex and the front group after the second or third lap when Bassani crashed. In the end though, it was another positive weekend overall, we have good confidence with the bike and we know what we need to do. We have more info now and here we were stronger and we bring home some more points, so now we look forward to prepare for next week. This year, the level of WorldSBK is becoming higher – we are riding really fast every race. For me, it is not easy to be honest, I want more and we need to keep working. For sure I don’t have as much experience with the superbike, it’s just my second year but we have a good base and the aim is to keep pushing to take the maximum results.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK:
“Honestly a great weekend for the team at this fantastic Portimao circuit, with two victories and a fighting second place for Toprak – and a very good comeback for Loka with a big handful of points after such a disappointing Barcelona event. Toprak simply could not have done more, there was nothing left on the table in any of the races and his team did a brilliant job to give him probably the best R1 we’ve had all season. But, in the end, over 20 laps in Race 2 it wasn’t enough against the combination of Bautista and his machine. Full credit to him, he is riding beautifully, but for riders of the quality of Toprak and Jonathan Rea to see their competitor disappear only in a straight line is quite frustrating and means that there is a clear technical advantage in the overall package, which we believe needs to be considered within the Championship’s balance of performance criteria. We’ll move on to the last three rounds in Argentina, Indonesia and Australia in very positive spirits after a great weekend and push for more victories.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
SO CLOSE TO THE TOP TEN, BUT MISSED BY JUST A FEW TENTHS!
Solid Sunday for Team Go Eleven on the Rollercoaster of Portimao. Philipp conquers a double eleventh position, always finishing really close to the Top Ten, just a few hundredths from tenth place. That’s a pity he didn’t hit the target, but the German rookie has always shown himself to be competitive and fighting for important positions, also in terms of final gap in the race.
In the Warm Up, Oettl immediately proves to be fit and in line with the target performance, setting his pace on a low 41 for several consecutive laps. He does not risk that much and saves some energy in view of the races.
Warm Up:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 1.40.116
P 2 A. Bautista + 0.394
P 3 A. Lowes + 0.404
…
P 11 P. Oettl + 1.130
In Superpole Race Philipp and Team Go Eleven take a risk; they choose the rear SCX, the soft qualifying tyre, which, at least on paper, should provide extra grip in the first few laps, and suffer at the end. Oettl starts well, then a contact in turn three with Gerloff slows down him a bit; contrary to what is predictable, in the first two laps, he struggles to find the right pace, but from the third lap onwards he lights up and closes the gap with the Top Ten. He comes back, fight with Vierge, but in the final stage the tyre drops and he can’t take advantage of his strong point, the exit at the last corner. He finishes eleventh, in the slipstream of the Hondas and Baz, but unfortunately he does not improve his grid for Race 2. The choice of the SCX, perhaps, turned out to be wrong, but it was a calculated risk, which had to be taken to look for something different. In any case, once again, the group we are fighting with was just a few tenths ahead, and the performance of rider number 5 was definitively positive.
Superpole Race:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 16’45.342
P 2 A. Bautista + 0.123
P 3 J. Rea + 1.434
…
P 11 P. Oettl + 12.692
In Race 2 Philipp starts badly as he is outside in the first three corners, thus losing some positions. In the first few laps, he can’t ride below 42, finding himself fighting with slower riders, and not riding his own lines. After overtaking Mahias and the BMWs of Van Der Mark and Laverty, Philipp is 3.8 seconds behind Loris Baz, who was then first of the Independents. He starts a very long run-up, riding on the low 41, 41 and a half, so much so that he manages to close the gap before the last 4 laps. Gerloff also recovers, gets into a fight with Philipp, manages to take a small advantage and tries to attack Baz. Due to the fight between the two, Oettl finally closes up and tries to play his cards; he overtakes Loris once, then the French is back on the inside, Loris overtakes the American, but the latter manages to create a small gap, which will be decisive. In the last lap, everything happens; Philipp attacks in turn one, goes long, Baz misses shortly after and in the end they arrive really close. Go Eleven takes home another eleventh place, a good result, but still aware that we could have entered the top nine with a couple of faster laps in the first part of the Race.
Race 2:
P 1 A. Bautista 33’40.730
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 2.256
P 3 J. Rea + 4.758
…
P 11 P. Oettl + 24.047
WorldSBK concludes the European Rounds, and moves overseas, to Argentina, where Round 10 will take place. The track is spectacular, the atmosphere there is always very warm, and despite the distance, we are sure that the show will be guaranteed. See you in El Villicum, 21-23 October 2022!
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“Overall we did a good job this weekend, I didn’t feel good this weekend, I was a bit sick, and it didn’t help our progress. I think we did a good work, we finished strong, we were fighting. I wanted the Top Ten so hard, especially in the last race, but we just went close. I think we are in a good way, in a positive group of results and we have to continue like this. In the last lap today I tried to overtake Baz in the first corner, but I went off the track, then I was back in the track thinking it was over, but he made a big mistake, so I was close to him again, but the finish line came and I couldn’t pass him. Let’s see the next round, I think we can be in the fight there, too. ”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“In Superpole Race we risked the soft tyre, we expected something more, but the performance of the tyre was strange, different from what we expected. In Race 2 he remained outside the first corners, trying to take advantage of more free space, however we could not recover anything. I think then he had a good race, fighting the Best Independent almost to the checkered flag. We have to consider that he has had stomach problems for 2 days, and he was not in perfect shape, then on a so difficult and physical track, having no energy certainly does not help. Also for this reason I am happy with the tenacity and determination that Philipp is showing us. Every race we grow and improve in some area so we have to continue this trend!”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
BMW Motorrad Motorsport concludes European WorldSBK season with top eight finishes in Portimão.
Best BMW race result was seventh place for Scott Redding in the second main race in Portimão
Loris Baz reaches the top 10 in all three races
After nine race events in Europe, the FIM Superbike World Championship 2022 now heads overseas as the end of the season approaches
Portimão. BMW Motorrad Motorsport concluded the European season in the FIM Superbike World Championship with top eight finishes. Scott Redding (GBR) from the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team produced the best race result in Portimão (POR). He finished seventh in the second main race on Sunday. Once again, the most consistent BMW rider was Loris Baz (FRA) from the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, who reached the top 10 in all three races. Michael van der Mark (NED) chased his way up from 20th on the grid to finish eighth in the Superpole Race. Eugene Laverty (IRL) scored one point on Saturday. Portimão was the ninth and final European event of the year. The tenth round of the WorldSBK season will take place in two weeks (21st to 23rd October) in San Juan, Argentina. The final events will then follow in Indonesia and Australia.
After Superpole qualifying, Baz started the first race on Saturday from seventh place, with Redding alongside him in eighth. Laverty was 17th on the grid, with van der Mark 20th. Redding was the best-placed BMW rider in seventh place, only to make a minor error on the final lap. He took a tumble before rejoining the race and crossed the line in 18th. Baz was also on course for the top 10 during the entire race, finishing ninth. Van der Mark in 14th and Laverty in 15th completed the points positions.
Van der Mark moved up from 20th to eighth place during the ten-lap Superpole Race on Sunday morning. Baz again finished ninth, while Redding dropped back some places during the closing laps to finish 13th. Laverty crossed the line in 15th position. Redding bounced back to finish seventh in the subsequent second main race. Baz repeated his top ten performance, finishing 10th. Van der Mark was twelfth and Laverty 16th, just missing out on the points.
Portimão was the final home race for Laverty, who lives near to the circuit. Next season, the 36-year-old will move into management with the Bonovo action BMW Racing team. An event on Saturday evening saw many companions take a look back at his long career in international racing, and the team presented him with a special gift – the BMW M 1000 RR that had been prepared for his guest appearance in the IDM.
The race weekend was overshadowed by the serious injuries sustained by Dutch rider Victor Steeman in an accident in the Supersport 300 class.
Quotes after the Portimão races.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “It was a difficult weekend, and we are not where we should be in terms of results. Loris and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team reached their top 10 objective in all three races, which was good. It was a shame that Scott fell yesterday. It was a minor rider error and that annoyed him most of all. But he was just trying to defend his position. Scott had problems with his X tyres in the qualifying race and could not keep up with the pace. Finishing seventh in the second main race was OK, but the gap to the leaders was just too large, it’s nearly one second per lap. I was very happy that Michael was able to move up from 20th to eighth in the Superpole Race. That’s a sign that he is on the way back, and that was good to see. Eugene didn’t quite get the results we were hoping for in his final races in Europe, but he and the team will give their all as the season draws to a close. Overall, we were definitely not in the position we were before Barcelona. We must continue to work hard to make progress. Congratulations to our BMW M brand team-mates in the DTM, who won the team and drivers’ titles. They managed it, and that’s what we need to do as well.
“Unfortunately, the race weekend started with some sad news for us. It was dreadful to hear that BMW BSB rider Chrissy Rouse succumbed to his injuries after that serious accident in Donington Park. We would like to express our sincere condolences to his family, his friends and his team. Our thoughts are also with Supersport 300 rider Victor Steeman. We hope to hear positive news soon.”
Loris Baz, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team (SP: 7 / R01: 9 / SP Race: 9/ R02: 10): “We had some great fights in all three races. I think our set-up in the Superpole Race this morning was not perfect, I felt like I had to squeeze the brakes very hard all the time. But I was close to Scott, which is good, until the last lap, where I had a big moment. Overall, it was quite a good weekend considering the issues we had in the beginning. I just hope we’ll soon have a full weekend without any problems, where we can work all the way through the weekend, find a good setup and improve the bike. We can’t blame anyone; we just have been unlucky. I think overseas will now be very different, you never know what to expect. But we made it into the top ten, which is the target. Anyway, I hope we can be in the top five soon.”
Scott Redding, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (SP: 8 / R01: 18 / SP Race: 13 / R02: 7): “To be honest, the weekend was not great. We struggled again. Maybe not as much as in Barcelona, but we were still not where we want to be. Our weak point still costs us too much time. There is not much I can do. The guys worked well to give me a better feeling in some areas and helped me with the tyre life, so I was able to be more consistent to the end. But I need performance on the exit of the corner and at the moment there is no solution yet. We still have a lot of work to do, and everyone is working really hard. But sometimes you need to go really deep to come to a solution that makes the difference. We will get there. It just takes time.”
Michael van der Mark, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (SP: 20 / R01: 14 / SP Race: 8 / R02: 12): “We made a massive change compared to yesterday with the bike. The warm-up felt okay. In the Superpole Race, I had an amazing start, gained a lot of places, and immediately felt that I had a really good pace. We decided to go with the SC0 tyre to keep the distance and also because I just need more time with the bike. At the end, it was the right choice for us. We were really fast in the Superpole Race. It makes life a little bit easier to start from P8 in race two. I had a good start, just got tangled up in a few moments of the first lap. To be honest, I didn’t have the best grip from the start. I dropped a few positions because I couldn’t stay with the guys in front of me. In the end I had a solid pace, I was not incredible fast but also not slow. I calmed down a bit and got more miles under the belt. It was good to finish the race and to score another few points.”
Eugene Laverty, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team (SP: 17 / R01: 15 / SP Race: 15 / R02: 16): “Right now, all we can do is keep working to improve on where we’ve been lately. This weekend, the team did a fantastic job. Instead of trying to do big leaps we’ve worked on our weaknesses to improve the bike. Honestly, in the final race, the bike was the best it has been in a long time. It was doing many things correctly, now we must study the power delivery, as after four laps it seems to be killing the rear tyre and after that we go backwards. We need to dig deep into it and improve this. Because when the tyre is gone after four laps, the 20 laps are really long.
“Last night was such a huge surprise. I was so focused on this weekend, like I’ve approached every weekend for the last 16 years. I got into my routine, and it didn’t matter in my mind that it was the last European round, but suddenly I began to bump into these familiar faces and people had surprised me. My wife Pippa organised a lot of events. In this celebration, it was very nice to see so many of my former teams, my former teammates and of course my current Bonovo action BMW Racing Team. It was also amazing to have Dr. Markus Schramm here as well. To top it all off, there was a bike underneath the cover, and I could see there was a number 50 there and I thought it was a presentation, but when they told me it was my present, I couldn’t believe it. I felt like a kid at Christmas! So, a big thank you to Jürgen Röder and everybody for this event and this incredible gift.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Fantastic win for Bautista in Race-2 at Portimao. Rinaldi (P4) always in the battle for the podium. Exciting recovery by Bulega from P30 to Top-10 finish in WorldSSP
Another extraordinary Sunday for Alvaro Bautista and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. The Spaniard won an amazing Race-2 at the end of a spectacular battle with Razgatlioglu (Yamaha), while Michael Rinaldi finished in fourth place after fighting all race for the podium.
Starting from the second position on the grid obtained with the P2 in Superpole Race, Bautista chased Razgatlioglu and Rea (Kawasaki) for the first eight laps. On lap nine he made a masterpiece with a double-overtaking move that allowed him to take the lead. Razgatlioglu attacked him with three laps to go but Bautista defended himself well and finished first by a margin.
Rinaldi made the most of the second row gained in SPR and at the first corner, he was already in fourth. His pace was incisive and allowed him to stay with the podium group for more than two-thirds of the race (P4).
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“A very good result. I am very happy. We encountered a few more difficulties than at the weekend in Barcelona also because we knew that Toprak and Johnny would be very strong on this circuit. As always we came with no expectations but it’s clear that I would have signed to go home with two second places finish and a win. The classification? I’ve been saying it since the start of the season: my goal is to have fun racing this bike. Then in Australia we will do the maths”.
P4 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I am satisfied with today’s race also because we managed to overcome the problems we experienced yesterday, after having skipped FP3 completely. There’s only a little bit of regret left for the last six laps because the tyre drop was very noticeable. Compared to last year, however, on this track we have made an important step that confirms the good work we are doing”.
WorldSSP
With a crazy comeback, Niccolò Bulega ends with a smile a weekend made impossible by the technical problem that did not allow him to take part in the Superpole. Starting last (P30) as in Race-1, in Race-2 the Aruba.it Racing WSSP team rider recovered twenty positions to finish tenth.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“It’s clear that you can’t be satisfied with a Top 10. But the satisfaction remains for having made a good comeback and also for the fact that the feeling with the bike was really good. Now we go to Argentina to get back to the positions we deserve.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bautista prevents a Razgatlioglu hat-trick at Portimao with Race 2 victory
The Ducati rider won Race 2 ahead of Razgatlioglu and Rea to extend his Championship lead
Race 2 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista claimed his 28th WorldSBK victory as he finished 2.256s ahead of Razgatlioglu.
His Championship lead extended to 56 points over the Turkish rider.
“For sure, it has been three amazing races with a lot of fighting at the front. Yesterday, I needed the last six laps of the race to get to Toprak and fight for victory. In the Superpole Race, I knew it was maybe difficult to beat Jonathan and Toprak because they were very fast. I think they were a bit better than us at this track with these conditions. This morning, I was very determined, and my plan was to stay with them because I can finish with them, that means I have the chance in the afternoon to fight for the victory. In the end, I was quite fast in the morning as well. I could be with them, especially with Toprak. He had a really incredible pace in the morning. In the afternoon, I had a better position on the grid. I made a normal start and I lost position to Jonathan, but I was there. When Jonathan was in front, Toprak was behind him just saving the tyre life. I think Jonathan was struggling a little bit more than Toprak to push. I decided to take the lead and increase the pace, make the others force their tyre. I’m happy because the last laps, even if Toprak tried to overtake me a couple of times, he was struggling more so in the last few laps he stayed away.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu was second in Race 2 as he claimed his 75th podium in WorldSBK.
He is second in the standings and has a 26-point advantage over Rea.
“In the afternoon, Alvaro improved and came back very strong again. It wasn’t easy to pass him in Race 2, but I kept fighting for the win. In the last three laps, the front tyre started to lock. I said second place was enough. Every lap, I caught him, and, on the exit of the last corner, he got ahead again on the straight; his bike is very fast. We finished second and we take good points for the Championship.”
P3 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea completed the Race 2 podium. He finished 4.758s behind Bautista and 2.502s behind Razgatlioglu.
He remains third in the Championship standings, with 366 points.
“I’m a little be disappointed with the results. I really came here wanting to try to get a race win under my belt but no regrets. I did my best. I got everything out of my ZX10RR. My team worked incredibly well. Race 2 I enjoyed a lot, I was riding on the limit to be there. I got to the front and tried to relax to control the tyre a little bit. But when Alvaro came by, his pace was really fast. Some areas to really improve when the grip level just drop with our bike.”
P4 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi was fighting for a podium place but dropped back from the lead trio, finishing in fourth place.
He stands in fourth place in the standings with 323 points.
“It’s been always an improving weekend. Unfortunately, yesterday morning, during FP3, I couldn’t ride because of a technical issue. It ruined our first race a bit because I made the wrong tyre choice for Race 1. But today was a different story. We tried to do a good job in the Tissot Superpole Race which allowed us to start from fifth position for Race 2. The pace was amazing. I tried to stay with the top three guys. I stayed there until five or six laps until the end because when the tyre dropped, I could be fast enough to stay there. So we missed something. But you know, it’s another track, the pace was amazing.”
P5 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Lowes was battling with Rinaldi, with the Italian taking the advantage and the British rider finishing in fifth place.
A top five finish meant Lowes recovered sixth place in the standings.
“To be honest, I felt quite good in that last race today. We made a small change on the front of the bike. Apart from when I had a fuel tank of fuel, I was struggling with the front locking a little bit but apart from that, I felt really good. But unfortunately, my pace was not as fast as the guys at the front. That was incredible the pace they had. I was still able to make low 1‘41 on lap 15, 16 and I was losing ground so respect to them! The tyres still haven’t changed much since last year and the pace was really, really impressive. I missed a little bit to go with these guys but a great weekend, a great qualifying, a good Race 1, Superpole Race was strong. I was really close to and battling with Jonathan. Like I said I missed a little bit at the start of the last race with a fuel tank of fuel. And at the end I was coming back towards Michael but we run out of lap.”
P6 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli completed the top six, finishing almost seven seconds down on Lowes after 20 laps.
The Italian rider remains fifth in the Championship standings, 36 points behind Rinaldi and seven points ahead of Lowes.
“It was another strong race. The rhythm was really fast. I think I lost the gap immediately after the second or third lap when Bassani crashed. I lost the possibility to stay with Lowes. And then I was losing 0.2s or 0.3s every laps. But in the end, it was another great and positive weekend. We have good confidence with the bike. We know what we need to do to around the bike. We have more info now. And also, we were stronger here than in Barcelona. This is positive to look forward and to prepare the next races. We bring some points home so I’m happy about this.”
To note:
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took seventh place as he battled his way up the order, finishing just under a second clear of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC).
The Motul Argentinean Round will take place from the 21st to the 23rd of October at the Circuito San Juan Villicum.
Jake Gagne (33) battled with Kohta Nozane (3) and Marvin Fritz (17) in Race One. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Gagne 19th In WorldSBK Race One
by Michael Gougis
Jake Gagne and the Attack Racing team made significant strides forward in qualifying at their wild card foray into Superbike World Championship competition. The two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion cut the gap to the front to less than 1.6 seconds in qualifying and put his Yamaha YZF-R1 into 16th.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) passed Jonathan Rea (65) for the lead and took the win in Race One in Portugal. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Race One proved to be tougher, as Gagne found himself in an unusual position – in the pack battling for places as he headed into Turn One. His race pace was a step backward, his 1:42.493 best lap just a tick over two seconds slower than race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu’s quickest of 1:40.328, which was a new lap record.
Garrett Gerloff (31) chases Xavi Vierge (97) en route to 11th in Race One in Portugal. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Attack Racing’s Richard Stanboli summed up the difficulties of chasing down the last incremental performance gains that make so much of the difference at this level. “We’re about a day behind,” he said. “Everyone else comes here with so much data about all of the idiosyncrasies of the track. We’ll get this place right just about the time everyone else is in Argentina (for the next WorldSBK race).”
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as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
