Army Of Darkness Takes 5th Consecutive Overall N2/WERA National Endurance Championship with Second Place Finish at Barber Motorsports Park
Army Of Darkness persevered at the ultimate round of the N2/WERA National Endurance Series to take the team’s 18th and 19th national endurance championships aboard their Pirelli-shod Yamaha R1. The 2022 endurance season saw competitors field rides by Hayden Gillim, Josh Hayes, Rocco Landers, Taylor Knapp, Danilo Petrucci, and Mathew Scholtz. Against the deepest competition pool in years, AOD veteran riders Chris Peris and Ben Walters, joined by 2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion Cody Wyman and with guest appearances by Geoff May and Robertino Pietri, finished four races in second place with a single victory at Road Atlanta.
Those finishes proved to be the most consistent points earners and allowed AOD the luxury of entering the last race of the year with over a 15-point gap, meaning that any finish third or higher would secure the title.
“It’s always a strange situation where you are telling your riders to ride conservatively and not to push,” offered Team Captain Sam Fleming. “Basically the only thing that was going to cost us this 19th championship was a crash, so I had to pull in the reins on Geoff, Chris, Cody, and Ben to tell them, ‘Don’t try to go with Scholtz, don’t make sketchy passes, don’t burn up the tires, enjoy the weather, enjoy the bike, and finish in second.’
“Some of the pressure was removed as another top team unfortunately couldn’t make the final due to a crash the prior weekend so that gave us the breathing room to just focus on the finish and not have to sweat too much. Of course, Yamaha has been a stalwart supporter of the team’s efforts and we would not have been able to bring them their third national title of 2022 without that great collaboration.”
“It’s a double-edged sword when you come into the last race with a decent lead,” added Crew Chief Tim Gooding. “All or nothing really focuses the mind, but with a lead the focus shifts from ‘do the stop fast’ to ‘don’t be the one who makes a mistake and costs us everything.’ We’ve had the same pit crew of Melissa (Berkoff), YT (Lechner), Anthony (Consorte), and Chris (Manfrin) for the last five years so we’ve got a good rhythm with each other. Our first endurance race was pushing three decades ago in 1993 but one thing I love about this sport is still learning the mysteries of motorbikes at speed. Working with Chris and Ben is always fun but it was very interesting to add the feedback of Cody and Geoff to the mix to get to explore different ideas on everything from ECU programming to spring stiffness. Oscar Solis from Pirelli came out for a few races and really helped us learn about the dynamics of tire pressure and temperature and how the suspension set-up impacts tire life. It was a really tough season but it feels great that the work all paid off at the end with another championship.”
AOD is sponsored by: Army of Darkness, Pirelli, Yamaha Champions Riding School, Yamaha, Industry13, Chicken Hawk, Wood Craft, Hindle, Supersprox, Thermosman, N2, WERA, Roadracing World.
The Championship leader is one race closer to the title with a 82-point lead and two rounds to go
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 2 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista claimed his second win of the weekend in Race 2. He had a 3.389s gap to Razgatlioglu.
He extended his lead in the Championship standings to 82 points over Razgatlioglu and will have a first chance to win the title next time out at the Pirelli Indonesian Round.
Bautista could claim the title in the next race if he outscores Razgatlioglu by 17 points and Rea by one point.
“For sure today, it’s been really though in the race. First of all, because it’s the last race of the weekend, and you feel, physically, all the efforts from the weekend but also because today the track was more difficult than yesterday. It was easier to make mistakes. I didn’t start well and lost some positions. But at the same time, it was good because I let the other riders evaluate the situation before me. Then I started to understand how much I could push, and I decided to recover the positions and take the lead because I felt that I could be faster than the others. I took the lead. I saw Toprak was close to me. I didn’t think about taking points, about the risks… just to do my best. I gave everything. In the end, I could win some advantage and I could manage until the end. I’m so happy, today my performance was really good.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu was second in Race 2 finishing 9.764s ahead of Rea.
He remains second in the Championship standings with 425 points.
“In the second race, I tried my best and kept fighting for the win. I was waiting for Alvaro’s tyre to drop but it didn’t happen, so I kept fighting for second position. I want to thank my team, in the last minutes we changed the plan and decided to use the SCX tyre. The SCX tyre is destroyed but I was feeling much better during the race. We keep fighting for the Championship. We’ll try our best again in Mandalika.”
P3 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
After battling with his teammate for third place in the closing stages of the race, Rea made the move at Turn 8 on Lap 18 to take another podium finish.
Rea stands in third place in the Championship standings, 98 points behind Bautista and 16 points behind Razgatlioglu.
“I’m just disappointed because my bike this morning was incredible, in the Superpole Race. I had good traction and everything was working. From the get-go in Race 2 this afternoon, I had nothing. As soon as I turned into Turn 2, I felt ‘why is the bike not hooking up?’. I was fighting, a real passenger for most of the race, so we need to analyse exactly what happened because it was strange. It was a battle with my teammate, Alex. In the beginning with Vierge and Rinaldi. It was just about grinding those guys down and letting the tyres move around a little bit. Alex’s pace was fast! He just kept going and going and going. There was a point I thought ‘maybe my best is fourth’. I kept going, never gave up, and finally I could arrive on the podium.”
P4 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Lowes was fighting for a podium finish with Rea but dropped around two seconds behind his teammate in the closing stages to take fourth place.
“I was happy with the weekend. I think our pace was fourth this weekend. I wasn’t quite as fast as the first three but it looked like, in the practices, I was a bit quicker than the guys behind. Shame not to be able to get on the podium. I felt quite good at the end of the race, but the SCX rear tyre just dropped, and I had lot of chatter in the end. We’ll try again in Indonesia.”
P5 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Having led in the first laps of the race, Rinaldi dropped down to take fifth place finishing 4.006s behind Lowes.
“Actually, I smelled the podium and you know, going home without the trophy is not what I wanted but if you see Friday, I can be satisfied with how we answered to a bad Friday. We worked hard, we improved the bike, we improved the feeling, we improved the time, and we were able to lead some laps, which is not bad. But to fight the top three guys, you must be at your 100% everywhere. Unfortunately, with the hot conditions, I was not comfortable riding because I couldn’t stop the bike the way I wanted to. Now we are so consistent in the race even if it’s not going well, so we just need a small step, but I think that it’s closer than you think.”
P6 – Xavi Vierge (Team HRC)
Vierge took sixth position in Race 2, his best result since Barcelona.
“It has been a really good weekend for us. We started FP1 struggling a lot and I didn’t understand how to go faster, especially in sector 3 and 4 but the team made an amazing job. It helped me a lot to improve the feeling with the bike and understand how to go fast, and every time we went out, we improved a lot, especially after FP3. The plan was to try to win some places in the Tissot Superpole Race and this helped us to be a bit closer to the front in Race 2. I caught Rinaldi and I tried to overtake him, but he was faster than me in some parts of the track. I was faster in some others but not enough to overtake him. It has been a good race. I learned a lot during the weekend, and it was good for us to make these improvements for the future.”
To note:
Baz battled back from the rear of the field after he came off his bike following a Lap 2 collision with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at Turn 12. The incident was investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards with Bassani deemed at fault, with the Italian penalised with a Long Lap Penalty. However, for not taking this in time, Bassani was given a second Long Lap Penalty before he was given a ride through penalty for not taking his Long Lap Penalties on time.
The Pirelli Indonesian Round will take place from the 11th to the 13th of November at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Down to Valencia: #TheDecider awaits after a tense battle for supremacy at Sepang
Bagnaia makes a huge statement under huge pressure to hold off Bastianini, with Quartararo pulling out a podium to keep the fight for the title alive
Francesco Bagnaia (63) held off Enea Bastianini (23) to win at Sepang. Photo by Dorna.
Sunday, 23 October 2022
There are few places like Sepang to play a match point. With the humidity hanging heavy in the air and the pressure of potential history just around the corner, lights out for Round 19 added an extra shot of adrenaline. And from there on out, the tension only rose. Two Ducatis, one with the World Championship on the line and another with an entire chess match to decide, escaped into the lead with enough breathing space from the rest to go toe-to-toe. And that they did. The winner, under intense pressure and taking a magnificent seventh victory of the season, was Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), with Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) just coming up short – after pushing his future teammate to the flag. Again.
Completing the podium and taking the title fight to Valencia was Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). El Diablo bounced back from a tough Saturday to show exactly why he’s the reigning Champion, riding through the pain barrier to a seriously impressive third place to keep himself in it, 23 points back but setting up a final showdown in Valencia.
Bagnaia got the start of his life and braved it out on the brakes to slot into second from the off, gaining seven places to up just behind polesitter Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), with Bastianini already harrying the number 63 – and Quartararo looking for a way past Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). He found one.
Another big shift then occurred up ahead, with Martin suddenly sliding out the lead – giving that lead to Bagnaia. The title was tantalisingly close for the Italian, and Quartararo may have been third but Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was on a charge behind the number 20, with that plus Bastianini – glued to the back of Bagnaia – making anything possible.
At Turn 4 on Lap 11, another thunderbolt hit. Bastainini was late on the brakes, and through on Bagnaia for the lead of the race he went. Could he break away? The two remained glued together, Bagnaia losing no distance to his future teammate, as the sound of cogs whirring started to ramp up even further. Second sure seemed enough, but would it still be enough on Sunday in two weeks’ time?
The laps ticked down and just before six to go, Bagnaia hit back at the final corner to retake the lead – with Quartararo now looking ahead rather than over his shoulder. The Frenchman was catching the lead duo, with Bezzecchi dropping off the back off the Yamaha. With five to go the gap to from Bastianini to Quartararo was 1.6, and next time round Pecco also led by 0.4 as the number 63 stayed serene.
By two to go, the showdown was clear. Quartararo couldn’t gain too much more time but had a secure third in the bag if he kept it on track. And Bastianini had a serious shot at the win, glued back onto the rear wheel of Bagnaia as the final lap began.
Turn 4 came and went – the earlier passing point – and Bagnaia pounded on. The decisive moment then finally came at Turn 9 as Bastianini got a little close for comfort behind the number 63, losing some metres as he gathered it back up. And that was that, Bagnaia had enough to hold it to the line and takes a 23-point lead to the season finale after a magnificent seventh win of the season. Bastianini was just 0.2 away by the flag after making some statements of his own, with Quartararo doing a phenomenal job to end the race on the rostrum to still be in with a chance at keeping his MotoGP™ crown.
Bezzecchi couldn’t quite stay with Quartararo for third but the Rookie of the Year took another impressive finish in P4, carving out some room for himself too. Australian GP winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took fifth, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) charging up to sixth by the flag and getting past Marc Marquez late on. Ducati Lenovo Team were also crowned Team World Champions after a tense day at the office!
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) did another Sunday classic for a solid eighth, ahead of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). After a tough weekend it was a tough Sunday for the number 41’s last stand in the title fight on his 300th start, and he was classified tenth after a penalty for an aggressive move on him was handed to Morbidelli. The Italian was forced to settle for P11 after 3 seconds were added to his race time, just ahead of Cal Crutchlow (WithU Yamaha RNF) after another impressive performance from the Brit. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) were the final point scorers, with Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) off to a good start before a technical problem forced him into pitlane.
What’s 23 points between two of the best riders of their generation? One spectacular final weekend of the season, that’s for sure. Don’t miss #TheDecider as the Circuit Ricardo Tormo hosts in two weeks – with everything on the line and a Champion certain to be crowned.
MotoGP™ PODIUM
1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 40’14.332
2 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – Ducati – +0.270
“No, never, it was incredible. All weekend, I missed all the sessions [practice starts] because in FP3, I crashed, and I didn’t; in Q2, I crashed, and I didn’t. So, I wasn’t so sure about the start. This morning, the two starts weren’t so good, but in the Barcelona test, we did something on the launch system that was good for us, because before, it was very difficult to have a good start, it was wheelie-ing a lot. I did like 23 starts in the Barcelona tests and from that moment, all the starts afterwards were perfect, and today was the best one. When I saw that the reflex on the lights was perfect and the release of the brakes was perfect, I just thought that I was overtaking a row. But then also the first braking zone was a bit risky, but useful.”
How much did the start help calm you down by getting you out of a tricky situation in the first two corners?
“For sure, when I passed the first two corners, I was more calm. I said, ‘Okay, now I can start to adapt my pace.’ Jorge in front of me was pushing a lot and, after two laps trying to follow him, I said, ‘This pace is too much for me.’ I calmed down and was just constant with my pace, and that’s it, that’s what I did. Jorge unfortunately crashed but I think this pace was also meaning more consumption of the rear tyre. In any case, he was doing a really good job. But, the most difficult part of the race was the part when Enea overtook me because I knew that Fabio was third, and today it was important to get as many points possible to arrive in Valencia and be more careful. So, I just tried to understand his pace and then when I saw that my pace was better than his, I just tried to be in front again and braked as hard as possible to prevent any possibility of an overtake. So, it was tough, really tough, but one of the best moments of the season.”
The Bastianini situation cannot be easy to manage…
“No, absolutely, but today my thing was that I was braking so hard. I was losing a bit in the long corners because he was using more lean angle with the bike and was closing the lines with more speed. I was losing a bit of time there but then my braking was very strong and in the last part of the race, it was the thing that let me win the race.”
How are you feeling going to Valencia with a pretty comfortable margin?
“For sure, it will be a different situation. 23 points, I’m just missing two, so I will have to finish 14th if he wins. It’s easy to say now, but it will be very tough because sometimes when you are careful, you have more trouble, you have more mistakes, you have more distractions. I will try just to do a normal weekend like this one, maybe with less crashes – because this weekend, I crashed too much – and be smart, for sure. To work well, to be in the front, and if I have the possibility to win, I will try to win again.”
ENEA BASTIANINI
Enea Bastianini (23) finished close behind his future teammate Francesco Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Are you happy, or disappointed that you did not win?
“I’m happy about my race. I’m not really happy about the last part of the race because my traction was not really good, especially from the exit of the slow corners, and I tried to do all the best to try to overtake Pecco on the last lap, but it was impossible.”
When you passed Bagnaia on Lap 11, did you feel like you could gap him but just did not have the grip?
“At the start, I think my potential was to try to make the gap, but after two or three laps in front, something changed and I lost some confidence on the rear. After that, I was slower and Pecco overtook me again. I pushed really hard to stay really close to him and tried to overtake again, but, nothing.
Did you just sit behind him or did you not have the rear grip?
“I tried to overtake Pecco again on the last lap but it was a little bit dangerous. Sometimes we have to see also there are other questions, and he battles for the Championship, and it’s like this.”
Who do you think for the Championship; Bagnaia or Quartararo?
“I think Pecco will win the Championship in Valencia. He has a lot of points distance over Fabio. Fabio, I think, also had a good race today but I think it will not be easy for him.”
FABIO QUARTARARO
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Dorna.
The main mission was to keep yourself in the fight for Valencia, wasn’t it?
“Yeah, I hoped it would not be victory for Pecco, of course, but at least we gave our maximum today. The start was the key point, [and] the first lap. We changed the strategy a little bit compared to Australia when I wanted to keep the tyre fresh for the end. Today, I just pushed myself quite hard at the beginning because our bike is not super-good at saving the tyre, so I had to push for three or four laps until I was in front of Marc, so it was pretty good and I’m happy to get that result today.”
Braking late the first corner was key:
“Yeah, and I saw Pecco was really good in the first braking zone, so I said, ‘I have to make something,’ because, if not, my title chance will fly away, and I did a great first lap. Even if now we were super-far away, I’m not giving up, and I want to finish in a good way in Valencia.”
How hard was it to keep Bezzecchi behind, given a pass would have made Bagnaia Champion?
“In the end, he was one-and-a-half seconds then he came back to three or two tenths from me, but I pushed like hell because, first of all, I knew that if he overtook me and Pecco won, he would have been World Champion. But, especially, I wanted a podium and I knew that if he overtook me, I could not overtake him back. So, let’s see how we handle it, but I’m pretty happy to at least bring the mystery until Valencia.”
How was the broken finger in the race?
“It was not a big crash, but a stupid crash. It was a normal crash but I just broke my finger and, of course, it was really painful but luckily Angel (Charte) took care of me yesterday afternoon so I want to say thanks to him. Of course, adrenaline is a great painkiller and also fighting for that kind of position. I think my finger was something else but as soon as I stopped, right now I feel pain the finger. It doesn’t matter because we gave everything and that’s what we wanted today.”
What are you feeling about going to Valencia?
“I will prepare myself like a crazy man because I know the only solution for me to fight there will be to win. So, it doesn’t matter, but I want to enjoy the Valencia race because I know it’s the last one of the season, and then we’ll see how we do. But I’m feeling like we have to enjoy the Valencia race.”
Tony Arbolino (14). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Arbolino earns dominant win as Ogura takes shock last lap tumble
The Championship leader is now Fernandez once again as the Spaniard takes fourth and Ogura crashes out when attacking for the lead
In an incredibly nervy showdown at Sepang, it was Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) leaving with a third intermediate class win in some style – and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) leaves with the Championship lead once again. After Arbolino and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) had escaped at the front, the Japanese rider and then-points leader decided to make an attack – and slid out on the last lap.
Arbolino was left with a sizeable lead ahead of another impressive podium for Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp), who now leads the fight for Rookie of the Year despite only joining the grid full time at Le Mans. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) was a protagonist as he went elbow to elbow with Fernandez, the Brit eventually able to escape for another impressive podium.
After Arbolino and Ogura escaped, it was initially Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) holding third but in the latter stages, Lopez was able to pounce. He was followed by Dixon not long after, leaving Fernandez to take on the nervy task of trying to pass the rookie on the final lap – without knowing Ogura was about to crash out.
That was the drama as the Japanese rider went for a move at Turn 9, and suddenly the number 79 was on the floor. That left Arbolino with time to wave to the crowd on the way to the final corner, then crossing the line over 10 seconds clear for an impressive third Moto2™ win.
Lopez was able to keep a fairly secure second after that, with Dixon dispatching Fernandez, then Gonzalez and taking another podium. Fernandez did make his last lap move on the rookie ahead, and takes a valuable fourth to give him a 9.5 point lead heading into Valencia.
Gonzalez still takes his best ever result in fifth, with Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) in P6. Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) impressed to take seventh, with Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) suffering a tougher day at the office in eighth, just getting the better of Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp).
There was drama on Lap 1 for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as he collided with Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and they were out early on, both riders ok.
The title fight rolls on and Fernandez is back on top. It’s 9.5 points ahead of the final showdown in Valencia, and on the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider’s home turf. Tune in for more in two weeks as we decide the 2022 Moto2™ World Champion!
Moto2™ PODIUM
1 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – 38’25.233
2 Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) – Boscoscuro – +11.411
Tony Arbolino: “In my mind, I have it. I want to prove I’m fast, I want to prove I’m one of the best riders in this category, so this is what I have in my mind and this is what keeps me believing it. So, even if I’m out of the world title, I want to keep building the confidence and win races. This is my objective right now because I have no pressure, but anyway, amazing, amazing feeling. This is the work that pays off – like I always say in all my interviews, but this is like that. I want to thank this amazing team, this amazing family, I want to give this to them and to my family and fans who follow me from all around the world.”
John McPhee (17). Photo courtesy Dorna.
McPhee paints a masterpiece at Sepang
The Scotsman stuns Sepang for an incredible first win since 2020, pipping Sasaki and Garcia
John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) took an unbelievable win at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia, making the perfect attack at the final corner to come out on top for the first time since San Marino 2020 – and from P22 on the grid. The Scotsman just pipped teammate Ayumu Sasaki to the line by 0.048, with Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) completing the podium after losing out late on.
Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) suffered some late drama, having to avoid Sasaki after the Japanese rider suffered a moment, leaving the reigning Champion down in P12.
After a freight train start, bit by bit a top six of Guevara, Sasaki, Jaume Masia (Red Bull TKM Ajo), Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), Garcia and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) broke away at the front, but there was some decisive drama with four to go. Sasaki had a bobble on the main straight after overtaking Guevara, and the number 28 had to bail out and take some avoiding action, heading off onto the grass and dropping back. Meanwhile, McPhee had bridged the gap and was more than in the fight for victory.
That left Garcia leading Sasaki, Masia, Foggia, Moreira and McPhee, and starting the last lap the number 11 was holding firm ahead of Foggia. And then everyone overtook everyone all at once, or so it seemed, with the Leopard going for a move on the Aspar and then the rest of the lap largely two or three abreast. As the gaggle headed into the final corner, it was McPhee who pitched it to perfection, hugging the inside line and then tucking in for the final drag to the flag. Teammate Sasaki went toe-to-toe with the Scotsman but couldn’t quite make it stick, with McPhee taking an emotional first win since 2020 by just 0.048. Garcia takes third and another valuable podium, gaining points on Foggia too, as did Sasaki.
Foggia finished sixth in the shuffle, with Masia taking fourth and Moreira fifth. That concluded the front group after Guevara was forced to drop out of it earlier, and the second group was fronted by Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in seventh, just ahead of Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) – with Guevara next up in P12 a small gap back.
Heading into Valencia it’s Garcia keeping the advantage in the fight for silver – and the Circuit Ricardo Tormo is his playground. Tune in for more in two weeks as Moto3™ round out the season in style!
Moto3™ PODIUM
1 John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) – Husqvarna – 38’04.589
John McPhee: “I’m proud of myself for that one. That one, I had to dig so deep. It’s been such a tough season, such a tough weekend. Yesterday, honestly, I nearly went and stopped. I was just having so many issues and felt dangerous on the bike. So, just so happy for me, happy for the guys that have supported me. That one was for everyone that stuck behind me and supported me. One last win in Moto3™ and we’ve got one more opportunity in Valencia.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Bautista wins Race 1 to seal 13th victory of 2022 and extend his Championship lead to 80 points
The Championship leader took the win ahead of Rea and Bassani, as Razgatlioglu crashed on the opening lap
Alvaro Bautista (19) celebrates his Race One victory with his team. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 1 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista took the lead in the first corner but dropped down to fourth place after avoiding Razgatlioglu when the reigning World Champion crashed.
He was able to overtake Bassani and Rea to claim the win with a 5.141s gap. Bautista was the only rider from the top three in the Championship to use the SCX tyre.
He extends his lead in the Championship standings to 80 points over Razgatlioglu and 87 points over Rea.
“Today I’m happy because I improved a lot the feeling with the bike from yesterday. I want to thank Ducati and all my team, they worked to give me a real good bike for today. Already this morning I felt really strong with the bike, on the pace. Also, in the Superpole, we did incredibly fast laps. I was so confident for the race because I knew I had a really good feeling and a very good pace. The important thing was the first lap, to not stay with a lot of riders and to not enter into a lot of fights and to not make mistakes. But in the first lap, I was leading the race. In the first corner I was really lucky because Toprak crashed in front of me. I don’t know if he touched my front tyre or it was my feeling, but he was really close and I was lucky to not crash with him. After that, I needed a couple of laps to analyse what was happening and unfortunately I just lost some positions, and I could stay with the front group. Then I saw that my pace could be a couple of tenths faster. So, I decided, without taking many risks, try to stay in front and have my reference. I was quite consistent during the race. I’m happy because we choose the SCX tyre and I think it was the best option because it worked really well. More than the victory, I’m happy with the feeling I recovered with the bike.”
P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea battled all race long with Bassani, with Rea out braking Bassani into Turn 1 on Lap 18 to stay ahead and take second place, claiming his 22nd podium of the season.
With Razgatlioglu finishing in 15th place, only seven points separates Rea from second place in the standings.
“Axel started really well, his rhythm was quite strong in the beginning. When Alvaro came past, he capitalised on being able to pass Bassani quite easily. Then he had some free track to do his rhythm and he went away. I was stuck because I was stronger in some areas of the track and Axel was stronger in other areas. It was like a concertina effect. But then I settled for second, I understood today I could race for second. We were going away from Lecuona so it was more a race understanding where am I going to pass. I tried a couple of times into the long chicane, but it didn’t really work. Axel would get the cut back. I put another move in the penultimate corner and it kind of worked. He came back and went wide and into Turn 1, from there, it was about doing my rhythm, try to go away, have some breathing room for the last lap. Not the win that I would dream of, but I feel like we could be really satisfied with effort.”
P3 – Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing)
Bassani was fighting with Rea for second place until Lap 18 when Rea overtook him. He finished third, claiming his fourth WorldSBK podium, his third one of 2022.
He stands in sixth place in the Championship rankings, while also standing as the best Independent rider.
“It was an incredible race! I tried to stay at the front of the race. When Alvaro overtook me, I tried to stay with him but it wasn’t possible. I stayed with Jonny, but he’s a really good rider and has six World Championships. For me, it was incredible to battle with him. I tried to follow him. Today, it wasn’t possible for me because in the last laps I had a problem with the front tyre. I understood a lot of things because I’m young and Jonny, for me, is the king of WorldSBK. Battling with him is like a dream for me. But now I want to beat him!”
P4 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Lecuona, who was also using the SCX tyre, claimed fourth position having not been able to close the 1.5s gap to Rea and Bassani.
“Today was better than expected. The team told me that this was one of the worst tracks last year, it’s true that the bike changed, and also the riders… and honestly, I didn’t expect this result before the Superpole, before the race. It was a big surprise for the team and me, because it’s one of the worst tracks last year and also because it’s my first time here. We missed some time to adapt, to learn the track, and normally the best race is the second one. But it’s true that this weekend, I adapted quickly to the track. I feel good. I feel strong. Also, the tyre management was really good during the race. I felt drops in the last two or three laps, but I could manage all the race. I was a bit scared because Rinaldi was catching me, and then in the end I could manage the gap. I finish fourth and for me it’s like a victory.”
P5 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi was fifth as he finished 13.882s behind his teammate.
“It has been a difficult Friday for us, so we knew that we had to work hard this weekend. But this morning the feeling was much better than yesterday, so this was good. But we still missed something from the top guys. In the Superpole, my lap time was good, but everybody is so close, so I started in eighth position. The race was pretty consistent, but I had a really bad feeling with the bike. I couldn’t push and when I tried to push, I was slower and making mistakes. So, I just focused to try to avoid mistakes. My pace was ok overall. We finish fifth. For tomorrow, we’ll find something more to fight for the podium.”
P6 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Lowes took sixth place, finishing 0.625s behind Rinaldi.
“The Saturday was difficult. In the Superpole, on the last lap there were a yellow flag, I didn’t have time. I had a good pace all weekend and to be minimum on the first two rows, maybe on the front row because my qualifying are pretty good. Starting from ninth is quite tough cause there are a lot of fast bikes. The start of the race was hard, Vierge passed me on the straight, I was trying to pass Baz, it’s quite difficult when everyone has got a rhythm to race against. But honestly, after that my pace was quite good. I was slowly catching Rinaldi and Lecuona, but there were not enough laps. but the pace I had; I have to be happy. We’ll try again tomorrow.”
To note:
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) crashed in the opening lap of Race 1 and managed to re-join the race to finish in 15th position. He remains second in the Championship standings with now only seven points between him and Rea for the second place in the standings.
Explaining the crash, Razgatlioglu said: “It was a big mistake for me. After two years, I think this is normal. The one time I make a mistake in the race. I’m very angry for this because it was the first lap. I tried to pass Bautista because he had a big advantage on the straight. For me, the race was very fast to the finish. I tried to come back again. The handlebar was not on the correct line. I take one point and it’s better than nothing. For me, it wasn’t a good day. We know that Bautista is very strong this weekend, and also in Australia. In Mandalika, I think he won’t have a big advantage because no long straights. Tomorrow, I will try again and fight for the win. I’m not thinking about the Championship because, for me, everything is finished. I’m just focussed race by race and I try for more wins this season.”
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team) was the first BMW rider in seventh place.
Local hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was the first retirement of the race after the Argentinean rider had a Turn 14 crash on Lap 8. Mercado was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain. He will undergo a medical review ahead of Warm Up.
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday from 10:00 (Local Time) with the Warm-Up, followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00.
Pirelli Senior Racing Manager Oscar Solis (second from left) joins Army of Darkness' (from left) Geoff May, Anthony Consorte, YT Lechner, Melissa Berkoff, Tim Gooding, Chris Peris, Ben Walters, Sam Fleming, Cody Wyman, and their Yamaha YZF-R1 nicknamed “Gaijin” for a photo on pit lane at Barber Motorsports Park. Photo by Apex Productions LLC, courtesy Army of Darkness.
Army Of Darkness Takes 5th Consecutive Overall N2/WERA National Endurance Championship with Second Place Finish at Barber Motorsports Park
Army Of Darkness persevered at the ultimate round of the N2/WERA National Endurance Series to take the team’s 18th and 19th national endurance championships aboard their Pirelli-shod Yamaha R1. The 2022 endurance season saw competitors field rides by Hayden Gillim, Josh Hayes, Rocco Landers, Taylor Knapp, Danilo Petrucci, and Mathew Scholtz. Against the deepest competition pool in years, AOD veteran riders Chris Peris and Ben Walters, joined by 2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion Cody Wyman and with guest appearances by Geoff May and Robertino Pietri, finished four races in second place with a single victory at Road Atlanta.
Those finishes proved to be the most consistent points earners and allowed AOD the luxury of entering the last race of the year with over a 15-point gap, meaning that any finish third or higher would secure the title.
“It’s always a strange situation where you are telling your riders to ride conservatively and not to push,” offered Team Captain Sam Fleming. “Basically the only thing that was going to cost us this 19th championship was a crash, so I had to pull in the reins on Geoff, Chris, Cody, and Ben to tell them, ‘Don’t try to go with Scholtz, don’t make sketchy passes, don’t burn up the tires, enjoy the weather, enjoy the bike, and finish in second.’
“Some of the pressure was removed as another top team unfortunately couldn’t make the final due to a crash the prior weekend so that gave us the breathing room to just focus on the finish and not have to sweat too much. Of course, Yamaha has been a stalwart supporter of the team’s efforts and we would not have been able to bring them their third national title of 2022 without that great collaboration.”
“It’s a double-edged sword when you come into the last race with a decent lead,” added Crew Chief Tim Gooding. “All or nothing really focuses the mind, but with a lead the focus shifts from ‘do the stop fast’ to ‘don’t be the one who makes a mistake and costs us everything.’ We’ve had the same pit crew of Melissa (Berkoff), YT (Lechner), Anthony (Consorte), and Chris (Manfrin) for the last five years so we’ve got a good rhythm with each other. Our first endurance race was pushing three decades ago in 1993 but one thing I love about this sport is still learning the mysteries of motorbikes at speed. Working with Chris and Ben is always fun but it was very interesting to add the feedback of Cody and Geoff to the mix to get to explore different ideas on everything from ECU programming to spring stiffness. Oscar Solis from Pirelli came out for a few races and really helped us learn about the dynamics of tire pressure and temperature and how the suspension set-up impacts tire life. It was a really tough season but it feels great that the work all paid off at the end with another championship.”
AOD is sponsored by: Army of Darkness, Pirelli, Yamaha Champions Riding School, Yamaha, Industry13, Chicken Hawk, Wood Craft, Hindle, Supersprox, Thermosman, N2, WERA, Roadracing World.
The Championship leader is one race closer to the title with a 82-point lead and two rounds to go
Alvaro Bautista (19). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 2 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista claimed his second win of the weekend in Race 2. He had a 3.389s gap to Razgatlioglu.
He extended his lead in the Championship standings to 82 points over Razgatlioglu and will have a first chance to win the title next time out at the Pirelli Indonesian Round.
Bautista could claim the title in the next race if he outscores Razgatlioglu by 17 points and Rea by one point.
“For sure today, it’s been really though in the race. First of all, because it’s the last race of the weekend, and you feel, physically, all the efforts from the weekend but also because today the track was more difficult than yesterday. It was easier to make mistakes. I didn’t start well and lost some positions. But at the same time, it was good because I let the other riders evaluate the situation before me. Then I started to understand how much I could push, and I decided to recover the positions and take the lead because I felt that I could be faster than the others. I took the lead. I saw Toprak was close to me. I didn’t think about taking points, about the risks… just to do my best. I gave everything. In the end, I could win some advantage and I could manage until the end. I’m so happy, today my performance was really good.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu was second in Race 2 finishing 9.764s ahead of Rea.
He remains second in the Championship standings with 425 points.
“In the second race, I tried my best and kept fighting for the win. I was waiting for Alvaro’s tyre to drop but it didn’t happen, so I kept fighting for second position. I want to thank my team, in the last minutes we changed the plan and decided to use the SCX tyre. The SCX tyre is destroyed but I was feeling much better during the race. We keep fighting for the Championship. We’ll try our best again in Mandalika.”
P3 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
After battling with his teammate for third place in the closing stages of the race, Rea made the move at Turn 8 on Lap 18 to take another podium finish.
Rea stands in third place in the Championship standings, 98 points behind Bautista and 16 points behind Razgatlioglu.
“I’m just disappointed because my bike this morning was incredible, in the Superpole Race. I had good traction and everything was working. From the get-go in Race 2 this afternoon, I had nothing. As soon as I turned into Turn 2, I felt ‘why is the bike not hooking up?’. I was fighting, a real passenger for most of the race, so we need to analyse exactly what happened because it was strange. It was a battle with my teammate, Alex. In the beginning with Vierge and Rinaldi. It was just about grinding those guys down and letting the tyres move around a little bit. Alex’s pace was fast! He just kept going and going and going. There was a point I thought ‘maybe my best is fourth’. I kept going, never gave up, and finally I could arrive on the podium.”
P4 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Lowes was fighting for a podium finish with Rea but dropped around two seconds behind his teammate in the closing stages to take fourth place.
“I was happy with the weekend. I think our pace was fourth this weekend. I wasn’t quite as fast as the first three but it looked like, in the practices, I was a bit quicker than the guys behind. Shame not to be able to get on the podium. I felt quite good at the end of the race, but the SCX rear tyre just dropped, and I had lot of chatter in the end. We’ll try again in Indonesia.”
P5 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Having led in the first laps of the race, Rinaldi dropped down to take fifth place finishing 4.006s behind Lowes.
“Actually, I smelled the podium and you know, going home without the trophy is not what I wanted but if you see Friday, I can be satisfied with how we answered to a bad Friday. We worked hard, we improved the bike, we improved the feeling, we improved the time, and we were able to lead some laps, which is not bad. But to fight the top three guys, you must be at your 100% everywhere. Unfortunately, with the hot conditions, I was not comfortable riding because I couldn’t stop the bike the way I wanted to. Now we are so consistent in the race even if it’s not going well, so we just need a small step, but I think that it’s closer than you think.”
P6 – Xavi Vierge (Team HRC)
Vierge took sixth position in Race 2, his best result since Barcelona.
“It has been a really good weekend for us. We started FP1 struggling a lot and I didn’t understand how to go faster, especially in sector 3 and 4 but the team made an amazing job. It helped me a lot to improve the feeling with the bike and understand how to go fast, and every time we went out, we improved a lot, especially after FP3. The plan was to try to win some places in the Tissot Superpole Race and this helped us to be a bit closer to the front in Race 2. I caught Rinaldi and I tried to overtake him, but he was faster than me in some parts of the track. I was faster in some others but not enough to overtake him. It has been a good race. I learned a lot during the weekend, and it was good for us to make these improvements for the future.”
To note:
Baz battled back from the rear of the field after he came off his bike following a Lap 2 collision with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at Turn 12. The incident was investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards with Bassani deemed at fault, with the Italian penalised with a Long Lap Penalty. However, for not taking this in time, Bassani was given a second Long Lap Penalty before he was given a ride through penalty for not taking his Long Lap Penalties on time.
The Pirelli Indonesian Round will take place from the 11th to the 13th of November at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Down to Valencia: #TheDecider awaits after a tense battle for supremacy at Sepang
Bagnaia makes a huge statement under huge pressure to hold off Bastianini, with Quartararo pulling out a podium to keep the fight for the title alive
Francesco Bagnaia (63) held off Enea Bastianini (23) to win at Sepang. Photo by Dorna.
Sunday, 23 October 2022
There are few places like Sepang to play a match point. With the humidity hanging heavy in the air and the pressure of potential history just around the corner, lights out for Round 19 added an extra shot of adrenaline. And from there on out, the tension only rose. Two Ducatis, one with the World Championship on the line and another with an entire chess match to decide, escaped into the lead with enough breathing space from the rest to go toe-to-toe. And that they did. The winner, under intense pressure and taking a magnificent seventh victory of the season, was Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), with Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) just coming up short – after pushing his future teammate to the flag. Again.
Completing the podium and taking the title fight to Valencia was Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). El Diablo bounced back from a tough Saturday to show exactly why he’s the reigning Champion, riding through the pain barrier to a seriously impressive third place to keep himself in it, 23 points back but setting up a final showdown in Valencia.
Bagnaia got the start of his life and braved it out on the brakes to slot into second from the off, gaining seven places to up just behind polesitter Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), with Bastianini already harrying the number 63 – and Quartararo looking for a way past Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). He found one.
Another big shift then occurred up ahead, with Martin suddenly sliding out the lead – giving that lead to Bagnaia. The title was tantalisingly close for the Italian, and Quartararo may have been third but Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was on a charge behind the number 20, with that plus Bastianini – glued to the back of Bagnaia – making anything possible.
At Turn 4 on Lap 11, another thunderbolt hit. Bastainini was late on the brakes, and through on Bagnaia for the lead of the race he went. Could he break away? The two remained glued together, Bagnaia losing no distance to his future teammate, as the sound of cogs whirring started to ramp up even further. Second sure seemed enough, but would it still be enough on Sunday in two weeks’ time?
The laps ticked down and just before six to go, Bagnaia hit back at the final corner to retake the lead – with Quartararo now looking ahead rather than over his shoulder. The Frenchman was catching the lead duo, with Bezzecchi dropping off the back off the Yamaha. With five to go the gap to from Bastianini to Quartararo was 1.6, and next time round Pecco also led by 0.4 as the number 63 stayed serene.
By two to go, the showdown was clear. Quartararo couldn’t gain too much more time but had a secure third in the bag if he kept it on track. And Bastianini had a serious shot at the win, glued back onto the rear wheel of Bagnaia as the final lap began.
Turn 4 came and went – the earlier passing point – and Bagnaia pounded on. The decisive moment then finally came at Turn 9 as Bastianini got a little close for comfort behind the number 63, losing some metres as he gathered it back up. And that was that, Bagnaia had enough to hold it to the line and takes a 23-point lead to the season finale after a magnificent seventh win of the season. Bastianini was just 0.2 away by the flag after making some statements of his own, with Quartararo doing a phenomenal job to end the race on the rostrum to still be in with a chance at keeping his MotoGP™ crown.
Bezzecchi couldn’t quite stay with Quartararo for third but the Rookie of the Year took another impressive finish in P4, carving out some room for himself too. Australian GP winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took fifth, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) charging up to sixth by the flag and getting past Marc Marquez late on. Ducati Lenovo Team were also crowned Team World Champions after a tense day at the office!
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) did another Sunday classic for a solid eighth, ahead of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). After a tough weekend it was a tough Sunday for the number 41’s last stand in the title fight on his 300th start, and he was classified tenth after a penalty for an aggressive move on him was handed to Morbidelli. The Italian was forced to settle for P11 after 3 seconds were added to his race time, just ahead of Cal Crutchlow (WithU Yamaha RNF) after another impressive performance from the Brit. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) were the final point scorers, with Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) off to a good start before a technical problem forced him into pitlane.
What’s 23 points between two of the best riders of their generation? One spectacular final weekend of the season, that’s for sure. Don’t miss #TheDecider as the Circuit Ricardo Tormo hosts in two weeks – with everything on the line and a Champion certain to be crowned.
MotoGP™ PODIUM
1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 40’14.332
2 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – Ducati – +0.270
“No, never, it was incredible. All weekend, I missed all the sessions [practice starts] because in FP3, I crashed, and I didn’t; in Q2, I crashed, and I didn’t. So, I wasn’t so sure about the start. This morning, the two starts weren’t so good, but in the Barcelona test, we did something on the launch system that was good for us, because before, it was very difficult to have a good start, it was wheelie-ing a lot. I did like 23 starts in the Barcelona tests and from that moment, all the starts afterwards were perfect, and today was the best one. When I saw that the reflex on the lights was perfect and the release of the brakes was perfect, I just thought that I was overtaking a row. But then also the first braking zone was a bit risky, but useful.”
How much did the start help calm you down by getting you out of a tricky situation in the first two corners?
“For sure, when I passed the first two corners, I was more calm. I said, ‘Okay, now I can start to adapt my pace.’ Jorge in front of me was pushing a lot and, after two laps trying to follow him, I said, ‘This pace is too much for me.’ I calmed down and was just constant with my pace, and that’s it, that’s what I did. Jorge unfortunately crashed but I think this pace was also meaning more consumption of the rear tyre. In any case, he was doing a really good job. But, the most difficult part of the race was the part when Enea overtook me because I knew that Fabio was third, and today it was important to get as many points possible to arrive in Valencia and be more careful. So, I just tried to understand his pace and then when I saw that my pace was better than his, I just tried to be in front again and braked as hard as possible to prevent any possibility of an overtake. So, it was tough, really tough, but one of the best moments of the season.”
The Bastianini situation cannot be easy to manage…
“No, absolutely, but today my thing was that I was braking so hard. I was losing a bit in the long corners because he was using more lean angle with the bike and was closing the lines with more speed. I was losing a bit of time there but then my braking was very strong and in the last part of the race, it was the thing that let me win the race.”
How are you feeling going to Valencia with a pretty comfortable margin?
“For sure, it will be a different situation. 23 points, I’m just missing two, so I will have to finish 14th if he wins. It’s easy to say now, but it will be very tough because sometimes when you are careful, you have more trouble, you have more mistakes, you have more distractions. I will try just to do a normal weekend like this one, maybe with less crashes – because this weekend, I crashed too much – and be smart, for sure. To work well, to be in the front, and if I have the possibility to win, I will try to win again.”
ENEA BASTIANINI
Enea Bastianini (23) finished close behind his future teammate Francesco Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Are you happy, or disappointed that you did not win?
“I’m happy about my race. I’m not really happy about the last part of the race because my traction was not really good, especially from the exit of the slow corners, and I tried to do all the best to try to overtake Pecco on the last lap, but it was impossible.”
When you passed Bagnaia on Lap 11, did you feel like you could gap him but just did not have the grip?
“At the start, I think my potential was to try to make the gap, but after two or three laps in front, something changed and I lost some confidence on the rear. After that, I was slower and Pecco overtook me again. I pushed really hard to stay really close to him and tried to overtake again, but, nothing.
Did you just sit behind him or did you not have the rear grip?
“I tried to overtake Pecco again on the last lap but it was a little bit dangerous. Sometimes we have to see also there are other questions, and he battles for the Championship, and it’s like this.”
Who do you think for the Championship; Bagnaia or Quartararo?
“I think Pecco will win the Championship in Valencia. He has a lot of points distance over Fabio. Fabio, I think, also had a good race today but I think it will not be easy for him.”
FABIO QUARTARARO
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Dorna.
The main mission was to keep yourself in the fight for Valencia, wasn’t it?
“Yeah, I hoped it would not be victory for Pecco, of course, but at least we gave our maximum today. The start was the key point, [and] the first lap. We changed the strategy a little bit compared to Australia when I wanted to keep the tyre fresh for the end. Today, I just pushed myself quite hard at the beginning because our bike is not super-good at saving the tyre, so I had to push for three or four laps until I was in front of Marc, so it was pretty good and I’m happy to get that result today.”
Braking late the first corner was key:
“Yeah, and I saw Pecco was really good in the first braking zone, so I said, ‘I have to make something,’ because, if not, my title chance will fly away, and I did a great first lap. Even if now we were super-far away, I’m not giving up, and I want to finish in a good way in Valencia.”
How hard was it to keep Bezzecchi behind, given a pass would have made Bagnaia Champion?
“In the end, he was one-and-a-half seconds then he came back to three or two tenths from me, but I pushed like hell because, first of all, I knew that if he overtook me and Pecco won, he would have been World Champion. But, especially, I wanted a podium and I knew that if he overtook me, I could not overtake him back. So, let’s see how we handle it, but I’m pretty happy to at least bring the mystery until Valencia.”
How was the broken finger in the race?
“It was not a big crash, but a stupid crash. It was a normal crash but I just broke my finger and, of course, it was really painful but luckily Angel (Charte) took care of me yesterday afternoon so I want to say thanks to him. Of course, adrenaline is a great painkiller and also fighting for that kind of position. I think my finger was something else but as soon as I stopped, right now I feel pain the finger. It doesn’t matter because we gave everything and that’s what we wanted today.”
What are you feeling about going to Valencia?
“I will prepare myself like a crazy man because I know the only solution for me to fight there will be to win. So, it doesn’t matter, but I want to enjoy the Valencia race because I know it’s the last one of the season, and then we’ll see how we do. But I’m feeling like we have to enjoy the Valencia race.”
Tony Arbolino (14). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Arbolino earns dominant win as Ogura takes shock last lap tumble
The Championship leader is now Fernandez once again as the Spaniard takes fourth and Ogura crashes out when attacking for the lead
In an incredibly nervy showdown at Sepang, it was Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) leaving with a third intermediate class win in some style – and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) leaves with the Championship lead once again. After Arbolino and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) had escaped at the front, the Japanese rider and then-points leader decided to make an attack – and slid out on the last lap.
Arbolino was left with a sizeable lead ahead of another impressive podium for Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp), who now leads the fight for Rookie of the Year despite only joining the grid full time at Le Mans. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) was a protagonist as he went elbow to elbow with Fernandez, the Brit eventually able to escape for another impressive podium.
After Arbolino and Ogura escaped, it was initially Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) holding third but in the latter stages, Lopez was able to pounce. He was followed by Dixon not long after, leaving Fernandez to take on the nervy task of trying to pass the rookie on the final lap – without knowing Ogura was about to crash out.
That was the drama as the Japanese rider went for a move at Turn 9, and suddenly the number 79 was on the floor. That left Arbolino with time to wave to the crowd on the way to the final corner, then crossing the line over 10 seconds clear for an impressive third Moto2™ win.
Lopez was able to keep a fairly secure second after that, with Dixon dispatching Fernandez, then Gonzalez and taking another podium. Fernandez did make his last lap move on the rookie ahead, and takes a valuable fourth to give him a 9.5 point lead heading into Valencia.
Gonzalez still takes his best ever result in fifth, with Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) in P6. Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) impressed to take seventh, with Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) suffering a tougher day at the office in eighth, just getting the better of Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp).
There was drama on Lap 1 for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as he collided with Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and they were out early on, both riders ok.
The title fight rolls on and Fernandez is back on top. It’s 9.5 points ahead of the final showdown in Valencia, and on the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider’s home turf. Tune in for more in two weeks as we decide the 2022 Moto2™ World Champion!
Moto2™ PODIUM
1 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – 38’25.233
2 Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) – Boscoscuro – +11.411
Tony Arbolino: “In my mind, I have it. I want to prove I’m fast, I want to prove I’m one of the best riders in this category, so this is what I have in my mind and this is what keeps me believing it. So, even if I’m out of the world title, I want to keep building the confidence and win races. This is my objective right now because I have no pressure, but anyway, amazing, amazing feeling. This is the work that pays off – like I always say in all my interviews, but this is like that. I want to thank this amazing team, this amazing family, I want to give this to them and to my family and fans who follow me from all around the world.”
John McPhee (17). Photo courtesy Dorna.
McPhee paints a masterpiece at Sepang
The Scotsman stuns Sepang for an incredible first win since 2020, pipping Sasaki and Garcia
John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) took an unbelievable win at the PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia, making the perfect attack at the final corner to come out on top for the first time since San Marino 2020 – and from P22 on the grid. The Scotsman just pipped teammate Ayumu Sasaki to the line by 0.048, with Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) completing the podium after losing out late on.
Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) suffered some late drama, having to avoid Sasaki after the Japanese rider suffered a moment, leaving the reigning Champion down in P12.
After a freight train start, bit by bit a top six of Guevara, Sasaki, Jaume Masia (Red Bull TKM Ajo), Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), Garcia and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) broke away at the front, but there was some decisive drama with four to go. Sasaki had a bobble on the main straight after overtaking Guevara, and the number 28 had to bail out and take some avoiding action, heading off onto the grass and dropping back. Meanwhile, McPhee had bridged the gap and was more than in the fight for victory.
That left Garcia leading Sasaki, Masia, Foggia, Moreira and McPhee, and starting the last lap the number 11 was holding firm ahead of Foggia. And then everyone overtook everyone all at once, or so it seemed, with the Leopard going for a move on the Aspar and then the rest of the lap largely two or three abreast. As the gaggle headed into the final corner, it was McPhee who pitched it to perfection, hugging the inside line and then tucking in for the final drag to the flag. Teammate Sasaki went toe-to-toe with the Scotsman but couldn’t quite make it stick, with McPhee taking an emotional first win since 2020 by just 0.048. Garcia takes third and another valuable podium, gaining points on Foggia too, as did Sasaki.
Foggia finished sixth in the shuffle, with Masia taking fourth and Moreira fifth. That concluded the front group after Guevara was forced to drop out of it earlier, and the second group was fronted by Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in seventh, just ahead of Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) – with Guevara next up in P12 a small gap back.
Heading into Valencia it’s Garcia keeping the advantage in the fight for silver – and the Circuit Ricardo Tormo is his playground. Tune in for more in two weeks as Moto3™ round out the season in style!
Moto3™ PODIUM
1 John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) – Husqvarna – 38’04.589
John McPhee: “I’m proud of myself for that one. That one, I had to dig so deep. It’s been such a tough season, such a tough weekend. Yesterday, honestly, I nearly went and stopped. I was just having so many issues and felt dangerous on the bike. So, just so happy for me, happy for the guys that have supported me. That one was for everyone that stuck behind me and supported me. One last win in Moto3™ and we’ve got one more opportunity in Valencia.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Bautista wins Race 1 to seal 13th victory of 2022 and extend his Championship lead to 80 points
The Championship leader took the win ahead of Rea and Bassani, as Razgatlioglu crashed on the opening lap
Alvaro Bautista (19) celebrates his Race One victory with his team. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Race 1 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista took the lead in the first corner but dropped down to fourth place after avoiding Razgatlioglu when the reigning World Champion crashed.
He was able to overtake Bassani and Rea to claim the win with a 5.141s gap. Bautista was the only rider from the top three in the Championship to use the SCX tyre.
He extends his lead in the Championship standings to 80 points over Razgatlioglu and 87 points over Rea.
“Today I’m happy because I improved a lot the feeling with the bike from yesterday. I want to thank Ducati and all my team, they worked to give me a real good bike for today. Already this morning I felt really strong with the bike, on the pace. Also, in the Superpole, we did incredibly fast laps. I was so confident for the race because I knew I had a really good feeling and a very good pace. The important thing was the first lap, to not stay with a lot of riders and to not enter into a lot of fights and to not make mistakes. But in the first lap, I was leading the race. In the first corner I was really lucky because Toprak crashed in front of me. I don’t know if he touched my front tyre or it was my feeling, but he was really close and I was lucky to not crash with him. After that, I needed a couple of laps to analyse what was happening and unfortunately I just lost some positions, and I could stay with the front group. Then I saw that my pace could be a couple of tenths faster. So, I decided, without taking many risks, try to stay in front and have my reference. I was quite consistent during the race. I’m happy because we choose the SCX tyre and I think it was the best option because it worked really well. More than the victory, I’m happy with the feeling I recovered with the bike.”
P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea battled all race long with Bassani, with Rea out braking Bassani into Turn 1 on Lap 18 to stay ahead and take second place, claiming his 22nd podium of the season.
With Razgatlioglu finishing in 15th place, only seven points separates Rea from second place in the standings.
“Axel started really well, his rhythm was quite strong in the beginning. When Alvaro came past, he capitalised on being able to pass Bassani quite easily. Then he had some free track to do his rhythm and he went away. I was stuck because I was stronger in some areas of the track and Axel was stronger in other areas. It was like a concertina effect. But then I settled for second, I understood today I could race for second. We were going away from Lecuona so it was more a race understanding where am I going to pass. I tried a couple of times into the long chicane, but it didn’t really work. Axel would get the cut back. I put another move in the penultimate corner and it kind of worked. He came back and went wide and into Turn 1, from there, it was about doing my rhythm, try to go away, have some breathing room for the last lap. Not the win that I would dream of, but I feel like we could be really satisfied with effort.”
P3 – Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing)
Bassani was fighting with Rea for second place until Lap 18 when Rea overtook him. He finished third, claiming his fourth WorldSBK podium, his third one of 2022.
He stands in sixth place in the Championship rankings, while also standing as the best Independent rider.
“It was an incredible race! I tried to stay at the front of the race. When Alvaro overtook me, I tried to stay with him but it wasn’t possible. I stayed with Jonny, but he’s a really good rider and has six World Championships. For me, it was incredible to battle with him. I tried to follow him. Today, it wasn’t possible for me because in the last laps I had a problem with the front tyre. I understood a lot of things because I’m young and Jonny, for me, is the king of WorldSBK. Battling with him is like a dream for me. But now I want to beat him!”
P4 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Lecuona, who was also using the SCX tyre, claimed fourth position having not been able to close the 1.5s gap to Rea and Bassani.
“Today was better than expected. The team told me that this was one of the worst tracks last year, it’s true that the bike changed, and also the riders… and honestly, I didn’t expect this result before the Superpole, before the race. It was a big surprise for the team and me, because it’s one of the worst tracks last year and also because it’s my first time here. We missed some time to adapt, to learn the track, and normally the best race is the second one. But it’s true that this weekend, I adapted quickly to the track. I feel good. I feel strong. Also, the tyre management was really good during the race. I felt drops in the last two or three laps, but I could manage all the race. I was a bit scared because Rinaldi was catching me, and then in the end I could manage the gap. I finish fourth and for me it’s like a victory.”
P5 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi was fifth as he finished 13.882s behind his teammate.
“It has been a difficult Friday for us, so we knew that we had to work hard this weekend. But this morning the feeling was much better than yesterday, so this was good. But we still missed something from the top guys. In the Superpole, my lap time was good, but everybody is so close, so I started in eighth position. The race was pretty consistent, but I had a really bad feeling with the bike. I couldn’t push and when I tried to push, I was slower and making mistakes. So, I just focused to try to avoid mistakes. My pace was ok overall. We finish fifth. For tomorrow, we’ll find something more to fight for the podium.”
P6 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Lowes took sixth place, finishing 0.625s behind Rinaldi.
“The Saturday was difficult. In the Superpole, on the last lap there were a yellow flag, I didn’t have time. I had a good pace all weekend and to be minimum on the first two rows, maybe on the front row because my qualifying are pretty good. Starting from ninth is quite tough cause there are a lot of fast bikes. The start of the race was hard, Vierge passed me on the straight, I was trying to pass Baz, it’s quite difficult when everyone has got a rhythm to race against. But honestly, after that my pace was quite good. I was slowly catching Rinaldi and Lecuona, but there were not enough laps. but the pace I had; I have to be happy. We’ll try again tomorrow.”
To note:
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) crashed in the opening lap of Race 1 and managed to re-join the race to finish in 15th position. He remains second in the Championship standings with now only seven points between him and Rea for the second place in the standings.
Explaining the crash, Razgatlioglu said: “It was a big mistake for me. After two years, I think this is normal. The one time I make a mistake in the race. I’m very angry for this because it was the first lap. I tried to pass Bautista because he had a big advantage on the straight. For me, the race was very fast to the finish. I tried to come back again. The handlebar was not on the correct line. I take one point and it’s better than nothing. For me, it wasn’t a good day. We know that Bautista is very strong this weekend, and also in Australia. In Mandalika, I think he won’t have a big advantage because no long straights. Tomorrow, I will try again and fight for the win. I’m not thinking about the Championship because, for me, everything is finished. I’m just focussed race by race and I try for more wins this season.”
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team) was the first BMW rider in seventh place.
Local hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was the first retirement of the race after the Argentinean rider had a Turn 14 crash on Lap 8. Mercado was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain. He will undergo a medical review ahead of Warm Up.
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday from 10:00 (Local Time) with the Warm-Up, followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 12:00 and Race 2 at 15:00.
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