The temperature raised as the action on the track heated up for the Darwin round of ASBK. With the field swapping places all weekend, it was Mike Jones who eventually took home the round win and extended his championship lead. Check out all the best shots from the round below… Photos: BiteSizedPics
Read all the race reports here…
The temperature raised as the action on the track heated up for the Darwin round of ASBK. With the field swapping places all weekend, it was Mike Jones who eventually took home the round win and extended his championship lead…
Friday
Early on it was Bryan Staring aboard the frankly stunning indigenous-round-liveried DesmoSport Ducati who banked the fastest lap. Staring looked and sounded afterward very comfortable aboard the 2021 race winning team bike. Staring bristled at suggestions that he was losing touch with the leading pair of Maxwell and Jones and his early form- and indeed pace across the day- indicates that the Western Australian is well in the hunt not only for the top step this weekend, but championship contention.
The 2021 champion has a theory- and we all know it, and he’s done it for years- post a ludicrously fast time and make the other riders work for it. Sure enough, he nailed the fasted time in FP1 and then left it to Staring and Mike Jones to duke it out for second and third respectively.
Mike Jones would not be denied. A few clever changes in both bike setup and mindset saw the familiar Yamaha hit the top of the table for FP2 and indeed bank the fastest lap of the day. While FP2 didn’t provide conditions as conducive to fast laps as FP1, the reality was the riders found a little more and all progressed. For FP2 it was Jones- who not only managed a race simulation, but then went to a softer tyre and banged out a succession of fastest laps. One rider confided afterward; “This weekend is his for the taking”. Maxwell and Staring rounded out the top three for FP2.
Bryan Staring cleverly countered the Jones phenom by getting out early in Free Practice 3 and posting a fast time to again challenge the field to “come at me”. The track temperature was now fifty-hell-no and after a few solid sessions from everything from Supercars to Porsches and Hyundai Excels, the track had “gone away”. Bryan Staring would later admit he wasn’t sure if it was the cars or the temperature that had slowed things, but it was certainly not as fast as it was earlier in the day.
And while earlier sessions had been all about lap times and tuning, the early running in FP3 was apparently “who would like to crash?” with a multitude of riders – mercifully largely uninjured- finding themselves off track. Josh Waters, Luke Macdonald, Marc Chiodo and Ant West all crashed, and it was clear that there was a high level of pressure and expectation.
The day ended with combined times giving the nod to Jones from Maxwell and Staring. A much-improved Glenn Allerton – in his 100th ASBK event – found some time hidden deep in the M 1000 RR followed by Yamaha’s Cru Halliday who ought to be pleased with yet another consistent performance.
Former Darwin race winner, Honda’s Troy Herfoss and on-the-improve Arthur Sissis were sixth and seventh, with Lachlan Epis keen to make up for lost time in eighth, Daniel Falzon in ninth and Josh Waters down in tenth after his crash in FP3.
Saturday morning brings things to a head early with the first 20-minute qualifying session at 9:10am. The second session sees them back on track at 9:35am for the top 12 and at 1:20pm the best Superbike racers in the country will be unleashed for 16 laps. With no more practice sessions and a lot to play for, Saturday will be as fascinating as it could be pivotal for season 2022.
ASBK Darwin Friday Combined Top 3 (Full results here)
1 Mike Jones- Yamaha YZF-R1 1:05.506
2 Wayne Maxwell- Ducati V4R 1:05.591
3 Bryan Staring- Ducati V4R 1:05.772
Satruday
The qualifying sessions for the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown were one of the best and most exciting sessions seen in many years. While the early session just saw top riders do enough to avoid missing Q2, for the second session the top 12 riders in the country put on a show.
Qualifying
Mike Jones did enough in Q1 to ensure he would be there for Q2, whereas Wayne Maxwell did a Wayne Maxwell and of course topped the sheets when that was not required. But when it really mattered in the second qualifying session, Jones got down to business and hit a 1:05.411 that he followed a while later with a 1:05.333 and then a fastest-for the-weekend 1:05.213.
While it wasn’t into the 1:04s that various pundits had predicted, the feeling in the paddock was that Maxwell would need to keep it together and his early qualifying laps- that included a short off circuit excursion- indicated that perhaps the reigning champion would not be able to have a solid dip in the last few minutes.
And then everyone else had a dip. With a few minutes to go a glance at the timing monitors was eye popping as a multitude of riders mid-lap were dipping into the fastest lap, lap record and personal best territory. As has been often the case, the longest and hardest sector- three- would be the undoing of many …except for Wayne Maxwell, who just pushed through to take not only the pole position, but get into the 1:04s, the qualifying record time and – but for Mike Jones’ emphatic race simulation times on Friday- warm favouritism for the opening race.
ASBK Darwin Grid (Full results here)
1 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R 1:04.962
2 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 1:05.213
3 Bryan Staring – Ducati V4R 1:05.330
Race One
One could not ignore the achievement of Troy Herfoss fighting his way out- not only from sixth place on the grid- but out of a Darwin Hospital where he was 12 months ago to the day after his worst ever crash- a crash that many thought would see the end of his career.
That Mike Jones was out front reeling off lap after consistent lap was impressive- and frankly might be the start of a critical and definitive run to the 2022 Championship- but it was hard to get past not only the Herfoss result, but also the battle that he and Bryan Staring had to get to the line.
The race started off at the expected frenetic pace with the magnificent DesmoSport Ducati in its one-off indigenous livery, firing off the line from third into first for turn one. Bryan Staring wisely didn’t go too deep into the opening turn and that spooked then-second placed Arthur Sissis who had also had a huge start from seventh.
After leading for five laps, Staring found himself second to the number 46 Yamaha after Mike Jones decided that he had the pace and tyres to go to the line. As soon as he hit the lead, Jones focused on smooth, consistent laps and eked out a small, but noticeable gap.
While it was not immediately obvious to anyone off track, early in the race, 2021 Champion Wayne Maxwell was in trouble. His electronics were not on song, and he was losing power and drive in places where there was no need to drop power. Riders around him pounced as the big Ducati popped and burped its way around the Hidden Valley layout. Fourth in race one was a good outcome given the circumstances.
Glenn Allerton had been relegated from eight to tenth after a track limits breach in qualifying and apparently that situation had fired him up as he took the BMW M 1000 RR from tenth to fourth. In his 100th ASBK round, Allerton was not in the mood for a mid-pack finish.
In his 100th ASBK round, Allerton was not in the mood for a mid-pack finish…
Glenn found himself in a group that were all looking to work their way back into podium contention and while he was unable to get by Maxwell, fifth on the day was a good outcome on a weekend where the Maxima Oils Racing Team appear to be making significant steps forward.
Allerton’s teammate Josh Waters also had a great start but some timing glitches with his transponder made it difficult to establish just exactly how he was going. For all the issues with his timing, he did in fact nail the fastest lap of the race with a 1:05.499 and after a difficult Friday eighth was not what he wanted…
Cru Halliday had a poor start and went from sixth to eighth. While he would work his way past a few riders, on the day the best he could manage was a return to sixth by the checkered flag.
For the leading group, it was all panning out to Mike Jones’ liking as he stretched his lead a little each lap. Herfoss had passed Maxwell and while you could not see his face, the attitude of the Honda and Herfoss’ body language showed he was absolutely looking to bridge the multi second gap to Staring.
And he did. With just two laps left, Herfoss arrived for what would be the battle of the day. With respect for each other, but a championship and the day’s honours to battle for, they traded positions multiple times and nearly sent themselves off track on the last lap. It was nail biting, exciting and brilliant dicing with Herfoss coming out the winner- albeit for second place on the day.
While the Staring/Herfoss fight was holding the attention of the TV directors and fans, Jones quietly took the Championship by the scruff of the neck as he took race one. He might have missed the bonus point for pole, but the 25 points for the win was ample compensation. With nominal non-title contender Herfoss second, the stretch in Jones’ Championship points lead over Maxwell and Staring was an added bonus.
ASBK Darwin Race One Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Troy Herfoss – Honda CBR RR +3.260
3 Bryan Staring – Ducati V4R +3.616
Sunday
For Wayne Maxwell and Arthur Sissis, they found themselves as the yin and yang of Race Two. Arthur repeated his good start of yesterday but with a little greatness thrown in this time round, taking his Yamaha from seventh to first into turn one. For Wayne Maxwell, short of crashing, he could not have had a worse start. “Like a kid trying to pop a wheelie on a BMX” was the call from the track announcer and it was hard to argue with that analysis, as the reigning champion effectively swapped grid places with Sissis.
It felt like a pivotal moment for both men. For Sissis it was the realisation that he could not only get to the front, but he could box on with the likes of Herfoss, Jones, Halliday and Allerton. For Maxwell, it appeared to be the moment he conceded more points to Jones and with it potentially the title.
Up front, for five solid laps Arthur Sissis contested the lead and was P1 every time over the finish line. The South Australian Sissis gave as good as he got, showing that a good start was not all he had. In a field of wily, older racers, it was gratifying to see a twenty something serving up a hot bowl of quality race craft to the olde brigade. Staring had to use everything he had at his disposal- including the mighty DesmoSport Ducati’s straight-line advantage- to squeeze into the lead.
Championship leader Mike Jones just did that thing he does; circulating steadily and without fanfare while everyone else dropped bombs and occasionally banged fairings. It was easy to get suckered into an MMA-style battle for position, but the blue 46 Yamaha of Jones sat comfortably in fourth. While Sissis was conceding the lead to Staring on lap five, the formerly serene Jones found himself being passed by man-on-a-mission Wayne Maxwell. There was no dicing, the #1 Ducati just blew by him as Maxwell had eyes only for the front of the field.
Herfoss barged his way past Sissis and kindly left a Mike Jones sized gap and then Arthur out braked himself into turn one, running wide and just like that, a podium chance went begging. Maxwell remained fixated on his mission and despite the Pirellis having great grip for the whole distance thus far, it was hard to believe he hadn’t somehow set them afire with his relentless pace that included a lap record (1:05.407).
As the race drew closer to the checkered flag, it was a race between two warring parties: Maxwell and Staring, Jones and Herfoss. With the usual benefit of hindsight, they ought to have called a ceasefire to get away- or catch up- as their dicing was slowing their pace and the leading pair could not get away allowing the chasers to stay within a shot. Jones pulled out all he had and was able to get past Staring on the last lap.
But it was Maxwell at the flag who had been able to bang out some solid laps to deny Jones any chance of a tow to the line and take the win. Staring came home in third with Herfoss in fourth, unable to match his heroic second from Saturday. He later conceded that his pace is his pace and there’s not much left.
The top four completed the 16-lap journey inside Jones’ winning time from Saturday, a fair indication of how the track was perhaps better, but also that the riders and teams found a little more to close the gap to Mike Jones. One rider noted it was a “good old-fashioned race with battles everywhere” and that was evident from the provisional lap chart.
ASBK Darwin Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R
2 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.249
3 Bryan Staring – Ducati V4R +0.734
Race Three
Early on, it wasn’t funny, but it was certainly entertaining as the leading duo in the championship were also the leading duo in race three. They swapped the lead a few times and then a resurgent and confident Glenn Allerton found himself back close to the front again. On lap four Allerton pushed past longtime rival Maxwell and with all the self-confidence we know Glenn has, he clearly began to think about winning the race.
Maxwell, however, fell into the clutches of Staring and Herfoss, and coming out of turn six he just twisted the throttle a little too much and had the easiest, slowest and costliest low side. He knew what the stakes were and did not let go of the bike, preferring to spin to a slow stop while gripping onto the bike and his title chances with both hands. Maxwell remounted, but there would be no repeat of his race two heroics, the front runners were gone and the gap to season-saving points was half a lap up the road.
This middle phase of the race made it clear that it’s time Mike Jones retired the “Mad Mike” moniker. Mad has too many aggressive and wild connotations. His performance this weekend and particularly in race three was not mad. Some said it was robotic, and if this is true, then he is the Terminator. He just did everything needed to execute the mission. Solid laps, a bigger gap and then eyes were just on the battle for second as the blue R1 with the familiar 46 on it loudly drew away from the field.
The battle for second was on in earnest with the trio of Allerton, Staring and Herfoss all rightly laying claim to the spot while Halliday and Sissis drove their Yamahas hard to stay in contact. Allerton found himself down as low as fourth, Herfoss as high as second, but also as low as fourth. With three laps to go, Staring had both Allerton and Herfoss push past and set sail for the line. Their battle would come down to the last corners and when Herfoss tried his usual up-the-inside move, Allerton placed himself decisively in his way and Herfoss was unable to perform his favorite move. That was how they ran to the line. Jones – Daylight- Allerton– Herfoss– Staring.
Wayne Maxwell was able to move up to 11th for ten points and salvage something from the low side disaster at turn six, but now finds himself some 40 points (162) behind Jones (202). It is not insurmountable, but every time Jones has a round where he stretches his lead, Maxwell has one less round to catch him. The maths look difficult with three rounds, six races remaining and a maximum of 153 points on offer.
For the other top contenders- Staring (155) is now within 7 points of second in the Championship, while Halliday, Herfoss and Waters find themselves – incredibly – on the same points in fourth (136). That will be some kind of battle for the rest of the season. Allerton and Sissis are next and also sit together on 131 points. The Championship now has a mid-winter break before reconvening at Morgan Park 5-7 August, with the regular classes rejoining us for what promises to be a hectic back half of the season.
ASBK Darwin Race Three Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Glenn Allerton – BMW M RR +6.502
3 Troy Herfoss – Honda CBR RR +6.950
ASBK Championship Standings After Darwin Rd4 (Full Standings Here)
1 Mike Jones – Yamaha YZF-R1 – 202
2 Wayne Maxwell – Ducati V4R – 162
3 Bryan Staring – Ducati V4R – 155
Three-time World Champion Luigi Taveri will be named a MotoGP Legend in 2022. The late Swiss rider will be inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, honouring his achievements in the presence of his family. Press Release: MotoGP…
Taveri was born in the canton of Zürich in 1929 and made his Grand Prix debut in 1954 in the 250cc and 500cc classes. The next season he competed on 125cc and 250cc machinery, and he came runner up in 1955 in the 125cc World Championship – taking his debut win in the first race of the year. In 1962 he won his first World Championship, taking the crown in the 125cc class. He took two further Championships in the category, in 1964 and 1966, to secure his place in motorcycle racing history.
Between his debut in 1954 and his retirement at the end of 1966, the Swiss rider raced in the 50cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc classes, taking wins on 50cc, 125cc and 250cc machinery, and finishing on the podium in the 350cc class. He is one of few riders to score Grand Prix points in the 50cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc classes. Now, Taveri will be named a MotoGP Legend, joining a long list of greats…
The Taveri family: “Our family is overwhelmed and very happy to hear that Luigi receives this big honour. It would be so nice if he could be with us and celebrate this moment with all of you. Those who remember Luigi know that he would be standing here with a big smile on his face and searching for words. We thank Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta in Luigi’s name from the bottom of our heart.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We’re very proud to induct Luigi into the MotoGP Hall of Fame. Few riders have achieved what he did, with success in so many classes and three World Championships. It’s important to celebrate the legacy of those who form part of our incredible history, and Luigi and his achievements are a significant part of that. We look forward to welcoming his family to the paddock to honour him as a MotoGP Legend.”
It’s called the Cathedral for a reason. Only missing in 2020 due to the changes obliged to the calendar, the TT Circuit Assen has otherwise been a mainstay of motorcycle Grand Prix racing since the world’s first motorsport World Championship began in 1949. Tune in this weekend for all the action…
After deposing the “no Yamaha win since 2009” stat at the Sachsenring, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) arrives on the front foot and with his eye on another: no one’s won back to back at Assen since Valentino Rossi did it in 2004 and 2005. Since the Quartararo reigned last year in the Netherlands, it’s within reach… and his form only backs that statement up further. Three in a row would be quite a way to head into summer break.
Elsewhere at Yamaha, Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™) and Andrea Dovizioso will want more, the latter a former podium finisher at Assen and the former looking for a bounce back before summer break. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, continues looking for a big step forward, the Italian well outside his already conquered postcode of the podium fight so far in 2022.
At Aprilia, meanwhile, it can raise a smile that one of their worst races of the season so far, all told, is still in fact what the Noale factory would have been aiming for at the start of just last season. “Worst” describing fourth place for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) still maintains the number 41 in second overall and was another consistent, big-points finish he’ll be looking to build on again.
On the other side of the garage there’s another two-sided coin for Maverick Viñales from Germany too: he suffered a technical issue and had to retire, but he had to retire after having been pinned to the back of his teammate for some time, looking like a podium charge was on the cards. Will there be one at Assen? It’s those final laps of the race, the ones we didn’t get to see at the Sachsenring, where ‘Top Gun’ often shines, and everything seems to be coming together.
That statement is also true of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). The Frenchman is on a steady upward curve of results with the next natural number in the progression being 1 aka the win. As satisfying a stat as that would be, his recent run already stands alone as impressive. Now third overall – and top Ducati in the Championship – can he pull another podium out the bag?
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) did just that in Germany to put some tougher races behind him, and ‘Thriller’ did it despite a Long Lap penalty too. Of all those on the grid, Miller’s memories of Assen are probably the sweetest as he took that incredible win in 2016, so what can he do in 2022? And can Jorge Martin (Prima Racing) find something more? What will Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) have in the locker after impressive speed in Germany? Can Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) bounce back from a stint of going AWOL?
Then, of course, there’s Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). From bad luck in Barcelona to a slide out of second at the Sachsenring, it’s been a tougher few weeks for the number 63. Assen hasn’t traditionally been the best for Ducati, but Pecco even has the track as a tattoo, having taken his very first win there in Moto3™ in 2016. He’s also reigned in Moto2™, and knows his way around the Cathedral. The gap to the top is now a big one, but the season is only half way done…
Lurking a single point above both Bagnaia and Miller in the standings, meanwhile, is the truest Sunday rider of late – in the best sense. No matter the grid position, when the lights go out Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) wrings some magic out of his KTM, and he’s now into the top five overall. It’s never two or three positions either, it’s a charge as far as the charge can possibly go, and it’s paying dividends. Can he and teammate Miguel Oliveira – who is gaining back some solid form too – take that extra step forward at Assen?
Another factory looking for more, in their case a real bounce back, is Suzuki. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) crashed out in Germany after that stunning charge in Barcelona, and the number 36 will be gunning for glory at Assen. Teammate Alex Rins, meanwhile, tried to take part put then hit a serious pain barrier before withdrawing due to his wrist. Can he try again at Assen?
Finally, Honda. The stat sounds a little brutal: no points for the first time since the French GP in 1982. But all told, that happening at the track where the marque won the previous 11 races probably takes the sting out, as is likely also true of the well-stocked trophy cabinet added to in the intervening decades. It’s a tough run, however, with Stefan Bradl the sole finisher for Repsol Honda Team, teammate Pol Espargaro riding through the pain barrier, Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) suffering a technical issue and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) sliding out.
All four riders have shown much more this season already, so the TT Circuit Assen will certainly bring the factory back into the points as a minimum, and offer some more track time as they fettle the all-new Honda RC213V.
Classic, historic, and nestled in the north of one of northern Europe’s most vibrant countries, there have already been 72 great reasons to visit Assen – or tune in. This weekend provides the 73rd as MotoGP™ returns to the Cathedral, so join us at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday for the final showdown before summer break!
MotoGP Championship Top 5 Heading To Assen (Full Standings Here)
1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – 172
2 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – 138
3 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 111
4 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – Ducati – 100
5 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – KTM – 82
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) extended his advantage with a decisive win at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, pulling clear of compatriot Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) for a French 1-2…
Read all the race reports from the weekend here…
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) extended his advantage with a decisive win at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, pulling clear of compatriot Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) for a French 1-2. Check out all the action from Sachsenring…
Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia has come tantalisingly close to the 1:19s as he broke the All Time Lap Record in MotoGP™ FP2 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Italian fired in a 1:20.018 to establish a new benchmark around the Sachsenring as Ducati locked out the top three in the afternoon and overall. Mooney VR46 Racing Team’s Luca Marini grabbed second and FP1 pace-setter Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) took third, with Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro the best of the rest.
FP1
The twisty layout of the Sachsenring might not traditionally have suited the Bologna bullets, but it seems times they are a-changing as Ducati Lenovo Team had already gone one-two in FP1. Miller led the way with a 1:21.479, ahead of Bagnaia by just over a tenth.
World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo, who had the new-spec swingarm on his YZR-M1, was not far away either. The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ rider finished the session third-fastest courtesy of a 1:21.557 which he set just after Miller’s fastest lap. Very few went for time attacks at the end of proceedings but Quartararo continued to lap in the 1:22s despite using just the one set of tyres. Fourth went to Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) on a 1:21.655 and fifth to Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) on a 1:21.660, an encouraging start to the weekend for the Japanese rider after his crash at Catalunya a fortnight ago.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was a solid sixth in FP1, and sampling the Noale factory’s new fairing, he clocked a 1:21.665 and managed to keep himself upright despite an excursion through the gravel at Turn 1. Marini started seventh on a 1:21.671 while Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) picked himself up from a crash at Turn 1 to claim eighth with a 1:21.730 which he set near the end of the session on new tyres.
The top 10 was rounded out by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) on a 1:21.735 and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) on a 1:21.772, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) just 0.041 seconds slower again in 11th. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) crashed twice in FP1, rider ok but a little battered and bruised after a highside,and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also took a tumble. Rins didn’t complete the whole session as he nurses his wrist injured in Barcelona.
FP2
Aleix Espargaro took over on top with a 1:20.789 on his first run, with Bagnaia just 0.054 seconds slower. But Miller was one of the earliest to switch to genuine time attack mode in the closing stages of FP2 and, armed with new softs on the front and rear, he vaulted back to the top with a 1:20.211. Aleix Espargaro twice came close to bettering the Australian again with a 1:20.284 and a 1:20.219 on consecutive laps, but it fell to the man on the other red Ducati to get the job done.
Bagnaia broke Marc Marquez’s three-year-old All Time Lap Record of 1:20.195 when he laid down a 1:20.132 on a medium-soft tyre combination in the final three minutes of the session, and there was time enough to go even faster again before the chequered flag unfurled. Marini likewise beat Marquez’s old Sachsenring benchmark, shuffling Miller back to third, albeit only at 0.193 seconds off the pace of his team-mate… and that makes it a Ducati top three heading into Saturday.
Sachsenring Friday Top 3 (Full Results Here)
1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 1’20.018
2 Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati – +0.115
3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.193
Saturday
Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia carried his superb Free Practice form into qualifying for the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland as he secured pole position with a new pole lap record. The Italian was the only rider who could get into the 1:19s in Q2 at the Sachsenring – a 1:19.931, specifically – although the front row was still covered by less than a tenth, and the very same Bagnaia remains the outright lap record holder from earlier in the day in FP3. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™’s Fabio Quartararo gave himself a good chance of extending his World Championship with second on the grid, however, and he has 2021 polesitter Johann Zarco alongside him as Prima Pramac Racing rider took third.
There are three different factories in the top four too, with Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro heading Row 2, but seven of the Bologna bullets made it into the second part of qualifying and six of those lock out the top eight. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) topped Q1 before claiming fifth in Q2, ahead of Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing).
In Q2, Bagnaia made a statement with a 1:20.098 on his first flying lap, immediately before an off-track excursion at Turn 1, and that was still the best time once the opening runs were done. By then, teammate Miller had closed to 0.056 behind though, ahead of Martin on a 1:20.277 and Aleix Espargaro on a 1:20.379.
Pecco was quickly back into the pits for another new soft Michelin rear slick and was the first to go for his second run. He tightened his grip on provisional pole with a 1:20.064 and put more space between himself and the field when he backed that up with the aforementioned 1:19.931. No one would beat that time but, with the temperature pushing into the thirties at the Sachsenring, second position was, appropriately, also hotly contested. Aleix Espargaro clocked a 1:20.120 and then Quartararo a 1:20.093, before Zarco pipped both with a 1:20.030.
However, Quartararo does not lead the World Championship without digging deep, and ‘El Diablo’ had just that little bit more pace left as he put in a 1:20.007 just before the chequered flag. Bagnaia then tried to go for a third run, and while he ran out of time to start a lap again, it mattered not as pole position was secured.
Di Giannantonio may have fallen into Q1 but he cleared that hurdle and the Italian rookie was as high as third-quickest before settling in fifth on the grid on a 1:20.128. As it stands, he will start between Aleix Espargaro and Miller, the latter of whom was sixth on a 1:20.150. Miller, however, also has a Long Lap penalty to take on Sunday after crashing under a yellow flag following a crash for Aleix Espargaro in FP4.
Seventh on the grid is Marini and eighth is Martin. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) also made Row 3 while 10th went to Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), who crashed late at Turn 1. Q1 graduate Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) took 11th all-told, joined by Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on Row 4.
Pol Espargaro was an agonising 0.004 seconds away from moving through thanks to his late flying lap in Q1, and the Repsol Honda rider will therefore start at the head of Row 5 of the grid. He will be joined there by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, with Row 6 comprised of Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), and home hero replacement rider Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda).
Rounding out a slightly reduced, 23-rider field are Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team), Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), and Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team). Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) withdrew from the event due to pain from his wrist fractured in Barcelona.
MotoGP Sachsenring Front Row (Full Results Here)
1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 1’19.931
2 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.076
3 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +0.099
Sunday
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) extended his advantage with a decisive win at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, pulling clear of compatriot Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) for a French 1-2. There was a potentially key shift in the title fight on Sunday too, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) slid out early on, with teammate Jack Miller then going on to slice past two Aprilias to complete the podium – overcoming a Long Lap penalty he’d been given on Saturday.
Quartararo nabbed the holeshot from Bagnaia, and the number 63 got tucked in on the chase. He briefly took over at the start of Lap 2 but El Diablo hit back, and not long after disaster struck for Pecco, the rear sliding out on Lap 4. From that point on, Quartararo had the hammer down.
After that, Zarco was into second past Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Miller next up. The Australian then served his Long Lap for crashing under yellows on Saturday, dropping to seventh but soon back past Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac).
By then, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was past Diggia and tucked in behind teammate Espargaro, applying the pressure for a good few laps. Would he make a move? It was the best show of pace so far from the number 12, but then bad luck hit: the ride rear height device got stuck, and that was race over for ‘Top Gun’.
After little more than 20 laps, Quartararo had stretched his margin over Zarco to more than three seconds. His fellow Frenchman enjoyed a similar gap over Aleix Espargaro, but Aprilia’s ‘Captain’ was coming under serious attention from Miller. The number 43 fired his Ducati down the inside at Turn 1 on Lap 23 but ran it in too deep, and the result was the same when he tried again on Lap 26. Ironically, Espargaro himself went wide through there on Lap 28 and Miller marched on through into third.
Quartararo got more than five seconds ahead of the rest of the field in the last handful of laps before cruising to victory by a final margin of 4.939 seconds. Zarco took the chequered flag 3.433 seconds up on Miller, with Aleix Espargaro a few tenths further back and off the podium.
Fifth was a stunning ride from Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), and he prevailed in a battle against fellow sophomore Martin, Marini also getting a little too close for comfort to the battle ahead in the latter stages.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM factory Racing) demonstrated once again that he is the quintessential ‘Sunday man’ by riding up from 15th on the grid to seventh, BB33 getting his elbows out. The top 10 was rounded out by Di Giannantonio, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) as the Beast recovered from as low down as P20 in the early stages.
Points were also scored by Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) in 11th just ahead of some more points for fellow rookie Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing). Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) were next up, ahead of Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing). Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) was the last rider to make it home after a race of attrition.
A further five riders joined Bagnaia and Viñales as DNFs. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) retired due to rib pain from a crash in Free Practice and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) also had a rear ride height device failure after it wouldn’t disengage after the start. His team-mate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) crashed out, as did Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The latter did so at Turn 1, moments after Bagnaia had gone down there, having been wide when Oliveira went to overtake him.
It’s now 34 points of breathing space for Quartararo at the top of the standings. Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro remains second in the title race after finishing fourth at the Sachsenring but the Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia has a mountain to climb after he crashed out while chasing Quartararo on Lap 4.
Fabio Quartararo: “I feel tired! I was ill during the whole weekend, and in the race I was coughing a little bit, and I have no words. We made a choice on the rear tyre, the medium, that was really risky, and in the race, we were lucky because it dropped much more than expected, but I’m super happy! Today is Father’s Day in France and I haven’t said anything until now, so now I want to say Happy Father’s Day!”
MotoGP Sachsenring Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha- +0.635
2 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +4.939
3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +8.372
Moto2
Augusto Fernandez dominated the Moto2™ Race at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, slicing through to the front and then pulling away for a stylish second win of the season – and bringing himself within just 12 points of the Championship lead held by Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) as the Italian crashed out. Pedro Acosta made it a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 after a great last lap duel against Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), the Brit forced to settle for third but putting to bed a run of some bad luck.
Lowes was looking to end a run of five straight zeroes after he qualified on pole, and the Briton duly converted that starting position into the early lead. Home hero Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) came from fifth on the grid to emerge in second position in the opening corners of his home race, ahead of Fernandez, Albert Arenas (GASGAS Aspar Team), and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team). Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40), meanwhile, dropped from sixth to 12th and Vietti from eighth to 10th.
Acosta moved into the top five when he got by Roberts on Lap 3 at Turn 1 and, after it looked like Lowes and Schrötter might break away from the pack, Fernandez took matters into his own hands. For three laps in a row, he went on the attack at Turn 3, getting Arenas on Lap 4, Schrötter on Lap 5, and then Lowes for the lead on Lap 6.
Near the end of that sixth lap, Acosta went underneath Arenas for fourth spot at Turn 12, and he was into the podium places at the end of Lap 7 after Schrötter had a big rear end moment as he opened the throttle exiting Turn 13. The German briefly dropped to fifth due to the near-crash but reclaimed one of those positions when he outbraked Arenas as they arrived at Turn 1 again, and keeping himself in contention for a rostrum finish.
Fernandez galloped to a one-second lead on Lap 8, and had doubled that in just three laps more. Lowes continued to run in second spot and Acosta in third, as Schrötter came under pressure from Arenas. By then, Canet had recovered as far as sixth position, but Vietti was having a much tougher task of it as he fought to try and get back into the top 10.
In fact, Vietti had slumped as far back as 14th when he was passed by Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) on Lap 14, before Lowes handed second to Acosta when he had a moment at Turn 3. Meanwhile, Fernandez was not letting up and his gap over second place had grown to four seconds. Still, the rest of the top 10 was hotly contested and Canet ceded sixth to Fermin Aldeguer on Lap 16. Three laps later, he had lost seventh position to Aldeguer’s MB Conveyors Speed Up teammate, Alonso Lopez. Then, it was one of Canet’s key rivals in the World Championship who relegated him another spot. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), who only qualified 14th, had passed Vietti for 12th in a key move in the context of the title fight on Lap 5, was into the top 10 on Lap 12 before overtaking Canet for eighth on Lap 20 at Turn 1.
Aldeguer got into the top five by passing Arenas, but the next really big moment was Vietti dropping his VR46 machine at Turn 1. The Italian looked to have completed a pass on Gonzalez for 11th position at the start of Lap 22 but folded the front… Meanwhile, Lowes and Schrötter were coming back into the reckoning for second and Lowes passed Acosta on Lap 25 at Turn 12, but Acosta hit back on the next lap at Turn 2. The Brit hit back at Turn 11, only for the rookie to respond once more with a pass at the very next corner.
All of that dicing turned a duel into a four-rider battle as Schrötter and Aldeguer closed in. The German got by Lowes at the start of the penultimate lap but the Marc VDS rider returned the favour at the end of it. It seemed like it could hardly get any closer but then it did get as close as possible – literally – when Lowes and Acosta had a touch as they ran from Turn 12 to the final corner on the final lap.
Acosta hung on to claim second at the chequered flag, 7.704 seconds behind teammate Fernandez but 0.140 seconds up on Lowes. Schrötter was only another 0.115 seconds behind again, just missing out on another home GP podium, and Aldeguer was close behind in fifth, too. He would then have three seconds added to his race time as he got a Long Lap penalty for track limits and there was insufficient time to take it, but it made no difference to the final outcome as the Boscoscuro rider was classified fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Arenas, Lopez, Ogura, Canet, and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team). The rest of the points finishers were Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team), Gonzalez, Roberts, Cameron Beaubier (American Racing), and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia).
In the World Championship, Vietti is still on top, but his gap over Ogura has been cut to just eight points – and Fernandez’s win puts him into third at only 12 points back from the Italian, with Canet now 17 points off the pace at the halfway mark of the season. Thatt makes the last round before the summer break all the more important, so make sure you don’t miss the Motul TT Assen on June 24-26!
Moto2 Sachsenring Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – 39’44.019
2 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +7.704
3 Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +7.844
Moto3
Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team) proved both an unstoppable force and an immovable object at the front of the field in the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, turning his ominous pace into another stylishly conquered 25 points. The fight to complete the podium saw another two title fight titans duel it out, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) ultimately coming out on top ahead of Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Aspar Team), but not for lack of trying on the part of the Championship leader.
Into Turn 1 it looked like the Leopard duo of Foggia and teammate Tatsuki Suzuki had got the job done and leapfrogged Guevara, but the number 28 hung it round the outside to retain the holeshot. That spelled the start of an almost impossible task for his competitors, with the GASGAS rider already having shown ominous pace ahead of the race. And so it was, as he edged clear tenth by tenth and then really got the hammer down to make some serious breathing space.
As Guevara enjoyed the drama free track day experience at the front, there was plenty of drama behind, however. First an incident on Lap 1 saw Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) make contact with Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), with John McPhee (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) also pushed wide but remaining upright and getting back on track. But it turned out there had been drama already, as Kaito Toba (CIP Green power) jumped the start, and so too had Deniz Öncü. That made it game on for the Turk to overcome both a starting position outside the top 20 and then the requisite two Long Laps for the jump start…
FIM MotoGP™ Stewards: For causing a crash, Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) has been given a Double Long Lap penalty for the Moto3™ race at the Motul TT Assen.
Further ahead, Guevara was gone but it was a close fight for second and the rest of the podium. Foggia, Garcia, Suzuki and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) had their elbows out for much of the race, but ultimately the two highest in the standings were able to pull clear – and put on a classic duel.
Guevara crossed the line with time to spare, but into the final corner Foggia vs Garcia went to the wire. And of course, the number 11 gave it a shot. He made it through but then suffered a wobble on the exit, and Foggia blasted back past for those valuable 20 points, leaving Garcia forced to settle for third.
Sasaki returned to action with another impressive top five, just under a second behind Garcia over the line and pulling a few clear of Suzuki as the second Leopard completed the top five. Next came Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo), but the rookie had to work for it as he crossed the line just six tenths ahead of Öncü. From P24 on the grid via two Long Lap penalties, the Turk took 7th and keeps his incredible points-scoring streak in 2022: he’s the only rider who’s scored in every Moto3™ race so far.
Adrian Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Tech3) takes P8, with David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) also impressing again in ninth. Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) completed the top ten.
And so leaving Germany to head back west for the Dutch TT, it’s still Garcia in the driving seat but it’s closer once again. Garcia leads Guevara by 10 points as the Geert Timmer chicane awaits… join us for more next weekend!
Moto3 Sachsenring Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Izan Guevara (GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 39’14.946
2 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – +4.893
3 Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – +4.964
It’s race weekend in Darwin after a long break from ASBK action. Only the Superbikes join the Supercars for this round but there are three action packed races, one on Saturday and two on Sunday, plus two practice sessions Friday and Q1 and Q2 Saturday… Photos: BiteSize Pics.
Thursday saw the riders and team members meet and greet local fans at the Darwin Waterfront, where they signed autographs and were interviewed about the weekend ahead. They then headed trackside for some shots. By all accounts it’s looking like a top weekend in the Top End. Stay tuned!
The format for the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown sees the Alpinestars Superbikes race three times over two days- a change to the usual two races on the Sunday. MA say that while this does not offer any particular rider an advantage, it does advantage teams that are fast on out-of-the-gate Friday morning as there is effectively one day less until race day. See more here…
Check out our track guide, corner by corner of Hidden Valley by Andrew Pitt
Live Broadcast Information:
Fox Sports Australia
Friday – Free Practice 2 and Free Practice 3
Saturday – Qualifying 1 & Qualifying 2, plus Race 1
Sunday – Race 2 (Exclusively Live on Fox) & Race 3
Channel 7
Saturday – Race 1
Sunday – Race 3
SBS
Sunday 3rd July 1pm- The ASBK Darwin Show
The WorldSBK Championship concluded its action at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed two wins for the weekend, further extending his championship lead over Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Press Release: WorldSBK.
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Race 1 at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” was won by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he claimed a hard-fought victory during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round to extend his Championship lead. Bautista started from pole position but dropped back before battling back to claim victory as he set a race lap record in the closing stages of the race.
Bautista initially lost out at the start but was able to battle back, first to take second place from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) on Lap 4 before making his move on Rea at the high-speed Curvone corner on Lap 13 to move into the lead of the race and from there did not look back as he claimed victory for Ducati on home soil. In the first two-thirds of the race, it was a three-way battle between Bautista, Rea and Razgatlioglu, as has been customary throughout the 2022 season. However, at the end of Lap 14, Razgatlioglu suffered a technical issue on his machine and retired from the race.
Bautista’s victory, by 5.128s after the 21 laps were completed, gave him his 21st win in WorldSBK which puts him level with Max Biaggi on the all-time list. Rea’s second place gave him his 224th podium and ninth this year as well as Kawasaki’s 498th in WorldSBK; just two shy of the amazing landmark 500 podiums.
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) started Race 1 from tenth place but soon found himself inside the top five after an incredible start by the Italian rider, looking to challenge the lead trio at the time for a podium place. He eventually dropped back and had to battle with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for what would turn out to be a podium position, but Rinaldi was able to make the move for his first podium of the 2022 season and the 11th of his career. Like Kawasaki, Ducati are on the verge of a podium milestone and sit just five away from 1,000 podium placements in WorldSBK. Bassani finished in fourth place as he took his best result of the 2022 season. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) secured fifth place after he battled his way back into a top five finish, finishing ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) who completed the top six with Locatelli just 1.4s back from Lowes.
Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) claimed seventh spot as he withstood the challenge from Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team); the American, once again, putting on a late-race charge to claim eighth spot. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) lost ground at the start of the race but was able to fight his way back to a top ten finish as he claimed ninth spot with Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounding out the top ten.
Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) claimed his joint-best WorldSBK report with 11th place finishing ahead of Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Nozane got a good start and fought his way into the top ten but dropped back as the race progressed before dropping back to 12th. Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) claimed 13th spot after passing teammate Loris Baz in the closing stages, while Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) also passed Baz to finish 14th; Baz claiming 15th.
Replacement rider Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) narrowly missed out on points, finishing less than a second behind Baz, on his comeback to the Championship with 16th place ahead of Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team), Illia Mykhalchyk (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Leonardo Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura).
Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was the first retirement from the race after he had a Lap 3 crash at Turn 4, forcing the Frenchman out of the race. Ponsson was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and declared unfit with a right collar bone fracture and cervical strain. Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) had a crash at Turn 8 on Lap 5 and, while the German was able to re-join the race, he retired a short time later. Italian rider Alessandro Delbianco (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) did not compete in the race. Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) was also a retirement from the race after a crash. The Italian did re-join the race but retired from the race following the incident.
WorldSBK Misano Race One Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.128s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.289s
Tissot Superpole Race
Razgatlioglu got the holeshot on the opening lap of the race and from there did not look back as he claimed his first race win of the season and secure a front row start for Race 2. He was able to take advantage of an early race scrap between Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) scrapping to open up a gap and was unchallenged throughout the race. Bautista came home in second place ahead of Rea, with the top three in the Championship making up the front row for Race 2.
It meant Razgatlioglu claimed his 19th career win and his 62nd podium, while Bautista now has 38 podiums to his name and 11 consecutive podiums from the start of the season. Rea now has 225 podiums to his name while his third place means Kawasaki now have 499 podiums, just one away from a milestone 500.
Both Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and teammate Iker Lecuona used Pirelli’s new-for-2022 SCQ tyre to full advantage in the Superpole Race as they fought their way up the field. Vierge finished in fourth after looking like he was going to challenge Rea for a podium, although fourth is his best result in WorldSBK, with Lecuona in fifth place. They will be joined on the second row by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), with the Italian claiming his second sixth-place finish of the round.
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was able to battle his way up to seventh place to lead away the third row in Race 2, ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who lost ground at the start and was unable to fight his way back up the order. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) will start Race 2 from ninth place, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), a podium finisher in Race 1, finishing outside of the top nine after losing ground during the 10-lap race.
Tissot Superpole Race Misano Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’33.770s
2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.087s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +4.975s
Race Two
Bautista found himself behind Razgatlioglu from the opening lap and looked to make a move on several occasions, first on Lap 4 through Curvone before Razgatlioglu responded into Turn 14 before the same result a couple of laps later. On Lap 7, Bautista did make his move at Curvone and Razgatlioglu was unable to respond, allowing Bautista to clear on for his second win of the weekend and the 22nd victory of his career, putting him level with Marco Melandri. Razgatlioglu’s second place meant he claimed the 63rd podium in his WorldSBK career. The results mean Bautista has a 36-point in the Championship standings after four rounds in 2022.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) battled his way up from 10th on the grid to claim a second podium of the weekend, and the season, after making a move on Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the third lap of the race. Rinaldi now has 12 podiums to his name, including five on home soil, putting him level with Gregorio Lavilla and Chris Walker. After Rinaldi’s move, Rea lost ground to the Italian but also kept a clear margin to the riders behind him to finish in fourth place, the first time this season Rea has finished a race outside the podium places.
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) claimed fifth place to claim his sixth top-five finish in the first 12 races of the season, although he had to fend off a late charge from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Bassani once again got a good start to fight in the top group but dropped back before stabilising his pace at around the halfway mark of the race. After losing out at the start of the race, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) battled his way to sixth place for the third sixth-place finish of the round for the Italian, making a late move on Bassani at the end of the race.
Bassani came home in seventh place despite losing out after making his superb start, benefitting from Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) being given a Long Lap Penalty for track limits infringements in the race. Lowes had got ahead of both Locatelli and Bassani, but, after taking his penalty, finished in eighth place.
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a rollercoaster race as he finished in ninth place, despite dropping down in the early stages of the race, to record a top-ten finish. He finished ahead of the lead BMW rider with Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) rounding out the top ten, 11 seconds behind Redding at the end of the 21-lap race.
Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) and Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) had a late-race fight for 11th place with the German rider just edging out Tamburini by less than a second. It was another comeback for Sammarinese rider Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) as he finished in 13th place after starting from 20th. BMW duo Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) and Illia Mykhalchyk (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounded out the points with 14th and 15th.
Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in 16th place after spending much of the race in the points, before being overhauled late on. Substitute rider Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in 17th place ahead of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 18th and 19th respectively; the final two riders classified in the race.
The first retirement from the race was American rider Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) when he crashed at Turn 16 on Lap 3, while wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) was out of the race on Lap 4 with a technical issue. Italian rider Alessandro Delbianco (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) brought his bike into the pits with a technical issue, while Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) also retired with a technical issue on Lap 8 at Turn 10.
After a strong start to the race, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) had a crash at Turn 11 on Lap 12 which ended his race; the Spanish rookie was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Following examination, Vierge was diagnosed with a fracture of the base of his third metacarpal bone in his right hand and fractures of the capitate and hamate bones in his right wrist. An incident between Vierge and Bassani will be investigated after the race by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards.
WorldSBK Misano Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)
1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +7.194s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +11.119s
WorldSBK Championship Standings After Misano (Full Standings Here)
1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 220 points.
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 184
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 141
The Darwin round marks a month since ASBK convened at Wakefield Park and those who thought we would come away from Goulburn’s finest circuit with a clearer view of who would take the Championship by the scruff of the neck would be even more confused and uncertain. Press Release: MA.
Sure, Mike Jones showed he was the man to beat, and the Yamaha factory was certainly well sorted for the 2.2km layout. But after Wayne Maxwell’s team made an uncharacteristic error early in the proceedings, the gift was the pole position and the psychological advantage. For the leading duo, Wakefield indicated to those assembled that perhaps we have our 2022 champion pair and it’s now down to the remaining races to decide which one of them takes the trophy.
Grab your tickets for the weekend here…
For Bryan Staring, the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown is a real “line in the sand” moment. After scoring 45 points at round one, the West Australian has been on a slight downward slide, and the bike and rider seemed incredibly out of sorts at Wakefield as he scored just 32 points. If he wants to stay in the Championship hunt, then a solid points haul is necessary. Confidence ought to be high after the DesmoSport Ducati took a win here last year with Oli Bayliss aboard.
The Maxima Oils Racing duo of Josh Waters and Glenn Allerton might perhaps have the words of Wayne Maxwell ringing in their ears when he stated at the post round three press conference that they appeared to be “not making forward progress”. The BMW seems to have all they need to be front runners- power, handling a solid and electronics package, but an interrupted program for Allerton and Waters’ relative unfamiliarity has indeed slowed their progression. Darwin offers a chance to bring the BMW M1000RR to the pointiest end of the field.
For a guy who is currently fifth in the Championship, Cru Halliday has flown under the radar thanks to the success of teammate Mike Jones and Halliday’s own struggles. A solid result at Wakefield – where he scored more points in race one than he did in total at Round Two in Queensland, has put the likeable larrikin back into contention for the top three.
Troy Herfoss is the great unknown. His past results indicate that he certainly does well at Hidden Valley, and his growing fitness and pace shows that he could certainly be a contender. With Paul Free back in his corner and his indefatigable self-belief, eyes will be on the Honda Fireblade in the early sessions. Suffice to say, there’s a few demons that he will need to banish before he can really get down to business.
The format for the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown sees the Alpinestars Superbikes race three times over two days- a change to the usual two races on the Sunday. While this does not offer any particular rider an advantage, it does advantage teams that are fast on out-of-the-gate Friday morning as there is effectively one day less until race day.
Live Broadcast Information:
Fox Sports Australia
Channel 7
SBS
This is the final part of Stuart’s interviews with Alex and Chris Pickett. Alex went it alone for the TT and scored a ride in the Classic TT. Here’s how it went down. 2016 proved to be possibly the most challenging and the most rewarding year in Alex’s TT journey. A couple of big lows and one pretty big high.
Alex: “After the 2015 debacle I didn’t know what I wanted to do really. I had some unfinished business, but seeing I didn’t finish one race in 2015, there were hardly any teams beating my door down. I wasn’t happy at work though, so when some friends offered me a place to live in the UK I quit my job and headed over in 2015 with a plan to do the TT in 2016. I was living in rural Shropshire but had no money, and despite my trade qualifications could only get a job in a nursery for about $15 an hour. At least I was getting fit though, riding my pushbike to work, running, training and eating well.”
Check out volume two of Between The Hedges here…
Chris: “I think Alex wanted a change of scenery and wanted to prove what he was capable of. We knew he wanted to do the TT again but at that stage didn’t have the means to do so, and neither did we. He was training hard, lost a heap of weight and looked fit. He had a block of land here which he wanted to sell, and he planned to stay in the UK long term. He had a five-year visa which could be turned into permanent residency due to family ties in the UK.”
Alex: “I got my patents to sell everything I had, including my 1970 Dodge Dart, something I wished I hadn’t sold now, this allowed me some financial breathing space and the purchase of a competitive bike. That bike turned out to be the Kawasaki ZX6R ASBK Supersport machine of Luke Burgess. Kawasaki’s Glen Willing had built the engine and it had lots of goodies, including Mupo suspension. We got it at a good price, and dad shipped it over to the UK for me.”
Check out the first volume of Between The Hedges here if you missed it…
Chris: “It didn’t need any race preparation, other than extra lock wiring required for the TT rules, and increasing the fuel tank capacity. I’d read somewhere that you could blow the tank a bit with compressed air and cut out the inside of the filler next so fuel could go all the way to the top. Brad Woodhouse from B & C Motorcycles in Newcastle and I tried that with the tank off the bike. It blew out alright but wouldn’t fit back on the bike. A bit of judicious panel work here and there got the tank bolted back on to the bike, and we tried again. Doing this we got the capacity from 17 to 21 litres.”
“I crated the bike up, with riding gear, spares and a pushbike and off she went to the UK. A couple of months later I got a distraught phone call from Alex saying they wouldn’t release the bike to him. I had applied for the bike to be used as a race bike in the UK but that it would be shipped back to Australia afterwards. In other words I wasn’t trying to import the bike into the UK permanently. I’m not sure what went wrong or if we got stiffed somehow but I ended up paying another three or four grand just for them to release the bike to Alex. My credit card was smoking.”
Alex at last had a bike he could practice on in readiness for the 2016 TT
Alex: “I only had to do a couple of minor things to the bike, like a tail light, and a brake guard, things needed to pass scrutineering in the UK. I then did some No Limits racing which was good fun, and something I needed to get my races up for a TT Mountain Course Licence. No Limits in the UK is like St George club racing in Australia but it’s amazing how much money is there. I turned up with a half worn out Transit van, a caravan with an awning, thinking I’d be IT, but there were semi trailer’s with transporters by the dozen so I was just a wannabe in the paddock.”
“I did alright though and gelled pretty quickly with the ZX6R. I also got to race a CFMoto Supertwin in Northern Ireland on one of the street circuits, which was a big eye opener. I did pretty well there too, dodging hedges, cow pats and other bikes. My girlfriend, now wife, Tayla had come over and we stayed with friends in Northern Ireland, toured around the place and even went to Joey’s Bar in Balleymoney. Now that was cool.”
Chris: “Before we knew it my wife and I were on the plane to the Isle of Man. Alex had a good privateer set up, helped by our friends he’d been living in the UK with. Gaz and Jenny Cranage treated Alex like a son and their organisation really helped him prepare. Our Scottish mate Rob Wilson came over to help with the mechanics and we even had a suspension guy helping. All for free. It was great.”
Alex: “Practice week went awesome. It was the driest TT in years and I had no issues doing my six laps for qualifying. In fact, I think I did about 10 and we decided to sit out the last nights practise session to help save the engine as we didn’t have a spare. Handling was pretty good on the bike and everything was going well. There was a bit of a clash of personalities in the team at times, but it was a bit of a pressure cooker environment.”
Chris: “There were probably too many cooks in the kitchen in the team but we all worked it out with minimum fuss really. By the time the first Supersport race came up everything seemed okay, but in hindsight I think Alex was trying to keep too many people happy, with a number of people wanting his time. His start number was 66 but he qualified in the high 30s on the start line from memory. The four laps went without any major incident and he finished 31st with an overall race speed, including pit stop, of 115.277mph.”
Alex: “Even though I was happy with the handling of the bike during practice week, in the race I wasn’t that comfortable with it. I can’t tell you what went wrong, the settings were the same, but even my mate Dominic Herbertson said the bike was all over the place when he went past me. I had qualified in front of him and I was holding him up on the road, which normally would not have been the case, all things being equal.”
But things were about to get a whole lot worse on a personal level for a number of people including Alex
Alex: “I had become quite friendly with Dwight Beare from Melbourne. Dwight was a sidecar racer and had moved to the IOM to chase his dream of TT glory. We hit it off, he was great fun to go out with and was just a real nice bloke. He was killed in the first Sidecar TT in 2016 and it shook me to my core really. It all went to shit in about a two hour window. Dad and I were talking to Paul Shoesmith, my team boss from the year before, just as he was about to head out for a practice lap. He’d just done the Superbike TT and wanted to sort out his Superstock bike in a special one lap practice session they were running after the Sidecar TT. We didn’t know at that stage that Dwight had passed away as no information had been released. Within 20 minutes later, Paul was dead too. He had a similar issue with a blown out front tyre, like I had the year before, and only about 500 metres before my incident. Unfortunately, he didn’t survive it. So, I lost two good friends within a couple of hours of each other.”
Chris: “That really hit Alex hard. He was ready to pack it in and go home. It was his decision of course, no one can make you do it. In the end he decided to continue but you could see he wasn’t the same. He lined up for the second Supersport race but came in after the first lap, complaining of very poor handling and deciding to pull the pin. I will always believe his heart wasn’t in it that day. His mind was elsewhere and it was dangerous for him to continue. He did the right thing by retiring from that race.”
Alex: “I can’t really tell you what went wrong in the second race. The bike felt terrible but nothing had really changed. I actually asked myself during that one lap, ‘what am I doing here?’. I didn’t want to be out there so I pulled in.”
Alex: “I thought long and hard about actually doing the Classic TT but decided to. I spent some time staying with friends on the IOM and helped get the bike ready. Mum and Dad weren’t going to come over to the Classic TT seeing they had spent a month in the UK a few months earlier. At the last minute though, dad jumped on a plane and flew over which was a great relief for me. He had only missed a handful of my races ever since I started so it was very important for me, for him to be there.”
Chris: “My wife didn’t want me to go, we’d already spent a bomb earlier in the year but how could I not go. My credit card was smoking again but I was going and that was that. You (Stuart) were coming over as well, but your funds dried up with a speeding ticket, didn’t they! My wife understood. There was less stress on me with the Classic TT because I wasn’t working on the bike, just enjoying the sunshine and the atmosphere. Of course, I was stressed whenever Alex was on the bike.”
Alex: “Practice week went great, the bike felt great, and I was in the top 10 every time I went out. We had a small issue with the standard hydraulic cam chain tensioner which threatened to derail us but John Taubman built a fantastic engine and had it sorted. I was given number 41 which was a bit off a slap in the face I thought. There were most of the top TT runners at the Classic TT, riding all sorts of machines. Michael Dunlop was on a Suzuki XR69 ‘Replica’ with a GSX-R1100/Bandit 1200 engine. Dean Harrison and Horst Saiger were on ZXR750s like me, but the lineup of bikes was pretty special, and so were the riders.”
Chris: “There were plenty of slower riders in front of Alex on the start line, which we knew would prove to be a problem for him as they would no doubt hold him up. One of the riders who qualified behind Alex got permission to start further up the field, as he should of, but when the team asked the same for Alex they were denied. So, in effect you had about 25 riders slower than Alex who were allowed to start in front of him. Everyone was pissed off but that’s life I guess.”
Alex: “There were a few classes in the Classic Superbike TT. I was in P2 which meant I was a privateer racing a 750cc production-based machine. I was the fastest qualifier in the class but I was also faster than plenty of other bigger capacity bikes. I started 41st on the road, as per my number, and I blasted through lots of bikes in front of me. Some would hold me up, some not so much, but when I came into the pits for fuel I was sitting in around 15th spot. The bike was running great but as always, the gears were sometimes hard to select. On the last lap I just went for it, basically throwing caution to the wind, even through Ballegary corner where I held it flat in top and the bike threatened to throw me into the scenery but I stayed on. I knew I would have finished in a good spot but when I rode up the slip road after I finished, Paul Phillips, the boss of the TT, guided me into the winners enclosure with a big smile on his face. Paul was always very good to me and my dad and it was nice to see him happy with my result. It was a good result for him seeing he had paid the team for my ride. I later learned that Mick Charnock from TC Racing had told Paul I would win the P2 class when they were negotiating the deal. Well, I did and everyone was happy.”
Chris: “It was a bit of an anti-climax to be honest. It had been a hard slog along the way. Alex finished 11th outright but first in his class. After the race there were some rumblings about illegal bikes. Four bikes were found to be oversize and were excluded from the results. They were all big name riders too. This pushed Alex up to 7th outright in the standings but it never altered his first in class result. To see him up on the podium with TT greats was very special. I later bought the Classic TT DVD which never once showed Alex or even mentioned him. Typically, the film makers concentrate on the top four or five riders. They even deleted the podium shot because two of the four riders on the podium were disqualified. That really pissed me off.”
Alex: “I decided that would be me and the TT done and dusted after the Classic TT. It had dominated much of my life for five years but I knew the realities of the danger. It holds a special place in my heart, as do the Bronze and Silver trophies but life moves on. I would love one day to take my two boys over to the TT to show them what their dad used to do. I’d love to go back and help someone as a mechanic but I can never see myself riding the TT again. Not enough money and too many responsibilities. You never say never”
Words: Stuart Woodberry
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