Race One
Race 1 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was a stunning affair at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Catalunya Round with all three in the title race having to make stunning fightback. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) extended his Championship lead with victory as he moved from fifth to first, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled from losing out at the start to take second while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) went from eighth to second at the start before dropping back.

After missing out on front row starts in the Tissot Superpole session, both Bautista and Razgatlioglu were able to move to the head of the field before Turn 1, with Bautista jumping from fifth to first while Razgatlioglu went from eighth to second. In the early stages of the race, Razgatlioglu looked to make a move on Bautista but the Championship leader was able to hold on to claim a relatively pressure-free victory ahead of Rea. Six-time Champion Rea was able to battle back up to second place after dropping down to fight in the opening laps of the race ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in third, who started from sixth place and showed strong pace throughout the race to take the best result of his 2022 campaign and his first podium.

As the race progressed, Razgatlioglu lost ground to Bautista before losing out to the riders behind him, with Razgatlioglu being passed by Rea, Gerloff and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim fifth place at the end of the race, finishing 2.785s seconds behind Rinaldi despite the Italian only passing him at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap of the race.

The winning margin of 8.665s meant Bautista took his 25th win in WorldSBK, only one behind 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu, and his ninth win of the season with his Championship lead up from 30 points to 44. Bautista became the first rider to start fifth or lower and lead all laps in a race since Rea did, from ninth, at Jerez Race 2 in 2017. It was also Ducati’s 385th win in WorldSBK and the 680th race on the podium. Gerloff’s second place took his sixth career podium and his first podium since Donington Park Race 2 in 2021, with a span of more than a year between podiums. It was also Yamaha’s 325th race on the WorldSBK podium, lots of records!

Rinaldi finished in fourth place, just 1.494s away from Gerloff in third place despite starting from tenth and running wide in the early stages of the race. Rinaldi has now secured ten top-seven finishes in the last 11 races including five inside the top-four as he leads the battle for fourth in the Championship. Razgatlioglu was fifth and his streak of leading races came to an end at 17 races, while the reigning Champion had to fend off a late charge from Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). Lecuona started from pole position but opted to use Pirelli’s SC0 tyre, inspired by Rinaldi’s victory in Race 2 in 2021. Lecuona dropped down at the start of the race but was able to stabilise his pace to finish in sixth place.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was another who initially fought in the lead group but dropped down in the latter stages as he claimed seventh place, ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Bassani, like Lecuona, used the SC0 tyre and had a strong start to the race but lost out as the race progressed, eventually finishing in eighth place. He was 15 seconds clear of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) at the end of the race, with Locatelli losing out in a battle with Rinaldi in the latter stages of the race. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) was the lead BMW rider in the race as he took tenth place; his first top-ten finish since the opening race of the season, as he finished just three tenths behind Locatelli.

Laverty’s teammate, Loris Baz, was 11th and just 0.296s behind Laverty at the end of the 20-lap race, ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in 12th place. Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took 13th place ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 14th and Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) rounding out the points-paying positions; Ponsson’s first points since the Tissot Superpole Race at the Circuito Estoril in May. Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was in 16th place ahead of home rider Oscar Gutierrez (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in 17th in just his second WorldSBK round. Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 18th and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 19th to complete the classified riders.

There were three retirements in the opening stages of the 20-lap race, with Phillip Oettl (Team Goeleven) retiring after suffering a technical issue on the opening lap. On the same lap, Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) crashed at Turn 3 after contact with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with Bernardi re-joining the race, before bringing his bike back to the pits, and van der Mark continuing. The incident will be investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards after the race. On Lap 3, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Lap 1 which put the British rider out of the race. Van der Mark retired from the race after a technical issue on Lap 9 of 20.

WorldSBK Catalunya Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +8.665s
3 Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +9.289s

Tissot Superpole
The Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had a familiar start to Race 1 but a very different feel at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Catalunya Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second win on home soil. It means Bautista will line up from first for Race 2 at 14:00 Local Time (GMT+2) after he, once again, got a lightning start on the grid as the lights went out.

Bautista started the 10-lap race from fifth place but, like in Race 1 yesterday, got a lightning start to move into the lead before Turn 1. From there, he was able to stretch his gap throughout the race to claim victory by more than a second ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in second and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Lowes was running in second until Turn 1 on the final lap when his teammate overtook him to move ahead and limit Bautista’s gain in the Championship standings. Bautista claimed his 26th career win and the tenth of 2022 for the Spanish rider, with Rea taking his 233rd career podium while teammate Lowes moved on to 31 podiums and his first since Donington Park Race 1.

Despite a poor start and dropping down to tenth, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed fourth spot after a battle with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with the reigning Champion passing Rinaldi at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 5 with a move up the inside. They will be joined by Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) on the second row after the German rookie took a career-best sixth place; Oettl was one of only two riders to use Pirelli’s “SCQ” front tyre, a development solution that could only be used in the Tissot Superpole session and Superpole Race.

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) moved up the field to claim seventh place to take a third-row start for Race 2, with two BMW riders joining him on the third row. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will line up from eighth after taking that position in the Superpole Race ahead of Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) in ninth. Baz had a scrap with Race 1 podium finisher Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) in the closing stages of the race, with the pair often swapping positions, but Baz was able to hold on by just 0.026s to take a third row start in Race 2.

There was drama for riders who started inside the front two rows on the opening lap. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) had an incident at Turn 10, with Lecuona retiring from the race and Locatelli re-joining in last place. Lecuona will therefore start Race 2 from tenth place, with Locatelli in 11th. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was a retirement from the race after a Turn 7 crash on Lap 8. The Dutchman had to serve a Long Lap Penalty in the race for irresponsible riding following a collision with Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) in Race 1.

Tissot Superpole Race Catalunya Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.185s
3 Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.377s

Race Two
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) romped home to his third win of the Catalunya Round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after claiming Race 2 victory from pole position in the final MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action of the weekend. Bautista had claimed victory in both Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race, and he followed that up with a lights-to-flag win in Race 2 to further extend his Championship lead.

Starting from pole position, Bautista once again led the race into Turn 1, before remaining unchallenged as he extended his gap at the front with the Championship leader able to take advantage of the squabbling behind him to claim victory. By the halfway mark of the race, Bautista’s gap had got up to five seconds and he continued to increase that throughout the second half of the race to claim victory by more than eight seconds.

Behind Bautista, the battle for second was taking place between four riders. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) all fought it out for the remaining podium places, with the pair often swapping places. In the end, it was Bautista’s teammate Rinaldi who claimed second place after a thrilling battle, with the crucial move for Rinaldi coming on Lap 11 at Turn 1, when he passed Bassani.

As Rinaldi escaped in second place, Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continued their fight with Rea moving into third place on Lap 14 as he passed both Razgatlioglu and Bassani into Turn 1. Razgatlioglu got ahead of Bassani on Lap 13 after the Italian rider made a mistake at Turn 12, which then allowed Rea to get ahead a lap later. However, on Lap 16, Rea lost a lot of time after running wide at Turn 7 which allowed both Bassani and Razgatlioglu through, although he did re-pass Bassani shortly afterwards, Razgatlioglu going on to take third.

The results allowed Bautista to extend his Championship lead to 59 points over Razgatlioglu, a gain of 29 points across the weekend, as he took his first treble since Aragon 2019 and the fourth of his career. He became the first rider to take three wins at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and he is edging closer to 50 podiums; now on 48. Rinaldi took his 14th WorldSBK podium with second place and it is the 135th time Ducati have finished 1-2, while taking their fourth straight win at the Spanish venue. Razgatlioglu’s third place gave him his 72nd podium in WorldSBK.

Rea, after re-passing Bassani after his mistake, was able to pull out a gap to take fourth place ahead of the Italian who took fifth place. Behind Bassani came a run of three rookies who all had a strong Race 2. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) took sixth place after taking advantage of his Superpole Race result to finish in the top six, ahead of Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) in seventh place. Oettl, like Vierge, gained on the grid in the Superpole Race and took advantage to conclude a strong Catalunya Round in seventh place. He was ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in eighth place with Lecuona, who took pole in the Tissot Superpole session, taking another top-ten finish.

Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) finished as the lead BMW rider in ninth place, finishing just 0.084s behind Lecuona at the end of the race. The end of the race was highlighted by a charge from Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxraxing WorldSBK Team) as the Italian rookie surged into the top ten in the closing stages, taking his best WorldSBK result to date. He demoted Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) to 11th with just a couple of laps to go, with Bernardi running inside the top ten throughout the majority of the race; his best result since Race 2 at the Autodrom Most.

Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was involved in a battle for tenth place but eventually took 12th place, finishing just 0.419s behind Bernardi at the end of the 20-lap battle. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 13th ahead of fellow BMW rider Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) in 14th and Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who rounded out the points-paying positions with 15th.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was classified in 16th place 20-lap race. The Italian rider was running inside the top ten but a Turn 10 crash on Lap 4 dropped him down the order after he re-joined the action, with Locatelli having to fight to take 16th place and missing out on a point by 2.6s. Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 17th ahead of Czech rider Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP), the last classified rider in 18th place.

Two riders crashed out of the race on the opening lap with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) going down at Turn 10 and Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashing at Turn 14; putting both riders out of the race. Redding was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following his crash, and was declared fit but diagnosed with a chest bruise. On Lap 5, Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) retired from the race following a Turn 10 crash. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) had enjoyed a strong weekend but, in Race 2, crashed out at Turn 2 on Lap 12. Home rider Oscar Gutierrez (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) brought his Kawasaki machine into the pits to retire from the race.

Race Two Catalunya Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.103s
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +9.090s

Championship Standings After Catalunya Round (Full Standings Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 394 points
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 335
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 327

The post WorldSBK Race Reports: All The Action In Catalunya appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Aprilia Racing dominated the opening day at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, with Aleix Espargaro clinched top spot ahead of teammate Maverick Viñales. The pair were split by three tenths after sharing the lead of the timesheets throughout FP2, with Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini the Noale factory’s closest challenger in third.

FP1
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was fastest in FP1, putting in a 1:40.101 in the final few minutes of the opening session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and backing that up with a 1:40.185 as he greeted the chequered flag. Like Rins, Viñales finished the session on new medium compound Michelin tyres, front and rear, and consolidated second on the timing screen with a 1:40.296 on his final lap to sit second.

Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) had been the early pace-setter as the Italian showed strong form, and the 1:40.695 set on his first run put him third when the music stopped. Aleix Espargaro, who has now finished third for the last four MotoGP races in a row, took fourth with Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro making it for different manufacturers in the top five, heading a Honda trio continued by Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol).

World Championship leader and newly re-signed Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo was back in P14 and right behind him was the man who reignited his title bid with victory a week ago at Mugello: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The only crasher was Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), rider ok.

FP2
Noale fought back in the afternoon, with Espargaro taking over at the top with 20 minutes remaining to displace Rins. With seven minutes left we saw the first rider stick some soft rubber in, with Viñales deciding it was the moment for a time attack. The Spaniard put it to good use to steal top spot from his teammate, and Top Gun then found another two tenths on his next lap, posting a 1:39.705. The Ducati trio of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Bastianini and Martin all had a go at trying to better Viñales but all three failed in their quests.

Then, with the chequered flag out, Aleix Espargaro snatched the honour of Friday’s fastest with a blistering 1:39.402 – just half a second shy of Fabio Quartararo’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) outright lap record from 12 months ago. That made it a 1-2 for the Aprilia teammates to start the weekend, as both Espargaro and Viñales look to repeat their Catalan heroics after taking 1-2 on the grid whilst riding for Suzuki at the 2015 Catalan Grand Prix.

MotoGP Catalunya Friday Top 3 (Full Results Here)

1 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – 1’39.402
2 Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – +0.303
3 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – Ducati – +0.488

Saturday
Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro reset his own All Time Lap Record to claim pole position for the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, coming out on top in a three-way fight for pole in MotoGP Q2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Aprilia rider’s 1:38.742 saw him prevail by just 0.031 seconds over Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia, with World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also set to start from the front row on Sunday afternoon after ending Q2 less than two tenths further back.

Q1
Q1 saw Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) prevail, with the fight going right to the wire and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) snatching second, and the final spot in Q2, from rookie sensation and Mugello front row starter Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). From there, it was on to Q2 with both Aprilias… 

Q2
It was tight at the end of the first runs, with Quartararo top on a 1:39.055, Bagnaia second at just a hundredth of a second off the pace, and Aleix Espargaro only two thousandths slower again in third. While track temperature was approaching 60 degrees Celsius, the pace was just as hot when riders came back out for their second runs. Bagnaia raised the stakes when he punched out a 1:38.787, only 0.016 seconds away from the lap record which Aleix Espargaro had achieved in FP3, before taking an excursion through the run-off area at Turn 1. The Aprilia rider then snatched provisional pole back with that 1:38.742, while Quartararo consolidated third spot with a 1:38.959.

Aleix Espargaro was still pushing on his final lap when he outbraked himself at Turn 10, and Bagnaia was also continuing to chase time. This was it as the Ducati rider continued to find the pace to challenge, but it wasn’t quite enough as he crossed the line and was forced to settle for second. Quartararo, meanwhile, secured third but two tenths off the top.

MotoGP Catalunya Front Row (Full Results Here)

1 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia- 1’38.742
2 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.031
3 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – +0.217

Sunday
An incident into Turn 1 first saw Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) suffer contact from Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) after a crash for the Japanese rider, all ultimately unable to continue in the race, and then another contender was out as Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) crashed out alone mid-race. Finally, there was a heart-breaking blunder for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). The number 41 was in second place when celebrated a lap too early – leaving him pushing to keep a place in the top five.

At lights out, Quartararo nabbed the holeshot and avoided the chaos to hit the front, quickly stretching out a lead. By the end of the opening lap, he was nearly a second clear of the rest, keeping that margin ahead of Aleix Espargaro. Martin then complicated life more for the Aprilia rider as he sliced past into second, and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was next on the chase. Just behind them, a fast-starting Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was already up to fifth and, once past, trying to shake off Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team).

As Quartararo pounded on, the focus shifted to the fight for second. With 15 to go, Aleix Espargaro struck and the number 41 pitched it perfectly at Turn 1 to move through, with Zarco, in turn, making a gain on Martin too. Quartararo was three seconds clear of the Aprilia, the Pramac duo were locked together, Mir was still holding off Marini and Viñales was up in seventh.

By this time, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) had slid out, and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) too. In between the two there was the second seismic shift in the title fight as Bastianini crashed out from P7. That meant two of the top four going in were now down and out, as Quartararo continued on at the front.

As ‘El Diablo’ continued to count down the laps, the race for second was far from over. After stalking Martin, Aleix Espargaro hit back with four to go, again mugging the Prima Pramac Racing rider at Turn 1 and getting the job done. Everything looked under control, but there was drama, drama just around the apex.

Over the line to start the penultimate lap, the Aprilia rider sat up into Turn 1. Was it a problem? A mistake? It was a heartbreaker, as Espargaro celebrated what would have been a fifth podium in a row but a lap too early. He realised not long after and slotted back in, duelling past Marini again as he watched the Prima Pramac duo disappear into the distance.

Up ahead, Quartararo crossed the line with a stunning advantage for a statement win, taking 25 points to extend his lead. Martin took second and Zarco third, with Mir then coming through to steal fourth late on after a stunning showcase from the Suzuki rider.

Aleix Espargaro crossed the line fifth for some still valuable points despite the pain of losing the podium, with Marini putting in an impressive race once again for sixth. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had a strong Sunday to take P7, ahead of another raceday comeback for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the South African finished just ahead of teammate Miguel Oliveira.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) put in one of the rides of the day to complete the top ten despite starting last after sitting out qualifying following a big crash in practice. Marquez was diagnosed with no injuries on Saturday after a full check up, including cervical and neurological checks and an x-ray on his left arm, and after being passed fit to race in another medical review before Warm Up, the number 73 put in a stunner to move up to complete the top ten.

Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) managed to get the better of Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP) as the two rookies took P11 and P12, with Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) a few tenths further back in 13th. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) took P14, ahead of Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing).

That’s a wrap on a seismic weekend in Barcelona, with Germany next on the horizon. With the King of the Sachsenring on the sidelines his record of winning the races he’s competed in there will remain intact… but there’ll definitely be a new face on the top step. Join us for more as MotoGP returns in two weeks!

Fabio Quartararo: “I felt good from the beginning. I knew I wanted to be first in the first corner and finally I managed to get something crazy. So, I’m so happy, great to see all the fans here. I want to thank them all for coming here; it was an amazing race, and I feel great. I was not controlling all the race but pushing from the beginning, and then saw how my rear tyre was going. It was really good, and I had some margin and was always increasing my lead. So, I’m so happy. Mugello and here was meant to be difficult, but two and one is a really great result.”

MotoGP Catalunya Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Ducati – +0.635
2 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +6.473
3 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +8.385

Moto2
Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) vs Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) is one of the battles of the season in the standings, and in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya the two went head to head on track once again. In a stunning race to the line, it was just 0.081 between the two as Vietti pipped the home hero after a last lap lunge. The fight for third went to the wire too, with Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) taking the final step on the podium after a final sector move on Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team).

Dixon took the holeshot but the early race leader was Mugello podium finisher Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), with the American streaking away and only increasing his gap as a group fight for second raged in his wake. But it came to an early heartbreaking end for the American as he slid out from the lead mid-race, leaving that multi-rider fight for the podium as the multi-rider fight for the win. First it was Canet vs Dixon, then Vietti got past the Brit and the top two in the Championship were just about able to carve out some breathing space. This was it, Vietti vs Canet, all the way to the flag.

Onto the final lap it was the Italian ahead over the line, but Canet attacked at Turn 1 and took over in front. Still, the VR46 rider stalked his prey and chose a late move at Turn 10, slicing through to take over and then shutting every door. Out of the final corner Canet tried to find space around the outside but couldn’t quite make the attack, with the two then tucked in to the line and Vietti just taking it by 0.081. Another win and some more points for the Italian at the top of the table, but still another impressive bounce back and podium for Canet. Fernandez also had his work cut out, the Spaniard moving through from a bit further back to get into that fight at the front, make his way to the fight for the podium and then swoop past Dixon late on.

Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) had another impressive Sunday as the German took fifth, having fought in the group alongside Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) before the latter duo both crashed out with three to go. Mugello winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had a slightly tougher weekend in Barcelona as he took sixth, beating Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) to the line by just 0.022.

Alonso Lopez’s (Lightech Speed Up) impressive arrival to the World Championship continued in eighth, with the Spaniard less than a second behind Ogura. Manuel Gonzalez (VR46 Master Camp Team) took a top ten in P9, with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) tenth and after an early Long Lap penalty for a shortcut.

Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP 40) and Fermin Aldeguer (Lightech Speed Up) completed the points.

We headed in with Vietti and Ogura equal on points and we leave for the Sachsenring with the Italian extending his lead and Canet taking back over in second. What awaits in Germany? We’ll find out in two weeks!

Moto2 Catalunya Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – 38’42.958
2 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +0.081
3 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +0.522

Moto3
Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) was back on the top step in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, and in some serious style. Pulling away late on for a leisurely last lap – from the outside at least – the number 28 took victory by 1.9 seconds. The battle for second was a stunner too, with Daviz Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) coming out on top in only his second ever Grand Prix, beating Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) and Championship leader Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar) to the line. Title contender Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) suffered a DNF after a technical problem.

Before that, Foggia grabbed the holeshot, with Garcia also making some headlines as he made up some good ground from the latter half of the top ten to slot in on the chase.  Soon enough it settled into a now-familiar sight at the front: the GASGAS duo vs Leopard. And that way it stayed for a handful of laps, before that serious drama for Foggia. Heading into Turn 10, the Leopard rider headed wide but then slowed in the run off – suffering a technical problem and out the race.

There was more attrition heading for the front freight train. This time it was a multi-rider domino effect, with Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), David Salvador (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) and Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) all caught out and only Yamanaka able to rejoin. After implicated riders left the track before a hearing could take place regarding the incident, the FIM MotoGP Stewards will hold a hearing on Thursday of the German GP.

That drama had cut the front group down but more fast faces were soon on the scene as it returned to a fight throughout the points. Guevara had a small gap by five to go though, with Garcia on the chase and the stunning second ever World Championship race performance from Muñoz going strong as he duelled Suzuki.

Onto the final lap, there was no catching Guevara. The GASGAS rider had it signed, sealed and delivered with a healthy gap, and the battle for second only got closer. Garcia vs Suzuki vs Muñoz went right to the wire, with the number 44 giving the veterans as good as he got. And, he came out on top. Nearly neck and neck to the line, it was Muñoz who took it by 0.010 as Suzuki takes third and Garcia, despite holding second for a number of laps, forced to settle for fourth. 

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) won the battle for fifth as the Turk took another top result but remains on the search for that podium, with Carlos Tatay (CFMoto PrüstelGP) next up. John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) finished seventh ahead of Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with a bigger gap behind the two veterans to Adrian Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Prüstel GP).

After a Guevara win, a Garcia fourth, Masia only P8 and a Foggia DNF, it’s the GASGAS duo pulling clear. Garcia retains a healthy 16-point advantage over Guevara but the number 28 cut 12 off at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya… 

Moto3 Catalunya Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 38:22.351
2 David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) – KTM – -+1.975
3 Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) – Honda – +1.985

The post MotoGP Reports: All The Action From The Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

In a show of what WorldSBK could be like in 2022, five manufacturers finished inside the top seven positions on day two. Razgatlioglu’s fastest time was a 1’40.571s as he completed 51 laps with Yamaha trialling a new exhaust throughout the test as well as continuing to work on their electronics package. Teammate Andrea Locatelli was 11th for the second day as he, like his teammate, worked on Yamaha’s electronics package.

Both Razgatlioglu and Locatelli ventured out into the wet on Saturday. The Pata Yamaha team were not the only Yamaha representation in the top five, with Garrett Gerloff (GRT GYTR Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fifth place. Gerloff was testing in the wet conditions to trial Yamaha’s electronics package. Teammate Kohta Nozane also ventured out into the wet, posting a best time of 1’42.509s.

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Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) put his Panigale V4 R machine into second place as the team looked to focus on a modified swingarm compared to the one seen at Portimao as well as new items inside the front forks. Bautista completed 67 laps and posted a best time of 1’40.952s to claim second spot. Teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi made it two Ducatis in the top six as he finished sixth with a best time of 1’41.610s. He completed 34 laps on day two, opting not to test in the wet conditions.

Team HRC showed strong pace on Saturday with two riders in the top eight. Iker Lecuona claimed third spot with a best time of 1’41.033s and 62 laps completed, while Xavi Vierge was eighth after completing 55 laps. Vierge’s day came to an early end on Saturday after he had a highside crash at Turn 12, bringing out the Red Flags for a short period. Vierge was initially taken to the medical centre for a check-up before being transported to hospital with rib injuries, although he was conscious. Honda tested some new double ducts on their brakes on day one of the test to assist with cooling in hotter conditions, while the CBR1000RR-R also has a new exhaust for 2022.

At the team’s home circuit, Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK claimed fourth with Jonathan Rea on day two of the two-day test after posting a 1’41.168s and completing 32 laps. Throughout the test, Rea tried the fuel tanks fins used by teammate Alex Lowes as well as trying small components including on the clutch. Lowes finished the day in 12th place, with a best time of 1’41.99s and 36 laps to his name. Both riders opted against testing in the afternoon after the rain fell.

Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) overcame technical issues in the morning to finish in seventh place for the day, racking up 50 laps and posting a best lap time of 1’41.636s. Redding spent day one working on BMW’s electronics package and was hoping for dry running to keep the momentum heading in the right direction. Despite not staying dry, Redding did test in the wet conditions while stand-in teammate Ilya Mikhalchik finished his day when the rain came. The Ukrainian rider’s best time was a 1’42.763s and he completed 16 laps.

There were two Independent riders who rounded out the top ten on day two in Barcelona. German rookie Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) claimed ninth place as he looked to continue evaluating a new exhaust after the team switched to Spark over the winter. Oettl took advantage of the wet conditions in the afternoon to get some wet-weather practice in, having never ridden a WorldSBK machine in wet conditions before. His best time was a 1’41.735s with 55 laps to his name.

Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) took a different approach to the afternoon’s running after the rain, with the Frenchman ending his day early. Over the winter, Kawasaki Puccetti switched suspension suppliers to Öhlins, with Mahias continuing to evaluate this change in Catalunya. Mahias posted a best time just 0.009s shy of Oettl while adding 23 laps to his tally.

Bonovo Action BMW duo Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz were 15th and 16th respectively on the second day. Laverty had been working on a change of rider position throughout the test while working on some traction control strategies on day one. The Irishman completed 30 laps on day two, with a best time of 1’43.305s, while Baz was half-a-second down on his teammate as the Frenchman completed 29 laps; neither ventured out onto the track in the wet conditions.

Sammarinese rookie Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) was 17th on day two as he continued to adjust to WorldSBK action. He posted a best time of 1’43.823s, completing 23 laps but not taking to the wet track. His time was a second clear of fellow rookie Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) who added 34 laps to his tally; like Bernardi, König did not go out in the rain.

Now entering his second season in WorldSBK, Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was 19th on his ZX-10RR. the Belgian rider had a highside crash at Turn 2 on day one in the change of direction but was okay to ride on Saturday, finishing as the penultimate rider in the field. Malaysian rider Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) was last in the WorldSBK classification, completing 49 laps with a best time of 1’45.539s.

WorldSSP
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) continued his form of lapping under existing race lap records throughout testing as he sent the benchmark in WorldSSP on day two. His best time was a 1’45.110s, faster than both Cresson and Syahrin, as he added 38 laps to his tally. He was the only WorldSSP rider to hit the track in the wet conditions, with Raffaele De Rosa (Ducati Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Oli Bayliss (Barni Spark Racing Team) opting to not test in the afternoon. De Rosa’s best time was a 1’46.971s, almost two seconds back from Bulega, while Bayliss posted a 1’47.253s as his best time.

WorldSBK Day 2 Top Three (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’40.571s, 51 laps
2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.952s, 67 laps
3 Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) 1’41.033s, 62 laps

2022 WorldSSP Top Three

1 Nicolò Bulega – Ducati – 1m 45.110s
2 Raffaele De Rosa – Ducati – 1m 46.971s
3 Oli Bayliss – Ducati – 1m 47.253s

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In the title fight, points leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) retired with an electronics issue on lap 15, while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaking Racing) despite a bad start  took fourth in the race, and goes into Sunday racing with a six-point lead in the championship.  (Rea – 376 points, Razgatlioglu 370 points, Redding 323 points).

Despite a bad start that saw him back to 10th at the first timing point,  world champion Rea fought back to lead the field while behind rookie Bassani was Eventually the warring duo found their way past Rea before Bassani took the lead when Razgatlioglu pulled over with an electronics mishap. As the 20-lap race progressed, the two factory Ducati riders of Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found pace.

In the closing stages, Redding passed teammate Rinaldi for second before making a move on the independent Ducati of Bassani for the lead, with a handful of laps to go.  Redding was the eventual winner, ahead of Bassani and Rinaldi, to claim Ducati’s first 1-2-3 finish since Assen 2012.    Rea came in fourth grasping valuable championship points after Razgatlioglu’s demise.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed fifth place despite applying late pressure to Rea as he looked to claim a podium finish for BMW. He was two seconds clear of former teammate Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who claimed sixth place.

There was a strong showing for Team HRC with Leon Haslam finishing in seventh place and Alvaro Bautista in ninth, sandwiching polesitter Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the British rider falling down the order at the start of the race, but managing a fight back for eighth.  Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) completed the top ten, finishing just 0.008s ahead of Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who finished as the lead Yamaha rider. Nozane got a great start from 12th to fight in the lead group in the early stages of the race.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) finished in 12th place after falling down through the order, finishing four tenths clear of French rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 13th place. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 14th place with Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) taking the final point from Race 1 with 15th.

Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) took home 16th place on his first start of 2021 with the Barni Racing Team with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) in 17th. Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) came home in 18th place ahead of Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) and Lachlan Epis (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in 20th on his WorldSBK debut in difficult conditions.

Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) did not take the race start after a crash on the Sighting Lap as he lost the rear of his Yamaha YZF R1 machine on the kerbs on the exit of turn 10 and on the run through turn 11, damaging his bike and preventing him from taking the start of the 20-lap encounter.

Scott Redding: “It was one of those races I didn’t expect to win. I thought I was going to finish today a little bit upset because I didn’t make a step. Then it all just started turning around. I got more and more hungry as it went on. At the beginning of the race, off the start, I got big wheelspin as we crossed the start line and made me drop back. I had no grip in the beginning. In one moment, I said ‘you’ve got to do something. If you go down, you go down, but it is what it is’. I planned a little bit what I could do, and I had Michael as a target which was quite good for me.”

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +1.577s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.326s

Tissot Sprint Race
There was action aplenty in the Superpole Sprint at this weekend’s round 9  of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Barcelona’s Catalunya circuit as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed a hard-fought victory over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) to win by two tenths.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led into turn one but was soon fending off challenges from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with Rea on Pirelli’s SC1 tyre while his rivals were on the SCX.

The battle continued through the first three laps before a Red Flag on lap four following an incident at turn 11 involving Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), with Davies taken to the medical centre. Davies was stable and conscious following the incident but was declared unfit, before he was transferred to Catalunya Hospital for further assessment. Mahias took to the grid for the restarted race but brought his bike back to the pits three laps in.

The grid for the restarted race was based on the last completed timing point for each rider, with Razgatlioglu, Rea and Redding starting the five-lap race from the front row, with Rea starting the restarted race on the SCX tyre. The first lap of the five lap restart saw fierce racing between the lead group, but it was Rea who beat home Razgatlioglu.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was in third place after starting the restarted race from sixth place, fighting his way up to claim his first podium since Aragon 2020, a wait of 37 races, and to claim a front row start for this afternoon’s race two. Bautista had been running second ahead of Razgatlioglu but was overtaken by the Turkish star, before battling Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) for the podium.

Lowes claimed fourth place in the Superpole Race to secure a second row start and he will be joined by Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing); Bassani starting race two from sixth place after the highs of his Saturday podium dampened by a big crash in Sunday’s warm-up.

Two Hondas will start from inside the top seven with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) claiming seventh place with American Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) recovering from a crash yesterday to take eighth place in the Sprint. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) took his best ever WorldSBK result with ninth after a battle with Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team); the Italian also claiming his best WorldSBK result.

The Tissot Superpole Race proved to be one to forget for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team with both riders retiring from the race after an incident between the two on the opening lap, with Michael van der Mark coming off his bike in the gravel while Sykes was able to bring his bike back to the pits. Van der Mark lost the front of his BMW M 1000 RR going through turn six and made contact with Sykes. Neither rider was able to take to the grid for the restarted race.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) retired from the restarted race on the opening lap after an incident at turn 11, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) also involved; the incident placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards with no further action required. Redding had to take to the gravel with that incident and lost considerable time, finishing the race in 15th place.

Tissot Superpole Race (Full Results Here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.211s
3 Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) +2.771s

Race Two
A tyre gamble played into Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s hands in world superbike’s race two at the Barcelona circuit of Catalunya, with the Italian Ducati rider running Pirelli’s SC0 tyre to take the weekend’s final victory over Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu with Ducati’s Scott Redding, also SC0 shod, in third.  

Defending champion, Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea who ran Pirelli’s SCX A0557 development option (as did the rest of the field) , could not maintain the pace of the front runners and crossed the line in sixth.  Coupled with a win in the midday Sprint and a 4th on Saturday, Rea has closed the gap on points leader Razgatlioglu to one point in the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with Razgatlioglu on 399 points and Rea on 398 points.  The next round is at Spain’s Jerez circuit next weekend (Sept 24-26) followed by Portugal’s Algarve on October 1-3 to make for a triple-header of intense competition.  

Race two started with drama, the red flags out on lap two of the 20-lap race following an incident involving Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) at turn one.  Although conscious, Sykes was taken to the medical centre and was diagnosed with a head injury and concussion and transferred to Catalunya Hospital for further assessments.

In the 19-lap restart, Rinaldi made a fast start and moved into the lead ahead of Razgatlioglu and Rea. Razgatlioglu went with Rinaldi throughout the 19-lap encounter but Rea dropped back with ailing tyres. Early on Razgatlioglu held the early lead over Rinaldi, but the Turk’s dominance lasted for just a handful of laps before the Italian took control, extending his charge to the finish line to claim victory by more than 3 seconds. 

With Rea battling for a podium spot, he fought to keep Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) at bay, but his attempts were in vain with the Italian rookie passing him on lap 10 before Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) followed through.

At the start of lap 18, Redding made a move on Locatelli into turn one for third place with Redding using the SC0 tyre, along with Rinaldi, while his rivals were on the SCX rubber. Bautista followed Redding through a lap later at the same corner. It meant Rinaldi claimed his first win since the Tissot Superpole Race at Misano.

Rea came home in sixth place, more than four seconds down on the battle for the podium, but three seconds clear of American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh. Gerloff was the top independent rider and finished ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in eighth. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed ninth place with Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) taking his first top-ten finish in a full-length race with tenth. 

Honda secured a points finish with both riders as Leon Haslam (Team HRC) crossed in 11th place, five seconds clear of Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) in 12th. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was 13th in race two after a strong weekend for the French rider.

Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had an incredible battle for 14th place with Argentinean rider finishing just 0.081s clear of rookie Viñales. Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) was the last classified rider in 16th.

Alex Lowes’ (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came to an end at turn two on lap one after he came off his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, and headed to medical centre where he was diagnosed with a left wrist contusion. 

Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) and Sydney’s Lachlan Epis (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) were mixed up in a back grid drama, with Epis retiring from the race after 7 laps. Mahias joined the restarted race but brought his bike back to the pits and retired from the race, while Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) also did not finish the race.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi: “I’m really happy about this win because we arrived from a difficult moment. Yesterday after the rain I was a little bit upset because I knew we had a strong pace in the dry. We managed third which wasn’t bad. I said, ‘today is my day, I need to go for it’. The tyre choice was difficult actually because everyone was going for the soft, but last year I saw there was too much drop at the end of the race. I took a risk, but it worked, so really happy about that.”

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.030s
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.207s

 Current Championship standings (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 399
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 398
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 339

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