Assen celebrates its 30th anniversary battle for WorldSBK, with Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista leading the championship after two Sunday wins at round one at Aragon, Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea sitting second on the points table and heading to Assen with the possibility of scoring his 100th victory for the marque,  and world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu in third.  News also this week that Dutchman Michael van der Mark (BMWO is back on the bike for his home round after a season delay due to injury, and that Leon Haslam will race for the Pedercini Kawasaki squad for the Assen round. 

Race times (all times Australian Eastern Standard Time)

• WorldSBK   Saturday 10pm-21 laps     Sunday 7pm-10 laps and 10pm-21 laps
• WorldSSP   Saturday 11.15pm-18 laps Sunday  8.30pm-18 laps

It’d been 1022 days between Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) spells at the top of the championship but after just three races back with the Ducati Panigale V4 R, the Spaniard is already leading the standings. 

Bautista’s double on Sunday at Aragon sees him come to a circuit where he was unbeatable in 2019 too, when he romped to a double, winning the opening 11 races of the season. However, as seen at Aragon, it’s a lot closer now; can he fend off Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who won all three races in 2021? His teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, took a podium in 2021 at Assen and had a solid first round; can he challenge for victory this time?

In the green corner, Jonathan Rea took the opening honours of the 2022 season with race one victory in a thrilling final corner battle with Bautista. After the duo’s closest fight for victory, Rea now comes to a circuit that he’s become synonymous with. An unprecedented 15 wins – on both Honda and Kawasaki – mean that he’s the favourite.   Two more victories at Assen this weekend for the six-time world champ, will create history and a milestone moment for Rea with a record 100 career wins for Kawasaki. 

Tyre choice was crucial in 2021 and Rea did his homework to take his most recent triple in WorldSBK; he’s three points behind Bautista. On the other side of the garage, Alex Lowes’ season started with a crash and whilst yet to get a podium for Kawasaki at Assen or in 2022, his first one in WorldSBK came at Assen in 2014; will he deliver?

Third in the standings after Aragon, reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) had a solid first round, with Yamaha making a visible step at a circuit they’ve historically struggled at. However, despite the gains, Toprak confirmed that they’d reverted back to the old electronics package for Aragon and hinted at a complete return to the 2021-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 for Assen. The Dutch venue is one of just three venues on the calendar that Toprak hasn’t won at – the others are Aragon and Barcelona. In 2021, third in race one and the Superpole Race were the highlights before he was skittled at turn one by fellow Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Teammate Andrea Locatelli has fantastic Assen memories, taking a first WorldSBK podium in 2021 after leading a race for the first time; can he go a step further?

It was a very positive opening round for Team HRC and their rookie line-up of Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge. The Spaniards lie fifth and sixth in the Championship and thus make it two Honda riders inside the top six. Both Lecuona and Vierge hope to consolidate their pace at a circuit they’ve not tested at; Lecuona found a breakthrough in braking at Aragon but with Assen being more about flow and corner speed, could their bike be a natural contender? Neither rider has performed particularly well in the MotoGP paddock days at Assen, but with a new challenge can come a reset; expect both Hondas to feature.

Where to start with BMW? On one hand, it looks like they’ve made gains as they had plenty of top ten success through the Aragon weekend, albeit not the top five they achieved in tricky conditions last year. However, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a difficult time, something he said was “hard to accept”, struggling all round and managing a 15th in race one as his sole point-scoring ride. He’ll hope to fair better and break into the top ten as he continues his adaptation to an inline four engine configuration. Home-hero Michael van der Mark returns, the Dutchman kicking off his season at Assen after missing round one due to injury.  He’s had podiums for Honda and Yamaha in past years and two top six finishes in 2021, so we will see where the BMW takes him.

The top Independent battle rages on and Frenchman Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) is in control; he gave BMW their best result of 2022 with seventh in race two at Aragon. Teammate Eugene Laverty took a top ten at Aragon and aims to make gains at Assen, however, it’s a familiar battle splitting the BMWs: Garrett Gerloff vs Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Gerloff showed great promise in Free Practice at Aragon but faded in the races and now comes back to the scene of his controversial collision with Toprak in race two last year.

For Bassani, he was the opposite of Gerloff last time out; not featuring in practice but coming good in the races, with seventh in the Superpole Race before a tenth top-six finish of his WorldSBK career in race two, taking sixth. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is next up in 14th overall, returning to the track where he suffered a big crash in 2021.

Vying to crack the top ten for the first time, Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) took two 13th places in his WorldSBK debut weekend and goes to Assen, where he took two WorldSSP podiums in 2021. Then, Sammarinese rookie Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team), who came from 18th on the grid at Aragon to 12th in Race 1 for debut points. He took a top five at Assen last year in WorldSSP. Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was a surprise at Aragon and took points, whilst fellow Yamaha rider Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) struggled, not scoring points and crashing in Race 2.

Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport Yamaha), Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), teammate Hafizh Syahrin and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) aiming for first points and the news of  “Pocket Rocket” Leon Haslam returning to Pedercini after the departure of Loris Cresson.  (TPR Team Pedercini Racing). Despite being scheduled to make a wildcard debut, reigning British champion Tarran Mackenzie has been ruled out after a preseason testing injury.

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Victoria’s thrilling 4.445 km Phillip Island Circuit, considered by many in the paddock as their favourite track in the world, has for 14 years launched the world’s leading production bike championship. However, this November Phillip Island will stage the final curtain call and, if the title fight goes down to the wire as it did in 2021, we could be set for a scintillating season-decider.

Fresh off the back of the Indonesian round just the week prior, World Superbike and World Supersport teams, including Australia’s Oli Bayliss and Ben Currie who will compete in the WSS Championship, will head down under.  They will be joined by the leading national classes of Australian Superbike, Australian Supersport and Australian Supersport 300 for the Island’s 2022 World Superbike event.

Tickets for Phillip Island’s 2022 round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will go on sale later in the year.  Register your interest now for ticketing, hospitality, or to become a volunteer official, via www.worldsbk.com.au.

 “Everyone from the world superbike community is keen to get back to Phillip Island, and we are raring to go, so it’s great news that we’re back on the championship calendar in 2022. We thank DORNA and the Victorian Government for their assistance in securing the final round of 2022 for Australia, and we look forward to potentially crowning the champion at Phillip Island.” said General Manager, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, David Bennett

“We’re looking forward to hosting the final round of the 2022 Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island. This event attracts superbike fans from around the world and showcases the best that Phillip Island has to offer.” said Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Martin Pakula.

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Despite Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) deciding not to come out and play – he opted to sit-out day one and doesn’t know whether he’ll be riding a full day or a half day on day two – it was still a good day for Kawasaki. Alex Lowes was back on track and said that he feels much better, having had a couple of surgeries as well as working hard with the physios. He had things to try from Showa and also for the rear of the bike and the British rider ended day one as the fastest. Commenting on the new items, he said it’s “nothing massive but in our game, small changes can make a big difference.”

Honda continued to progress throughout the day as Xavi Vierge completed the day in second. The rookie Spaniard enjoyed the whole day inside the top two positions and was a regular fixture at the top for most of that. After a good first test for both he and fellow rookie teammate Iker Lecuona back in December, both were looking at more electronic and traction control settings, improving grip, turning and handling.

Team manager Leon Camier commented that there’s a “few aspects to help optimise what we’ve got” so there’ll be plenty more to come on day two. Also spotted on day one was that Honda have changed to Nissin brakes and Showa suspension; they previously ran Brembo and Ohlins respectively. Kawasaki’s factory team also use Showa, whilst BMW are the only other factory team that use Nissin.

Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was another rider who, having been injured at the end of 2021, was back on a motorcycle. Having had a broken wrist four months ago, and it has healed for only a month, he was on track to get some crucial lap time and to adapt to the electronics. Although he doesn’t have pain in his scaphoid, he has some pain with the ligament and the muscle and has lost some power. However, he did say it was getting better, but slowly. He was fourth at the end of the day.

The big news away from the on-track action was that Pirelli confirmed that a new tyre will be introduced for the 2022 season: The SCQ tyre will be used primarily for the Tissot Superpole Race, as the SCX – previously used with the 10-lap dash in mind – has been used more for the full races. For more information and quotes from Pirelli’s Motorsport Director about the new tyre.

WorldSSP: Öncü remains fastest ahead of new recruits
Finland’s Niki Tuuli headed out towards the end of the day, completing some laps to get dialled in and finished the day on top. On the MV Agusta, there was new engine, clutch, gearbox and electronics, so plenty of items to get through. Turkish star Can Öncü’s (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 2022 season preparation got off to a solid start as he finished second in the WorldSSP testing standings.

His new teammate and 2021 WorldSSP one-event rider Yari Montella was next up, second in the class, whilst Kenan Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was third. Sofuoglu is deputising for his nephew, Bahattin, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday before the flight. Ben Currie (G.A.P Motozoo by Puccetti Racing) and teammate Jeffrey Buis adapted to life in WorldSSP, with less than a second separating them.

WorldSBK unofficial times after day one of testing:

1 Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’40.316
2 Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) 1’40.342
3 Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) 1’40.496
4 Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 1’40.921

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After winning the 2021 Riders’ Championship, Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu switches from his traditional #54 to plate #1 for 2022, alongside team mate Andrea Locatelli. After six years at the top, Jonathan Rea switches back to #65 for the year ahead at Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK as he looks to reclaim the title in the chase for a seventh crown. Once again, Rea will be joined by Alex Lowes who will be hoping to bounce back from an injury-hit 2021 season.

The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team will run another new line-up in 2022 as Scott Redding joins the team alongside Michael van der Mark. It means the team will be on their third different line-up in as many years to compete on the BMW M 1000 RR.

Both Honda and Ducati have undergone rider line-up changes throughout the winter as well. Alvaro Bautista sensational returns to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati for 2022, alongside Michael Ruben Rinaldi, with the Spaniard hoping he can replicate the form he showed when he first joined WorldSBK with Ducati in 2019. Rinaldi will embark on his second campaign with the factory Ducati squad, hoping to add to his three wins from 2022.

Team HRC will have an all-rookie line-up in 2022 after bringing in Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge from MotoGP and Moto2 respectively to compete on the CBR1000RR-R machine, with Team HRC looking to add to their podium tally from 2021 and claim a first victory since their return as a full-factory outfit.

BMW have also expanded the number of BMW machines on the grid to four with the Bonovo Action BMW squad, with Eugene Laverty being joined by the returning Loris Baz. Like at BMW, there has been an expansion of the satellite team as MIE Racing Honda Team, with Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado returning for a second season at the team and Hafizh Syahrin joining the squad.

There is a new team on the 2022 grid as Yamaha Motoxracing join the Championship having previously competed in WorldSSP and WorldSSP300. They will run Spanish rider Isaac Viñales in 2022, after he made the switch from Orelac Racing VerdNatura; his place will be taken by Czech rider Oliver König. As well as teams, two riders have made the switch from WorldSSP to WorldSBK. Philipp Oettl joins Team GoEleven for 2022 while Luca Bernardi will become the first rider to compete in WorldSSP300, WorldSSP and WorldSBK when he takes to the grid with Barni Spark Racing Team.

 GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team have retained the same line-up for 2022 with Garrett Gerloff returning for his third campaign alongside Kohta Nozane, who enters his sophomore campaign. After an incredible rookie campaign in 2021, Axel Bassani returns with Motocorsa Racing as he looks to build on his single podium finish while Lucas Mahias returns for a second season with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, while there is one seat still to be announced at TPR Team Pedercini Racing, with the Italian team going down to one bike in 2022.

Fourteen nationalities have been confirmed for 2022, up from 12 on the entry list in 2021. San Marino will be represented for the first time since Alex De Angelis in 2017 when Bernardi takes his spot on the grid. For Malaysia, Syahrin will be the country’s first full-time representative on the grid and the first since Cletus Adi Haslam at Johor in 1993. The 23 riders on the grid will compete for five manufacturers: four will ride BMW bikes and another four on Honda machinery. Yamaha are the manufacturer with the most bikes on the grid in 2022, with six YZF R1 machines while there will be five Ducati Panigale V4 R bikes and five Kawasaki ZX-10RRs.

2022 Offical WorldSBK Entry List 

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The 25-year-old Turkish rider dazzled as he leapt from victory to victory throughout the season, taking the title in Race 1 in Indonesia on Sunday, ending Rea’s stranglehold on the Championship and becoming the 18th WorldSBK Champion in what was coincidentally the Championship’s 18th final round title decider. Toprak’s not had it all his own way in his career, and he’s worked hard to become World Champion.

Born in Alanya, Turkey, in 1996, Toprak found himself in the motorcycle world, although perhaps not the most well-known side of the sport. His father was the famous Arif Razgatlioglu, a stunt rider. However, tragically on the 17th of November in 2017, just months before Toprak’s move to WorldSBK, his father lost his life in a road accident. A huge influence on Toprak’s life, Razgatlioglu said on social media ahead of the last round, “I will do my best for you this weekend dad. T.T.A.” T.T.A means Tek taker Arif, what his father was known as, meaning Wheelie Arif.

Despite always being a keen motorcyclist and having been brought up around that, Razgatlioglu also has some gymnastic moves. He learnt this on the shores of Alanya where he grew up, doing trickery such as handstands and hand walking. Always seen in the paddock doing something extraordinary and often seen jumping over barriers in Parc Ferme with ease, Razgatlioglu’s not just a one-trick pony, but the clown-prince of WorldSBK. The stoppies that he’s become known for, the charismatic style on and off the bike; he’s a showman that people love.

In his early years and with his dad by his side, Toprak’s journey saw him start on gravel, aged five, on a 50cc motocross bike. However, despite winning four national motocross Championships, the move to tarmac and road racing journey followed, and aged 11, with his dad the driving force, Toprak moved to the kind of surface where he’d go on to be World Champion on some 14 years later. Whilst this was going on in his native Turkey, the country was also seeing national hero Kenan Sofuoglu pick up a first title in 2007. The path to the World Championship was under construction.

His skills continued to be honed, emerging as a force by racing in the IDM Yamaha R6 Cup class in 2011 and 2012, taking podiums and seventh in 2012. Moving on with his career, Razgatlioglu was etched into people’s minds as he joined the Red Bull Rookies Cup programme for 2013, starting with a bang by taking two podiums in his first two races, finishing tenth before 2014 saw him take his first win in the class at the Sachsenring.

Getting too tall for KTM Moto3 machinery, Toprak tried the European Superstock 600 Championship at Magny-Cours at the end of 2014, after Kenan Sofuoglu entered him and he really did show potential. In a combative race, he stunned to win on his debut; a sign of things to come in terms of his talent and love for Magny-Cours. That single, stunning performance unlocked a monster and Razgatlioglu stormed to the 2015 STK600 title with ease, including an iconic battle with Federico Caricasulo along the way at Imola.

Toprak dominated and won the opening five races, with a third place giving him the crown at Misano. He moved to the European Superstock 1000 Championship a year later, adapting to the bigger machinery and again, it was Magny-Cours which would prove to be a special place as he took his first podium in the class at the French venue. Also in 2016, he had a brief time on the Grillini Kawasaki in WorldSBK at Phillip Island but didn’t start through injury after a Free Practice fall. With two podiums at the end of the STK1000 season, he was fifth and one to watch in 2017’s title battle, narrowly missing out by eight points to 2021 WorldSBK rival Michael Ruben Rinaldi despite three wins.

It was time for the big move: WorldSBK called for Razgatlioglu, and nobody expected big things. As a rookie, the pressure was off, and he was with the Puccetti Kawasaki outfit, themselves only with a year of WorldSBK experience. However, 2018 got off to a solid start, with points in his first ten races, including a top ten in Race 2 at the season-opening round at Phillip Island, whilst eighth was his best result. Donington Park was next and despite not scoring points in Race 1, Razgatlioglu cut through from eighth, beating Jonathan Rea on the last lap for second place for his and Turkey’s first podium in WorldSBK. Taking another podium in San Juan in Argentina, he finished ninth overall.

2019 would be the breakthrough year for Razgatlioglu. Staying in the Puccetti structure, he was on his way to stardom. A first podium of the year came at Imola when he was third, whilst he’d then take a further eighth podiums in the next rounds, at least one at each track. But it’d be the French Round at Magny-Cours where he’d burst onto the scene as a real talent for the future; from 16th on the grid and 1.3s down with two laps to go, Razgatlioglu pushed hard, chasing down Jonathan Rea to take a first ever WorldSBK win in thrilling circumstances. He backed it up with another win in the Tissot Superpole Race before finishing the season fifth overall with 13 podiums and two wins.

Moving onto the factory Yamaha and the Pata Yamaha outfit, Toprak Razgatlioglu was hot property going into 2020, living up to all the hype by winning the opening race of the season; one of just 14 riders to win on their new-team debut. Razgatlioglu took eight more podiums and two more wins, clinching fourth overall in the Championship despite missing two races at Barcelona-Catalunya following a Warm-Up crash. Top Yamaha and taking two wins and a second in the final round at Estoril, it was a strong end to 2020 and a good platform to build on going into 2021.

Then, it was the big year, the huge one and perhaps, one of the biggest in the Championship: could WorldSBK’s most dominant and most successful rider in Jonathan Rea be toppled? The answer was yes; Rea may have won four races from the first six, but once Toprak took victory at Misano in Race 2, the floodgates opened. Thrilling wins at Donington Park were followed by a last lap showdown with Scott Redding at Most in Race 1.

The gloves then came off with Jonathan Rea at Navarra in the Superpole Race, as well as in a phenomenal final lap battle with his title rival at Magny-Cours in the Superpole Race there too. However, it’d go on to be decided off-track after a final lap track limits infringement saw Jonathan Rea take the win.

With the rivalry now at its height, more intense battling came in the Superpole Race in Barcelona, Jerez’s emotional Race 1, Portimao’s hectic Race 1 and San Juan’s titanic Race 2. Since Portimao, Toprak’s been able to slowly edge to the title and although he put himself within striking distance for Argentina, it was the Championship’s return to Indonesia where he was able to finally achieve his life-long dream of becoming World Superbike Champion. He did it in style too; not holding back and playing it safe; he laid it all on the line and was going for victories right until the end.

So, now he’s Champion, what next for the 25-year-old Turk? Well, he’ll head home to Sakarya in Turkey, where he lives with his mum and probably tell her all about it. Then, after all the celebrations have calmed, attention will turn to 2022 and making sure that he can do it all over again next year.

Add in plenty of extreme sports throughout the winter, such as snowboarding and probably, some races at Kenan Sofuoglu’s kart track on the Yamaha R3, and he’ll be busy. Whilst being one of the most eye-catching and flamboyant on-track, Toprak is a quietly spoken and humbling star. After all, he was just a kid with a dream of being World Champion.

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Both Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), decorated in a special 1990s livery to mark a special anniversary for Kawasaki, got quick starts from second and fifth on the grid respectively to lead the race into turn one, while polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found himself on the ground at the first turn after crashing, with the Briton falling to the back.

Out in front and Rea had put pressure on Razgatlioglu for the lead of the race before the championship leader opened up the gap to Rea to just over three seconds at the end of lap eight, with the pair holding station until the end of the race. Razgatlioglu’s win meant he claimed the 50th podium of his career while Yamaha claimed their first podium at San Juan Villicum. Rea’s second place meant he claimed Great Britain’s 810th podium, while it was only the second time Rea has not won at Argentina.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the tenth podium of his WorldSBK career with third place after passing Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at around half-distance of the race. Bassani had started from the front row for the first time in his WorldSBK career but fell back at the start before fighting back into third, before Rinaldi was able to pass him. Rinaldi’s podium was Ducati’s 980th podium in WorldSBK.

The battle for fourth raged on between Bassani and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with Lowes, using a Top Gun-inspired livery to mark Kawasaki’s 125th anniversary, making the move through turns six and seven to move into fourth before fending off the Ducati rider down the back straight into turn eight, with Lowes finishing in fourth place and Bassani in fifth.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was another who had a strong start as the lights went out but soon found himself falling back down the order as he battled with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK); with the Dutchman claiming sixth place and Gerloff seventh. Locatelli ended the race in eighth place after starting from sixth place.

Redding ended the 21-lap race in ninth place after battling his way back from the back of the field after his turn one spill, passing numerous riders to secure a top-ten finish despite the early setback, with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) rounding out the top ten after withstanding late challenges from his rivals but unable to keep Redding behind.

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 11th place in only his second round onboard Kawasaki machinery, finishing almost two seconds clear of Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) who finished in 12th place. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) moved up the order at the start of the race but fell back as the 21-lap progressed, eventually coming home in 13th place.

It was a strong showing for Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) as he looked to claim his first top-ten finish in WorldSBK, but a late trip through the gravel meant he fell down to 14th place, four seconds behind Laverty. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed the final points-paying position with 15th place.

Home hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 16th and missing out on points by around five seconds, but he was also five seconds clear of 17th-placed Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha). Two Argentinean riders rounded out the classified runners with Marco Solorza (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and teammate Luciano Ribodino in 18th and 19th respectively.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was the first retirement of the race after he had a crash at turn four on the third lap of the race. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had shown strong pace throughout the weekend but retired from race one after an early trip into the gravel at turn seven; although he did re-join the race, he retired in the second half.

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.295s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.417s

Tissot Superpole Race
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continued to thrill throughout the Motul Argentinean Round as the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race was decided by a drag race to the finish line at the Circuito San Juan Villicum with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dicing it out for Superpole Race honours.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again claimed the lead of the race into turn one after leapfrogging polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was straight into podium contention from fifth on the grid and immediately battling with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding.

At the end of lap three, Redding lost ground to Razgatlioglu after running wide at the final corner, allowing Rea to put pressure on the Ducati rider while the Turkish star was able to extend his lead at the front of the field. Redding was able to spend a few laps recovering the time to Razgatlioglu before putting pressure on the race leader with the battling right until the line; Redding looking to make a move into turn six and seven but Razgatlioglu responded to hold on to the line by just 0.046s. Razgatlioglu claimed his 13th win of 2021 with Yamaha taking their 350th podium placement. Redding claimed second for his 20th podium this campaign with Rea settling for third; the trio starting from the front row. 

As in Saturday’s race one, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) lost ground at the start of the race but was able to fight back to claim fourth place, his best dry-weather result, in the Superpole Race after passing Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in lap three; Lowes would drop back to ninth in the closing stages of the race. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again battled it out on track with the Dutchman coming out on top to claim fifth place, with Italian rookie Locatelli in sixth and one second back from van der Mark.

After topping warm-ip on Sunday morning, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed seventh place after making progress from his starting spot, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth place; the Italian had battled his way up the order before losing a couple of spots in the latter stages of the race. Lowes will complete the third row after finishing ninth.

Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.046s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.419s

Argentinian action in WorldSBK race two at the San Juan circuit saw the championship top three engaged in a hard-fought 21-lap battle with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) coming out on top, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) second and Toprak Razgatlioglu third (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK).    In earlier weekend racing, Razgatlioglu won Saturday’s race one and the Sprint, while Rea took two podiums – a second in race one and a third in Sunday’s quick dash.   

The Turk now holds a 30 point lead over Rea  (531 to 501 points) with Redding back in third on 465 points, with the title-decider in the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship going down to the wire and to be decided at the final round,  a month away at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit on November 19-21.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start from third on the grid while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led from pole position.  The pair battled through the first three laps, with Redding joining the fray, and Rea taking the lead briefly before being pushed down to third on the fourth lap of 21. On lap five, the Ducati star moved up to second with a pass on Rea before passing Razgatlioglu, while Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form as he battled the championship’s top three for a podium position.  

Rea was able to respond to move into second and looked to take the lead, but the Turkish star was able to resist the challenge on lap six.  At the start of lap nine, Redding made a move on Rea into turn one to move up into second place, with Razgatlioglu still out in front, although Redding did make a move into turn eight, with Razgatlioglu responding.

On lap ten at turn seven, Redding overtook Razgatlioglu to capture the lead, with Rea almost able to pass the Turkish star into Turn 8 but Razgatlioglu responded to keep second place. The move allowed Redding to escape the thrilling battles, with the fight between Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continuing to heat up.

Rea cut back under Razgatlioglu into turn seven to briefly move into second place on lap 14 but Razgatlioglu regained the position under braking into turn eight. On Lap 16, Rea made the crucial overtake to move into turn one but Razgatlioglu fought back until turn five with the pair side-by-side throughout the sequence. After this, Rea was able to break away to claim second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, Redding claiming his first victory since Catalunya.

Bassani dropped away from the lead trio in the closing stages but still recorded fourth place after another excellent race for the Italian rookie as he withstood a late challenge from Ducati stablemate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by just half-a-second at the end of the 21-lap race. With the top four battling it out in the early stages, Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was running in the lead group with fifth place before he was passed by Rinaldi, eventually coming home in sixth place.

Yamaha stablemates Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in seventh and eighth respectively with American star Gerloff missing out in seventh spot by just three tenths at the end of the race. Despite missing out on seventh place, Gerloff’s points, coupled with teammate Kohta Nozane finishing in 14th place, was enough for GRT Yamaha to claim the Best Independent Teams’ title in 2021.

Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) battled it out for ninth place in the closing stages of the race with just eight tenths separating the duo as they crossed the line. Bautista, a race winner at San Juan for Ducati but making his first appearance on Honda machinery in Argentina, battled back from 15th place after missing out on a top-nine spot in the morning Tissot Superpole Race.

Bautista’s Team HRC teammate, Leon Haslam, was 11th with both Team HRC riders taking points for the team’s first appearance at San Juan. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 12th place ahead of Spanish compatriot Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th with Viñales showing strong pace throughout the weekend. Nozane took 14th place with home hero Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado 15th (MIE Racing Honda Team) – coming home with points despite running wide at turn one late on in the race.

Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), still standing in for Tom Sykes, finishing in 16th place and half-a-second clear of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) in 17th and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) in 18th. Two Argentinean riders finished in 19th and 20th with OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Luciano Ribodino and Marco Solorza rounding out the field.

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.428s
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.834s

Championship Standings After Round 12 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 531
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 501
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 465

The post WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD 12 In Argentina appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took the race victory, but Razgatlioglu’s second place was enough for him to clinch the championship and become the first ever Turkish rider to win the WorldSBK title. At 25 years, he becomes the third youngest rider to win the championship in its 33 year history and the first rider to dethrone six-time WorldSBK Champion, Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Rea.  Toprak is the protégé of former WorldSSP champion, Turkey’s Kenan Sofuoglu.

His second place gave him a 25-point advantage over Rea with one race to run – but his title victory was secure on a countback of most wins for the season.   His 2021 journey with Yamaha has seen him amass 13 wins, 29 podiums and 3 pole positions to clinch the season title for 2021.

Despite some rain falling prior to the start of race one, which was delayed and shortened to 20 laps from the original 21, all riders started on slick tyres. Polesitter, Razgatlioglu lost ground as the lights went out but battled his way back to lead the race at the start of lap three after overtaking Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) into the right-hander of turn one. Behind, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was making his way through the field to briefly lead the race after passing Rea on lap four at turn 12 and then Razgatlioglu on lap five at turn ten.

At the end of lap five, Rea forced his way through on Bassani on the exit of turn 16 before Razgatlioglu followed through at turn one at the start of lap six, before Rea and Razgatlioglu exchanged first place throughout lap six. Rea eventually re-claimed the lead and started lapping around one tenth quicker than his title rival, who remained in second place. On lap nine, Razgatlioglu took the lead with a move on Rea into turn ten. Lap ten featured yet another change for the lead as Rea passed Razgatlioglu into turn 16, before Razgatlioglu responded straight away into turn one. On the same lap Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed second place from Rea with a similar move that Rea made on Razgatlioglu at turn 16.

Turn 16 continued to provide drama as Razgatlioglu ran wide into the long left-hander at the penultimate corner, losing the lead of the race to Redding, and Rea moved into second place with the Turkish star re-joining in third place. Although he lost the two positions, he started chipping away at the gap chasing down the lead two riders. Rea took control of the race on lap 16, before Redding lost ground trying to respond to Rea’s move allowing Razgatlioglu to close the gap. Redding lost more time at turn 16 and, despite defending into turn 17, Razgatlioglu made the title-winning overtake on lap 18 at turn one. Razgatlioglu closed the gap to Rea throughout the final two laps but claimed second place behind Rea to take the 2021 title.

The top three in the Championship are now locked into place; Razgatlioglu in first, Rea in second and Redding in third. It means Razgatlioglu has claimed Yamaha’s first title since the 2009 season, when they won with American Ben Spies, and ended Rea’s run of consecutive titles at six. The Turkish star, at 25 years, one month and five days, becomes the third-youngest champion of all time, behind James Toseland and Troy Corser. Rea’s victory means he has now won at 21 different circuits, a record for wins at different venues in WorldSBK.

Bassani ran in the top three for the majority of the first half of the race and briefly led the race, before he eventually dropped back from the leading three. He eventually finished in fifth place after losing out to Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) in the closing stages of the race, as Locatelli made up ground as track conditions continued to improve.

He had also made a move on Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to move into fifth place and push the Dutch rider down to sixth place; van der Mark showed strong pace again in the difficult conditions as he looked to challenge for a podium, but ultimately fell to sixth place. Locatelli’s fourth place means he moves into fourth in the Championship standings, one point clear of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), while van der Mark could still claim fifth from Rinaldo.

Alvaro Bautista’s penultimate race for Team HRC saw him claim seventh place after withstanding a late charge from Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), with Davies looking to end his WorldSBK career on a high note. Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) claimed ninth place after another strong performance, beating Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who claimed tenth. Sykes had been running inside the top six in the early stages of the race before dropping back.

Despite a strong start and running in the top positions in the early stages of the race, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in 11th place; with Bassani in fifth, the battle for Top Independent Rider in 2021 will go down to the final race. Rinaldi finished in 12th place as he lost ground in the race for fourth place in the standings. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was another who had strong early race pace but dropped back slightly in the closing stages, finishing in 13th. Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) claimed 14th place with Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claiming the final points-paying position. 

Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK: “First, I want to say thank you to my family and to Kenan Sofuoglu because we are a big family. Also, thanks to my team, they did an incredible job this year. Sometimes we crashed, sometimes we had good races and finally we are here. I’m really happy. It’s a special day for me today because this Championship is for my dad. It has always been my dream. He’s not here anymore, he passed away, but I feel he is watching. I’m really happy. It’s an incredible day for me and we are World Champion. Thanks to everyone!”

WorldSBK Race 1 Podium (full results here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.670s
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.155s

Race Two
A shortened race two for the final battle of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit provided plenty of drama in wet conditions.  Rain reduced the race to 12 laps, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) taking his second victory of the weekend after battling with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).  Third went to BMW’s Michael van der Mark, with newly-crowned world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu on the Yamaha fourth.

As the race got underway, newly crowned Champion Toprak Razgatligolu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) held the race lead, with the top five quickly breaking away with Rea and Redding taking charge. Rea and Redding both exchanged first place as they looked to end the season on the top step of the rostrum, including a superb move by Rea around the outside of the Ducati rider on lap seven. As the final lap started, Redding was able to make a move into turn one before Rea responded at turn ten.  Heading into turn 16, Redding went up the inside of Rea but ran wide, allowing Rea to move back into the lead of the race and claim his second victory at Mandalika.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) got a good start to be in the lead group of five riders, and on lap four he looked to move up the order into a podium place. Into turn 17, Bassani and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made contact and Bassani crashed out of the race, with the incident placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards, with no further action taken. On the run to turn 17, Bassani and Razgatlioglu were battling which allowed van der Mark to get alongside Bassani on the exit.

Van der Mark and Razgatlioglu fought for third place with the former teammates going head-to-head for the final place on the podium, with van der Mark passing the 2021 Champion on lap 7 to claim his third podium of the 2021 and the 50th podium placement in WorldSBK for BMW. Razgatlioglu came home in fourth place meaning the gap between him and Rea at the end of the season was 13 points, while it also secured the Manufacturers’ Championship for Yamaha for only the second time; Yamaha winning the Riders’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles in 2021.

Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished his BMW stint with a top five finish in the wet conditions, finishing three seconds clear of Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in sixth place. Gerloff’s result, coupled with Bassani’s retirement, meant Gerloff claimed the Best Independent Rider award for 2021. He finished ahead of teammate Kohta Nozane in seventh place, the best of his rookie season in WorldSBK as he ended the season on a high.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) finished in eighth place after a battle with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in race two. Although Rinaldi did get ahead of Locatelli on track, he had a crash at turn six which forced him out of the race and allowed Locatelli to claim fourth in the Championship standings. Following the race, Rinaldi was transported to RSUD NTB Hospital by air ambulance for further assessments after being diagnosed with a cervical strain. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) ended his rookie campaign with his best result of the season with ninth, ahead of fellow Spaniard Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC); whose Team HRC career ended with a top ten finish.

Frenchman Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) finished 11th place after he battled with the retiring Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) in the closing stages of the race, with Davies ending his WorldSBK career with 99 podiums, 32 victories and 2999.5 points. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in 13th place and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) was 14th and the last of the classified riders.

Despite a good start and running in the top six, Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) crashed out of the race at turn 14. Oliver König (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was declared unfit after a race one crash, where he was diagnosed with a minimal head injury. Leon Haslam’s Team HRC farewell came to a premature end after he was declared unfit with a right shoulder functional impairment and missed both races, while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was declared unfit with a right acromioclavicular join separation.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “Super happy. Thanks to my team, they made all the right decisions. After our tough FP1, we got the bike in a really good area. To come here and win in the dry, win in the wet, in front of the amazing fans… massive thanks to the fans who stayed around in the wet weather. It was so nice to get a race, albeit it was very wet. Super happy with our effort this year. I rode with a lot of heart. I did my best, no regrets. Congratulations again to Toprak and Yamaha and look forward to battling again in 2022.”

WorldSBK Race 2 Podium (full results here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.283s
3 Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.437s

2021 Championship standings(full results here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 564
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 551
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 501

The post WorldSBK Reports: Razgatlioglu Crowned World Champion In Indonesia appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Davies has finished runner-up in WorldSBK on three occasions, in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and third placed on another two occasions as he often fought for the title throughout his career. The British rider also had two full seasons in WorldSSP and won the title in 2011 by 50 points over his nearest rival, ensuring he will go down in history as a WorldSSP world champion. In that 2011 campaign with Yamaha ParkinGo, Davies claimed six wins and eight podiums on his way to the title and earning a 2012 WorldSBK seat onboard Aprilia machinery.

His debut season started a run of ten consecutive seasons scoring podiums in WorldSBK while he has taken victories in all but two of his campaigns. For 2013, Davies switched to BMW machinery which featured a win on BMW’s home turf at the Nurburgring before switching to Ducati for 2014 for this third manufacturer in three years. He remained with the factory Ducati team until the end of the 2020 season, taking them close to the title on numerous occasions throughout an illustrious career. For his last campaign in WorldSBK, Davies had been competing on the independent Ducati outfit, Team GoEleven, taking one podium at the start of the season.

An emotional Davies announced at Jerez that the 2021 season would be his last, saying: “I just wanted to say that unfortunately in some ways, and fortunately in others, this will be my last season in WorldSBK. It’s obviously a decision that has not come easily, it’s taken a lot of thought because I’m a strong believer in when you’re done, you’re done. To me, the timing seemed right to make this decision. Like I said, very difficult and a lot of deliberation especially being here at the circuit again! It even felt different walking in a couple of hours ago to make this announcement.”

“You need to change something in your head. Here we are. There’s a lot of reasons behind it and like I said, a lot of deliberation and wondering whether it’s the right move but I’m very confident and I’m both happy and sad at the same time that it is the right decision. Ready to turn the page and open up the next chapter.”

Out of Davies’ 32 WorldSBK victories, 28 of them came onboard Ducati machinery as he finished runner-up in the Championship on three occasions while 89 of his 99 podiums came with the Bologna-based manufacturer. After eight seasons riding Ducati’s bikes, where he took the record for most starts for the manufacturer with 211, Davies created lots of good memories for both himself and the manufacturer and he reflected on those during his press conference.

“I’ve had so many good times and I think the, for me, one of the most special things I’ve experienced in all these years was winning races on Italian soil,” said Davies. “Especially at Imola, just down the road from Bologna, and I can genuinely say there’s no feeling like it. It’s just pinch yourself city. All the Ducatisti are there in force. It really does feel like something special. I can reflect on it now, but in the moment, I was like ‘you’ve got to remember this because these are the days that are beyond sweet’. A lot of good times, a lot of good people.”

The post Chaz Davies To Retire From WorldSBK At The End Of 2021 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

In what was one of the most intense opening five laps of the season, neither Razgatlioglu or Rea wanted to give an inch as they duelled hard. On lap two, Rea put a superb pass on Razgatlioglu at turn 11 but Toprak held on at turn 12, firing his Yamaha back through. Rea tried again at turn 13 but ran slightly wide, whilst Razgatlioglu scythed back through, colliding with Rea. The fight continued as Rea had a huge moment at turn one on lap five before getting under Razgatlioglu again at turn 11, whilst race leader Scott Redding ran wide at turn 13, with Rea coming back through to the lead. Then, disaster, as Rea tucked the front at turn 15, his Kawasaki ZX-10 RR barrelling through the gravel.

At the front, Scott Redding was leading the way until Toprak took back the lead at turn 1 with just less than four laps to go, and whilst Redding continued to try and retaliate, he couldn’t keep Toprak at bay. Razgatlioglu delivered Yamaha a first Portimao win since Marco Melandri in 2011. 

The fight for third was an ongoing affair throughout the 20-lap encounter with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) starting from third place holding onto that position until around the mid-way point of the race before he dropped positions, with Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) working his way up to third place on lap 12. There was plenty of action between the six riders in contention for a podium, with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), Haslam and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) all running wide at turn one at various points of the race.

As the race progressed, Bautista was unable to pull out a gap to the chasing pack with Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) chasing Bautista, Baz making the move at turn one before van der Mark and Locatelli, still chasing third, made contact at turn five with Locatelli retiring and van der Mark bringing his bike back to the pits; the incident will be investigated after the race by the FIM WorldSBK stewards. With the pair out of contention for the podium, Baz and Bautista battled for third place with the Spaniard coming out on top. At turn 15 on the final lap, Bautista crashed out of the race with Baz inheriting third place.

Rinaldi finished the race in fourth place after the incredible battle for third place, with Haslam eventually coming home in fifth place after starting from the front row. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed a solid sixth place, just three tenths behind Haslam in fifth place.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong rookie campaign with seventh place ahead of Argentinean star Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda) claiming eighth place – his best result of the 2021 campaign. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled up for ninth with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha).

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) missed out on the top ten by just over half-a-second but came home in 11th place, just ahead of Italian Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team); Cavalieri just a second behind Viñales. 2014 Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) scored points on his first WorldSBK race onboard Kawasaki machinery, with Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) rounding out the points.

Lachlan Epis, retired from the race, while Gabriele Ruiu (B-Max Racing Team) was also a retirement from the race, along with Rea, Locatelli, van der Mark and Bautista.

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.691s
3 Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) +10.628s

Tissot Sprint Race
Almost 3,000 days since their last win in 2013 (Nürburgring), BMW claimed WorldSBK victory as Michael van der Mark mastered tricky conditions at the Algarve circuit at Portugal’s Portimao to take the flag in the Tissot Superpole Sprint, while title contender Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea crashed out. 

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) got the better start of the xhampionship’s lead trio but soon found himself under pressure from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with six-time world champion Rea taking the lead on the opening lap.

As the leaders approached turn 13, Rea lost the front of his machine and went off the track, the crash forcing him out of the race for the second consecutive race after his race one crash on Saturday, meaning Rea will start from tenth for race two Sunday afternoon.   Razgatlioglu and Redding were the lead duo, but things soon changed in the 10-lap race as Razgatlioglu dropped down through the order while Redding remained clear at the front.

\With all the drama out in front, van der Mark was working his way through the field and moved into the lead of the race on lap 4 after taking advantage of Redding running wide at the left-hander hairpin; BMW leading a race for the first time since Phillip Island 2020. He will therefore start race two from first on the grid, ahead of Redding in second.

Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) claimed third place after withstanding the challenge from Leon Haslam (Team HRC), although Haslam did briefly pass Baz before crashing out on lap 8. A second crash for Haslam on lap 9 meant he brought his machine back to the pits, promoting Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) into fourth place.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was another beneficiary from his teammate’s misfortune to move into fifth place, ahead of championship leader Razgatlioglu in sixth; the Turkish star able to limit his damage in the race after dropping down the order rapidly in the early stages, with Bautista and Razgatlioglu completing the second row alongside Locatelli.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his streak of top-ten finishes since his podium finish in Catalunya with seventh place, withstanding a charge from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the American star just 0.068s behind Bassani. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was almost two seconds back from Gerloff with ninth as he starts from the third row.

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) claimed the first top ten of his WorldSBK career as he finished in tenth place, as the top Kawasaki rider, two seconds clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 11th; although both riders will start from their Superpole result as they missed out on a top-nine spot.

Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.140s
3 Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) +5.479s

Race Two
The start was delayed due to a technical issue when the riders were lining up on the grid, with the delay meaning the race distanced was reduced one lap to 19 laps. Starting from tenth place, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was on the move from the get-go and was second by the end of the opener, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) moved into third place.

Rea made his move for the lead through the fast turn nine left-hander on lap two on Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), relegating the British rider who had led from the start. At the start of lap two, Razgatlioglu passed Rea into turn one before the six-time world champion responded. The trio were battling throughout the opening laps, with both Razgatlioglu and Rea able to take advantage of Redding running wide at turns five and ten on the same lap.

Razgatlioglu made a move on Rea down the start-and-finish straight to move into the right-hander of turn one at the start of lap seven, before Rea responded at turn ten. At the end of lap ten, Razgatlioglu crashed at turn 15, the same place Rea did in race one, forcing the championship leader out of the race. Rea went on to take the 110th win and the 210th podium of his career, narrowing the gap in the championship to 24 points. Rea’s victory means both he and Razgatlioglu have scored 25 podiums this season, the first time it has happened in WorldSBK history. The top two in the Championship are also tied with 25 podiums and 11 wins each.

At the start of lap 13, Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) moved up into podium contention after his third-place start in race two after overtaking Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) into turn one; Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) had tried to pass both of them but Baz was wise to it, cutting back on the Spanish rider to re-take third place. Two laps later and Bautista looked to make a move through the opening couple of corners with Baz defending and keeping the position.

On lap 18, Bautista looked to make a move on Baz into the turn five hairpin, with Bautista running wide and Baz looking to reclaim the place. Through the exit of the corner, the pair made contact with Bautista coming off his bike and retiring from the race. Baz held on to cross the line in third place, while Locatelli came home in fourth place after withstanding a late surge from fellow Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fifth place. After the race, Baz was sanctioned with a one place position drop, demoting him to fourth place and promoting Locatelli to third; the Italian’s fourth podium of his campaign.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was sixth after starting from first place, five seconds clear of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the Italian suffering from a right ankle sprain and contusion and a right hip contusion following his Tissot Superpole Race crash. He battled with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) throughout the race with the pair separated by just three tenths at the end of the 19-lap encounter.

Italian rookie Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form with ninth place, after battling with Rea during the open lap of the race, eventually finishing two tenths clear of Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) as he scored points again as he continues to stand in for Tom Sykes.

Laverty finished five seconds clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 11th place, who was also clear of Spanish rider Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 12th place. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 13th, just over a second behind Viñales, with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) rounding out the points. Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) was the last of the classified runners in 16th place.

Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was the first retirement of the race after a crash at the start of lap three, with the Belgian rookie taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident. Cresson was diagnosed with a concussion and a left knee injury and will be transported to Portimao Hospital for further assessments. Cresson’s teammate, Lachlan Epis, also retired from the race while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) suffered from technical issues during the early running and brought his bike back to the pits. Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (B-Max Racing Team) was also a retirement from race two after completing 10 laps.

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.425s
3 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +12.289s

Championship Standings After Round 11 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 478 points
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 454
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 424

The post WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD11 At Portimao appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Below the podium at the Circuit of the Americas, members of the paddock including Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, IRTA President Herve Poncharal and riders from across each class of Grand Prix racing gathered together for a minute of silence in honour of Viñales, who will forever be remembered.

The Spaniard was well on track to a promising career in the Supersport 300 category with room to progress to higher categories. There has been an outpour of tributes on social media following the sad news, with plenty of support for Maveric Viñales who was the cousin of Dean and the whole Viñales family. WorldSBK have since posted a tribute video and compiled all of the social media tributes which can be seen and followed here.

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