2020 WorldSBK – Round Eight- Estoril

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WSBK Superpole Race

Pole man Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) pulled the pin form the off and rode a solitary race ahead of Garrett Gerloff while Leon Haslam (Honda) and Chaz Davies (Ducati) were also both in the mix early on.

Newly crowned 2020 World Champion Jonathan Rea (KRT) made an outstanding comeback, gaining no less than ten positions to move in behind Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha), and Scott Redding (Ducati), from the last spot on the grid to eighth place.

In the final laps, an intense battle raged between Davies and van der Mark for a podium finish, but it was the Dutchman who came out on top over the Ducati rider to finish third behind Gerloff and Razgatlioglu, who secured his second consecutive race win in the WorldSBK class in what was a Yamaha 1-2-3.

Superpole Race Results

WorldSBK Race Two

The season-ending Race 2 at the Pirelli Estoril Round was full of drama at the Circuito Estoril as Chaz Davies (claimed victory in his final race for the ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati outfit, taking a commanding win in the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship season finale.

Davies had started the race from fourth place and was instantly in the fight for victory, moving into second place before passing Toprak Razgatlioglu on Lap 2 before pulling away from the Turkish star, who had won two of the three races at Estoril prior to Race 2.

The battle for second came to a premature end when Jonathan Rea made contact with Razgatlioglu’s Yamaha machine at Turn 3 as he tried to pass the Turkish rider for second place. Rea was able to re-join the race and finished down in 14th place while Razgatlioglu was able to finish in third, after Scott Redding managed to overhaul Razgatlioglu for second place; Redding ending the season with a Ducati 1-2 as ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati claimed the Teams’ Championship ahead of KRT. The 1-2 finish for Davies and Redding meant Ducati secured its 950th podium placement in WorldSBK.

Michael van der Mark ended his Yamaha career with a fourth-place finish, having lost out at the start of the race. He finished clear of Alvaro Bautista in fifth place as Honda secured another top-five finish, five seconds clear of Michael Ruben Rinaldi.

Rinaldi finished in sixth place after heading a four-way fight with Leon Haslam, Xavi Fores and Federico Caricasulo in seventh, eighth and ninth respectively; Fores’ eighth place meaning he was the highest-placed Kawasaki rider and therefore scored enough points for Kawasaki to beat Ducati to the Manufacturers’ Championship by just one point.

Tom Sykes completed the top ten as he finished around 2.5 seconds away from Caricasulo, and finished 1.5 seconds clear of Jonas Folger who scored points despite following Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) off the track when Baz suffered a technical issue.

Irish rider Eugene Laverty finished in 12th place with Leandro Mercado in 13th, Rea in 14th and Matteo Ferrari (Barni Racing Team) in 15th in his second appearance of the season. Eric Granado (MIE Racing HONDA Team) missed out on points by less than a second with teammate Takumi Takahashi just behind Brazilian Granado.

Garrett Gerloff crashed out of the race on Lap 3 at Turn 4 when he was running in the podium places; the American having a lowside crash at Turn 4 on the third lap as he looked for this third consecutive podium. Alex Lowes crashed with just a few laps to go.

WorldSBK Race Two Results

WorldSBK Quotes

Chaz Davies – P1

“It was a day full of emotions, first on the grid then at the Parc Ferme. My boys made me excited and I thank them for all the passion and commitment with which they have worked over the years. A big thank you to the whole Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for what they have done for me and for what we have spent together. I think this is the best way to say goodbye to the team, a result that the whole team deserves and I am happy to have given them this satisfaction. It was a very nice race, I went on track with great determination and the feeling with the bike was absolutely extraordinary. And I’m happy to have celebrated with the whole team. Emotions that I will never forget“.

Scott Redding – P2

“I am extremely happy with this result. It was not an easy race for me. In the first laps, I had some problems and I couldn’t be fast. However, I remained concentrated and from the middle of the race, the feeling grew and allowed me to push hard to get Toprak. I think it’s a great season finale for us and I’m happy to have shared the podium with Chaz. We did a great job this season and I want to thank Ducati for putting me in a position to fight for the title. I can say that the second place in the first year in Superbike is an acceptable result but we will have to do better next season. Thanks to the whole Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for the great support and the extraordinary work of these months. Grazie Ragazzi!“

Stefano Cecconi – Team Principal Aruba.it Racing – Ducati

“There could be no better way to close the season. We greet Chaz and thank him for the results, professionalism and commitment he has put in over the years. Today he made us excited once again, first on track and then at the Parc Fermé with his team. Thanks to the whole team, to the guys who gave their best in a very complicated season, making sacrifices and always working commendably. We didn’t manage to win the riders’ title, we missed the Manufacturer’s World Championship for one point and won the team classification. We should be proud of what we have managed to do this season. The 2021 season, however, begins tomorrow. We will only have one objective, that of improving ourselves further to achieve the results that we work so hard for every day”.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P3

“Today, the Superpole Race was again very good for me, it was a perfect way to win and the feeling was perfect, we were so fast. We worked hard for Race 2, as it was important to remain focused for the long race. I tried to win again, but it was not possible because my Yamaha R1 was sliding too much, which was very strange compared to the feeling I had in the previous races. But we’re happy to be on the podium again, it was a good weekend for me as I really need these podiums to help me push for more in the future. Thank you very much to my Yamaha team, they are amazing and worked so hard this weekend. It is was also Michael’s last race with us and I have enjoyed being his teammate this year – but, no problem, because he stays in the WorldSBK paddock and we will still be friends and also fight on the track!”

Michael van der Mark – P4

“It was a really good morning, in the Superpole Race I had a great battle with Chaz and finished third. Really happy with that, the bike felt amazing and I was ready for Race 2, but from the first lap I started to struggle with rear grip and I just couldn’t keep up with the guys in front of me, which was frustrating. Halfway through the race it started to feel better but then I started to struggle with the front. I wanted more in this last race, but in the end to finish fourth isn’t that bad and I think in general we had a good end to the season. You know, we always want more but it has been four fantastic years with this team and with Yamaha and I am really proud of all we have achieved. I want to thank everyone I have worked with over this time for all their efforts, because the progress we have made together has created some impressive results. I am thankful to everyone and will miss them.”

Paul Denning – Pata Yamah Team Principal

“A great end to the season here in Estoril with Toprak again showing his real credentials with a lights-to-flag victory in the historic Superpole Race – the first ever podium lock-out by Yamaha in WorldSBK as Garrett Gerloff and Mikey backed up Toprak’s superb win. It was a beautiful day today which was great, apart from the fact that the modified timing of Race 2 to 15:15 and the sunshine saw the track temperature rise well above 30 degrees, which didn’t work quite as well for us as we’d hoped. In addition, the pace of the race was a big step over yesterday’s opener. It would have been nice to win all the races, but Toprak absolutely maximised all he had by finishing a very close third and Mikey rode a controlled race to round off his Yamaha career with a fine fourth. We will make a “shakedown” test tomorrow with Andrea Locatelli, his first laps on the Yamaha R1 superbike, which we are all looking forward to. Everyone connected with this team wishes Michael all the very best for his future, having been such a great asset to the project over the last four years.”

Alvaro Bautista – P5

“The season has been challenging for us, considering we were a new team having to develop a new bike during what has been a shortened championship. We’ve had some good results but there have been teething problems, as you expect with a new project. As for today’s performance, after yesterday’s crash, I wanted to complete the final races of the season without any setbacks. Track conditions were a little trickier today, offering me less rear grip, but I focused on interpreting the track and riding at the limit, without exceeding it of course. In the end, top five is not our target as we want to win, but we have to take the positives when considering the season as a whole. When all is said and done, we have collated a lot of data this year and are very motivated to work hard this winter in order to be more competitive next season.”

Alvaro Bautista – P7

“Today’s racing was a little more difficult than yesterday. The first half of race 2 was not too bad but some vibration with the bike in the later stages made it hard for me to maintain my pace and hold on to seventh place. In the end, Alvaro and I round out the year with the same points, we’ve learned a lot throughout the season, and I feel we have a clear understanding in terms of the direction we’ll take with winter testing. So it’s been a challenging year, with everything that has happened, but we’re feeling very positive as we move forward. I personally cannot wait to start the winter tests.”

Tom Sykes – P10

“It was a pretty frustrating final weekend. Clearly we have some limitations with the package and saw already at the Barcelona test and here again that we come to a new circuit, arrive at a lap time and try a lot with big changes, we’ve had three different set-ups here this weekend, and we still arrive at that lap time and still have the same issues. The team have work to do and I am definitely looking forward to getting some new components. Now it’s time for closure on this year and hopefully the whole BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team can make some good steps forward as soon as possible in the winter break.”

Eugene Laverty – P12

“This weekend as a whole has been very difficult here at Estoril. From the first practice, it was clear that with so many slow corners it was not suited to our bike, but we never gave up and worked hard. The good thing was that we did make progress in today’s race as our pace was stronger than yesterday’s so we can be satisfied we moved forward. Throughout our season, we made progress, especially in the latter part of the year. Most notable was Magny-Cours with our pole position, but unfortunately the season has been short with only eight rounds as I would have liked to be longer on the bike. The season for us is now over and it’s time for me to start thinking about 2021.”

Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director

“Our results at the Estoril finale were not satisfactory. However, I am glad that we once had a weekend without technical issues and without any crashes. In terms of performance, we are not where we want to be. We are not far off the top five or top six, but we have to work on claiming these results consistently. I would like express my heartfelt thanks to Eugene. It was also a difficult season for him but we have still been able to benefit from his work and made progress with him for example in the electronics area. Now we have to focus on next season. That will start in just a few hours with preparations for tomorrow’s testing. We hope to find those few tenths of a second there that will help us to improve.”

Shaun Muir – Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team

“First of all, thanks to Eugene. It’s been a tough year for him and with the season cut short, it made his job even more difficult. We thank him for all his efforts and contributions to the team and wish him good luck for next year wherever he goes. On Tom’s side, this weekend has been a struggle. The grip levels have been difficult for us and it has taken us too long to overcome that and find an optimum setting that works. Finishing 20 seconds off the winner certainly isn’t where we want to be but we got a lot of data to move forward. Our new season starts now and we’ve got to put 2020 behind us for many reasons, Covid, difficult conditions at all rounds, we haven’t scored a podium once this year but, however, we remain confident that we can set the wheels turning very soon with the BMW M 1000 RR and overall, we will push hard to be further up the grid. I think it’s fair to say that it was a challenge for most teams. Congratulations to Kawasaki and Jonathan Rea and let’s hope that next year we can be close to those guys and be on the podium more regularly.”

Jonathan Rea – P14

“I had a great pace in the beginning of the second race. I gambled with a soft front tyre that some others used yesterday and I thought, with nothing to lose, let’s try it. I felt at that point in the race I had a better pace than Toprak, so I decided to try to pass but every time I tried he came around the outside or passed me in T1, where I was not so good. When the gap opened in T3 I put my bike there but there wasn’t much space. He closed the door and I tucked the front. When I got up my bars were pretty bent and the brake lever was bent down but I just wanted to finish the last race of the season. I knew I was not going to score big points but I just crossed my fingers that one of the Kawasaki guys was going to score enough points to retain the Manufacturers’ Championship and with Xavi Fores we did that. Massive thanks – and congratulations – to him. It proves that we still have a very good package with the Ninja ZX-10RR. I think it is a world-leading bike that inspires a lot of confidence. It has been a true big team effort this season. I know all the engineering staff of the factory will be super-proud.”

Alex Lowes – DNF

“A disappointing day obviously, to have two crashes. In the final race of the day I felt really good for the first ten laps in sixth place, and then fifth when unfortunately Johnny fell. I had a good battle with Michael van der Mark. We tried the softer front tyre like Jonathan did but it was completely gone on the right hand side. I slowed the pace to try and manage the tyre and still ended up making a mistake, so this was really upsetting for me. But in general it has been a great year for Jonathan and Kawasaki so well done to them for winning the Riders’ Championship and the Manufacturers’ title. Unfortunately I couldn’t contribute like I wanted but it doesn’t really feel like the end of the season for me because I have a lot of work to do, and we have a test tomorrow. We need to work hard to improve and I am already looking forward to 2021. A massive thank you to all the guys in KRT. It has been a pleasure to join them this year.”

Kenji Nagahara – Managing Director, Kawasaki Motors Europe

“On behalf of Kawasaki Motors Europe, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and every Kawasaki Branch and Private Distributor across Europe I would like to congratulate the teams for winning the Manufacturer’s title. Jonathan is an ideal ambassador for the Kawasaki brand, giving 100% every time he rides his Ninja ZX-10RR on track or when practicing at home in Northern Ireland on his KX450 motocross machine. For someone who lives his life on two wheels, Jonathan has achieved things that many people would think unachievable and that is very closely aligned with the Kawasaki philosophy of making what seems impossible, possible. Kawasaki and Jonathan have dreamed, believed and achieved and the unique achievement of six consecutive WorldSBK titles secures Jonathan a place not just in World Superbike history but as landmark moments in the global Kawasaki story. Congratulations to Jonathan, KRT, and all Kawasaki riders and team staff in the WorldSBK paddock, you have all delivered a truly memorable season in particularly challenging times.”

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WorldSBK Championship Standings

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WorldSSP

There were 18 laps of drama, action and battles as the FIM Supersport World Championship came to a thrilling conclusion at the Circuito Estoril for the Pirelli Estoril Round. The race was eventually won by Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) despite pressure from, at various points, up to seven other riders throughout the race as the season ended in sensational style.

Andrea Locatelli (BARDHAL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) had started the race from pole position but soon found himself down in fourth place having been jumped on the opening lap by Mahias, teammate Philipp Oettl and Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse); a sense of what was to come throughout the race right from the start.

Mahias had claimed the lead on the opening lap and looked as if he was going to pull out a gap but the chasing group were able to reel him in after five laps; with the Frenchman losing the lead to teammate Oettl at Turn 1. Mahias was able to fight back a lap later to regain the lead on Lap 6, but Italian De Rosa claimed the lead on Lap 7.

The lead changed once again on Lap 8 as Oettl passed De Rosa at the right-hander of Turn 2, but that would only last another lap as De Rosa reclaimed the lead ahead of Mahias and Oettl, with Locatelli lurking just behind – although the Italian faced pressure from South African Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing). Mahias took the lead with an aggressive move on Lap 9 at Turn 9 on De Rosa, with the battle continuing throughout the race.

De Rosa took the lead of the race at Turn 1 on Lap 14 but was unable to hold it for the rest of the race; Mahias taking the lead on the final lap from teammate Oettl after Oettl had taken the lead on Lap 17. It meant Mahias would take his second victory of the year ahead of Locatelli in second; the 2020 Champion moving ahead of De Rosa by just 0.002s on the line.

Odendaal finished the race ahead of Oettl after the German fell down to fifth in the latter stages of the race, with Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing) finishing sixth as he almost pipped Oettl to a top five finish. Oettl’s fifth place was enough to overhaul Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) in the Championship for third place with Cluzel finishing in ninth; Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) in seventh and Estonian Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) in eighth.

British rider Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) secured a top ten finish in the James Toseland-run team with teammate and wildcard Karel Hanika in 11th as the team finished the season with two points finishes. Axel Bassani (Soradis Yamaha Motoxracing) finished in 12th place but was not enough to claim the WorldSSP Challenge title as Kevin Manfredi (Altogoo Racing Team) claimed that title despite a 18th place finish.

Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) was 13th with Turkish star Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) in 14th place and Andy Verdoïa (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) completing the points-paying positions with 15th place.

Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) was an early retirement from the race as he pulled off the track on the opening lap; the Japanese’s rollercoaster season ending in disappointment as he was forced to retire from the race on the opening lap of the race. Galang Hendra Pratama (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) and Peter Sebestyen (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth) were also retirements from the race, Indonesian rider Hendra Pratama crashing out of the race.

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P1 Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)

“It’s a big emotion for me. It’s my last race in Supersport, I love this category and winning my last race is very good for me. It’s a similar feeling when I won the World Championship. In these conditions, because Magny-Cours was different conditions with the rain and you have the big difference of the rider, but now it’s normal conditions and the long straight. My bike is not very fast in a straight line and I needed a lot of fight. I think it’s the best race of the year! Now I’m ready for the next challenge.”

P2 Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team)

“I lost a little bit today as we had a small problem with the electronics on the bike. It’s normal. It’s the first time but I am very happy for the season. Every time we are very confident and very fast. We close with a podium and this is important and for my guys, it’s so good. Now we look forward for the new season.”

P3 Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)

“For sure, it’s a nice race. After yesterday, after the crash, my first feeling was very down. Today was not easy to get up. I tried to do my best. This morning, after warm up, the team changed everything on the bike. For the race, I had a completely new bike. I want to say a big thank you to the team. Today, the bike was unbelievable.”

WorldSSP Race Two

WorldSSP Championship Standings

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WorldSSP300 Race Two

The battle to win the final FIM Supersport 300 World Championship race went down to the line at the Pirelli Estoril Round as Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) claimed his first victory of 2020 after timing the race-winning move to perfection; running second on the run out of the final corner at the Circuito Estoril but using the slipstream to snatch victory from Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo).

Meuffels and di Sora were able to break away from the chasing group to make it a two-way battle for the top spot on the rostrum. Di Sora led on the final lap and out of the final corner but was outdragged to the line by Meuffels; the Dutchman’s victory meaning all four MTM Kawasaki riders have claimed victory in 2020. Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300) claimed third place as he rounded out the season with another podium, his third podium of the year and his second at Estoril.

Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) had been in the battle for the lead until Lap 7 when he crashed at the final corner and retiring from the race; allowing Meuffels, di Sora and Perez to claim the podium positions. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300) claimed third in the Championship with a fourth-place finish in Race 2, beating Meikon Kawakami (Team Brasil AD 78) by just 0.005s.

Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) finished the race in sixth place as he held off the challenge of polesitter Nick Kalinin (Battley-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki); the Ukrainian finishing in seventh place ahead of Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project). Kalinin was just three tenths away from a podium spot as the season ended in style.

Newly-crowned World Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) battled his way up from 18th place to finishing in ninth, once again showing his strong pace in race situations as he finished almost four tenths clear of Adrian Huertas (ProGP Racing) who rounded out the top ten; holding off the challenge from Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) by 0.050s.

2017 WorldSSP300 Champion Marc Garcia (2R Racing) finished in 12th place as his return ended to the Championship ended with a points finish, ahead of Spanish compatriot Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing). Three Yamaha MS Racing riders rounded out the points-paying positions with Ton Kawakami and Alan Kroh battling it out for 14th and 15th just behind Orradire.

Tom Bercot (ProGP Racing) and Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Machado Came SBK) clashed on Lap 1 at Turn 6 which forced both riders to retire from the race, while Alfonso Coppola (Kawasaki GP Project) retired after an incident with 2020 World Champion Buis. Filippo Rovelli (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) had a crash with Alejandro Carrion (ACCR SMRZ Racing by Blue Garage) at Turn 1 on Lap 3; Rovelli retiring from the race but Carrion was able to carry on. Victor Rodriguez Nuñez (EAB Ten Kate Racing) also retired from the race, along with Booth-Amos. Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) was a late retirement from the race as he crashed out on the final lap of the 10-lap race.

Australian duo Tom Bramich and Tom Edwards finished 19th and 23rd respectively.

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P1 Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT)

“This is perfect. It’s so nice to end the year like this, especially yesterday after the second place. I wanted, so badly, to win. I planned the race in my head, I thought about it all night and everything just went perfectly.

P2 Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo)

“It was a very tough rough. The straight here is very long so it’s difficult to make the difference in this part of the circuit. It was a hard battle with Koen and I’m very happy to finish the season like that. We showed everybody our potential and it’s good for next season.”

P3 Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300)

“Today, it was a very hard race. There were a lot of people in the group and all the riders improved their lap times from yesterday, so it was a close race. Finally, I could do a good strategy with the slipstream and I’m so happy to finish the Championship on the podium. It was a really hard season but the team did an incredible job and we were able to finish fifth.”

WorldSSP300 Race Two Results

WorldSSP300 Championship Standings

Source: MCNews.com.au