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However, Binder now has a rival for the Rookie of the Year crown. The rise of Alex Marquez, first in Le Mans and now in Aragon, has been staggering. But people shouldn’t be surprised: the younger Marquez brother is a two-time World Champion, another thing that many quickly forget. Going under the radar for most of the season, Marquez has gone about his work quietly and intelligently, finishing every race – all but two of them inside the points.
Source: MotoGP.com – Read Full Article Here
Consistent Vialle stands atop MX2 podium at Flanders round of world championship.
Image: Supplied.
Defending world champion Tim Gajser has extended his lead with victory in the MXGP of Flanders at Lommel, as Tom Vialle used consistency to win the MX2 overall.
Gajser’s lead in the standings now sits at 48 points after he went 2-1 for the overall on Sunday, leading Gautier Paulin (Monster Energy Yamaha) and Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM).
Moto one of the premier class was won by a resurgent Paulin over Gajser and Prado. It was Gajser who led much of the distance until a late fall enabled Paulin to win his first race since 2017.
The second encounter saw Team HRC’s Gajser this time control the moto for a pivotal win – his ninth of the season – ahead of Romain Febvre (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Jeremy Seewer (Monster Energy Yamaha).
Fifth in the second moto was enough for Paulin to secure his first podium of the year, while early leader Prado’s fourth-place result in moto two put him onto the podium overall. In the points, it’s Gajser clear of Antonio Cairoli (Red Bull KTM), with Prado and Seewer tied for third.
Standing Construct GasGas rider Glenn Coldenhoff’s season came to a premature end after topping free practice, going down in qualifying and being diagnosed with compression fractures to three vertebrae.
The anticipated debut of Kyle Webster (JM Racing Honda) in MXGP was an eventful one, qualifying 22nd, but going down in the first turn of moto one and being ruled out. He only made five laps in moto two before retiring from the round.
Image: Supplied.
Moto one of the MX2 category saw Ben Watson (Monster Energy Yamaha) claim his first-ever race win at the world championship level ahead of Vialle and Maxime Renaux (SM Action M.C. Migliori Yamaha).
After finishing fourth in the opening outing, this time Jago Geerts (Monster Energy Yamaha) won moto two from Vialle and Roan Van De Moosdijk (F&H Kawasaki Racing). Overall, Vialle won his sixth overall of the year ahead of Geerts and Watson, who was P5 in moto two.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Jed Beaton went 7-7 for seventh overall, with countryman Bailey Malkiewicz (Team Honda 114 Motorsports) scoring points in moto two for 18th overall to complete his debut at Lommel.
The MXGP World Championship will continue with round 14 of the season this Wednesday, 21 October, again at the notorious sand track of Lommel in Belgium.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au
2020 continues to serve up a stunner of a MotoGP season, and there have now been eight different premier class winners. In the Gran Premio Michelin de Aragon, it was Alex Rins on the top step as the Suzuki rider took his first victory since Silverstone 2019, slicing up from tenth on the grid to fend off another late charge from rookie superstar Alex Marquez, who took second and the 850th premier class podium for Honda. Third place went to Joan Mir, the number 36 back on the rostrum and the new Championship leader after a tough day at the office for Fabio Quartararo.
“I’m full of emotion! At the beginning of the season I really struggled a lot, and since then the team and I have worked so hard, and now we’ve won and it feels amazing! I was not sure that I could win from 10th on the grid, but I was able to do it! When I was chasing down the riders in front of me I could feel that I had good pace and the bike was working really well. I felt really relaxed despite having Marquez and Joan close behind, and I managed the pressure. It will be tricky to replicate this again next weekend, but for sure I will try my best! It feels super to be back on the top step!”
“Honestly I didn’t expect to get a podium from starting in 11th but I was able to recover well. I found myself in a good position, so we did what we could! I knew I could take quite good care of my tyres for the end of the race. I enjoyed every overtake, but I was really on the limit with the front tyre. Even so, it’s great to be back on the podium and to do it in the dry, we really showed our potential all weekend. We still need to work on Qualifying, but we can enjoy what we achieved today. I want to again say thank you to the Repsol Honda Team for believing in me, supporting me, guiding me and never giving up. They gave me an amazing bike and I enjoyed the whole race.”
“I’m really happy! All the effort that we’re putting in every race weekend has paid off and I’m now leading the championship. In a way it doesn’t mean a lot because there are still four races to go and a lot can still happen, but it’s a nice situation to be in at the moment. I actually expected a little bit more from today’s race because at the beginning my pace was really good and I maintained everything well, but in the last few laps I started to struggle a bit with the front tyre. I had plenty of grip on the rear tyre but in the end it was better to take 3rd than to take a risk. I’m really looking forward to next weekend and hopefully I’ll be able to get an even better result.”
“I‘m so happy I had a good start. I was ahead of the group by 0.7s after the first lap. That gives me a lot of confidence. I was very happy with my opening lap. The soft front also gave me a good confidence this weekend. My problem was the rear. After five or six laps it had a big drop on the left side. I was losing time in sectors with a lot of left corners, but in the right handers I was quite fast, which was good. We got the maximum out of the bike today. We need to work for next weekend. Our bike has its strong points and weak points. We can’t make its weak points stronger, but we can make its strong points even stronger by working in the direction that suits the Yamaha. The goal is to start at the front again next week and then put in a faster rhythm than today. At the end of the race, I was able to put in the fast laps again though. I rode those laps with my eyes closed. I was pushing that hard, because I wanted to have the opportunity to push Joan. I honestly tried, and it was good because now I know I have something extra to give in the last laps if I need to in the next few races.”
“I’m pretty happy to finish as the top independent, it’s nice to stay in Parc Ferme for this race. It was a tough race and it was difficult to manage the tyres, but we did our best and congrats Alex (Marquez, who finished second) he did pretty well today and his performance was good. We’ll do our best to fight for the podium in the next race here in Aragon, but I’m happy with this race. I want to say thanks to my team, they did a great job all weekend and it’s good to finish in P5.”
“I did struggle to fight with people at the beginning of the race, we had the medium front tyre, and I lost too much ground in the early stages, battling with some riders. Towards the end I was catching Maverick but I didn’t get close enough to attack him, he was maintaining the distance. Unfortunately, I lost out to Takaaki in the final corner as well. It was a good race though, especially the last twelve laps where I was able to maintain a really consistent pace. We are missing something, so we will try to sort that out for next weekend.”
“Today we managed to achieve the best possible result considering that we were starting just thirteenth on the grid. Unfortunately, we did not have the speed to fight with the front riders, and maybe, with the highest temperatures compared to the last few days, the medium tyre didn’t behave exactly as we expected. Surely, now we have some data to work on ahead of the next race weekend, which will always be here in Aragón. We hope that the weather conditions will allow us to start working consistently, starting immediately from the first free practice session on Friday.”
“Obviously, this is not the result we expected today. On the warm-up lap, we had a problem in the back straight with the clutch slipping on the bike a lot. So when I came to the grid I wasn’t sure how much to push the clutch off the start line because if I’d have really pushed the clutch I’d have been in a lot more trouble in the race. I had a lot of clutch slipping in the first laps until about lap three and then it continued less until lap six. But at that point I was in 12th position and I had to battle back through. The best result I could do was eighth place which I’m pleased with after the difficult moments at the start. I think we did a good job, now we have to look forward to next week and take some positives from today.”
“That wasn’t what you’d call an ideal race, let’s say. Everything was more or less going how I wanted it to, and I’d saved my tyres for the end so I could make a charge. I’d deliberately used the medium tyres because I felt the guys using the soft rear were going to drop off near the end, but that didn’t seem to happen. The only guy who seemed to have a problem was (Fabio) Quartararo, but the rest didn’t. So, ninth it was – not great, not terrible. I guess it’s back to the drawing board and time to do some homework if we’re going to make any headway next week here in Aragon.
“My pace wasn’t too bad really, I was only nine seconds off the win so it wasn’t like we were miles off. I was pretty happy with how I rode for the most part, but I can’t help but wonder what my race would have been like if I’d used the soft tyres like I often do. I don’t reckon that would have had me winning the thing, but maybe finishing a few places further up. We need to analyse now how the race went and then to make next week’s race here better. (Johann) Zarco was the interesting one for me because he used the soft rear tyre and seemed to have some decent pace and he’s on a Ducati, so there’s some relevant data to dig through there. Sunday was the warmest it’d been here all week and the track was over 30 degrees for the race, so there might be something in that we can learn from.
“I was pretty happy to qualify fifth and the fastest of the Ducatis after I had to come through Q1, which I didn’t think I was going to have to do. I’d got up inside the top 10 in the last practice and then lost my lap time because of the yellow flags when Fabio crashed, which let’s say I wasn’t that impressed about. I didn’t see the yellow flag, but I did see the cloud of dust where he’d gone off and I slowed down, but I still improved my lap time and that should have been Q2 for me, but then my lap got cancelled. So yeah, was pretty annoyed to put it mildly but just had to get on with it and go the long way around … I mean, nobody’s going to be sorry for me, right?
“So I ended up back in 17th and in Q1, so it was looking a bit dicey, but I got through and gave it a good shake in Q2 and ended up on the second row, which was a lot better than I was thinking Saturday would go. Shame that didn’t carry on to Sunday, I guess.
“How strange is this season going? I equal my worst finish of a race this year (with Brno) and I’m somehow a point closer to the championship leader (Joan Mir). He’s not won a race yet, and eight other guys have. I’m 39 points off the lead but back in eighth … anything can happen this year, and a bit more craziness in my favour would be pretty handy right now. There’s still a lot to play for with four races left and it’s too close to call, who knows where this year will end up.
“The championship was a long shot anyway after we gave away a load of points in Le Mans (and Misano too with that tear-off), so all I’m trying to do now is get back on the podium and get as many points by the end of the season, and try to give the guys at Pramac a nice gift before I leave. That’s the realistic option, and that’s where my focus is. Whatever that leads to, we’ll have to see. It’s been a long time since I won a race, so I’ve got four more chances to do that.”
“I am very happy with the race, a top-10 is a good position, especially after the difficult weekend we had. I have ridden a large part of the race with a group of several riders in which I have been able to see what my weak points are and what my strengths are for the next weekend.”
“A challenging weekend in general. We had some good sessions but also some where it did not really work out for us. The whole team worked really hard and we tried different things but we couldn’t find the solution. Today I rode my best and tried my hardest from lap one until the end. It was easy to fold the front end today and we lacked some feeling there. It was hard to stay calm and not over-attack the corners. We’ve got the whole week to analyze and come back stronger next weekend.”
“It wasn’t an easy day. We already had a tough job from the grid and on the first laps other riders were touching each other and bits of bikes were flying around! I lost a few positions and was stuck behind some guys but didn’t really have the whole package performing as I needed to today. It’s disappointing but we know we need to work and come up with some ideas to be better for next weekend. We have another chance here at MotorLand and we’ll push for much more.”
“Not an easy race. I started well, but then there was contact ahead of me that cost me several positions. My pace wasn’t bad, but not at the level I would have expected. Unfortunately, we were unable to work at our best on tyre management due to some problems in practice. I struggled particularly in acceleration. I wasn’t able to overtake and that limited me for the entire race.”
“I’m honestly really happy. This morning in warm wp I felt good and had a decent pace, so I knew it would be possible to fight close to the top 10. I lost some positions in the first laps of the race and it was very difficult to manage but later I was behind Miguel for many laps and tried so save my tires for the end of the race. It was a good idea, as Miguel pushed a lot and we could reduce the gap to the front. Finally, I passed him and pushed with this extra grip. I’m very satisfied with my race, as it was very consistent and strong.”
“After a good first part of the race, in which I was in tenth place, I began to suffer the tyre drop. Unfortunately, a few laps from the end I had contact with Pol Espargaro and lost other positions, finishing fifteenth. Too bad because we lost important points for the Championship. Now we have some references to work on ahead of next race here in Aragón on Sunday.”
“It was a tough race. At least I felt competitive in the first half. Later it was quite difficult for me to manage the tire. I finished it quite quick and started to lose time. For sure, I think our potential to improve is quite high. So, we will try to focus on that and just do our best for next weekend.”
“It was an exciting race, starting last was a disaster but we were able to make up some positions and have some good fights. We have been working with the geometry of the bike and we are improving, step by step. Our pace in Warm Up was not so bad but unfortunately it didn’t lead to a better result in terms of position. We’re making progress, so coming back next week is a positive thing to let us try and improve again. Congratulations again to Alex for another great podium, the Repsol Honda Team is doing a great job.”
“It was a really strange race. We knew that our pace was not the best but we were not expecting to finish in this position. I was expecting to be further up the field, but we had an issue with the front tyre. It’s the first time we’ve used this tyre, it felt great to begin with in the opening three laps, but the pressure became too high. It was not possible to ride, I had no feeling in the front. I’m disappointed because without this problem I think we could have been able to fight for a better result. It isn’t easy to understand why but we’ll look and prepare for next weekend, when we are here again.”
“My race was decided on the first lap. Because of a gear selection mistake, I found myself at the back of the group with a 4-5 second gap. At that point, it was rather difficult to recover, although I was able to maintain the pace I expected and that makes me see the glass as half full. Rear grip is still an aspect we need to improve. Racing again on the same circuit in a few days will give us a chance to try something completely different.”
“I had a good start in which I managed to regain some positions. It was a difficult race in which it was difficult for me to maintain the rhythm in the first laps, which has caused several riders to pass me. I have not had a good feeling with the rear tire throughout the race, which has prevented me from following the race group.”
“I’m sorry because I finally found the right feeling, I felt good and unfortunately crashing after only 3 laps is always bad, I’m sure we could have made a good recovery. When I crashed, the feeling was that someone had touched me but actually from the data it seems that the gear did not go well, we will try again next week.”
“Of course, I’m very happy. Alex managed to win, which was really great. A few things have held him back this year, such as the injury, so it’s really nice to have him finally back on the top step of the podium. Joan also got another podium after a strong race and he’s now leading the championship, which is an incredible feeling. I want to say thank you very much to all the staff who work so hard on this project and thank you to both our riders.”
“This is a great day for us, really fantastic. We’ve been waiting to get a win this season, and finally we’ve managed it. It was great to watch Alex come up from 10th place, his recovery and fighting spirit were brilliant. Joan also did a very clever race, and despite struggling at the end he focused on the important thing which is the points and the championship. We’re leading the standings and we’ll keep fighting until the end. I want to say a big thank you to all our employees and all the fans, we appreciate them so much and their support always gives us an extra push.”
“We didn‘t deliver a perfect race today. We wanted to be on the podium, so we definitely have work to do for next week, but at the same time there are positives to take away from this race. Maverick had a very good start and opening lap. It‘s a shame he couldn‘t hold on to the top 3 in the middle of the race. We had an expected drop of the rear tyre that remained constant until the end. Because of that, he lost contact with the front riders. Had he been just a little bit closer to the front riders, he would have been able to join the battle at the end, because his pace in the last five laps was really good. We think we can do better next weekend, but looking at the bigger picture, Maverick finished in front of two of his three key rivals in the championship today. Thanks to this he gained a position in the overall standings and is just 12 points from the top now. So, the championship fight is far from over. We will do whatever it takes to improve our performance for the next round.”
“That wasn’t among the better race days for the team so we need to analyse what happened in the MotoGP race, that way we can figure out the best way to approach next weekend’s GP. It is at the same circuit so this is going to be really important to do. Franco still managed to finish today’s race sixth, which was a good effort from him. It is a shame that Fabio finished outside of the points, but he did have a big crash yesterday and a tyre pressure issue today. These things happen in racing, we just need to learn from it and come back better next weekend.”
“Firstly the positive aspect of today is that we had three riders in the points but, generally, we’re not so happy because we didn’t make the top ten and we could not make the most of the tires. We need to put our heads together to make better results and get better performance next weekend.”
“We knew it was going to be a tough race for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 MotoGP team and it was a difficult one. On the grid, we decided to switch for a medium front and keep the soft rear. The grid positions were far from ideal, the start was average, so of course we were quite far back after the first laps. The four KTM’s were following each other and the pace was very similar in between the four guys, but we could never really close the gap to the guys in front, so we just managed to stay in between 11, 12 and 15. At the end of the race, Iker was 14th and Miguel 16th. This is not the result, we were hoping for, although Iker had a steady race. I think he was quite strong, the pace was interesting and he was following Miguel until Miguel’s rear tyre completely dropped. He was on the back of Aleix Espargaro and the two factory KTM’s, but he didn’t want to do anything stupid the last five, six laps and just brought the bike home in 14th position. But I think today he showed again, that he’s got the pace of a proper MotoGP rider. He learned a lot and I’m quite proud of Iker today. On the other side of the garage, it’s a shame, because Miguel is fast, he is working hard and is very focused and then we just couldn’t do anything the last 10 laps, because our rear tyre was completely gone. There was nothing he could do, just stay on track and see the chequered flag. It’s a weekend to forget, but I’m quite sure as we saw in Misano, KTM was quite far back and in the second round we were much more competitive and I’m pretty sure next week is going to be a different story. Let’s have a rest tonight, a steady Monday and Tuesday, thinking about what to do for the next weekend. I’m pretty sure, the race release of Aragon two will be happier and more positive than this current one.”
“The Michelin Grand Prix is a special event for us and today produced a great race and another winner, we have now had four different manufacturers win a race this season, which shows our tyres are producing results for many different types of motorcycle and rider. It has overall been a difficult weekend again due to the very cold temperatures. The asphalt was below 10°C on Friday morning and it is always a big demand for the riders to try to generate and keep heat in those conditions. We did advise how to use the tyres, but the organisers took the decision to delay all the sessions and today’s race, which was the best thing to do for all the classes. With the warmer afternoons it made tyre choice interesting today and we saw four of the six specifications used. They all performed well and despite all the difficulties faced this weekend – both on and off the track – we are pleased with the weekend from a racing point-of-view. We will now stay here for another race next weekend and the forecast seems to be better, so we plan to improve further and push for records.”
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | 41m54.391 |
| 2 | Alex MARQUEZ | Honda | +0.263 |
| 3 | Joan MIR | Suzuki | +2.644 |
| 4 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | +2.88 |
| 5 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | +4.57 |
| 6 | Franco MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | +4.756 |
| 7 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | Ducati | +8.639 |
| 8 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | Honda | +8.913 |
| 9 | Jack MILLER | Ducati | +9.39 |
| 10 | Johann ZARCO | Ducati | +9.617 |
| 11 | Brad BINDER | KTM | +13.2 |
| 12 | Pol ESPARGARO | KTM | +13.689 |
| 13 | Aleix ESPARGARO | Aprilia | +14.598 |
| 14 | Iker LECUONA | KTM | +15.291 |
| 15 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | +15.941 |
| 16 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | +18.284 |
| 17 | Stefan BRADL | Honda | +20.136 |
| 18 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | +21.498 |
| 19 | Bradley SMITH | Aprilia | +25.3 |
| 20 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | +25.558 |
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Points |
| 1 | Joan MIR | Suzuki | 121 |
| 2 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | 115 |
| 3 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 109 |
| 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | Ducati | 106 |
| 5 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 92 |
| 6 | Franco MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | 87 |
| 7 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | 85 |
| 8 | Jack MILLER | Ducati | 82 |
| 9 | Pol ESPARGARO | KTM | 77 |
| 10 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | 69 |
| 11 | Brad BINDER | KTM | 67 |
| 12 | Alex MARQUEZ | Honda | 67 |
| 13 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 65 |
| 14 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 58 |
| 15 | Johann ZARCO | Ducati | 53 |
| 16 | Francesco BAGNAIA | Ducati | 42 |
| 17 | Aleix ESPARGARO | Aprilia | 27 |
| 18 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | Honda | 21 |
| 19 | Iker LECUONA | KTM | 20 |
| 20 | Bradley SMITH | Aprilia | 11 |
| 21 | Stefan BRADL | Honda | 8 |
| 22 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | 8 |
| 23 | Michele PIRRO | Ducati | 4 |
| Rnd | Date | Circuit |
| 12 | 25 October | MotorLand Aragón |
| 13 | 08 November | Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo |
| 14 | 15 November | Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo |
| 15 | 22 November | Autodromo Internacional do Algarve |
Source: MCNews.com.au
The 2020 Monster Energy MXGP of Flanders saw epic action over the weekend, as the MXGP and MX2 riders took on the challenge of what is known as one of the toughest sand tracks in the world.
In MXGP Tim Gajser took to honours with a 2-1 result handing him the round win over Gautier Paulin, with Jorge Prado third overall. Antonio Cairoli was down in ninth meanwhile, allowing Gajser to extend his championship lead.
Gajser now sits on 488-points, to Cairoli’s 440, with Jorge Prado closes in on his fellow KTM teammate, with 429-points, the same number held by Jeremy Seewer. Aussie Mitch Evans falls to twelth in the standings with a broken wrist at the previous round requiring surgery during the week, with the rider absent as a result.
In MX2 Tom Vialle had a solid day to finish 2-2 in the races with that consistency enough to claim his sixth overall win of the 2020 campaign. Vialle was only a single point ahead of Jago Geerts, who took one of the MX2 wins, while his teammate Ben Watson was third overall and was the other MX2 winner, in a strong result for Yamaha.
Jed Beaton went 7-7, for seventh overall and 28-championship points, while fellow Australian Bailey Malkiewicz was 18th, finishing 15th in Race 2.
“Not the greatest day but we’re here for two more rounds so it’s a solid start to the week. My starts weren’t great in both races, which didn’t help but we’ll be better on Wednesday. It took me a while to get going in race one, by around 20 minutes into the race I found my flow and felt really good, but it was too late to move forwards. Race two I felt good from the start and rode a smart race. I know what to expect for the next two, so we’ll be ready for them and I look forward to Wednesday.”
Vialle now sits on 569-points to Geerts 516, with Maxime Renaux and Beaton both tied on 407-points. Malkiewicz sits 16th, on 98-points.
In the opening MXGP race of the day, it was Dylan Walsh who grabbed the Fox Holeshot, as he led Tim Gajser, Arnaud Tonus and Gautier Paulin. There were a few riders caught up in a crash on the first turn, two of them being Adam Sterry and Calvin Vlaanderen.
It didn’t take long for Gajser to take the lead, as Walsh crashed, Prado and Paulin also followed through and those were the top three for the next few laps. Brian Bogers had a great start to the race, sitting in fourth.
Both Romain Febvre and Jeremy Seewer didn’t have the best start to the race as they were down in 16th and 17th in the opening laps. Though Seewer was able to quickly pull through, he passed six riders in a single lap to get himself into the top 10.
Paulin went after the #61 of Prado and was able to pass him by the second lap, to get himself into P2. The Frenchman then set his best lap of the race and was 2.808 seconds down on Gajser who led the way. But Gajser was quick to respond with a flying lap, which put the gap back up to 4.383.
Championship rival, Antonio Cairoli had a tough first race after starting outside the top 15. He managed to finish the race in 13th, not where the nine-time world champion would have hoped to be.
Paulin, Prado and Bogers then clocked their best laps of the race at the same time, as Paulin got the gap down to 2.386. Further down the field, Seewer was applying the pressure to Jeremy Van Horebeek for P6. The pair then caught up to Tonus, as Seewer passed the two riders within a couple of laps.
On lap 11 we saw a change of lead, as Gajser crashed out of first place, which allowed Paulin to make of this opportunity to go after his first race win since Valkenswaard 2017.
Seewer was the next rider to go down, as he lost the two spots he worked hard to gain, to Van Horebeek and Tonus. And despite his best efforts he had a small issue with the bike, which he needed to pull over to fix, that also lost him two more spots – he eventually finished the race in eighth.
In the end it was Paulin who claimed the first race victory in Lommel, while Gajser finished second and Prado third.
Coming into the day’s races, Glenn Coldenhoff was among the favourites for the podium. Unfortunately, the Dutchman did not line up for the races, as a crash in the MXGP timed practice session forced him out of today’s action.
As the gate dropped for the second MXGP race of the day, it was Prado who grabbed the Fox Holeshot, with Gajser, Seewer, Tonus and Bogers right behind him. Gajser then started to go after Prado for the top spot, as just 0.5 seconds separated the pair, and he was able to make the pass stick by the second lap, as Prado made a mistake.
Seewer then started to come under pressure from Bogers who was keen to put on a good performance. Cairoli was also having a much better start to the race as he was sitting in seventh just behind Paulin.
Gajser continued to lead the way as he gradually stretched out his lead, while Seewer started to catch up to Prado, as Febvre joined in on the battle too.
Bogers crashed out of fifth, which allowed Paulin and Cairoli through, as the two continued their race long battle.
With six-minutes plus 2 laps to go, Seewer and Prado were having a close battle. The pair made contact in one of the corners, after Prado lost a bit of ground, which also saw the Spaniard go down as a result. Febvre benefited from this as well, as Prado re-joined in fourth.
Three laps to go saw Gajser had a comfortable 10.447 second lead to Seewer, who made a mistake on the final lap and went off the circuit. As a result, he lost a position to Febvre.
In the end it was Gajser who was victorious, as Febvre crossed the line in second and Seewer holding on to third.
“From the beginning of the day, I felt great on the track and on the bike. In the first moto, I got a good start, in second place around the first corner and then I moved quickly into the lead, pulling out a little gap. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake and fell, which allowed Gautier to pass me and I finished second. In the second moto, I had a good first corner and came out second again. I passed Jorge in the second lap and then pulled out a decent gap to control the race and take the overall. I’m really happy to take the victory here because we have worked so hard to get better in the sand and this is toughest race to win. Everyone in the team has been great and we just keep on pushing to get better and better and I can’t thank everyone enough!”
“This is an emotional high. I am really happy to be back on the podium especially for myself and for my team. It has been a tough road, it has been a long time since I had a win, so in the first moto I could have it, I was really pushing hard on a good rhythm. I didn’t really talk about it, but at the end of May I broke my back and knocked myself hard, so to be back at this level I am really happy because from the ground, in hospital where I broke two vertebra, it was a really hard time and then I crashed again in Faenza (Italy) and hurt myself again. Now I am feeling 100% and I am really happy to be back again.”
“It was a positive day. The track was very rough and it was good to get used to the conditions because we still have another two rounds to go here. We also made some improvements to the bike, so that was useful. I had a perfect start in the second moto and was block-passed by Seewer while holding a good position. I rode strongly to make sure of 4th though and 3rd overall was pretty decent. I’m very happy to be 3rd in the championship after the way the year started. We are still charging.”
“It was a good GP with a great second moto! My start was good and as always there was confusion in the first corner but I made my way through and rode a good opening lap. I found a good rhythm and came back to second; I was very happy with that! The first moto was not so good. I was fourth at the start but during the first lap I made a mistake in a corner and crashed; that’s never good as everyone is so close together during the first laps of a race and you lose so many places. I was seventeenth and came back to sixth, which is not so bad, but that cost me the podium. I was happy with my speed and my physical shape; the track was difficult but I found a good feeling and overall it was a good day. Now my goal is to win a GP here in Lommel; I have two more opportunities on Wednesday and Sunday!”
“Lommel is always tough except when you are winning, and then I think you enjoy it. I felt okay today. I had a tip over on the first lap and was caught in the pack, almost last, but I had good speed and rhythm and I came back to fifth but then I made another small mistake and had a technical problem which cost me another three positions. I had a good start in the second race which paid off. I felt solid in second position but I threw it away with a stupid crash, but this is how it is in Lommel. If you’re on the limit it’s really sketchy, but I am still happy with third in that race but a little bit disappointed. At least we have another two rounds to make up.”
Source: MCNews.com.au
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 Nin ja 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.
On the final day of the 2020 WorldSBK season Kawasaki won the Manufacturers’ Championship to add to the Riders’ Championship win scored b
Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
If you go down in life, make sure go down trying! Zero pressure, go full Vamos! Loved every minute of it! Great season guys @reddingpower @chazdavies7 @toprak_tr54 @michaelvdmark @alexlowes22
.
📸 @geebeeimages
@krt_worldsbk @monsterenergy @araieu @alpinestars @insidebikes @snackpata @oakleymotorsports #team65
Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup returned to racing over the weekend at Aragon, with Australian Billy Van Eerde back on track after breaking his femur and making a strong return. A crash in free practice wasn’t the best start to the weekend, however when racing commenced Van Eerde was starting from P9. Despite some early set backs in the opening race, he fought his way back from 17th to a sixth place finish, and followed up with seventh in Race 2.
Van Eerde now sits ninth in the standings, with Pedro Acosta continuing to lead the championship.
“The weekend started off with a crash after only four laps in FP1 which wasn’t ideal, luckily I was ok. FP2 and Qualifying went quite well getting my feeling back on the bike in FP2 and then putting together a decent lap in qualifying to manage P9. Race 1 I made a few big mistakes and dropped to 17th but fought back to finish P6 after a nice battle with some of the other guys. Race 2 I got an OK start but after a few laps I lost some confidence in the front after a few moments but managed it throughout the race to finish in P7 after another race-long battle. My leg was good after a few painkillers, I just have to put more effort in than normal changing down the gears and for changes of direction. Everyday it’s improving so I’m looking forward to pushing more next weekend to try and get in the front group.”
Billy now has five race meetings over the next five weekends between Red Bull Rookies and the CEV series.
Leading the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and leading the times when it counted on Friday at Motorland Aragón, Pedro Acosta was setting a very high standard. The Spanish 16-year-old second year Rookie was chased hard by fellow countryman Daniel Holgado, while David Alonso, the 14-year-old Colombian completed the front row.
David Munoz was fourth fastest in qualifying, Zonta van den Goorge fifth, and David Salvador completed the second row. Izan Guevara lead the third row from Matteo Bertelle, with Aussie Billy Van Eerde qualifying ninth, returning from injury.
Pedro Acosta could hardly improve on the four straight wins that started the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in Austria but he managed to do exactly that over 15 thrilling laps of Aragón in Race 1. The 16-year-old Spaniard could not break free at Spielberg but he achieved that superbly in his first race at home at Aragon.
It was the same hungry challengers fighting it out and chasing him all the way again with Daniel Holgado leading Iván Ortolá across the line for an all Spanish podium.
It looked from the start like a repeat of the Austrian races with a pack swapping places at every turn. Acosta tried to break away early but couldn’t, Holgado particularly hung on grimly to the #37 KTM RC 250 R.
“I started from pole but you know, really this means nothing. What was important is that at about lap 8 when the tyre performance went down I could still keep the lap time. That was what gave me the break so I could open up a gap. I kept it smooth and kept the lap time. It will be difficult to manage that again tomorrow but I will try. The track condition was not the same as yesterday, the temperature was down I think and the grip not as good but my bike is working well in all conditions and I also prepared myself for this.”
David Salvador just fell short this time and missed out on a podium place over the last 2 laps after battling all the way. David Alonso, the 14-year-old Colombian had a brilliant ride with two ‘penalties’ on his way to 5th.
18-year-old Australian Billy Van Eerde made a great comeback from injury and breaking his femur, claiming sixth despite some conservative riding.
“It was a difficult race, the first race back after breaking my femur. I was being a bit conservative about that because I didn’t want to crash. But no, it was a good race. At the beginning I made a mistake and dropped back to 17th and in the end I got back to 6th so for the first race back after injury I’m quite happy with it.”
Pedro Acosta cranked it up a notch for Race 2. The 16-year-old Spaniard charged away on Lap 1 leaving the chasing pack to wonder what happened, creating a 5-second gap by the time the finish flags were waved.
The excitement was still there though for the minor podium positions, which saw a fantastic seven rider contest for second with riders frequently rubbing fairings.
Acosta celebrated a clear victory as the other places were sorted out at the last corner.
“I think there was no difference really in the bike today, the temperature was a little different but not much. The difference was that last night I was talking with my helper Paco (Francisco Marmol Oliva) and he told me that I had to make a good start and break the group in the first lap. I did it and I want to thank the group around me, it is only they that understand how hard we work to achieve these things. Going fast on the first lap is not easy but talking with the Rookies Cup team and those close to me we discussed that I must finish the warm up lap with speed and be mentally ready and focused to be fast at the start. It worked.”
Daniel Holgado and David Muñoz touched and crashed coming onto the finish while David Alonso took second. Izan Guevara crossed the line third but lost his podium place to Iván Ortolá for exceeding track limits on the last lap.
David Salvador picked up fifth ahead of Daniel Muñoz who had served a long lap penalty with five laps to go.
Australian Billy Van Eerde was a position back from his Race 1 result, in seventh, racing Zonta van den Goord to the finish line and coming out victorious by just 0.011-seconds.
Source: MCNews.com.au
Job done! Got my trophy and outta here! 2020, you’ve threw a lot at us but still we rise!
📸 @geebeeimages
@krt_worldsbk @monsterenergy @araieu @alpinestars @insidebikes @snackpata @oakleymotorsports #team65
Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
2020 continues to serve up a stunner of a MotoGP season, and there have now been eight different premier class winners. In the Gran Premio Michelin de Aragon, it was Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the top step as the Suzuki rider took his first victory since Silverstone 2019, slicing up from tenth on the grid to fend off another late charge from rookie superstar Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who took second and the 850th premier class podium for Honda. Third place went to Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), the number 36 back on the rostrum and the new Championship leader after a tough day at the office for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT).
As the lights went out, it was Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) who was off like a shot from second on the grid, the number 12 carving his way to the front immediately round the outside of Turn 2 as the Petronas Yamahas duelled behind, and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) headed a bit wide.
Soon enough though, Viñales’ closest company came from Rins as the Suzuki rider sliced through from tenth to get past Morbidelli and Quartararo, homing in on the number 12 in the lead.
Stalking the Monster Energy Yamaha for a couple of laps, Rins chose his moment at the final corner and took a tight, tight line to sweep up the inside for the lead, neatly done to take over at the front. Just behind, things were getting spicy as Mir had managed a two-for-one past the Petronas Yamahas with a similar move up into third, and Alex Marquez was on a charge.
Rins, Viñales, Mir… the trio at the front remained pretty close together as the cat and mouse began, with Marquez the man making serious gains. As the number 73 arrived on the scene, Mir seemingly decided enough was enough, slicing through on Viñales at the final corner. To compound Viñales’ chagrin, Marquez then made a stunner of a late dive past the Yamaha into Turn 1 too…
Up ahead, Rins remained ahead but it was far from becoming a runaway win. As the laps ticked down, the number 42 retained the close company from team-mate Mir and Alex Marquez, but the next move wouldn’t threaten for the lead. With six to go, and again at the final corner, the number 73 Repsol Honda swooped past Mir to take over in second, Alex Marquez on for his second second place in a row. Or was he?
Once past, the Honda was closing. And not in thousandths or hundredths, but really reeling Rins in. Alex Marquez was over three tenths faster with four laps remaining, and looked seriously primed for a shot at the win. But Rins was holding station, and then a major warning came Marquez’ way at the final corner with two laps and a corner to go. The number 73 was out the seat as he squeezed on the gas and lot some ground, but he gathered it back up and set his sights back on the Suzuki.
Rins had a three tenth lead with two to go, and coming onto the last lap, it remained at 0.3 seconds. Marquez had to try and get close enough to get into the slipstream down the back straight, but Rins got his GSX-RR hooked up nicely and the Honda man wasn’t close enough to try his inside sweeping move. Despite the pressure, Rins made no mistakes. rising over the brow of the hill and making it to the line with two tenths in hand. The eighth winner in eight races and eighth of the season, back on the top step for the first time in over a year – and Marquez, despite losing out on the win, back on the podium for the second time in a week.
Mir had to keep an eye out for Viñales on the final couple of laps, and Morbidelli had Nakagami for company in the battle for the top five. In the end, Mir came out on top in the fight for third but again, by only a couple of tenths, but it’s enough to see him take the title lead as Quartararo plummeted through the field. Viñales also made a big gain in points given that, coming home off the podium but the second Championship challenger over the line.
Nakagami kept up his 100% top 10 finish record in 2020 with a superb P5, the Honda rider managing to beat Morbidelli on the last lap for the honour of top Independent Team rider too. That’s the number 30’s second top five of the season.. and he’s only 29 points off Mir!
After a difficult weekend, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) salvaged P7 on race day to sit closer to the top of the Championship than he did before the lights went out, top Borgo Panigale machine on Sunday and still in the hunt. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), after a tough start, was able to climb back up to P8. The two Ducatis of Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) completed the top 10, not what either would have been expecting heading into the weekend.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led teammate Pol Espargaro across the line as the Austrian factory suffered a difficult Sunday taking P11 and P12, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) finishing just under a second from his younger brother in P13. Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) grabbed P14 to finish ahead of the final point scorer – Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team).
So where was Quartararo? The former points leader, after struggling with front tyre pressure, went from off the podium to fringes of the top ten to end up outside the points in P18. After a heroic pole position taken despite his big FP3 crash, the Frenchman had one of his toughest Sundays yet in the premier class… but he’ll be fired up to try and hit back next week. Mir now leads on 121 as Quartararo remains on 115, with Viñales third with 109. Dovizioso has 106, still very much in touch..
“Incredible! Unbelievable! Sincerely, at the start I was so calm, and I was thinking ‘hmm maybe that’s a bad thing!’ I made a really good start, the first laps were really good, then when I was behind Maverick I was thinking, ‘Alex, you have a bit more so try to go, but slowly because otherwise you’ll ruin the rear tyre!’ I tried to manage the distance to the guys behind and it’s amazing. This is for all the fans that normally come here from the towns around here, and for all this amazing team, and my family, friends, girlfriend. Everybody! This is for you guys!”
MotoGP is back on track for the Gran Premio Liqui Moly de Teruel this Friday.
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | 41m54.391 |
| 2 | Alex MARQUEZ | Honda | +0.263 |
| 3 | Joan MIR | Suzuki | +2.644 |
| 4 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | +2.88 |
| 5 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | +4.57 |
| 6 | Franco MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | +4.756 |
| 7 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | Ducati | +8.639 |
| 8 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | Honda | +8.913 |
| 9 | Jack MILLER | Ducati | +9.39 |
| 10 | Johann ZARCO | Ducati | +9.617 |
| 11 | Brad BINDER | KTM | +13.2 |
| 12 | Pol ESPARGARO | KTM | +13.689 |
| 13 | Aleix ESPARGARO | Aprilia | +14.598 |
| 14 | Iker LECUONA | KTM | +15.291 |
| 15 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | +15.941 |
| 16 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | +18.284 |
| 17 | Stefan BRADL | Honda | +20.136 |
| 18 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | +21.498 |
| 19 | Bradley SMITH | Aprilia | +25.3 |
| 20 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | +25.558 |
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Points |
| 1 | Joan MIR | Suzuki | 121 |
| 2 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | 115 |
| 3 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 109 |
| 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | Ducati | 106 |
| 5 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 92 |
| 6 | Franco MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | 87 |
| 7 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | 85 |
| 8 | Jack MILLER | Ducati | 82 |
| 9 | Pol ESPARGARO | KTM | 77 |
| 10 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | 69 |
| 11 | Brad BINDER | KTM | 67 |
| 12 | Alex MARQUEZ | Honda | 67 |
| 13 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 65 |
| 14 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 58 |
| 15 | Johann ZARCO | Ducati | 53 |
| 16 | Francesco BAGNAIA | Ducati | 42 |
| 17 | Aleix ESPARGARO | Aprilia | 27 |
| 18 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | Honda | 21 |
| 19 | Iker LECUONA | KTM | 20 |
| 20 | Bradley SMITH | Aprilia | 11 |
| 21 | Stefan BRADL | Honda | 8 |
| 22 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | 8 |
| 23 | Michele PIRRO | Ducati | 4 |
A seismic shift in the fight to be crowned 2020 Moto2 World Champion took place at the Gran Premio Michelin Aragon Grand Prix, with Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) taking first and second – and Sky Racing Team VR46 teammates Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi both crashing out. That leaves Bastianini, who just beat Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to second on the last lap, take over in the Championship lead, with Lowes’ 25 points for the win putting him just two off the top in the standings…
As the lights went out in Aragon, it was a super start from Bezzecchi as he took the holeshot from second on the grid, with Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Jake Dixon swooping through to third from row two. Early drama then struck as Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) crashed at the opening corner following contact with Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing), but the Spaniard thankfully walked away from a scary crash.
Then, polesitter Lowes ran slightly wide at Turn 12 from second and that allowed Fabio Di Giannantonio (MB Conveyors Speed Up) through after the Italian had sliced past Dixon, but Lowes hit back quick to set his sights Bezzecchi out front. Not long after that on Lap 3, the Championship then took its biggest twist yet as former points leader Luca Marini tucked the front through Turn 14 and slid out – leaving an open goal for those in the hunt to capitalise.
Teammate Bezzecchi would be the new man ahead in the standings if he could hold on to victory, but Lowes and Di Giannantonio were close. ‘Diggia’ made his move on Lowes with fourteen to go at MotorLand, but the three stayed close as Enea Bastianini edged ahead of Jake Dixon for the final place inside the top five just behind them.
Ten laps in, Di Giannantonio pounced on Bezzecchi for the lead at Turn 14. The pair were side-by-side down the long back straight but the Speed Up man was able to hold on as they went through the final corner. But then suddenly, into Turn 2 next time around, ‘Diggia’ was sliding out of the lead – leaving Bezzecchi and Lowes in a duel for the win.
By then, Martin was beginning to loom ominously in the background though, and Bastianini was just half a second off his rear wheel. With seven to go, the ‘Beast’ struck under the shadow of the MotorLand wall.
Martin wasn’t going to just sit and let Bastianini escape though, with the Red Bull KTM Ajo man immediately finding a response, but the number 33 had an answer too – back past on the brakes into Turn 8.
With five to go Bezzzecchi was still in control, half a second clear of Lowes. Three seconds further back Bastianini held third place, himself three tenths clear of Martin. The laps ticked by and the end drew nearer with Bezzecchi on course for victory, before another monumental moment in the World Championship chase suddenly took place. With just two laps remaining, Bezzecchi suddenly crashed out at Turn 2.
Lowes swooped through, and incredibly took the mantle as Championship leader too as Martin got himself in front of Bastianini. But onto the final lap, it was far from decided. Lowes crossed the line to take his first ever back to back wins, but the fight for second was close. It came down to the final sector on the final lap, with Bastianini putting in a clinical, ruthless and vital move to secure the extra four points to sit atop the Moto2™ standings.
Further back, Dixon well and truly bounced back from his Le Mans heartbreak by clinching a career-best finish in fourth. ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s Remy Gardner got the better of Ramirez and Hector Garzo (FlexBox HP 40) in the fight for the final place inside the top five. Tennor American Racing’s Joe Roberts took eighth, before Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) rounded out the top ten.
“Bezzecchi’s crash was a shame near the end of the race, Diggia I felt like I had his pace… I’m sorry for them, they were stronger than me at a couple of points on the track which is something I can work on for next weekend. But overall I was there, I kept the pressure on, was able to benefit from their mistakes and back to back wins is good for me! It’s the first time for me to get back to back wins in Moto2, so I’m really really happy.”
“Qualifying was tough, and I got caught out, ending tenth on the grid. Not where I wanted to be, but I was happy with the rhythm and confident of a good race. I’m extremely happy to finish fifth. It was a big comeback from tenth on the grid and we completed our objective. We also moved up a spot in the championship. We need to keep working and hopefully we can do better. I want to thank the team, we continue to work really well together, and to everyone who is supporting me. We don’t have long to wait until the next race – I’m ready!”
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Sam LOWES | Kalex | 39m33.202 |
| 2 | Enea BASTIANINI | Kalex | +4.195 |
| 3 | Jorge MARTIN | Kalex | +4.340 |
| 4 | Jake DIXON | Kalex | +9.298 |
| 5 | Remy GARDNER | Kalex | +14.765 |
| 6 | Marcos RAMIREZ | Kalex | +15.13 |
| 7 | Hector GARZO | Kalex | +15.192 |
| 8 | Joe ROBERTS | Kalex | +17.024 |
| 9 | Tetsuta NAGASHIMA | Kalex | +19.000 |
| 10 | Simone CORSI | MV Agusta | +20.206 |
| 11 | Augusto FERNANDEZ | Kalex | +22.661 |
| 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Kalex | +22.692 |
| 13 | Edgar PONS | Kalex | +22.995 |
| 14 | Stefano MANZI | MV Agusta | +23.301 |
| 15 | Marcel SCHROTTER | Kalex | +23.989 |
| 16 | Xavi VIERGE | Kalex | +26.747 |
| 17 | Lorenzo DALLA PORTA | Kalex | +26.862 |
| 18 | Nicolò BULEGA | Kalex | +27.686 |
| 19 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | Speed Up | +27.761 |
| 20 | Lorenzo BALDASSARRI | Kalex | +27.892 |
| 21 | Bo BENDSNEYDER | NTS | +36.250 |
| 22 | Andi Farid IZDIHAR | Kalex | +44.779 |
| 23 | Somkiat CHANTRA | Kalex | +45.687 |
| 24 | Xavi CARDELUS | Speed Up | +47.231 |
| 25 | Kasma DANIEL | Kalex | +58.178 |
| 26 | Piotr BIESIEKIRSKI | NTS | +1m05.154 |
| 27 | Jorge NAVARRO | Speed Up | +3 Laps |
| Not Classified | |||
| DNF | Marco BEZZECCHI | Kalex | 2 Laps |
| DNF | Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO | Speed Up | 11 Laps |
| DNF | Luca MARINI | Kalex | 19 Laps |
|
Pos |
Rider | Bike | Points |
| 1 | Enea BASTIANINI | Kalex | 155 |
| 2 | Sam LOWES | Kalex | 153 |
| 3 | Luca MARINI | Kalex | 150 |
| 4 | Marco BEZZECCHI | Kalex | 130 |
| 5 | Jorge MARTIN | Kalex | 95 |
| 6 | Tetsuta NAGASHIMA | Kalex | 79 |
| 7 | Joe ROBERTS | Kalex | 74 |
| 8 | Remy GARDNER | Kalex | 72 |
| 9 | Thomas LUTHI | Kalex | 72 |
| 10 | Marcel SCHROTTER | Kalex | 61 |
| 11 | Aron CANET | Speed Up | 61 |
| 12 | Xavi VIERGE | Kalex | 59 |
| 13 | Augusto FERNANDEZ | Kalex | 54 |
| 14 | Lorenzo BALDASSARRI | Kalex | 47 |
| 15 | Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO | Speed Up | 45 |
| 16 | Jorge NAVARRO | Speed Up | 41 |
| 17 | Jake DIXON | Kalex | 35 |
| 18 | Hector GARZO | Kalex | 34 |
| 19 | Marcos RAMIREZ | Kalex | 25 |
| 20 | Stefano MANZI | MV Agusta | 20 |
| 21 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | Speed Up | 18 |
| 22 | Nicolò BULEGA | Kalex | 17 |
| 23 | Simone CORSI | MV Agusta | 14 |
| 24 | Somkiat CHANTRA | Kalex | 10 |
| 25 | Bo BENDSNEYDER | NTS | 5 |
| 26 | Edgar PONS | Kalex | 5 |
| 27 | Lorenzo DALLA PORTA | Kalex | 5 |
| 28 | Dominique AEGERTER | NTS | 4 |
Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) threatened it last time out, but at MotorLand Aragon the Spaniard got the job done to perfection to take his first victory of the season and become the 100th different Grand Prix winner for Honda. After charging up from P17 on the grid, the man he just beat to the line was Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power), the South African less than a tenth off, with polesitter Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) taking his first Grand Prix podium in third.
Albert Arenas (Solunion Aspar Team Moto3) took the holeshot from pole, the Championship leader getting the jump on polesitter Fernandez – but not for long. The number 25 struck back quickly, before Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) also made short work of Arenas too. There was early drama hit for Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) as he crashed out, and not long after John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Alonso Lopez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) were given their Long Laps to take within three.
At the front, a distinct group of four had broken away: Fernandez, Suzuki, Arenas and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), with Darryn Binder hunting them down and, not long after, joining the battle to make it a five-rider fight. Meanwhile, title challengers Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) found themselves mired down in the fight for sixth – and not at the front of that freight train either.
As the five at the front fought it out, however, their pace started to come down and what had seemed an insurmountable gap was suddenly an awful lot smaller. The trio on their tail were Masia, McPhee – despite his Long Lap – and Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3). And then there were eight, and once on the scene, McPhee struck quickly to take Suzuki at the rear of the initial leaders to make it a full group battle.
Fernandez remained pretty steadfast in the lead until a mistake just onto Lap 14, when Binder swept through to capitalise immediately – followed by Arenas. And the number 75 took the lead not long after that as Fernandez was then forced to defend from Fenati for third. But war broke out at Turn 1 next time around, and just like that the number 25 was back in the hot seat and the whole group had shuffled.
At the start of the penultimate lap, McPhee headed a bit wide and dropped down to just ahead of Suzuki, who seemed to be struggling to hang in with the group, and Arenas also opened the door for Binder to go through. Masia was at the front of the train though and there he would remain – the man ahead onto the last lap.
That had already changed by Turn 2, however, as Fernandez took the baton back and Alcoba threatened in third. Arenas was fourth at that point before the title leader then ran wide on the exit of Turn 5, and then Alcoba and Masia got very close for comfort into Turn 8. Fernandez was still leading as they shuffled behind him though, with Binder round the outside of Alcoba at Turn 14 to have the inside line at Turn 15, grabbing P3 heading onto the back straight.
The podium three were the top three, but it was Fernandez, Masia, Binder still as the three opened the gas down the straight. Tucked into Fernandez’ slipstream though, Masia was the man on the move, able to reel Fernandez in and then take over at the front, with Binder also slipstreaming past the number 25. Coming over the crest of the hill, Masia held it to the line to earn his first victory with Leopard Racing from P17 on the grid – Honda’s 100th different Grand Prix winner.
Binder lost out by less than a tenth but earned his second podium of 2020, and Fernandez may have lost out on the win but the Spaniard bwas ecstatic to seal his maiden World Championship podium.
Fenati had another solid ride to take fourth as the Italian remains super consistent, with McPhee recovering well from his Long Lap and Turn 1 excursion to claim P5 – and important points for the Championship. Alcoba crossed the line P6 in the end, the rookie again impressing, with Arenas losing out on the last lap to finish P7 – just 0.396 from victory though. Suzuki lost touch in the latter stages but took eighth, still on the comeback to full strength.
Vietti never troubled the leading contenders in Aragon but finishes just a couple of places behind Arenas in P9, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) rounding out the top 10 as the Italian had Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Tatay for company in P11 and P12 respectively. Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) finished a lonely P13, the Japanese rider finishing six seconds ahead of struggling compatriot Ogura. It’s just two points picked up in Aragon for the man second in the Championship as Ogura slips to 13 behind Arenas. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) picked up the final point at the Aragon GP in P15.
Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Maximilian Kofler (CIP Green Power) crashed out at MotorLand.
Another scintillating lightweight class encounter sees Masia become the 100th Honda rider to win a Grand Prix, Arenas extend his lead and Ogura continue searching for his earlier season magic.
“For sure, I didn’t expect that rhythm. But I was thinking about not losing my confidence with the bike, the team worked a lot, but all weekend we struggled a lot with the setting unlike in Le Mans. I don’t know how I arrived at the group as Raul put in a high rhythm, he was really strong. But finally we arrived at the group, maybe we pushed the rear too much and used it too much, but finally with my bike on the straight I could overtake Raul.”
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Jaume MASIA | Honda | 37m45.009 |
| 2 | Darryn BINDER | KTM | +0.091 |
| 3 | Raul FERNANDEZ | KTM | +0.196 |
| 4 | Romano FENATI | Husqvarna | +0.327 |
| 5 | John MCPHEE | Honda | +0.368 |
| 6 | Jeremy ALCOBA | Honda | +0.385 |
| 7 | Albert ARENAS | KTM | +0.396 |
| 8 | Tatsuki SUZUKI | Honda | +1.933 |
| 9 | Celestino VIETTI | KTM | +2.389 |
| 10 | Dennis FOGGIA | Honda | +2.461 |
| 11 | Kaito TOBA | KTM | +2.966 |
| 12 | Carlos TATAY | KTM | +3.02 |
| 13 | Ayumu SASAKI | KTM | +4.872 |
| 14 | Ai OGURA | Honda | +10.949 |
| 15 | Deniz ÖNCÜ | KTM | +10.979 |
| 16 | Filip SALAC | Honda | +11.172 |
| 17 | Alonso LOPEZ | Husqvarna | +13.861 |
| 18 | Niccolò ANTONELLI | Honda | +19.761 |
| 19 | Sergio GARCIA | Honda | +21.284 |
| 20 | Yuki KUNII | Honda | +21.339 |
| 21 | Riccardo ROSSI | KTM | +21.379 |
| 22 | Jason DUPASQUIER | KTM | +21.44 |
| 23 | Stefano NEPA | KTM | +21.52 |
| 24 | Ryusei YAMANAKA | Honda | +36.57 |
| 25 | Barry BALTUS | KTM | +36.628 |
| 26 | Davide PIZZOLI | KTM | +36.676 |
| 27 | Khairul Idham PAWI | Honda | +36.739 |
| Not Classified | |||
| DNF | Maximilian KOFLER | KTM | 2 Laps |
| DNF | Andrea MIGNO | KTM | 11 Laps |
| Not Finished 1st Lap | |||
| DNF | Gabriel RODRIGO | Honda | 0 Lap |
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Points |
| 1 | Albert ARENAS | KTM | 144 |
| 2 | Ai OGURA | Honda | 131 |
| 3 | Celestino VIETTI | KTM | 126 |
| 4 | Tony ARBOLINO | Honda | 115 |
| 5 | John MCPHEE | Honda | 109 |
| 6 | Jaume MASIA | Honda | 108 |
| 7 | Raul FERNANDEZ | KTM | 89 |
| 8 | Tatsuki SUZUKI | Honda | 83 |
| 9 | Darryn BINDER | KTM | 82 |
| 10 | Gabriel RODRIGO | Honda | 77 |
| 11 | Romano FENATI | Husqvarna | 70 |
| 12 | Dennis FOGGIA | Honda | 69 |
| 13 | Jeremy ALCOBA | Honda | 56 |
| 14 | Andrea MIGNO | KTM | 47 |
| 15 | Sergio GARCIA | Honda | 37 |
| 16 | Niccolò ANTONELLI | Honda | 33 |
| 17 | Stefano NEPA | KTM | 26 |
| 18 | Kaito TOBA | KTM | 24 |
| 19 | Ayumu SASAKI | KTM | 23 |
| 20 | Deniz ÖNCÜ | KTM | 23 |
| 21 | Filip SALAC | Honda | 20 |
| 22 | Alonso LOPEZ | Husqvarna | 16 |
| 23 | Carlos TATAY | KTM | 14 |
| 24 | Ryusei YAMANAKA | Honda | 13 |
| 25 | Riccardo ROSSI | KTM | 5 |
| Rnd | Date | Circuit |
| 12 | 25 October | MotorLand Aragón |
| 13 | 08 November | Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo |
| 14 | 15 November | Comunitat Valenciana-Ricardo Tormo |
| 15 | 22 November | Autodromo Internacional do Algarve |
Source: MCNews.com.au
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.
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Gap |
| 1 | T. Razgatlioglu | Yamaha | / |
| 2 | G. Gerloff | Yamaha | +1.928 |
| 3 | M. Van Der Mark | Yamaha | +2.940 |
| 4 | C. Davies | Ducati | +4.074 |
| 5 | J. Rea | Kawasaki | +4.745 |
| 6 | S. Redding | Ducati | +5.915 |
| 7 | A. Bautista | Honda | +7.969 |
| 8 | L. Haslam | Honda | +11.835 |
| 9 | M. Rinaldi | Ducati | +12.293 |
| 10 | X. Fores | Kawasaki | +12.342 |
| 11 | T. Sykes | BMW | +12.643 |
| 12 | F. Caricasulo | Yamaha | +12.714 |
| 13 | J. Folger | Yamaha | +14.984 |
| 14 | L. Mercado | Ducati | +22.177 |
| 15 | M. Ferrari | Ducati | +22.349 |
| 16 | E. Laverty | BMW | +22.581 |
| 17 | T. Takahashi | Honda | +27.889 |
| 18 | E. Granado | Honda | +29.975 |
| 19 | S. Morais | Kawasaki | +30.067 |
| 20 | L. Cresson | Kawasaki | +50.259 |
| Not Classified | |||
| RET | L. Baz | Yamaha | 8 Laps |
| RET | A. Lowes | Kawasaki | / |
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.
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Gap |
| 1 | C. Davies | Ducati Panigale V4 R | / |
| 2 | S. Redding | Ducati Panigale V4 R | +1.951 |
| 3 | T. Razgatlioglu | Yamaha YZF R1 | +2.556 |
| 4 | M. Van Der Mark | Yamaha YZF R1 | +10.423 |
| 5 | A. Bautista | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +15.473 |
| 6 | M. Rinaldi | Ducati Panigale V4 R | +20.277 |
| 7 | L. Haslam | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +21.074 |
| 8 | X. Fores | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | +21.291 |
| 9 | F. Caricasulo | Yamaha YZF R1 | +22.427 |
| 10 | T. Sykes | BMW S1000 RR | +25.168 |
| 11 | J. Folger | Yamaha YZF R1 | +26.945 |
| 12 | E. Laverty | BMW S1000 RR | +28.511 |
| 13 | L. Mercado | Ducati Panigale V4 R | +32.281 |
| 14 | J. Rea | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | +38.800 |
| 15 | M. Ferrari | Ducati Panigale V4 R | +46.083 |
| 16 | E. Granado | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +47.000 |
| 17 | T. Takahashi | Honda CBR1000RR-R | +47.295 |
| 18 | S. Morais | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | +1m01.053 |
| 19 | L. Cresson | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | +1m31.338 |
| Not Classified | |||
| RET | A. Lowes | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 6 Laps |
| RET | L. Baz | Yamaha YZF R1 | 7 Laps |
| RET | G. Gerloff | Yamaha YZF R1 | 19 Laps |
“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“.
“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!“
“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”.
“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!”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Jonathan Rea | 360 |
| 2 | Scott Redding | 305 |
| 3 | Chaz Davies | 273 |
| 4 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | 228 |
| 5 | Michael Van Der Mark | 223 |
| 6 | Alex Lowes | 189 |
| 7 | Michael Ruben Rinaldi | 186 |
| 8 | Loris Baz | 142 |
| 9 | Alvaro Bautista | 113 |
| 10 | Leon Haslam | 113 |
| 11 | Garrett Gerloff | 103 |
| 12 | Tom Sykes | 88 |
| 13 | Xavi Fores | 61 |
| 14 | Federico Caricasulo | 58 |
| 15 | Eugene Laverty | 55 |
| 16 | Leandro Mercado | 24 |
| 17 | Marco Melandri | 23 |
| 18 | Jonas Folger | 19 |
| 19 | Sandro Cortese | 14 |
| 20 | Sylvain Barrier | 12 |
| 21 | Maximilian Scheib | 11 |
| 22 | Takumi Takahashi | 6 |
| 23 | Matteo Ferrari | 5 |
| 24 | Christophe Ponsson | 4 |
| 25 | Roman Ramos | 4 |
| 26 | Lorenzo Zanetti | 3 |
| 27 | Valentin Debise | 2 |
| 28 | Eric Granado | 1 |
| 29 | Xavier Pinsach | 1 |
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.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Gap |
| 1 | L. Mahias | Kawasaki ZX-6R | / |
| 2 | A. Locatelli | Yamaha YZF R6 | +0.886 |
| 3 | R. De Rosa | MV Agusta F3 675 | +0.888 |
| 4 | S. Odendaal | Yamaha YZF R6 | +1.018 |
| 5 | P. Oettl | Kawasaki ZX-6R | +1.465 |
| 6 | I. Vinales | Yamaha YZF R6 | +1.670 |
| 7 | M. Gonzalez | Kawasaki ZX-6R | +3.566 |
| 8 | H. Soomer | Yamaha YZF R6 | +3.576 |
| 9 | J. Cluzel | Yamaha YZF R6 | +4.518 |
| 10 | D. Webb | Yamaha YZF R6 | +11.695 |
| 11 | K. Hanika | Yamaha YZF R6 | +12.553 |
| 12 | A. Bassani | Yamaha YZF R6 | +12.849 |
| 13 | C. Perolari | Yamaha YZF R6 | +15.531 |
| 14 | C. Oncu | Kawasaki ZX-6R | +15.592 |
| 15 | A. Verdoia | Yamaha YZF R6 | +27.569 |
| 16 | A. Ruiz Carranza | Yamaha YZF R6 | +27.593 |
| 17 | F. Fuligni | MV Agusta F3 675 | +30.338 |
| 18 | K. Manfredi | Yamaha YZF R6 | +30.756 |
| 19 | G. Van Straalen | Yamaha YZF R6 | +38.461 |
| 20 | P. Hobelsberger | Honda CBR600RR | +47.804 |
| 21 | V. Falcone | Yamaha YZF R6 | +1m16.817 |
| 22 | V. Da Silva Barros | Yamaha YZF R6 | +1 Lap |
| Not Classified | |||
| RET | P. Sebestyen | Yamaha YZF R6 | 11 Laps |
| RET | G. Hendra Pratama | Yamaha YZF R6 | 12 Laps |
| RET | H. Okubo | Honda CBR600RR | / |
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Andrea Locatelli | 333 |
| 2 | Lucas Mahias | 229 |
| 3 | Philipp Oettl | 162 |
| 4 | Jules Cluzel | 160 |
| 5 | Steven Odendaal | 136 |
| 6 | Raffaele De Rosa | 135 |
| 7 | Manuel Gonzalez | 126 |
| 8 | Isaac Vinales | 116 |
| 9 | Hannes Soomer | 115 |
| 10 | Corentin Perolari | 110 |
| 11 | Danny Webb | 80 |
| 12 | Can Alexander Oncu | 65 |
| 13 | Peter Sebestyen | 49 |
| 14 | Kevin Manfredi | 39 |
| 15 | Kyle Smith | 36 |
| 16 | Andy Verdoia | 35 |
| 17 | Axel Bassani | 33 |
| 18 | Federico Fuligni | 32 |
| 19 | Alejandro Ruiz Carranza | 25 |
| 20 | Karel Hanika | 16 |
| 21 | Miquel Pons | 16 |
| 22 | Hikari Okubo | 12 |
| 23 | Loris Cresson | 12 |
| 24 | Galang Hendra Pratama | 12 |
| 25 | Patrick Hobelsberger | 6 |
| 26 | Glenn Van Straalen | 4 |
| 27 | Maria Herrera | 2 |
| 28 | Jaimie Van Sikkelerus | 2 |
| 29 | Luigi Montella | 1 |
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.
“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.
“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.”
“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.”
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Class | Gap |
| 1 | K. Meuffels | Kawasaki | A | / |
| 2 | S. Di Sora | Kawasaki | A | +0.219 |
| 3 | M. Perez | Kawasaki | A | +1.749 |
| 4 | B. Sofuoglu | Yamaha | B | +1.816 |
| 5 | M. Kawakami | Yamaha | B | +1.821 |
| 6 | Y. Okaya | Kawasaki | B | +2.043 |
| 7 | N. Kalinin | Kawasaki | A | +2.070 |
| 8 | K. Sabatucci | Kawasaki | B | +2.192 |
| 9 | J. Buis | Kawasaki | A | +2.301 |
| 10 | A. Huertas | Yamaha | B | +2.688 |
| 11 | M. Gennai | Yamaha | A | +2.738 |
| 12 | M. Garcia | Kawasaki | A | +3.469 |
| 13 | U. Orradre | Yamaha | A | +4.181 |
| 14 | T. Kawakami | Yamaha | B | +4.187 |
| 15 | A. Kroh | Yamaha | A | +6.028 |
| 16 | S. Deroue | Kawasaki | B | +6.118 |
| 17 | P. Svoboda | Yamaha | B | +12.022 |
| 18 | A. Diaz | Yamaha | A | +12.109 |
| 19 | T. Bramich | Kawasaki | A | +12.355 |
| 20 | J. Gimbert | Kawasaki | A | +12.416 |
| 21 | O. Nunez Roldan | Kawasaki | B | +12.474 |
| 22 | T. Brianti | Kawasaki | B | +16.149 |
| 23 | T. Edwards | Kawasaki | B | +18.596 |
| 24 | M. Gaggi | Yamaha | A | +29.101 |
| 25 | S. Markarian | Yamaha | B | +29.271 |
| 26 | A. Zanca | Kawasaki | B | +29.329 |
| 27 | A. Carrion | Kawasaki | A | +1m11.156 |
| 28 | D. Blin | Yamaha | A | +1m20.865 |
| Not Classified | ||||
| RET | B. Ieraci | Kawasaki | A | 1 Lap |
| RET | T. Booth-Amos | Kawasaki | B | 4 Laps |
| RET | V. Rodriguez Nunez | Yamaha | A | 7 Laps |
| RET | F. Rovelli | Kawasaki | A | 7 Laps |
| RET | A. Coppola | Kawasaki | B | 9 Laps |
| RET | T. Bercot | Yamaha | B | / |
| RET | J. Perez Gonzalez | Yamaha | B | / |
WorldSSP300 Championship Standings| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Jeffrey Buis | 220 |
| 2 | Scott Deroue | 183 |
| 3 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | 142 |
| 4 | Koen Meuffels | 116 |
| 5 | Mika Perez | 112 |
| 6 | Tom Booth-Amos | 110 |
| 7 | Unai Orradre | 101 |
| 8 | Ana Carrasco | 97 |
| 9 | Yuta Okaya | 89 |
| 10 | Samuel Di Sora | 88 |
| 11 | Thomas Brianti | 80 |
| 12 | Meikon Kawakami | 76 |
| 13 | Bruno Ieraci | 66 |
| 14 | Hugo De Cancellis | 65 |
| 15 | Kevin Sabatucci | 50 |
| 16 | Marc Garcia | 48 |
| 17 | Ton Kawakami | 47 |
| 18 | Adrian Huertas | 41 |
| 19 | Nick Kalinin | 38 |
| 20 | Victor Rodriguez Nunez | 20 |
| 21 | Filippo Rovelli | 20 |
| 22 | Tom Edwards | 17 |
| 23 | Alvaro Diaz | 17 |
| 24 | Inigo Iglesias Bravo | 15 |
| 25 | Alan Kroh | 14 |
| 26 | Glenn Van Straalen | 13 |
| 27 | Enzo De La Vega | 12 |
| 28 | Alfonso Coppola | 12 |
| 29 | Felipe Macan | 10 |
| 30 | Johan Gimbert | 7 |
| 31 | Mirko Gennai | 6 |
| 32 | Oliver Konig | 5 |
| 33 | Daniel Mogeda | 4 |
| 34 | Filip Salac | 4 |
| 35 | Alejandro Carrion | 4 |
| 36 | Kim Aloisi | 3 |
| 37 | Tom Bramich | 2 |
| 38 | Angel Heredia | 2 |
| 39 | Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez | 1 |
| 40 | Daniel Blin | 1 |
| 41 | Paolo Grassia | 1 |
| 42 | Tom Bercot | 1 |
Source: MCNews.com.au
