Phillip Island Moto3 win clinches Dalla Porta world championship
Section: Competition
Title challenger Canet’s hopes come crashing down in early laps.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Italian rising star Lorenzo Dalla Porta has won the 2019 Moto3 World Championship after edging to a deserved victory in a frantic race at Phillip Island’s Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The Leopard Racing rider became the first Italian to win the title since Andrea Dovizioso in 2004, topping today’s race over teammate Marcos Ramirez and Albert Arenas (Gaviota Angel Nieto Team) after title rival Aaron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing KTM) crashed out early.
With in excess of 10 bikes battling in the front group throughout the 23-lap affair, Dalla Porta crossed the finish only 0.077s ahead of Ramirez and 0.088s from Arenas in third. No less than six riders met the chequered flag within a second, including Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda), John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing Honda) and a gritty Darryn Binder (CIP Green Power KTM).
Positions seven through 10 in the race featured Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing Honda), Tom Booth-Amos (CIP Green Power KTM), Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers Honda) and Stefano Napa (Reale Avintia Arizona 77 KTM).
Wildcard Yanni Shaw (Double Six Motor Sport KTM) was a non-finisher after entering the pit-lane on lap four, while New Zealand teammate Rogan Chandler was the final finisher, a lap down on Dalla Porta in 19th position this afternoon.
Pramac Racing uncovers special Australian livery for Miller
Section: Competition
Queenslander to line-up at Phillip Island with one-off colour scheme.
Image: Supplied.
Australia’s Jack Miller will wear a special one-off livery for today’s Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, unveiled by the Pramac Racing team at Phillip Island on Sunday morning.
Miller will start out of ninth position in this afternoon’s MotoGP affair at Phillip Island, the 24-year-old sporting an eye-catching Australian theme aboard his Ducati GP19 for his home grand prix.
It’s a major weekend for the Pramac brand, featuring as title sponsor of the Australian round and also fielding Miller alongside rookie teammate Francesco Bagnaia – who qualified in P15 this morning – on the premier class grid.
High-speed crash rules Oliveira out of Australian grand prix
Section: Competition
MotoGP rookie cleared of broken bones following major fall on Saturday.
Image: Supplied.
Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Miguel Oliveira has been declared unfit for this afternoon’s Pramac Generac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix following his high-speed incident entering turn one during FP4 on Saturday.
The Portuguese rookie crashed prior to yesterday’s final stoppage due to the windy conditions, with painful swelling in both hands – despite no broken bones found – effectively ruling him out of action for race day.
“At the moment, the hospital was calling me and that’s why I was stressing out because we’re going to have an MRI today on the right wrist because it’s still hurting,” said Oliveira. “Obviously, they can’t see anything broken in the hand on the X-ray, but we suspect that there might be further injuries, maybe in the ligaments or something. We’re going to check that out today and have a full report tomorrow morning.”
Oliveira crashed heavily after a gust of wind caught him out at the end of Gardner Straight: “In my opinion, I think I got some turbulence from [Johann] Zarco’s bike but, in that moment I got hit by a strong gust of wind. Yesterday there was a crosswind on the start-finish straight and it was really hard for us just to go straight.
“For some reason, our bike was a little more sensitive to this and I was at 24 degrees [lean angle] from the moment I grabbed the brakes, just trying to lean in and, as you saw, it wasn’t possible to make the corner and the rest is history. I’m just glad I’m here talking about it.”
The final of the 2019 World Superbike Championship wrapped up in Qatar with the big question on everyone’s lips answered as Randy Krummenacher took the World Supersport Championship title for Yamaha.
Randy Krummenacher joined the 2019 WSBK champions roster in the World Supersport class
In World Superbikes already crowned World Champion Jonathan Rea took no prisoners, winning all three races of the weekend and relegating the Ducati and Yamaha riders to the lower steps of the podium. After taking pole position and winning Race 1 on Friday, Saturday saw the Northern Irishman make no mistakes and triumph in both the Tissot Superpole Race and in Race 2.
It was his second win of the WorldSSP300 season for Dutchman Scott Deroue while newly crowned World Champion Manuel Gonzalez finished fourth.
WSBK
In the Tissot Superpole Race, Jonathan Rea took his second victory of the weekend. Starting from pole position, the Northern Irishman maintained the race lead from flag to flag ahead of Spaniard Álvaro Bautista who, after overtaking Alex Lowes on the second lap, maintained second for the rest of the race.
Jonathan Rea
The third step of the podium went to Yamaha rider Alex Lowes, who managed to stay ahead of the other Kawasaki rider, Leon Haslam.
Michael Van Der Mark, Loris Baz and Chaz Davies each took a turn in fifth, but at the end of the day it was the Welshman who came out on top.
Alex Lowes took third in the Superpole Race, matching his overall season standing
In Race 2, reigning Rea got off the line well when the red lights went out, but Bautista was aggressive straight away, trying to make life difficult for the Northern Irishman from the first lap.
Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea
The champion and runner-up set an unsustainable race pace for the group of followers, led by the other Ducati rider, Chaz Davies, who did the race fast lap on the fourth lap.
On the eighth lap, Rea, Bautista and Davies were within just over half a second of one another, forming a compact leading trio.
Early in the tenth lap Bautista had a go at overtaking Rea on the finishing straight, but the Northern Irishman was able to fend off the Spaniard’s attack and in the meantime, Chaz Davies had closed the gap and caught up with his teammate.
Alvaro Bautista & Chaz Davies
In the final part of the race, Jonathan Rea managed to pull the pin and open up a gap ahead of the Ducati riders, taking his advantage to more than two seconds while Chaz Davies gained the upper hand against his teammate on the fourteenth lap, moving into second place.
Jonathan Rea finished first under the chequered flag for the third time over the weekend ahead of Chaz Davies and Álvaro Bautista.
Jonathan Rea finished the season on a high note with a triple-win in Qatar and was joined on the Race 2 podium by Davies and Bautista
Fourth place went to Alex Lowes with Toprak Razgatlioglu, fifth, finishing as the best independent team rider.
WorldSBK riders talk the season final
Jonathan Rea – P1 Overall
“Seventeen race wins this year and two triples – Donington and here – so this is special, super-special. I am really happy and content because to be honest we never expected to get beaten so bad in the beginning. Even in the middle of the season we knew we needed to enter these last two rounds with a gap in the championship to fight for it, but what we expected we didn’t find. I am really happy with the package of our bike because in these last two races, with the longest straights in the championship, and the fastest circuits, we have proved that you need more than a fast engine to win. I am super-proud of all my team. This weekend we changed the base set-up so many times, from Race One to Superpole to Race Two; you would not believe me is I told you what we did. We turned the bike upside down and each and every time we had some positives and negatives, so it just shows our bike is working inside a good window.”
Jonathan Rea
Álvaro Bautista – P2 Overall
“Today was a positive day, because after the warm-up and before the Superpole race, we returned to the set-up we had on Friday. I immediately had a good feeling and the second place was important for the starting-grid in race 2. In the early stages I battled with Jonathan but unfortunately, about half-way through the race, I began to lose grip at the rear and I was struggling to stop the bike. In the end I couldn’t do anything about Chaz, but all things considered I’m happy, it’s always nice to finish the season on the podium. I’d like to thank Aruba and all the Ducati squad for doing a fantastic job this year. Unfortunately, the season didn’t go the way we hoped, but I’m very pleased to have begun my first year in Superbike with this team because they have so much experience in this championship and they helped me a lot. Thanks to everyone, I wish you all the best for next year.”
Alvaro Bautista
Alex Lowes – P3 Overall
“It was good to end the season with a strong weekend here in Qatar but, apart from one bad weekend in Jerez and the crash while leading in Misano, I’ve been up there in the top-six and really strong in every race. The target this year was to finish top-three in the championship; obviously everyone wants to be world champion, but you’ve got to improve on what you did the year before, keep learning, keep moving forward and this year was a good step forward for me. It’s a bittersweet end to the season because I’m leaving a team that has such a great atmosphere, with whom I get on really well and in which I feel a part of the family. It’s strange to be leaving both Crescent and Yamaha, we’ll all face new challenges next season, but tonight I’m going to enjoy it, together with the guys who’ve worked so hard for me and helped me achieve my goal this season.”
Alex Lowes
Michael van der Mark – P4 Overall
“We made some changes to the set up ahead of Race 2 this evening and I felt a lot better at the beginning compared to the Superpole race in the afternoon. Unfortunately, once the tyres started to drop off then I struggled like before. I tried everything to stay in front of Alex, but it just wasn’t possible because I was struggling with the grip so much. Anyway, I think if we look back on this season we should be satisfied. The Misano injury put us on the back foot, missing that whole event and then riding injured at the following two rounds, but we never gave up and we never stopped trying. To finish fourth in the championship isn’t what we were looking for but, given the obstacles we’ve faced this season, it’s still pretty incredible. Big credit to the team and to Yamaha, unfortunately this wasn’t our weekend but I’m confident we’ll be back stronger next year.”
Michael van der Mark
Chaz Davies – P6 Overall
“It’s been a strong end to the season for me and I’m really happy to finish on the podium again. I felt like I put together another good race this evening after a bad start, but it was good fun to battle with the others in the early laps. I got into a good pace and started charging towards the guys up front. After I passed Álvaro, it was quite easy to follow Johnny but then when I pushed a bit more, I was in trouble with the front tyre. All in all, it was a good finish to 2019 and I can’t wait for 2020 to start”.
Chaz Davies
It was a positive debut season for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team, claiming four podiums, one pole position and numerous top six finishes. Sykes finished the season eighth in the riders’ standings on 223 points, while Reiterberger claimed 14th place overall.
Tom Sykes – P8 Overall
“It’s not the way I would have liked to end the season given the results that we have had previously. We have arrived at a circuit where you are in the corner for a long time which is an area on the bike that we need to work on, so overall a very disappointing weekend to end 2019. On the whole, the new project finishing eighth in the championship is relatively good considering there are six factory bikes from different manufacturers with a lot more experience. We have had some very strong showings, we have shown the potential of the BMW S 1000 RR and the relationship with the new team has worked well. Going into the winter I would like to think that the information the team gathered can be put into development and ultimately a better starting point for next season.”
Dominant Vinales takes Australian MotoGP pole position
Section: Competition
Miller to start out of position nine at Phillip Island this afternoon.
Image: Supplied.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales has confirmed his pace at Phillip Island in Sunday morning qualifying ahead of the 2019 Pramac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, storming to pole position in cool conditions.
Vinales’ flying lap of 1m28.492s was over half a second clear of impressive rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who rebounded from his incident on Friday to go via Q1 onto the front row. He was ahead of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda).
Leading row two will be Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha) in his 400th grand prix, edging Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda). Positions nine through 10 were completed by Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), his teammate Andrea Iannone, Australia’s Jack Miller (Pramac Racing Ducati) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team).
The warm-up sessions earlier this morning were led by Vinales once again in the premier class, as Red Bull KTM Ajo teammates Brad Binder and Jorge Martin topped Moto2, while Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda) was quickest in Moto3.
WorldSBK champion Rea completes clean-sweep of Qatar finale
Section: Competition
A new World Supersport champion crowned in Krummenacher.
Image: Supplied.
The final race of the 2019 Motul Superbike World Championship took place under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit for the Motul Qatar Round, where Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) capped off the season with another victory.
After a season of last lap battles, new rivalries, record-shattering performances and triumphant successes, the final race of the season saw yet more phenomenal action. Rea battled hard to beat Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in a race to remember at Losail.
Powering off the line for the final time in 2019, Bautista made the most of the Ducati power to lead the field, although the Spaniard went wide and allowed Rea back ahead – the pair going to battle from there and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) later joining in the mix.
Across the line, for the final time this season, Rea was 2.978s clear of Davies, who in turn got the better of Bautista for the runner-up position. Fourth was enough for Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha) to secure P3 in the standings, as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) finished fifth.
Sixth to 10th places were filled on Saturday night under lights by Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven Ducati), Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK).
Earlier, in the Superpole sprint race it was Rea who won again from Bautista, with Lowes scoring the final podium placing. Razgatlioglu suffered a technical problem on the warm-up lap, unable to make the start and ending his realistic chances of the finishing third in the championship.
Image: Supplied.
In a captivating World Supersport race, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) made it a third consecutive win at Losail whilst Randy Krummenacher (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) did enough to become the first Swiss WorldSSP champion.
The final chapter of the 2019 championship beckoned and it was a vital WorldSSP race, with all three championship contenders starting from the front row. Taking victory at Losail, Mahias was the winner but Krummenacher took fifth, enough to clinch the title. Completing the podium was Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) and Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing).
With the championship already decided in the World Supersport 300 class, it was all for pride and glory at the final round. After mastering the constant slip-stream battle the best on the final lap, race victory went to Scott Deroue (Kawasaki Motoport) over teammate Koen Meuffels and Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project), while Australia’s Tom Edwards (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) took P6.
Our sister publication, Cycle World magazine, gathered the bunch as part of its 2019 Superbike Shootout. Two days of regimented, private testing at Thunderhill Raceway Park’s 15-turn, 3-mile east course meant each competitor was under the scrutiny of the testing staff—which included Cycle World Road Test Editor and full-time MotoAmerica racer Michael Gilbert, Motorcyclist Senior Editor Adam Waheed, Red Bull stunt athlete Aaron Colton, and Cycle World test legend Don Canet.
Race two cancelled due to dangerous wind conditions.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Troy Herfoss has a led a Penrite Honda Racing 1-2 finish in race one of the Superbike support category at the Australian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of teammate Mark Chiodo.
Reigning ASBK champion Herfoss rode commandingly in the seven-lap outing, defeating Chiodo by 3.367s as he crossed the finish line.
Multi-time Superbike world champion Troy Bayliss (DesmoSport Ducati) locked out the podium half a second off Chiodo, while the top five was completed by Lachlan Epis (Kawasaki) and Jed Metcher (Suzuki).
Positions sixth through to 10th were fulfilled by Glenn Allerton (Maxima BMW) – who made an early error – Dean Hasler (BMW), Ryan Taylor (Yamaha), Luke Follacchio (BMW) and Trent Gibson (Ducati).
Superbike race two, along with Supersport 300 race two, were cancelled due to dangerous weather conditions. Both classes will return for their final race of the weekend tomorrow morning.
Marquez tops the FP4 timesheets as qualifying rescheduled for Sunday.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Qualifying has been postponed for the MotoGP class at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix due to dangerous wind conditions.
FP4 was cut short as the premier class riders were called to Safety Commission, with the outcome being that the weather conditions were too unsafe to ride in. Qualifying will take place on Sunday morning.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was blown off the track heading down into turn one during FP4, which resulted in the Portuguese rider suffering a seriously fast, heavy crash.
The red flags came out shortly after as the riders headed to the Safety Commission meeting, with Oliveira heading to the medical centre for a check-up. Thankfully, although bruised, the KTM man suffered no broken bones.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) was fastest in the session on his eighth lap before the red flags came out, ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales, who was 0.351s seconds adrift.
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was third fastest, 0.762s behind Marquez, whilst Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) put four different manufacturers inside the top four and Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli finding a more suitable setup on his Yamaha M1 to round off the top five. Australian Jack Miller was 15th on the timesheets.
Phillip Island Moto2 pole position secured by Navarro
Section: Competition
Ramirez claims maiden pole position in Moto3 category.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up) has claimed pole position in the Moto2 category at Phillip Island’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
For the first time since Le Mans, Navarro will launch from P1 thanks to a 1m33.565s in Moto2 Q2. The rain started falling in the final five minutes of the session to prematurely end proceedings, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Q1 graduate Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) completing the front row.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Beta Tools Speed Up) and Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Tech3) completed the top five, as Australian Remy Garnder (SAG Racing) qualified in P15.
Image: Russell Colvin.
Leopard Racing’s Marcos Ramirez will start a Moto3 race from pole position tomorrow after claiming the top spot for the very first time after mastering some tough conditions.
Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) was a fraction off the pace to complete the session in P2, with the front row set to be locked out by Albert Arenas (Gaviota Angel Nieto Team).
John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) were fourth and fifth respectively, while wildcards Rogan Chandler (Double Six Motor Sport) and Yannis Shaw (Double Six Motor Sport) qualified 28th and 31st.
MotoGP FP4 was red-flagged due to worsening weather conditions, with the remainder of today’s events cancelled. More to come.
