The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship may well be underway but crucial testing has been undertaken at the Circuito Navarra, a new venue on the calendar for this season. In the north of Spain in Los Arcos, the all-new venue for WorldSBK welcomed day two testing action and it was once again a Yamaha on top with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK), whilst Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) made it a Yamaha 1-2.
Toprak Razgatlioglu worked tirelessly over the two days but a small bit of drama in the morning when he ran out of fuel didn’t dampen the Turk’s spirits as he completed an astonishing 190 laps.
Toprak Razgatlioglu topped the test
Toprak wasn’t the only one to suffer from running out of fuel as team-mate Andrea Locatelli also suffered a similar fate. Locatelli did briefly top the timesheets just before lunch but finished the test early after a positive two-day test where the bike kept getting better and better.
Andrea Locatelli
Gerloff was working across the two days on an array of things, from set-up to configuration, aiming to refine the set-up on the 2021 motorcycle.
Garrett Gerloff
It was a difficult test on the other side of the garage for Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who after a crash on day one – which left him with a micro-fracture to his middle finger on his right hand – sat out day two and was replaced by substitute Niccolo Canepa who helped develop some new parts and concluded the test in ninth place overall.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes had another new experience to add to their bank of WorldSBK knowledge on the new Ninja ZX-10RR thanks to the two-day confidence building test session at the Circuito de Navarra. Although controlling their track time to save on their limited number of testing days available in 2021 both Rea and Lowes learned valuable lessons at the 3.933 km long Navarra circuit.
Jonathan Rea
Rea concentrated on making sure both he and his Ninja ZX-10RR would arrive at Navarra for race weekend ready to put in the best performance possible, rather than pushing for a fast time at this particular test. In his first experience of this relatively new circuit in Spain Rea found it challenging and fun to ride, with all kinds of corners and a greater change of elevation in some sectors than he had been expecting. After the first day he changed his riding approach and found benefits on a track neither he nor the team had any data for until this test.
Jonathan Rea
“It has been a really positive two days. I learned the circuit and it is a very difficult circuit to go fast at, to be fair. It has lots of little intricacies and challenges. From a technical point of view it is very challenging. I enjoyed working it out. On day one I learned the track quite quickly but I wasn’t comfortable to keep pushing the bike. On day two I woke up after sleeping on all my feelings and the data we gathered on day one, and I was able to be quite fast straight away. I carried that rhythm through. We found a lot of valuable information that will be good for race weekend and it will definitely allow us to make a shortcut in our set-up time when we start out in free practice one. This track has some mixtures of everything. Some super-fast corners but also some very tight and twisty sections in sectors two and three. The race is going to be a nice one. The main priority here was to learn and I am looking forward to Donington now for our next race weekend.”
Pere Riba – Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea
“The test has been positive. Yesterday we did a half day on track. Johnny was learning the layout and where the most important places were. It is a very different track to ride compared to the ones we are used to. Also, technically, we started to collect information because this is an all new track for us. We had no data, nothing. We found the base but day one was not an easy day because it was a very different track, very bumpy. But we did the job. Today we kept focusing on the most important points and leave here with some base settings to start the race weekend in Navarra. Finally, Johnny was fast with the SC0 tyre and also on the SCX tyre he was strong. Considering we did a half day yesterday and a half day today I think we are in a good place to start the race weekend.”
Jonathan Rea with Pere Riba
For Lowes this ‘mid-season’ test was an important one to allow him and his technical crew to try some new things based on the experience of the first three rounds on the new Ninja ZX-10RR. He was able to set fast early times, but fell twice on day two. Unhurt, Alex’s confidence was not dented and he now looks forward to his home round in the UK in early July, and the return to Navarra later this summer.
Alex Lowes
“I really enjoyed the Navarra circuit in my first time there. I had a good feeling on the bike and I was able to try everything that I wanted to and with a couple of things we tried on corner entry we were partly thinking about Donington, which is our next race. This was also positive. Unfortunately today I had a couple of crashes; made a couple of mistakes. Apart from that, it has been a great test. I leave here happy with the bike, enjoying the Ninja ZX-10RR, and it was a really good test for us. That gives me some confidence going into the next round, which is my home round at Donington Park. So we are really happy.”
Alex Lowes
Marcel Duinker – Crew Chief for Alex Lowes
“This was the first time we had been to Navarra and the target was to learn the track as much as possible, and of course to prepare ourselves for the race in August. From the very beginning Alex was fast, one of the fastest on track, and he learned the layout very quickly. We also confirmed our base set-up was working well here. Of course we also tested a few items. After three rounds of the season we know more or less where to improve. So we did a couple of small tests on the bike which worked out very positively. On the second day Alex had two crashes, which can happen; it is part of the job sometimes. But we also reached our target of confirming our machine set-up for race weekend. Overall it has been a really positive test here. Now we can switch off for a couple of days and get ready for Donington and the next round.”
Alex Lowes with Marcel Duinker
Also finishing up at midday was the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, as Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark continued to work on a variety of areas of the new BMW M 1000 RR. The team worked on suspension settings across the day and focused on getting the bike set up as it would happen in a race weekend. However, they were left wanting more after day one when their chassis solutions didn’t give the expected results. For van der Mark, he finished sixth and said his side of the garage is still aiming to make the bike stop and turn better, whilst Sykes was seventh and pretty pleased with a productive test in northern Spain. For the Independent BMW of Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing), he was eighth and found the new chassis to offer better braking stability, whilst he was left wanting more grip. Overall, he commented that the new chassis had more good points than bad.
Tom Sykes
HRC got through its initial work programme swiftly and smoothly and the team decided to continue non-stop for the entire opening day, completing tasks that it had originally planned to address over two half-day sessions.
Alvaro Bautista
“Today we used the time we had to understand the Navarra track and collect some references for when we return for the races. The circuit is very small and narrow, with a lot of first gear turns. It is definitely different from what we are used to and challenging because it’s not easy to tackle with a superbike. Another aspect is the asphalt, which is very bumpy, so all in all I think it will be a demanding round. I’m happy we had this test because, in addition to working on the bike set-up for this layout, we also did some electronics testing which we needed to complete, despite having to stop about an hour early because of the rain. It was definitely a useful test, and now we look forward to the next round at Donington Park.”
Alvaro Bautista
Leon Haslam
“We had to finish the test session a little early because I had a small crash with around one and a half hours to go and once the bike was ready, the rain came. So, we missed the last hour of track time, but we tested many of the items we wanted to try. The track is obviously very different to most others. It’s quite bumpy and reminds me of some of the old English tracks but, honestly, I think it will be a fun one to ride. For sure we have collected some positive information during this test.”
Leon Haslam
After the first three rounds of the FIM Superbike World Championship and now this Navarra test have been completed the next points-scoring round will take place at Donington Park in the UK, between 2-4 July.
Day 2 results with total number of laps across the two days
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) 1’36.877 – 190 laps (Day 1: 97, Day 2: 93)
Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.048s – 140 laps (Day 1: 74, Day 2: 66)
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.093s – 112 laps (Day 1: 67, Day 2: 45)
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK +0.174s – 138 laps (Day 1: 85, Day 2: 53)
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.486s – 110 laps (Day 1: 63, Day 2: 47)
Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.710s – 138 laps (Day 1: 78, Day 2: 60)
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +1.023s – 128 laps (Day 1: 85, Day 2: 43)
Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) +2.153s – 106 laps (Day 1: 52, Day 2: 54)
2021 FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Three – Misano
WorldSBK returns to the hallowed ground that is Misano this weekend for the third round of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.
Along with circuits such as Phillip Island, Assen and Donington this is one of the ‘classic’ WorldSBK venues with the championship having visited the Italian track very consistently over the decades. The first time WorldSBK raced at Misano was in 1991 with Doug Polen winning both races from pole on his Ducati en route to the first of his two World titles. Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards also had some of their titanic battles at the Italian venue.
Bayliss leading Edwards at Misano – 2002
The late Marco Simoncelli was from the nearby town of Cattolica and the local region has produced a number of the sport’s top names, including Valentino Rossi, Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Melandri.
The 2021 Championship fight is only just beginning with 36-points between the top three, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) leading Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK). Misano was the scene of their first final lap showdown for victory back in Race 2 in 2019, so will we see more of the same again?
Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu at Misano in 2019
The Northern Irishman is a maestro of Misano, it’s the scene of his first win; Jonathan Rea’s relentless records tend to be evident at most of the circuits which are a staple feature on the calendar, but Misano has an air of magic around it. Countless victories and a strong circuit for the ZX-10RR, Rea could well be on to create more Misano memories and extend his Championship advantage.
Jonathan Rea
“I am excited to go to Misano especially after we missed the race there last year. It is a track that I really enjoy riding at; both for the circuit itself and the Italian hospitality. The area is incredible and I always enjoy spending time there with my family, by the beach and the sea. The food, the fans, it has got absolutely everything, especially this weekend as we got some fans back trackside which is going to make it even more special. The first few races have been good. We have been able to change the characteristics of our Ninja ZX-10RR at Estoril and it really improved the size of the ‘window’ and we will continue to try these ideas. We are right into the thick of the summer months now and I think all the work we have been doing last season and during the off-season, focusing on the hot temperatures and being easy on the tyre, is really coming into its own. Misano is a quite flat track and with it being resurfaced a few years ago it gave me a strange feeling when we tested there last year. But, we were still able to be fast. I’m looking forward to the challenge this weekend and seeing all our great fans back trackside again.”
2019 WSBK – Round Seven – Misano – Race One – Jonathan Rea wins
On the other side of the KRT garage is team-mate Alex Lowes, who suffered a difficult Estoril Round, blighted by bad luck. He’s got a good record at Misano, but it’ll be his first experience of the track on the Kawasaki in racing terms.
Alex Lowes
“With not having a normal calendar last year I have not raced for Kawasaki at all the tracks coming up this year but I know Misano really well and I know that Kawasakis have gone well there in the past. I am actually excited to challenge myself by racing at Misano on the green machine. We have a good set-up on the bike, which we have arrived at in the winter tests. It has worked at quite a lot of tracks so I am quite confident that it will also work at Misano. I am looking forward to getting back into action. It is going to be important to work hard and well on Friday. I know the track was resurfaced last year so we need to check tyre life and which tyres we like, especially on the front because that can be critical at Misano. It is just great to be going back to Italy. Misano is always a fantastic round and one we missed last year so I am really looking forward to going back and getting stuck in this weekend.”
It was the setting for one of his first attacks on WorldSBK victory and he gave it everything, although you get the feeling in 2021 that Toprak Razgatlıoğlu is going to live no stone unturned in his quest for a first win of 2021. Razgatlioglu’s podium from Race 2 in 2019 may seem a distant memory, but the last time WorldSBK raced at Misano, it was the headlining duel with Rea that stole the show and got the fans on their feet. After three podiums at Estoril and nothing but top six finishes so far this year, Toprak wants to taste victory.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
“For me it will be the first time racing with the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK at Misano and I am looking forward to it. In the past I had some good battles with Jonathan for the win and I like this track, but we will see where we stand on Saturday afternoon. We are quite strong this year so far and we also had two days testing at Misano in the winter, which felt really good with the new bike. It is not easy to say now where we can be, the race is the important part so we will see on Saturday. The goal is always for the podium and to fight for the win, and I think the R1 will be a good race bike at this track.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
Local hero Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) heads for his first home event in the WorldSBK paddock after a best race finish of fifth in Race 2 at Estoril and is top Italian in the standings – could he be a strong outside bet of a good result?
Andrea Locatelli
“It’s very nice for me to return on track at Misano in Italy – it’s the home race for me and it’s always nice because we can also have some fun during the weekend. It’s important to have some balance! I am feeling good because we had a really good Race 2 at Estoril, I understand more about the bike and the setup that helped me to make another step. I am sure that with this we can do very well at Misano because we have been improving every race. Also Superpole qualifying will be important and I want to improve and to understand the best way to get maximum performance on the Q tyre. Of course the aim is to try to be in the front group and try for a good result because our way now is to improve every race and I know the Misano track very well. We will see, but we’re ready.”
Heading home and eager to strike back after bitter disappointment in Estoril’s Race 2, the factory Ducati team of Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and team-mate Michael Ruben Rinaldi will aim to utilise all of their pre-season testing at Misano to make it count come race action. Redding, who crashed out in the heat of the battle with title rival with seven laps to go at Estoril in Race 2, has never raced a WorldSBK bike at Misano, so it will be a voyage of discovery this weekend; team-mate Rinaldi has WorldSBK experience and the warmth of the home fans cheering him on. After a mixed Estoril, will it be a Misano masterclass?
Scott Redding
“The mistake in Race-2 in Estoril was a serious one. But there is still time to recover. It’s clear that we can’t make any more mistakes, in fact, it will be necessary to be perfect in order to recover the disadvantage. I’m curious to see what will happen in Misano because I’ve never ridden on this circuit with temperatures as high as the ones we will find. It’s an important event, the home race for the team and for Ducati and for this reason I’m determined and sure I can do well”.
Michael Rinaldi
“We arrive in Misano with high morale: despite the incident in Race-2, the Estoril weekend was a very positive one, with a constantly growing feeling. It’s clear that this is a very special weekend for me. I’m really happy that the circuit will be open to a good number of fans and it will be great to feel their warmth after so many months of races without a public. I like the circuit very much, the sensations were positive during the pre-season tests. There are the basis to obtain important results“.
Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) has been in the thick of the action so far this year and inside the top six on occasion. Continuing his adaptation to the bike from his Yamaha of previous years, he has so far had the racing edge over his team-mate Tom Sykes. Sykes himself returns to Misano, a happy territory for BMW, after he gave them their first podium in 2019 when they returned as a factory effort to the Championship. Both van der Mark and Sykes have good records in the Adriatic, something that they’ll hope to strengthen in the coming races.
Michael van der Mark
“Misano is one of my favourite tracks. I really missed going there last year. I love the circuit, I love the layout and I am looking forward to it. It’s a completely different track again compared to Aragón and Estoril but I think it will suit the BMW very well and especially the way the bike is working now. After some good results at Aragón and Estoril a very different track and I think we can do really well there. Regarding goals for the weekend, I think it is still difficult to say where we expect to be but I think we should be close to the top five. We had some good results, the gap is still a little bit too big but I think the way the Misano track is we can do really well.”
Michael van der Mark
Tom Sykes
“I am obviously looking very much forward to the Misano round of the WorldSBK calendar. It’s a circuit I really enjoy. It will certainly be tight in terms of lap times as it is quite small and twisty so we’re really looking to be competitive. We’ve had some strong results there in the past with the BMW S 1000 RR so hopefully with the updated M RR we can improve on those. That’s certainly my target and it would be fantastic. We’ve had a podium success there so if we could do something similar this weekend it’s what we need. Overall, it’s a fantastic location and I am looking forward to getting out there.”
It’s another new experience for Team HRC and the Honda Fireblade CBR1000RR-R SP, with it being the first time that the bike and the factory team have visited Misano. After a disastrous start to his weekend at Estoril with three crashes on Friday, Alvaro Bautista managed to rekindle good feelings with the bike throughout the races as he came through from 18th on the grid for a hat-trick of top ten finishes. He took his first premier-class MotoGP podium at Misano in a final lap showdown back in 2012 and was a race winner in WorldSBK for Ducati in 2019.
Alvaro Bautista
“The last race weekend left us with mixed feelings, a tough Friday followed by improved performance and confidence throughout the weekend, despite the extra challenge of having our qualifying time cancelled on Saturday. Still, we feel we left some of our potential untapped there and are looking forward to improving this weekend. We approach Misano with a strong mentality and will work to find the feeling that we had at Aragón. Our main target is to have a bike that is well balanced to suit all conditions and every track. I’m so happy to return to Misano after missing it last season. It’s a track that I really enjoy, and it’s definitely very different to both Aragón and Estoril so we will try to find a good set-up with the electronics, the chassis and everything in order to get closer to the front. One thing that makes me really happy is that we will finally have some fans back in the grandstands. A limited number, sure, but it’s a first step and one we have been looking forward during this long closed-door period”.
For Leon Haslam (Team HRC), he’ll hope for a return to being a firm fixture inside the top ten after a relatively unassuming first two rounds.
Leon Haslam
“Misano is always a special race. I’ve heard we are going to have some fans watching and that will be fantastic because the atmosphere is always great in Italy. In the past, we always used to spend some days at the beach with Frankie Chili and everyone there, so I have some very good memories of the place. I really like the track of course and was on the podium last time we raced there in 2019. I’m now looking forward to riding the Fireblade there and working to try and find the good feeling we had this winter”.
Always thriving off the support of the Ducatisti and the Italian passion, Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) returns to Misano aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 R, with the aim of building on his first podium of 2021 from last time out at Misano. He’s locked in combat however, with Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) taking it to him as they fight it out to be top Independent. Although Gerloff’s looked like he’s had a stronger pace, mistakes have cost him dearly. They’re also not just battling for top Independent but for the title overall, with Gerloff in particular showing a sparkling pace in the opening two rounds. One rider who is in some sort of form is Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse), who really showed good potential at Estoril. Having never taken the BMW to Misano, it’ll be a new experience and a new learning curve this weekend in Italy.
Eugene Laverty
“I’m heading to Misano feeling very optimistic. I set modest goals for myself last time out due to the fact that Estoril was the toughest track on the calendar for us last year. However, I far exceeded my expectations so my confidence is high going to a track that I really enjoy. The new BMW M 1000 RR has made a huge step forward this year and I’m very thankful for the hard work done by everybody at BMW Motorrad Motorsport during the winter months. I have gelled very well with my new team RC Squadra Corse and we’re ready to begin moving up the order. The first two rounds were like pre-season testing for us. I feel that our season begins properly at round three at Misano.”
Leading the rest of the battles for the Independents and mainly the rookies, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) aims high and wants to shine at home, whilst off the back of two top ten finishes, Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) also hopes to continue to figure it out in WorldSBK at a circuit he knows well.
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) put in a stunning Gaerne Estoril Round and will hope to emulate this at Misano, a circuit he has a good record at with podiums in WorldSSP.
Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) has tested at Misano and has been quietly impressive in the opening two rounds, whilst behind him are the likes of Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing), Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) and Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha).
In 2015 Misano was completely resurfaced with a specific asphalt formulation aimed at counteracting the effects of salt and humidity. The rather abrasive asphalt and the high temperatures typical of that area can compromise the precision of the trajectories (holding a line) making it a fairly demanding track for the tyres, especially in the long right-hand corners which require a high mechanical and thermal stress for tyres when the bike is on the tyre’s shoulder. Pirelli have brought two new tyres to Misano. A development SCX rear in A0557 specification and the front development SC1 in A0508 specification.
WorldSBK Championship Points
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Jonathan Rea
110
2
Toprak Razgatlioglu
75
3
Scott Redding
74
4
Alex Lowes
62
5
Chaz Davies
48
6
Garrett Gerloff
42
7
Michael Van Der Mark
40
8
Tom Sykes
36
9
Andrea Locatelli
30
10
Michael Ruben Rinaldi
25
11
Alvaro Bautista
25
12
Leon Haslam
16
13
Axel Bassani
16
14
Tito Rabat
13
15
Lucas Mahias
11
16
Kohta Nozane
11
17
Eugene Laverty
9
18
Jonas Folger
8
19
Isaac Vinales
6
20
Christophe Ponsson
1
WorldSSP
There is an intense battle developing at the top of the standings between Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team) and Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), the only two riders to have won in the four races ran so far in 2021, with just six points separating the pair despite Odendaal taking three wins to Aegerter’s one. A retirement for Odendaal last time out in Estoril coupled with Aegerter’s emotional victory meant the Swiss rider was able to close in at the top of the standings.
Both Odendaal and Aegerter have experience of the Italian circuit from their respective Moto2 days, with Odendaal taking a best result of 17th in 2018 while Aegerter has a best result of fifth, in 2013, but three other top-ten finishes between 2010 and 2014. It will be both their first races at the circuit on WorldSSP machinery, with Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) hoping he can take advantage of their inexperience on their Yamaha YZF-R6 machines at Misano to close the gap; the French rider claimed two victories in 2014 and 2015, when WorldSSP ran to one race per weekend, and a double victory for Cluzel in 2021 would mean he becomes the most successful rider at Misano in terms of wins in WorldSSP, going ahead of five-time Champion Kenan Sofuoglu.
There are two other winners of a WorldSSP race at Misano on the 2021 grid with Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) the winner last time the Championship visited Misano in 2019 and then-teammate Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) who won in 2018. Both have had ups-and-downs to their return to the Championship and will be hoping a previous happy hunting ground will mean they can step back on the podium.
Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) currently sits third in the Championship after a double podium at the Circuito Estoril but has experience of Misano from Moto3 where he took a best of fourth in 2017 although he still chasing his first WorldSSP victory. He sits just ahead of Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) with the Sammarinese rider getting to enjoy a home round on the world stage; the town of Misano Adriatico is around an hour away from San Marino. Bernardi has been one of the surprises of 2021 so far, including a podium last time out, while he also experienced this circuit in the Italian championship last year, picking up a race win here.
Just behind Bernardi in the Championship standings is Estonian rider Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing), who has raced at Misano in WorldSSP before with a best result of seventh, Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) who has stood on the podium at the Italian venue in WorldSSP300 on two occasions, with a best result of second, and heads into the third round of the season on the back of his best-ever WorldSSP result at Estoril, and Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) with the Italian still searching for his first WorldSSP victory and looking to bounce back after crashing out from the lead at Estoril. De Rosa has stood on the podium at Misano, in 2018, and will be hoping he can repeat that feat and claim his first victory at the Italian venue.
In the WorldSSP Challenge, Leonardo Taccini (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team), Luigi Montella (Chiodo Moto Racing) will all have their home race with Maria Herrera (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing), Shogo Kawasaki (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) and Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse) all racing.
There will be two wildcard riders taking to the circuit during the Made In Italy Emilia-Romagna Round with Massimo Roccoli (Promodriver Organization) taking to the field for the first time since 2019 and Roberto Mercandelli (Team Rosso e Nero) on the grid for the first time since 2018; Roccoli already having made 110 starts in WorldSSP.
Five One Event riders will also join the Championship at Misano with Armando Pontone (Bike e Motor Racing Team) and team-mate Matteo Patacca, Filippo Fuligni (D34G Racing), Davide Stirpe (Extreme Racing Service) and Luca Ottaviani (RM Racing) on the grid, bringing the total number of competitors to 35. All but two of the seven additional riders will ride on Yamaha machinery, with Stirpe on the MV Agusta F3 675 and Ottaviani competing on a Kawasaki ZX-6R.
WorldSSP Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Steven Odendaal
75
2
Dominique Aegerter
69
3
Philipp Oettl
52
4
Luca Bernardi
42
5
Hannes Soomer
41
6
Manuel Gonzalez
40
7
Raffaele De Rosa
37
8
Jules Cluzel
36
9
Christoffer Bergman
29
10
Randy Krummenacher
26
11
Federico Caricasulo
24
12
Marc Alcoba
18
13
Can Alexander Oncu
17
14
Niki Tuuli
13
15
Vertti Takala
11
16
Kevin Manfredi
9
17
Galang Hendra Pratama
7
18
Maria Herrera
7
19
Stephane Frossard
3
20
Michel Fabrizio
2
21
Davide Pizzoli
1
22
Pawel Szkopek
1
WorldSSP300
Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) comes into the second event of 2021 with a four-point lead at the top of the Championship but faces his first event on WorldSSP300 machinery at Misano although the British rider has taken part in the Italian championship at Misano, claiming two victories. He will be hoping to use his recent experience and success to maintain his Championship lead.
Spanish rider Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) has made a strong start since moving to his new team with 41 points out of a possible 50 so far in 2021. Huertas gives up some experience at Misano compared to his rivals but will be hoping his quick adaptation to the MTM Kawasaki outfit will keep him in good stead for the weekend.
Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) is another rider who has not raced at Misano in WorldSSP300, with the 17-year-old not yet having raced in an Italian championship. Orradre will be looking to continue his strong start to the season after he challenged for victory at MotorLand Aragon as he builds a title challenge.
MTM Kawasaki have two riders in the top six with Japanese star Yuta Okaya on 29 points, four behind Orradre, after he was able to challenge for victory at MotorLand Aragon. Okaya raced at Misano when WorldSSP300 last visited the Italian circuit and came home in 19th place. Will his experience on WorldSSP300 machinery at the Italian venue pay dividends for the Pirelli Made in Italy Emilia-Romagna Round?
Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) currently is fifth in the Championship with 19 points, level with Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing). Frenchman di Sora has claimed a points finish at Misano in WorldSSP300 before, in 2019 when he finished 13th, while Aragon polesitter Kawakami finished outside the points in the same race when he finished 16th. Kawakami has proven his one-lap pace on a few occasions throughout his WorldSSP300 career, and di Sora has shown he can claim podium finishes, so both will be hoping they can use these to their advantage as WorldSSP300 returns to Misano.
2018 Champion Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) will continue her comeback from seventh in the Championship at a venue she won at last time out in 2019 and will be looking to close the gap at the top of the Championship by repeating that success. Carrasco sits two points clear of reigning Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) but, unlike Carrasco, this is a circuit that Buis is yet to secure a top-ten finish at, having finished 15th in 2019.
There will be one wildcard rider for the 2021 event with Chilean Isis Joylin Dellanira Carreño Avila (Gp3 By Pa.Sa.Ma) joining the grid for Misano. Alejandro Carrion (Kawasaki GP Project) was declared unfit at MotorLand Aragon and will need to undergo a medical check before his participation is confirmed, while Alfonso Coppola (Team Trasimeno) was declared unfit following a crash in the Italian championship; the Italian missed the Aragon Round following that crash.
2021 FIM Superbike World Championship Round Two – Estoril – Sunday
Jonathan Rea was unstoppable on Sunday at Estoril, winning the Tissot Superpole Race and then going on to give Kawasaki a brilliant double win with victory in Race Two to confirm his place at the top of the championship standings. Also on the podium in Race 2 were Chaz Davies and Toprak Razgatlioglu.
In WorldSSP, Dominique Aegerter had an outstanding race, taking home his first win of the season ahead of Luca Bernardi, who achieved an important result, finishing second, and Philipp Oettl rounding out the podium.
Superpole Race
Jonathan Rea came away with victory after the ten-lap Superpole Race on Sunday. Scott Redding, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Michael Ruben Rinaldi provided plenty of competition, but Rea’s choice to run SC0 tyres paid dividends.
Jonathan Rea chases down Scott Redding
Rea came out of Turn 1 with the lead of the race but soon found himself shuffled down to third by Redding and Razgatlioglu; Toprak Razgatlioglu moved from third to first in one move at Turn 1, although he did have to fight to keep the lead from Redding.
Redding found himself moving down the order again when he made a mistake at Turn 6, allowing both Rea and Garrett Gerloff through although Redding responded on Gerloff just a few laps later. Meanwhile, heading into Turn 1, Rea was able to make the move on Razgatlioglu to re-take the lead of the race and claim his first victory in Estoril. Razgatlioglu was unable to respond and came home in second place, ahead of Gerloff.
Jonas Folger
Rinaldi was unable to capitalise on his strong start to claim a podium with the factory Ducati outfit, coming home in fifth place after fending off the challenge from Alex Lowes by just 0.040s to complete the second row for Race Two alongside Gerloff and Rinaldi.
The third row will feature two BMW machines with Tom Sykes coming home in seventh place ahead of his former team-mate, Eugene Laverty in eighth. Chaz Davies fought through from 15th to finish ninth in the Tissot Superpole Race.
Leon Haslam
Alvaro Bautista finished in tenth place, just six-tenths away from Davies, while Andrea Locatelli was only four tenths away from the Spanish rider. Tito Rabat was unable to convert his top-ten start into a top-ten finish as he came home in 12th place, while Michael van der Mark was only half-a-second back from Rabat in 13th place.
Race Two
The final race of the Gaerne Estoril Round was full of drama, excitement and tension as Jonathan Rea claimed his second victory of the weekend after rival Scott Redding crashed out from second place.
Sunday’s Race 2 Start
The race started with Toprak Razgatlioglu being given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start, while Redding was able to get the leap on the rest of the field on the run into Turn 1, while reigning Champion Jonathan Rea lost ground when Michael Ruben Rinaldi forced the British rider wide at Turn 4.
It enabled Rinaldi to move into second place, behind team-mate Redding, and the young Italian had a look at his teammate into Turn 1, he backed out of the move. It meant he lost time to American Garrett Gerloff before the American lost control of his Yamaha YZF R1 at Turn 6 and made contact with the Italian; forcing both to retire from the race on the second lap.
Scott Redding and Ruben Rinaldi
With Razgatlioglu’s penalties served, it enabled Rea to close in on Redding as the 21-lap race reached the halfway stage with the duo racing on different tyres; Rea once again on the SC0 and Redding attempting to complete the race on the SCX tyre as he did on Saturday when he claimed victory in Race 1.
On lap 14, Rea tried to make his first move at Turn 1 but, despite the advantage of the slipstream, Redding held on. Rea got briefly ahead at Turn 1 before Redding used the cut back move to stay ahead. Redding then ran wide at Turn 3, allowing Rea to get back ahead, before Redding lost the front of his Ducati Panigale V4 R at Turn 4, forcing the British rider to tumble down the order.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Redding’s crash allowed Chaz Davies to close in on long-term rival Rea in the closing stages of the race although Rea was able to hold on to claim his second victory of the Estoril Round and fourth of 2021, with Davies on the rostrum for the first time in 2021. Razgatlioglu recovered from his double Long Lap Penalty to claim his third podium of the weekend.
Alex Lowes came home in fourth place in Race 2 as his strong start of the season continued, finishing 1.6 seconds clear of Andrea Locatelli in fifth; the Italian picking up his best result in WorldSBK so far in his debut season.
Alex Lowes
Michael van der Mark claimed sixth place on his BMW; three of the four BMW M 1000 RR bikes finished inside the top ten. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) battled through from 18th on the grid again to claim seventh place, ahead of Tom Sykes.
Michael van der Mark
Eugene Laverty was ninth with his second top ten finish of the weekend and the third BMW rider in the top ten. 2014 Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat claimed his second top ten finish of the weekend with tenth while Axel Bassani equaled his best finish of the 2021 season with 11th.
Team HRC’s Leon Haslam came home in 12th place on his Honda machine, finishing just ahead of Kohta Nozane.
Leon Haslam
Redding finished the race in 14th place at the line, but was given a six-second penalty, the equivalent of two Long Lap Penalties, for a jump start in Race 2, meaning he was classified in 16th place behind Lucas Mahias and Isaac Viñales. Christophe Ponsson and Loris Cresson completed the race of classification with 17 and 18th.
Apart from Gerloff and Rinaldi from their Lap 2 crash, there was only one more retirement from the race with Jonas Folger retiring in the early stages of the race with a technical issue with his BMW M 1000 RR. Samuele Cavalieri retired on lap 17 of the 21-lap race.
Jonathan Rea – P1
“It’s a really difficult track. We just need to look at where we were last year and where the other Kawasakis have been. I can’t credit my team enough. Every decision we’ve made this weekend has been the right one, in a positive way, because on Friday we were really struggling. Struggling to make the rhythm, struggling to make the pace but if you said this on Friday, I would’ve snapped your hand off! Super happy. Of course, I was riding with Jason on my mind in the last few laps of the race because motorsport can be so beautiful but so tough as well. Still, sending lots of strength to his family, his team and all his friends.”
Jonathan Rea
Chaz Davies – P2
“That was a hard-fought podium, especially because we had an awful Saturday yesterday with everything that happened. We’ve kept plugging away, we worked really hard last night, we tried to pull some more info out of the data and tried to put together a better package this morning. I want to say a huge thank you to the GoEleven guys because they’ve been grafting really hard all winter and here, we are, second round and on the podium. Obviously, very happy to be there and I think today, these results are almost irrelevant with the tragedy that’s happened at Mugello, so my thoughts go out to Jason Dupasquier and his family.”
Chaz Davies
Toprak Razgatlioglu – P3
“For me, it was a very strange day because it was the first time I had a jump start – I am surprised because I have never made this mistake, and also never felt so disappointed like this after the race. Maybe I could have been fighting for the win, maybe possible to win… I don’t know! But I had to take the double long lap penalty, I tried my best and got on the podium now in all three races. I am also sorry for my team who worked so hard this weekend, but we take good points for the championship and we will see for the next race. Misano will be the first time for me on the Yamaha, but I am feeling very strong and we had two days testing there already so we will see if we can fight again for the win.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Andrea Locatelli – P5
“I am very happy with this weekend, because in the end we have a really good result. Yesterday the first race was not easy, I made some mistakes during the first laps, I lost positions and the opportunity to have a better result – but, today we made a big improvement and with this I’m really happy. I now take some confidence with the bike and it’s just the second weekend. We are closer to the front, we are faster and we just need to try and learn a little bit more and also to try to take even more confidence with the set-up of my R1. We did a really good job overall, working really well with the team and I am very happy for this. We took P5 in Race 2 and this is a big result for me in just the second weekend!”
Andrea Locatelli
Michael van der Mark – P6
“This morning’s warm-up was really good: at least I felt good – I was consistent. Also for the Superpole Race I felt really good, but in warm-up we had changed the bike a little bit. That was good, but as soon as the temperatures went up I struggled a little bit. So the Superpole Race was not that ideal and we even lost two places on the grid. But anyway, in race two the temperatures were much higher than yesterday so we gambled to go for the ‘SC X’ tyre, which was the right choice. The start was a bit messy – I had a good start but in all three races I was a bit unlucky and could not improve my position in the first corner. But at the end I was able to go at quite a consistent pace. I had the chance to follow many riders and I think our bike has made a huge improvement, especially over a race distance and when it comes to conserving the tyre. We just need to find a little bit more drive out of the corners and that should be our next big step to improve on the bike.”
Michael van der Mark ahead of Chaz Davies
Alvaro Bautista – P7
“Another hard-fought race because I had to start eighteenth again, after just missing out on securing a better grid position with my tenth-place finish in the sprint race. In the end, the afternoon’s race was trickier than yesterday’s, as the temperature was different and the track was more slippery. I took many risks with the front and was very close to the limit. Our pace was not bad though and I think that was worth a top-five finish. But starting from the back and lapping with similar pace to the frontrunners, it was tough to close the gap. A pity really, because when they cancelled my qualifying lap, they basically eliminated any chance for me to fight for better positions. The positive is that we were able to rebuild confidence with the bike after a difficult start to the weekend and I can head into the next round with good feeling again. Now we must take another step forward”.
Alvaro Bautista
Tom Sykes – P8
“The bike was much better today than yesterday. We made a small change and really felt a big improvement on the bike. And again, just struggling, such a shame when fighting for track position. For whatever reason, at the moment we lose track positions to some other riders. The BMW M 1000 RR is certainly strong in some sectors of the track and we are just getting an understanding why. Unfortunately, I got stuck behind some other riders and that gave us an issue today with the braking system. Once I got a clear track, I picked up a lot more speed and found a much better rhythm. Obviously I am not happy with the result but, considering where we were yesterday, it’s a big, big improvement. We definitely learnt a lot on this Sunday afternoon in Estoril and now we need to keep improving.”
Tom Sykes
Eugene Laverty – P9
“It has been a bitter-sweet day, because my speed is there and, honestly, this year the BMW M 1000 RR is such a huge step forward. The Aragón race weekend was my first proper ride on this new bike, so I am still understanding how to get the most from it. This weekend, wow, the bike was fantastic, and in the final race I felt so good to fight with these guys in the first laps and to get up into third position. But in this heat I had to take care of the brakes, so I had to let the other riders’ go and ride in clear air to cool the brakes. Now we will be 100 per cent ready in Misano. These first two rounds have more been like a test, and from Misano on we will start the season properly.”
Leon Haslam – P12
“It’s been a tough weekend all in all. We’ve struggled to make headway with the issues we had at Aragón unfortunately. We had slightly better feeling in the last race but I didn’t get the start I wanted and so although I passed a few riders I couldn’t do better than twelfth. We’ve worked hard here though and I’m confident that we understand the direction we need to take as we move on to Misano. Hopefully we can make a more positive start to the race weekend there.”
Scott Redding – DNF
“I am very sorry for the team. I was having a good race, the strategy we had studied was perfect and things were going well. Maybe the feeling with the front tire was not the best but without a doubt, I made a mistake. It’s a pity because I felt I could have had a good race and fight until the end for the victory.”
Michael Rinaldi – DNF
“It’s a real shame. This weekend we worked very hard with the team and the feeling with the bike has been growing steadily. I felt very good today, I had a great start and the feeling was very positive. Unfortunately, I was hit by another rider who, considering the level of this competition, made a serious mistake. Anyway, we have to focus on Misano now, with the aim of keep working in this direction.”
2021 FIM Superbike World Championship Round Two – Estoril
The Estoril Circuit in Portugal will host the second round of the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend, May 28-30.
The Estoril Circuit has previously hosted the production-derived Championship only on three occasions: the first time in 1988, the year of the series debut, then five years later in 1993, and finally in 2020 after twenty-seven long years of absence.
WorldSBK at Estoril 2020
Now in 2021, the WorldSBK Circus makes a stop to this legendary Portuguese circuit, which is a rather technical track and consequently very demanding on tyres.
#EstorilWorldSBK at Circuito Estoril – Race 1. 1.) Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) 2.) Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +3.039s 3.) Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) +4.220s
Kawasaki Racing Team were hot out of the blocks at the season opener and it is safe to say they dominated much of the proceedings and head to Portugal 1-2 in the championship chase. Jonathan Rea took pole at Aragon and then went on to win two races and take second in the final one, putting him 12 points clear of his team-mate Lowes in the championship rankings.
Rea currently leads with 57 points, Lowes is on 45 and race two winner Scott Redding has 40. In a strong start for the new Ninja ZX-10RR Kawasaki already leads the manufacturers championship by 13 points.
Rea capped off his amazing weekend at Motorland with his 100th and 101st career race wins, and cannot wait to get back into action to see if he can continue his early winning form at the circuit he secured his sixth successive world championship at – right at the end of the short but intense 2020 season.
Jonathan Rea took two victories last time out at Aragon
Jonathan Rea
“I really enjoyed Estoril last year and I had a lot of happy memories of winning the championship there. But to be honest from a track point of view I was quite average. I never started FP1 in the right way so I always felt I was playing catch up and the weekend was getting away from us. And then I had a crash in Superpole. So, we will bring a fresh mindset and also with the new Ninja ZX-10RR, I am feeling really comfortable. At Motorland we had three different track conditions thrown at us and we were competitive in all of them. I am optimistic because we have worked on some of the weaker aspects and the characteristics that Estoril has – the turning, really stopping and changing direction. So I think the benefits of that will show through when we go there.”
Jonathan Rea celebrated his sixeth World Championship at Estoril last year
Lowes had to work hard for little reward at Estoril last year, but is looking to build on his highly positive first race weekend in 2021 to push for what would be a second Kawasaki race win in WorldSBK, and the third of his career.
Alex Lowes
“We waited so long for the first race weekend and now we’ve got two races back to back. Honestly, Estoril is a track that was new on the calendar last year. I’m looking forward to it again. It’s a completely different track to Motorland but when we rode it last year it was great. It’s a small track with some character. It’s not an easy track, but I’m looking forward to getting going. The good thing I understand the bike a lot more so I should be able to adapt and manage the weekend better than last time.”
Alex Lowes is in good form
One of the strongest manufacturers at Estoril in 2020 was Yamaha, as they took a first-ever podium lockout in the Superpole Race. With the YZF-R1 turning a corner by being competitive at their weakest track – Aragon – it may be more of the same in 2021. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) took a podium at Aragon, whilst also taking two wins at Estoril in 2020 and a career-first pole.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
“In Estoril last year I was very strong, so we know we can fight here but I am not coming to the weekend relaxed because this is the WorldSBK Championship and the competition is very high! We will try for the best position and also I aim to be fighting for the win, but we will see. Now the new R1 is much better, also a big improvement like we saw in the Aragón races, but now it’s not possible for me to say if we can continue like this in Estoril until I ride at this circuit on Friday. My feeling is very strong but I will say again, we’re not coming here relaxed and we stay focused for the weekend.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Toprak’s Team-mate Andrea Locatelli took two top ten results at Aragon during the first round and won in World Supersport in 2020.
Andrea Locatelli
“I’m excited for Estoril this week, because last year the Yamaha was very fast! The team had some podiums and wins, but my idea with Andrew and the guys is to continue to work and improve as it is only the second weekend of WorldSBK racing for me. For sure I think we can do really well like the last weekend in Aragón, my goal is to stay in the top 10 and qualifying well – and maybe for the races we can fight more in front, we will see but for sure I think we can take another step forward.”
Andrea Locatelli
Garrett Gerloff is top Independent and heads back to the track where he was on the podium twice in 2020 and took a best finish of second. He may well be another contender for victory, especially after an Aragon podium last weekend.
Garrett Gerloff
“I felt good in the Superpole, and I was happy about the second row, since I have never been particularly good at qualifying and this track has never been the best for us. The bike felt great, so I was really looking forward to exploiting that in the first race, but then the sun came out and the track lost some grip. It was a bit difficult for me to ride consistently. Our Sunday started off really well with a third place in the Superpole Race. The team and I made a perfect decision to go with the intermediate tyre, and it worked. It was nice to be on the podium, even though I felt like I could have gotten second place. In Race 2, I felt really good from the start, and wanted to at least fight for the podium, so I’m very frustrated with the mistake I made. After the off, the bike was a bit bent, but overall it still felt good, so I tried to give the team the best possible result despite the mistake. It was nice to be the top independent rider at the finish. Next weekend we go to Estoril, a track that both I and my Yamaha R1 really like.”
Garrett Gerloff
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) lies third in the Championship standings and was on good form at the Circuito Estoril in 2020 until his Superpole crash. He recovered for Race 2 and was second and won Race 2 at Aragon last weekend. He aims for back-to-back victories for the first time in his career.
Scott Redding
“I liked the Estoril Circuit a lot last season even though the results don’t seem to confirm this feeling. The crash in Superpole and a technical issue in Race-1, however, were two determining factors; during Superpole Race and Race-2 the feeling was really positive indeed. The race pace has always been very good and I hope that already from Friday we can accomplish our progress“.
Scott Redding
Team-mate Michael Ruben Rinaldi will hope for better weekend at Estoril, after a tricky Aragon gave the Italian just nine points and one points-scoring finish in Race 1 of 2021. He took the Independent title at Estoril in 2020 and aims to rekindle good memories. Leading Ducati’s Independent charge is Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), winner at Estoril in 2020 and eager to build on two top five finishes at Aragon from round one, despite his Race 2 crash.
Michael Rinaldi
“We started the championship uphill. We can use this very close round to turn the page immediately, and we will work hard with my team to make it happen. I am very motivated and I want to redeem the negative results obtained in Aragon. We will start from scratch, giving our best starting from Friday’s free practice“.
Michael Rinaldi and Scott Redding
One of the hottest headlines coming into the second round of the season is that BMW have visibly made a step forward in performance in race trim. The new M 1000 RR made major gains in a straight line, as it was not only staying with its rivals in a straight line but passing them too. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) is fifth in the standings – the first time inside the top five for him since Losail 2018 – and achieved two tenth place finishes in 2020 at Estoril. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was on the rostrum in the Superpole Race of 2020 at Estoril, whilst he led a race at Aragon in Race 2 and setting a fastest lap in the opening round’s Tissot Superpole Race.
Aiming to turn a corner after a difficult opening three race of the year, Team HRC’s Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam will hope to put the Fireblade CBR1000RR-R SP in front-running contention at Estoril. A best of seventh from Bautista in the Superpole Race at Aragon has left the manufacturer hoping for more this weekend, whereas Leon Haslam returns to a place where he took three top eight results last year – a best of fifth in Race 1 having started on the front row in second. With Haslam 12th in the standings and Bautista one place further behind, a turn-around in fortunes is a must this weekend.
Alvaro Bautista
“We have good feeling after the Aragón round, and I don’t think our actual race results last weekend really reflect our current situation. We feel we’ve taken a step forward and have a good base on which to work and continue to improve this coming weekend. I’m feeling confident, also because we scored a top five result here at Estoril last year. So I think we can be competitive, at what is a different kind of track, more stop-and-go in layout compared to Aragón. Our aim is to work hard, just as we did last weekend, and bring home some strong results.”
Alvaro Bautista
Leon Haslam
“I can’t wait for Estoril and am pleased that this round comes straight after Aragón, where we didn’t have the best weekend. Last year’s Portuguese round went well; I hadn’t raced at Estoril for 20 years previously, so it was good to be back and have some good battles. I’m looking forward to this weekend, also because we made a good find in the final Aragón race, so hopefully we can hit the ground running in Friday’s first practices and be back fighting at the front where I know we can be.”
Leon Haslam
With Gerloff and Davies sixth and eighth in the Independent standings, next best is Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) who took a stunning eighth in Race 2 at Aragon, having gambled on slick tyres. The German rider rode a Yamaha at Estoril in 2020 as a wildcard but faces a new challenge on the BMW M 1000 RR. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is 14th in the standings, with a tenth in Race 2 at Aragon – he was also a race winner in WorldSSP in 2020 at Estoril.
Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was mightily impressive and is one of just seven riders who scored points in all three races so far this year, although Estoril will be a whole new challenge with it being a track he’s never visited. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) and Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) also all scored points from round one.
Kohta Nozane
“The next race will be my first time in Estoril, so it will be tough for me, but I will try to be as prepared as possible to do my best for the team. They are working so well with me and helping me a lot, so I will try to get a good result for them in Portugal.”
Kohta Nozane
Still aiming to get their 2021 underway on the points board is Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team), who failed to finish both full-length races at Aragon; Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) who couldn’t break into the top 15 and TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Loris Cresson and Samuele Cavalieri. Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) will be absent from the grid at Estoril, following the team’s announcement to follow an intensive development programme.
After Estoril, and the intense sprint between back-to-back race meetings, there is one free weekend before race action resumes again at Misano in Italy, between June 11 to 13.
WorldSBK Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Jonathan Rea
57
2
Alex Lowes
45
3
Scott Redding
40
4
Toprak Razgatlioglu
30
5
Tom Sykes
23
6
Garrett Gerloff
23
7
Michael Van Der Mark
21
8
Chaz Davies
17
9
Andrea Locatelli
13
10
Michael Ruben Rinaldi
9
11
Jonas Folger
8
12
Leon Haslam
8
13
Alvaro Bautista
8
14
Lucas Mahias
7
15
Kohta Nozane
7
16
Axel Bassani
6
17
Isaac Vinales
6
18
Christophe Ponsson
1
WorldSSP
After returning to action at MotorLand Aragon last week, the FIM Supersport World Championship heads straight across the Iberian Peninsula for the Gaerne Estoril Round for the second round of the 2021 campaign at the Circuito Estoril, the same venue that closed out the 2020 season in sensational style. In Race 2 last year, the top four were separated by just one second at the line as the chequered flag fell on the season.
South African Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) leads the Riders’ Championship after taking a maximum points haul from Aragon with two wins in different styles. Last year at Estoril, Odendaal secured his joint-best result of the season with fourth place after a thrilling four-way battle in Race 2, and with two of the four from that battle having moved on, he will be looking to move up the order. If the Race 2 battle from Aragon is anything to go by, as well as last year’s Estoril thriller, then the 2021 edition could be just as dramatic and exciting.
Rookie Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) made a strong start to his WorldSSP career and currently lies second in the Championship after taking second and fifth at Aragon. Although he has not raced at Estoril on WorldSSP machines, he has competed there on three occasions while in the Moto2 World Championship, claiming a best result of fourth place. The Swiss rider will be hoping he can at least repeat that performance as he looks to close the gap to Odendaal.
Aegerter lies just four points ahead of third-placed Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), who so narrowly missed out on his maiden win in WorldSSP last time out, finishing 0.100s behind Odendaal. Like Odendaal, De Rosa was involved in the mega Race 2 scrap at Estoril last season, finishing ahead of the South African to claim a podium place. De Rosa also brings Moto2 experience with him with a best finish of sixth. It’s been a strong circuit for the Italian in the past, could this be the weekend he finally claims his maiden WorldSSP victory?
Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) is five points behind De Rosa, on 22 points, after another strong showing at Aragon, as he continues his fine form. Soomer claimed one podium at last year’s Estoril Round, in Race 1, and was only just over three seconds away from victory in Race 2 despite finishing in eighth. Another rider who has had strong performances at Estoril, Soomer will be one to watch out for.
Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team) finds himself fifth in the standing after a history-making Aragon Round where he became the first Swedish rider to lead a race in WorldSSP. Bergman did not race at Estoril in WorldSSP last year but did make an experience in endurance racing at the venue, his experience could prove to be useful as he looks to continue his fine start to the season.
One rider who can count himself very unlucky to not be further up the standings after two races is Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) after the Frenchman was taken out of the lead by Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) in Race 1, while he led Race 2 for a few laps after starting at the back of the grid. Cluzel has experience of Estoril having raced there in 2020, securing two ninth places. However, for Cluzel it was his first race back after suffering an injury following a crash at MotorLand Aragon.
Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) go into Estoril level with Cluzel in the standings, with San Marino’s Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) three points behind. Gonzalez secured his best result in WorldSSP last time out at Aragon while Bernardi secured San Marino’s best ever result in the class; with all three riders showing rapid pace throughout the Aragon Round.
2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher’s (EAB Racing Team) return got off to a challenging start at Aragon but the Swiss rider brings with him experience of Estoril having competed there in Moto2, taking a best result of ninth. Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) also had a challenging weekend on his WorldSSP return, but heads into Estoril with experience of the circuit from his 2020 WorldSBK exploits.
2021 FIM Superbike World Championship Round One – Aragon – Friday
The start of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season brought more history for the record books as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed a stunning victory in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon to claim his 100th race victory in WorldSBK, the first man to win 100 races in a single class of FIM road racing world championships.
Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK 1-2
Rea led a Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK 1-2 with Alex Lowes coming home in second place, four seconds away from Rea after challenging him in the early stages of the races. Lowes was under pressure from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) and finished in second place by just 0.043s ahead of the Turkish rider, who had battled through from tenth on the grid.
Aragon Superbike Race One Podium
Rea was able to retain the lead of the race but was immediately put under pressure by teammate Lowes – looking to be the one who would deny Rea his 100th WorldSBK victory for the time being.
SBK Race One Start
Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) ran in third in the early stages of the race but was unable to keep up with the pace of the Kawasakis out in front, ensuring Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Razgatlioglu, who started tenth, were able to stay in podium contention but not challenge the Kawasakis in the early stages.
Lowes leads Redding
Razgatlioglu was the first rider to get by Redding on the inside of the left-hander of Turn 1, allowing the Turkish rider to start chasing down the Kawasakis out in front. Davies followed a lap later with a sensational overtake on Redding at Turn 2 with Davies looking to add to his win total at Aragon.
Redding, Gerloff
After getting past Redding, the Turkish star had his eyes set on Lowes who was his next target for second place, with Razgatlioglu able to get past Lowes before he started to move his target towards Rea. Razgatlioglu was unable to break away from Lowes and Davies but started lapping faster than Rea with around five laps to go, although not fast enough to put pressure on Rea in the closing stages of the race.
Toprak Razgatliogliu leads Redding, Davies and Gerloff
On Lap 16, Lowes tried to re-pass Razgatlioglu at Turn 4 and briefly got ahead but the Turkish rider was able to brake later on the brakes, a theme that ran throughout the last few laps of the race, keeping Davies in contention for second place. At the final corner, Lowes again briefly got ahead but Razgatlioglu was able to just about defend his position although the British rider finaly got by at Turn 1 on Lap 17. The battle was not over as the race came to a conclusion as the pair duelled it out, with Lowes winning out on a drag race to the line for a KRT 1-2; both Lowes and Razgatlioglu claiming their 25th WorldSBK podium.
The battle allowed Redding and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) to close in on the battle for second, although Redding dropped Bautista as he approached the battle creating a four-way battle for second place; although Bautista crashed out of the race on the final lap at Turn 2, forcing the Spanish rider to retire. After losing out earlier in the race, Redding was able to get by former teammate Davies for fourth place as the final lap started, with Redding finishing fourth and Davies fifth.
Tom Sykes
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was unable to convert third on the grid to a podium finish but, after a difficult start, was able to manage his SCX tyre to come home in sixth place in the M 1000 RR’s first race. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) was another who managed the SCX tyre with seventh place, around two seconds clear of Leon Haslam (Team HRC).
American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed a top ten finish at MotorLand Aragon, seven seconds clear of factory Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) who claimed a top ten finish in his first WorldSBK race. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished 11th on his debut for BMW, with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 12th.
Three more rookies secured points finishes on their WorldSBK debut with Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) rounded out the top ten, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action), Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) and Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) the last of the runners.
Rookie Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) was the first to retire from the race with a technical issue in the early stages of the race after securing a top-12 starting grid spot, while Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) brought his Honda machine into the pitlane on Lap 8 with the Argentinean rider not finishing the race. Rookie Samuele Cavalieri (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was another retirement from the race around the halfway stage, bringing his Kawasaki machine into the garage. Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) brought his BMW machine back to the garage on lap 14 of 18 with an issue after running close to the top ten for the majority of the race.
P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“We reached 100 race wins today and it was done with a lot of hard work. Over the off season Kawasaki really dug in with a new bike and we were able to make a step. Also in the off season I worked really hard on myself and I know I improved in all areas. I was born with the dream of racing motorbikes, and going with my parents to ride around Motocross tracks in 1993, ’94. The history is mad. Getting the opportunity to come to the world championship, in 2008 in Supersport, and straight away after my rookie season going to Superbike. Taking my first race win at Misano in 2009 as a rookie and now with 100 wins… It’s mad! Each and every race win is special, and I have never been a statistics guy, but when I was closing in on 100 wins that was a big goal. It is such a cool number and a career landmark. I am very proud of it. We had been a little bit unlucky in the winter tests with bad weather but my team have left no stone unturned and turned up at every test we could. They reorganised and rescheduled things so huge thanks to all the staff. Not only the management but all the mechanics and their families for making this sacrifice. We have been away from home so long this off season, often for no laps, but we are in a good position now. To win the first race starts our championship off 25 points better than last year! That was a good way to start.”
P2 Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I I felt good all weekend, I have been really strong and got lots of laps in. In the race, maybe on lap six or seven, I found some problems, struggling with the front of the bike. I did not expect that. I had two slides on the entry to turn five, then turn ten. I thought that as this is the first race of the year, if I crash now it is just for nothing. I thought to myself, find your rhythm, let Jonathan go, then when somebody passes you, try to fight. Then I realised it was Toprak and he is so good on the brakes! In this area, for some reason, I didn’t have the same feeling like I had in the practice sessions. Luckily Toprak used an SCX rear tyre and he started to slide a lot. I was quite smooth, managed well and started to battle with him again. The second part of the race was quite tough but with the difficulty I had I didn’t expect to be there at the end for second. The positive point was that qualifying was good, the start was good and I was riding well at the start, so we can try to improve for tomorrow.”
P3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
“I’m really happy with this first race because normally I’m not really strong at this track, but today also my team did a good job because we see I’m on the podium in the first race. This is important for me because now, tomorrow, I come in very strong because I see some problems in the race and today I’m happy.”
WorldSBK Race One Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Gap
1
J. Rea
Kawasaki
/
2
A. Lowes
Kawasaki
+3.965
3
T. Razgatlioglu
Yamaha
+4.008
4
S. Redding
Ducati
+4.242
5
C. Davies
Ducati
+4.615
6
T. Sykes
BMW
+6.784
7
M. Rinaldi
Ducati
+8.345
8
L. Haslam
Honda
+10.187
9
G. Gerloff
Yamaha
+10.326
10
A. Locatelli
Yamaha
+17.693
11
M. Van Der Mark
BMW
+21.154
12
A. Bassani
Ducati
+27.523
13
I. Vinales
Kawasaki
+30.963
14
K. Nozane
Yamaha
+36.769
15
L. Mahias
Kawasaki
+39.334
16
J. Folger
BMW
+41.544
17
C. Ponsson
Yamaha
+43.179
18
L. Cresson
Kawasaki
+1’21.460
Not Classified
RET
A. Bautista
Honda
1 Lap
RET
E. Laverty
BMW
5 Laps
RET
S. Cavalieri
Kawasaki
9 Laps
RET
L. Mercado
Honda
11 Laps
RET
T. Rabat
Ducati
16 Laps
WorldSBK Superpole
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
J. Rea
Kawasaki
1m48.458
2
S. Redding
Ducati
+0.275
3
T. Sykes
BMW
+0.382
4
A. Lowes
Kawasaki
+0.432
5
C. Davies
Ducati
+0.611
6
G. Gerloff
Yamaha
+0.727
7
L. Haslam
Honda
+0.788
8
A. Bautista
Honda
+0.880
9
M. Rinaldi
Ducati
+1.058
10
T. Razgatlioglu
Yamaha
+1.246
11
T. Rabat
Ducati
+1.303
12
E. Laverty
BMW
+1.309
13
L. Mahias
Kawasak
+1.493
14
A. Locatelli
Yamaha
+1.504
15
M. Van Der Mark
BMW
+1.731
16
K. Nozane
Yamaha
+1.977
17
C. Ponsson
Yamaha
+2.031
18
J. Folger
BMW
+2.170
19
I. Vinales
Kawasaki
+2.214
20
A. Bassani
Ducati
+2.649
21
S. Cavalieri
Kawasaki
+4.259
22
L. Mercado
Honda
+4.662
23
L. Cresson
Kawasaki
+5.191
WorldSBK Championship Standings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Jonathan Rea
25
2
Alex Lowes
20
3
Toprak Razgatlioglu
16
4
Scott Redding
13
5
Chaz Davies
11
6
Tom Sykes
10
7
Michael Ruben Rinaldi
9
8
Leon Haslam
8
9
Garrett Gerloff
7
10
Andrea Locatelli
6
11
Michael Van Der Mark
5
12
Axel Bassani
4
13
Isaac Vinales
3
14
Kohta Nozane
2
15
Lucas Mahias
1
WorldSSP
The 2021 FIM Supersport World Championship started in dramatic fashion at MotorLand Aragon as Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team) claimed a stunning maiden victory ahead at the Pirelli Aragon Round in Race 1 after taking advantage of a collision between early leaders Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) and Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti).
World Supersport Race Start
Odendaal suffered a highside crash at the Supported Test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya which resulted in a dislocated shoulder, with Odendaal responding to that in perfect fashion with victory at Aragon. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) claimed a maiden podium on his WorldSSP debut with Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in third.
There was a contrast of starts from the front row as Cluzel was able to get a superb jump on the field from pole position, while Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) lost time and positions as he fell through the order. The Finnish rider was able to stem the flow before starting to fight his way back through the field.
After Tuuli had recovered from his poor start, he was able to pass race winner Odendaal, second-placed Aegerter and Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) to start chasing down Cluzel, as they battled for the first victory of the season.
Oettl, Bernardi, Caricasulo, Gonzalez
Tuuli had fought back from his poor start to close down Cluzel for the lead but the pair collided in the braking area of Turn 12 with both forced to retire from the race, allowing Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) to engage in a three-way battle for the lead. Both Tuuli and Cluzel were taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident; Cluzel was declared fit while Tuuli was transported to hospital for further assessment after being declared unfit with a concussion. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards.
Oettl and Aegerter swapped positions throughout Lap 12, with the German holding on to the lead, but allowed Odendaal to continue to close on the pair. As they approached the final corner, Aegerter was able to pass Oettl on the inside of the final corner, before Odendaal followed him through at Turn 1. Aegerter’s lead did not last long as Oettl passed him into Turn 1, but the Swiss rider moved back ahead at the double left-hander of Turns 4 and 5, with the pair switching positions throughout the last few laps; Aegerter faster in the first half of the lap with Oettl quicker in the second half leading to a thrilling battle for the win.
Odendaal beat Aegerter to the flag
Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) secured San Marino’s best ever result in WorldSSP with a stunning fourth place finish on his WorldSSP debut, ahead of Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team); the Spaniard picking up his best ever WorldSSP result. Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) finished in the top six on his return to WorldSSP following his year in WorldSBK in 2020.
Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) finished in seventh place with Christoffer Bergman (Wojick Racing Team) in eighth place on his return to WorldSSP; his 2020 season being interrupted by injuries sustained away from WorldSSP. Italian Raffaele de Rosa was ninth with Turkish rider Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completing the top ten.
Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) claimed 11th place on his return to WorldSSP, ahead of Maria Herrera (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) who was the highest-placed WorldSSP Challenge rider, fending off the challenge from Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team) in 13th.
Michel Fabrizio’s (G.A.P MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) scored points on his return to WorldSSP after 15 years away from the class, with Indonesian Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha completing the points.
Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse) was 16th place, just one second outside the points, with Pawel Szkopek (Yamaha MS Racing) in 17th place. Rookie Shogo Kawasaki (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) was in 18th place and the last of the runners on the lead lap.
Leonardo Taccini (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) came off at the chicane in the early stages, forcing the young Italian to finish the race four laps down. An action packed run through the chicane meant Marc Alcoba (Yamaha MS Racing) came off his bike although he was able to re-join; the Spaniard coming into the race on the back foot following a six-place grid penalty for an underweight bike in the Tissot Superpole session. Davide Pizolli (VFT Racing) was another retirement following a crash in the early stages of the race, alongside Austrian Thomas Gradinger (DK Motorsport).
P1 Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)
“I’ve been working towards this moment for a long time. The team were excellent the whole weekend. We experienced some difficult conditions during this race because of the temperature.”
P2 Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
“I’m very happy to be on the podium for the first time in Aragon in the WorldSSP class with the Ten Kate Racing Yamaha. They did a great job and it’s nice to already have one race on Saturday so tomorrow we can try to improve a little bit and I hope we can fight for the top position. To start the season like this is very good and I hope you enjoyed the race!”
P3 Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
“It was a really tough race; this afternoon was a lot hotter than I expected. It was a good race at the beginning. One time I lost a gear in Turn 15, so I lost some ground to Cluzel and in the end the tyre was completely finished. With the hotter condition, the Kawasaki seems to suffer a little bit. I think today, we did the best out of the situation and I’m happy to be om the podium again after half a year.”
WorldSSP Race Results / Superpole
Pos
Rider
Bike
Race/Gap
Q
1
S. Odendaal
Yamaha
/
1m53.402
2
D. Aegerter
Yamaha
+0.099
1m53.553
3
P. Oettl
Kawasaki
+2.635
1m53.353
4
L. Bernardi
Yamaha
+3.956
1m54.323
5
M. Gonzalez
Yamaha
+4.738
1m54.374
6
F. Caricasulo
Yamaha
+4.817
1m53.650
7
H. Soomer
Yamaha
+6.121
1m54.106
8
C. Bergman
Yamaha
+7.212
1m54.185
9
R. De Rosa
Kawasaki
+8.352
1m54.388
10
C. Oncu
Kawasaki
+16.135
1m54.786
11
R. Krummenacher
Yamaha
+16.279
1m54.674
12
M. Herrera
Yamaha
+22.257
1m55.170
13
K. Manfredi
Yamaha
+22.296
1m55.000
14
M. Fabrizio
Kawasak
+34.274
1m55.697
15
G. Hendra Pratama
Yamaha
+37.978
1m56.512
16
S. Frossard
Yamaha
+39.308
1m56.458
17
P. Szkopek
Yamaha
+59.882
1m56.690
18
S. Kawasaki
Kawasaki
+1’04.435
1m58.983
19
L. Taccini
Kawasaki
+4 Laps
1m57.548
Not Classified
RET
J. Cluzel
Yamaha
7 Laps
1m52.937
RET
N. Tuuli
MV
7 Laps
1m53.225
RET
F. Fuligni
Yamaha
7 Laps
1m54.367
RET
M. Alcoba
Yamaha
12 Laps
1m54.033
RET
D. Pizzoli
Yamaha
13 Laps
1m54.584
RET
T. Gradinger
Yamaha
13 Laps
1m56.012
RET
L. Montella
Yamaha
14 Laps
1m55.252
RET
V. Takala
Yamaha
14 Laps
1m55.393
WorldSSPStandings
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Steven Odendaal
25
2
Dominique Aegerter
20
3
Philipp Oettl
16
4
Luca Bernardi
13
5
Manuel Gonzalez
11
6
Federico Caricasulo
10
7
Hannes Soomer
9
8
Christoffer Bergman
8
9
Raffaele De Rosa
7
10
Can Alexander Oncu
6
11
Randy Krummenacher
5
12
Maria Herrera
4
13
Kevin Manfredi
3
14
Michel Fabrizio
2
15
Galang Hendra Pratama
1
WorldSSP300
The first race of the 2021 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship was shortened due to a late Red Flag but it was not enough to stop Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) claimed his first ever WorldSSP300 victory despite being penalised with a Long Lap Penalty, claiming the closest ever victory in the class history at MotorLand Aragon for the Pirelli Aragon Round.
WorldSSP300
Huertas secured his first victory in the shortened race after taking the lead of the race with Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) finishing just 0.004s behind Huertas at the last timekeeping point the pair had crossed before the Red Flag was deployed, thanks to an incident between Meikon Kawakami and Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing. Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) snuck onto the podium at the end of the race, with just 0.098s behind the top three, the fifth-closest podium of all time.
WorldSSP300
Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) immediately lost his starting grid advantage to Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) with the Spanish rider immediately getting the jump to take the lead of the 12-lap race. Further back in the pack, Sylvain Markarian (Leader Team Flembbo), wildcard Julian Giral Romero (Viñales Racing Team) and Thomas Brianti (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) were all caught up in a collision at Turn 12, forcing all three to retire from the race and Romero taken to the medical centre for a check-up. Victor Rodriguez Nuñez (Accolade Smrz Racing) was another early-race retiree after he went down at Turn 9.
WorldSSP300
Huertas kept within the front group throughout the early stages of the race but became the first WorldSSP300 to be penalized with a Long Lap Penalty, for track limits infringements, dropping down from first place down to tenth as well as losing time to the lead group. It meant Meikon Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) would take the lead of the race although immediately lost it to Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) and Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki).
Booth-Amos took the lead just before the halfway stage of the race and remained comfortable up at the front despite having the disadvantage of not being in a slipstream, holding on to the lead throughout the middle stages of the race. With six laps to go, Meikon Kawakami swept around the outside of the final corner to briefly take the lead of the race, although Booth-Amos quickly regained the lead.
On lap nine of 12, Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) had his brief moment of leading the race as he passed Booth-Amos, although the British rider was able to re-gain the lead. It was one of a number of battles throughout the lead group with less than three seconds separating
The race was ended on Lap 10 following an incident between Meikon Kawakami and Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing), who had fought into the lead group despite starting on the fifth row, but the incident at Turn 1 put both out of the race, with Sofuoglu taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash.
Orradre claimed fourth place from a front row start, just ahead of Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) completing the top five. Reigning Champion Buis finished in sixth place as his title defence started with a solid points finish at the venue his challenge kickstarted last season.
Polesitter Ton Kawakami finished in seventh place, ahead of Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) while Australian debutant Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) claimed ninth place on his first start in WorldSSP300. The returning Bruno Ieraci (Machado CAME SBK) claimed a top ten finish, three tenths clear of 2018 Champion Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300); the Murcian rider signing off her comeback with a points finish.
French rider Hugo de Cancellis (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) claimed 12th place, ahead of 2017 Champion Marc Garcia (2R Racing), Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) and Dorren Loureiro (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki).
P1 Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki)
“Last year was a really hard year. This year we worked so hard throughout pre-season and we take the things off the tree and we are really happy.”
P2 Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki)
“It’s always nice to be on the podium, so obviously happy about this. A little bit frustrated because I led most of the laps and because of the Red Flag I finished second. This is my worst circuit of the year, by far, so obviously I’m happy to come away with second. Points mean prizes so obviously we push for the Championship.”
P3 Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki)
“My feeling is a little bit difficult because when I come to the parc ferme, I was first, but after I became third. I was a little bit confused myself but my pace is good and I am satisfied for the points, and we will be ready for Race 2.”
2021 FIM Superbike World Championship Round One – Aragon – Friday
Toprak Razgatlioglu took top spot in the morning session as WorldSBK 2021 got underway at Aragon as Yamaha found good form in the cooler morning session. The Turkish rider has historically struggled at Aragon, as have Yamaha, and in the higher afternoon temperatures, they did drop off once again. Razgatlioglu was fastest overall on the combined times but the Independents were in fine form on Friday too.
Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) finished second overall, taking top Ducati honours. The Welshman was also on top form in the afternoon session and is the most consistent at all times of the day, a possible sign of what is to come throughout the rest of the weekend.
Chaz Davies
Joining him inside the top three was American Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), with the Texan on fire in the morning but towards the bottom end of the top ten in the afternoon. Third overall, it’s a strong start for Gerloff.
Garrett Gerloff
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) led the charge of the Kawasakis, having led the morning session at points before eventually finish fourth, whilst he was sixth on the time-sheets in the hotter afternoon outing.
Alex Lowes
Reigning Champion team-mate Jonathan Rea was only fifth after the opening session, but in contrast to Lowes, took charge of Kawasaki’s assault in the afternoon by finishing second. Both Kawasaki riders trialled the SCX tyre in the afternoon, a major talking point throughout Friday. With Lowes and Rea fourth and fifth respectively, expect them to improve on Saturday.
Jonathan Rea
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team had a fairly unassuming day of action at MotorLand Aragon. Michael Ruben Rinaldi was sixth overall on the timesheets and relied on his FP1 time from the morning, whilst Scott Redding was only 11th in the morning but shaved half-a-second off his time in the afternoon, placing him seventh at the close of the day. Plenty of work to do for the factory Ducati, but they were winners at Aragon in 2020, so they have the potential to bounce back to the front.
It was a mixed Friday back in action for Team HRC, with Alvaro Bautista fourth in FP2 but only eighth in the combined times, whilst Leon Haslam was one place behind him in FP2 in fifth, but tenth overall. Both Bautista and Haslam worked well throughout Friday and will be eager to showcase their strength at a circuit they achieved a podium at in 2020. Both riders tried using the SCX tyre throughout the afternoon, perhaps contemplating it as a possible race option for tomorrow, just as Bautista did last year.
Over at BMW, it was Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who was flying the flag, but only from his FP1 time in the morning. He was ninth overall, although team-mate Michael van der Mark had a torrid first day at the office at Aragon, crashing at Turn 8, bringing out the Red Flag. He was OK but missed the rest of the session, leaving him down in 11th overall and completing just 19 laps, the fewest of anyone throughout the day. The other BMWs were also struggling, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) in 14th and Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) only 16th.
The rookies battle was also intense further down the order, with honours eventually going to Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 12th. He was just ahead of ex-MotoGP star Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) who completed his first day of action at a WorldSBK round in 13th, ahead of Jonas Folger and then Japanese sensation Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team).
Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) was 18th but suffered a Turn 5 crash in FP2 but finished ahead of the Kawasaki rookies of Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) took 21st ahead of Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and his teammate Samuele Cavalieri.
WorldSBK Friday Combined Times
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) 1’49.952s 2. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) +0.308s 3. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.490s 4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.546s 5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.738s 6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.789s
WorldSSP
It may be three years since Niki Tuuli’s (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) last appearance in the FIM Supersport World Championship but the Finnish rider topped both Free Practice sessions at MotorLand Aragon for the Pirelli Aragon Round as he looks to immediately add to his race wins tally upon his return to the class, posting a time of 1’54.394s in the morning Free Practice session.
Niki Tuuli
The recent experience of both Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was not enough to overhaul Tuuli at the top of the timesheets, with Odendaal finishing less than a tenth away from the Finnish rider. Oettl was another four tenths back in third place as both the German and South African riders search for their first wins in WorldSSP.
Steven Odendaal
Always close at the front, Frenchman Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) goes in search of his first WorldSSP title in 2021 and started the season with fourth place in the combined Free Practice standings, fending off the challenge from the returning Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) by just 0.034s. Rookie Dominque Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was in sixth place, just ahead of Sweden’s Christoffer Bergman (Wojick Racing Team), whose fine form continued in the second practice session.
2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher’s (EAB Racing Team) return marred by limited in running in Free Practice 1, although the Swiss rider was able to set plenty of lap times in Free Practice 2 to sneak into the top eighth of the combined classification, just over a second away from Tuuli’s best time with most riders not improving from the morning session.
Spanish rookie Marc Alcoba (Yamaha MS Racing) claimed ninth spot in the combined classification with Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) rounding out the top ten on his first appearance for his new team at a WorldSSP round; the Italian the highest-placed rider to improve their time in the afternoon.
Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) bounced back from a crash at Turn 10 towards the end of the first Free Practice session to claim 11th in the combined classification, finishing three tenths clear of VFT Racing’s Davide Pizzoli in 12th. Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) was another who improved in the afternoon moving into 13th place. Federico Fuligni (VFT Racing) was in 14th place with San Marino’s Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) completing the top 15. Kevin Manfred (Altogo Racing Team) was the highest placed WorldSSP Challenge rider in 16th place.
45-year-old Pawel Szkopek (Yamaha MS Racing) had a crash in the first practice session of the day at Turn 8 but was able to re-join the circuit. Verti Takala (Kallio Racing) came off his bike at the end of the second practice session although the Finnish rider was able to walk away from the accident at Turn 3.
The first day of FIM Supersport 300 World Championship action came to a close after two Free Practice sessions with Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) topping the combined sessions as he looks to start the season in the perfect fashion at the Pirelli Aragon Round at MotorLand Aragon.
Unai Orradre
Orradre remained top of the combined standings on day one of WorldSSP300 after posting the best time of 2’06.814s, over half-a-second clear of Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) in second place as they both prepare for their second campaign in the class.
Jeffrey Buis
In third place was reigning Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) with the Dutchman returning to the Championship as he looks to defend his crown; returning to the venue he secured his first win at in his title-winning campaign.
Tom Booth-Amos
South African rider Dorren Loureiro’s (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) WorldSSP300 comeback continued with a strong fourth place in the combined standings, half-a-second down on his team-mate who competed in WorldSSP300 in 2020. Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) was fifth for the day, just 0.009s behind Loureiro and 0.011s clear of Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) on his first competitive outing for his new team.
Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) finished in seventh place with just over a tenth separating Loureiro in fourth and Kawakami in seventh. Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) was in eighth place with Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) and Australian Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) rounding out the top ten.
Harry Khouri #43 in the thick of the action
2020 race winner Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) was 11th overall for the day despite topping the afternoon Free Practice 2, with times faster in the morning session for the majority of the 44-strong field. It meant he fended off the challenge from Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing); with the Spaniard coming off his Kawasaki Ninja 400 at Turn 2 in Free Practice 1 but was able to return to the track in the afternoon. Wildcard Joel Giral Romero (Viñales Racing Team) was in 13th placed and the highest-placed rider from the Viñales Racing Team for Friday.
Ana Carrasco’s (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) return to WorldSSP300 continued with 14 place in her first Round action since an injury sustained in testing last year, with Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) completing the top 15.
Alejandro Carrion (Kawasaki GP Project) and teammate Alejandro Diez both had crashes in the afternoon session in WorldSSP300 in separate incidents that occurred close to each other during the session, with Carrion coming off his bike at the tight Turn 5 left-hander early on in the session. Ruben Bijman (Machado CAME SBK) had a huge moment coming out of the right-hander of Turn 13 in the sequence of four corners leading onto the back straight; the Dutchman able to return to his machine. Filippo Maria Palazzi (ProGP Racing) crashed at Turn 8 in the afternoon Free Practice 2 session while Dean Berta Viñales (Viñales Racing Team) had a technical issue during the second session.
WorldSSP300 Friday Combined Times
1. Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) 2’06.814s 2. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) +0.573s 3. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +0.972s 4. Dorren Loureiro (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) +1.077s 5. Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) +1.086s 6. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +1.097s
2021 FIM Superbike World Championship
Pirelli Aragon Round 1
216 days will have passed since the last round of WorldSBK action, but now it’s game on at Aragon
The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship fires back into life this weekend for the opening round of the season, coming from the MotorLand Aragon venue in Alcañiz, Spain. For the first time since 2004, the Championship starts in Europe and with new names, new bikes and refreshed team line-ups all playing a part, we could be in for one of the most unpredictable seasons yet.
Who will step up to take the battle up to the reigning six-time World Champion?
Jonathan Rea
2020 WorldSBK Champion
Jonathan Rea has a sparkling record at MotorLand Aragon. He’s never missed the podium since joining Kawasaki in 2015, a run of 17 a record on its own. He’s also aiming for a 100th win in WorldSBK, which would make him the first motorcycle racer in an FIM Road Racing World Championship to win 100 races in one class. He took three wins at Aragon in 2020 and aims to start his quest for a seventh title strongly. His teammate is Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who, despite a preseason testing injury, is ready to make a step in 2021. Rea and Lowes have the new Kawasaki ZX-10RR at their disposal, which features a new fairing and more powerful engine.
Scott Redding
The charge to toppling Kawasaki comes from Ducati and they’ve got a strong line-up in 2021. 2020 runner-up Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) remains for a second season, with charismatic Italian sensation Michael Ruben Rinaldi alongside him. Redding took two wins at MotorLand Aragon last year, whilst Rinaldi took a first of his career before going on to take two more podiums throughout the rest of the Teruel Round. Both have tested extensively in preseason, including at Aragon, and with Ducati being the most successful manufacturer at the venue in terms of victories, it may add a different dynamic and complexion to the start of 2021.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
The next-best manufacturer in 2020 was Yamaha, with Turkish-ace Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) taking fourth overall last year with three wins. Toprak struggled at Aragon in 2020, breaking into the top five only once from six races at the track, a venue which has been tricky for Yamaha in recent years. Razgatlioglu will have a new teammate for 2021 with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) stepping up, having dominated World Supersport last year, taking 12 wins – of which four were at Aragon. He’s been chipping away in testing, whilst Yamaha have a modified front fairing for 2021 and an evolved engine, as well the new Brembo front brake calipers. Are these steps enough to start the year in competitive fashion?
Leon Haslam
Whilst Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) and teammate Leon Haslam remain with Honda for 2021 and achieved an identical points tally in 2020, there’s still plenty of big talking points at HRC for 2021. The first is ex-WorldSBK star Leon Camier is the new team manager, having retired from racing after an injury-hit 2020. The other major change is the technological advances with the motorcycle, such as an upgraded engine, new exhaust system and seat unit, not to mention a swingarm that had been trialled in testing. The HRC engineers back in Japan have invested a lot of time into making the Fireblade CBR1000RR-R SP a constant front-running contender and with Aragon being the scene of the bike’s first podium in 2020 and the scene of plenty of preseason testing, it could be a strong start. After all, Bautista did win three races at the venue back in 2019, when he was a rookie…
Michael van der Mark
The last of the five factories is BMW, who come out fighting in 2021 with an all-new M 1000 RR, the first Superbike derived from their M-series department. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) starts a third season with the German manufacturer and the season starts where he achieved the first front row for the manufacturer on their return in 2019. Sykes has more poles than anyone else at Aragon, whilst new teammate Michael van der Mark was a consistent front-runner in 2020 across both Aragon weekends. Still adapting to the new bike, which features winglets, a new engine and a whole host of other advances, van der Mark hopes to start 2021 in solid fashion.
The excitement’s building: the 2021 season starts NOW at Aragon!
Chaz Davies – 2021 Aragon WSBK Test
Now to the Independent stars: the undisputed King of Aragon is Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), who gets started with his new team. Seven wins and eight other podiums, Davies – the highest point-scorer of all riders from the final three rounds of 2020 – may be in the fight this weekend. Another top Independent threat comes from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), who took two podiums at the final round of 2020 and has the 2021-spec Yamaha for this year. Lots of testing, including at MotorLand Aragon, Gerloff should be at the front. Three other familiar names with Independent teams in 2021 are Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse), who debuts with the new team, Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), with the Argentinean-ace starting a new challenge and Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha), who brings the iconic Alstare name back to WorldSBK.
Jonas Folger
There’s lots of rookies in Independent teams in 2021, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) being the fastest coming into the season, whilst ex Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) joins the grid from MotoGP. 2017 WorldSSP Champion Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) graduates and Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) brings his radical riding style to WorldSBK to fly the flag for Japan. Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) steps up to the class, whilst one of the youngest teams on the grid is the TPR Team Pedercini Racing squad, with 22-year-old Belgian Loris Cresson and 23-year-old Italian Samuele Cavalieri. Finally, the youngest rider on the grid is Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), who has made a solid first impression during testing.
Scott Redding and Michael Rinaldi concluded two days of testing on the Circuito de Navarra (Spain) this week, which will host for the first time in history a WorldSBK round from August 20 to 22.
Michael Rinaldi
The first day was dedicated to familiarising themselves with the new circuit before a harder push on the final day to gain valuable data ahed of the beginning of season 2021.
Scott Redding
Scott Redding and Michael Rinaldi closed the two-days testing completing respectively 170 and 165 laps.
For the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team now begins the wait for the first round of the 2021 WorldSBK season, which will take place from 21 to 23 May at the Motorland circuit in Aragon, Spain.
Scott Redding
“It was an extremely positive two days. The weather conditions helped us to do a very intense job. The feeling with the bike has been really good and the race pace has been extremely positive. If I have to be honest I had a lot of fun riding on this circuit that reminds me a lot of the BSB ones. We are ready to race and I can’t wait to be in Aragon.”
Scott Redding
Michael Ruben Rinaldi
“It was a very productive day. Compared to yesterday we made a big step forward and so I’m very happy also because we were able to improve on a not easy track. Now, however, I just want to think about Aragon. In the next few days, I’ll be training, trying to relax and stay calm in order to arrive at the first race of the season in the best possible condition.”
Kawasaki, BMW and Yamaha WorldSBK riders tested this week at Aragon’s Alcañiz Circuit, the same venue that will host the opening round of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season later this month. Track temperatures approached 39 Celsius towards the end of Wednesday’s running as teams and riders were exposed to warm weather and track conditions throughout the test.
Jonathan Rea completed 147 laps throughout his two days of the team’s final pre-season test and posted a best lap time of a 1’48.528s; two-tenths quicker than his pole time set last season. Kawasaki’s latest Ninja ZX-10RR features engine, chassis and aerodynamic changes for 2021 including a higher rev ceiling and internal front winglets that generate significant extra downforce at high speed.
Jonathan Rea
“I am super-content with this test. We managed to tick everything off the list we had, which we prioritised with race simulations. I did one each day, at the time of day the races will be held – in fact we left them a little bit later, to the peak of the temperatures at 3pm. We expect the race weekend will be a little bit hotter than it is now. We have a lot of good information about those. I used both rear tyre options, so we have a lot of good information. Step-by-step we worked some more on my riding, some electronic items. But, more so myself, getting a rhythm and understanding how the tyre behaves over a lot of laps and setting up electronic strategies to utilise during the race. I want to thank the guys because they rebuilt the bike completely as we have been trying to understand where there has been some issues coming. So to rule everything out they have built me a completely new bike and they worked tirelessly. Kudos to all the team staff for this whole winter test programme. It has been very busy but I am looking forward to going to round one in a few weeks’ time and seeing where we stack up.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea
“We have used two complete days here in Aragon and with the new rules about testing this is maybe a lot. But we decided to make good preparations for the first race and immediately after Aragon is Estoril, and then the next one after that is quite close. So we wanted to make a base and confirm some things from the previous test. All has been going very well. On day one we focused on testing and confirming these small items, on the chassis side a kind of link with a little bit different character that we have been testing all winter. It has been confirmed and we are happy with the result. Johnny is very happy. We also made the final points with the electronics, working a lot with torque delivery to give the best feeling for JR, and to make a long run with the whole package. Yesterday we made a long run with an SC0 rear tyre, and it was very, very positive. He was very fast and consistent, and happy with the feeling on the bike. Today we focused on making a fast lap time and Johnny made the fastest lap time ever in Aragon. He improved two-tenths compared to last year. We made a second long run on a softer tyre on the final day too. Johnny is very happy, he is ‘talking’ very deeply with the bike and we are ready for the first race.”
Jonathan Rea with Pere Riba
Team-mate Alex Lowes was also at the test and recorded a best time of 1’49.182s after completing 186 laps; both riders using the final test to refine their Kawasaki ZX-10RR for the new season after completing most of their programme throughout previous tests.
Alex Lowes
Alex Lowes
“That was a good test for me. One of the main targets for today was to improve my feeling with the electronics on the bike. We did two race simulations this afternoon in hot conditions when the track, in theory, has the least grip. We were trying to find a better feeling with the bike. Overall I am really happy. We didn’t piece the whole bike together but now we have a couple of weeks to check the data and put our favourite feelings together and start the party for round one! 104 laps is maybe not the most I have done on one day on the Kawasaki but I had a smile on my face for all of them, so that is the main thing.”
Alex Lowes
BMW were on track across all three days for their final test ahead of the new campaign.
Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“It was the last test before it really gets serious – on this same track. Again, we had productive days under perfect weather conditions without any large technical issues so we could clearly conduct our test plan. Already, the satellite teams have shown added value for us because we can get more confirmation and we can share the test points so we can get through more work. That is very positive, we still have some homework to do before the first race but I am confident we will get there and already in some areas it’s a clear improvement, like top speed, brakes and so on. Overall I am happy and I am very much looking forward to finally race.”
Tom Sykes
As it was Laverty’s first test of 2021, the Irishman started with a similar bike to Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) from a previous test at Jerez before adding new items such as the 2021 swingarm. Laverty completed 197 laps across the three days with a best time of 1’50.604s.
Sporting his new-for-2021 livery, Folger was on an identical machine to the factory riders, Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and team-mate Michael van der Mark, as he gears up for his first full-time WorldSBK campaign. Folger completed 116 laps across the three days on the M 1000 RR, with a best lap time of 1’50.815s. At the factory outfit, the team were trying new components on the chassis including material previously tried in 2019, confirming what they had tried at the Supported Test.
Jonas Folger – Bonovo MGM Racing
“That was our final test before the start of the season. We once again used the time to test all our options and directions, from the chassis to the electronics. We learned a lot, so we are well-prepared for the first races.”
Jonas Folger
Sykes finished the test as the fastest BMW rider with a time of 1’49.857s with van der Mark around one second back from his team-mate; Sykes and van der Mark adding 187 and 173 laps to the team’s lap total respectively.
Tom Sykes – BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“It has been a very productive test. We have done such a lot now with the electronics all over, the traction control, the engine brake, the power level maps. We’ve also been working with different chassis configurations and set-up and were also trying some things with the engine. Apart from that it was quite some other fundamental things that we have been trying. So overall, they have been very busy days. A big thanks to the whole BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team that has put in very long hours on all the preparations. We just need to go back now and use all this information but certainly there has been a lot gathered and I really feel we can improve the whole package of the new BMW M 1000 RR. I am looking forward to the first races now.”
Tom Sykes
Michael van der Mark – BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“They have been fantastic days. All days, the weather was good. On Monday, it was a bit cold but then it got warmer and warmer so we got a lot of different weather and track conditions and this was really good. It was perfect to test here just before the first race. A lot of things to try, a lot of things to improve but I am really happy with the progression we are making. Of course it’s always difficult to see where you are at a test but we will find out at the race weekends. I am looking forward to some good battles again and to fight with the other guys on track.”
Michael van der Mark
Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) made his first appearance of the 2021 off-season as he tested for his new team on the BMW M 1000 RR for the first time.
Eugene Laverty – RC Squadra Corse
“First and foremost, I am so happy to be back on a bike after six and a half months off. The big surprise for me was that after this period I was able to get back on my bike and within two exists be on a good pace. So we had three really good days, good weather, surprisingly fast lap times and my main focus has been to improve the baking performance and we did that. So, job well done and I am really happy with my RC Squadra Corse team. Now I am looking forward to the first round here at Aragón after our successful test.”
Eugene Laverty
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) made a welcome return to action following a positive COVID-19 test ruling him out of Yamaha’s previous test at the same venue. The Turkish star wasted no time in making up for lost time as he completed 93 laps on the first day and a total of 174 laps with a best lap of 1’49.763s across both days with Yamaha trying out new front brake components.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Toprak’s team-mate, Andrea Locatelli, continued to get to know his Yamaha YZF R1 ahead of his rookie campaign; racking up 172 laps across Tuesday and Wednesday.
Andrea Locatelli
Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) took to MotorLand Aragon on Monday and Tuesday before heading to the Circuito de Navarra for two more days of action, setting the best lap time on Monday and completing 149 laps in total across Monday and Tuesday.
Davies, who has a new team for 2021, posted a best time of 1’49.313s as the only Ducati representative on track in Alcañiz. The only other rider at the track from the WorldSBK paddock was Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) with the Spanish rider racking up 139 across Tuesday and Wednesday on his ZX-10RR, posting a best lap time of 1’51.724s.
The first round of the FIM Superbike World Championship will be held at Motorland Aragon from 21-23 May. It will be followed one week later by the second round at Estoril in Portugal, between 28-30 May.
WorldSBK Aragon Test Times
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’48.528s (147 laps)
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’49.182s (186 laps)
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) 1’49.763s (174 laps)
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’49.857s (187 laps)
Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) 1’49.913s (149 laps)
Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) 1’50.604s (197 laps)
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) 1’50.702s (172 laps)
Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’50.781s (173 laps)
Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) 1’50.815s (116 laps)
Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 1’51.724s (139 laps)
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the FIM, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and DWO have agreed there will be no 2021 edition of the Australian Round. Organisers are working towards a return to the iconic venue in 2022 as the first event of the 2022 Championship.
David Bennett, Phillip Island General Manager
“Phillip Island has hosted more World Superbike events than any other circuit in the world. We agree that now is the time to focus our efforts on the Official Test and season opening Round in 2022. The decision not to run a round in 2021 will not adversely impact the continuation of the event. The event is secured for the Phillip Island Circuit until 2027.”
The Czech Republic’s Autodrom Most will now make its debut on the WorldSBK Calendar in 2021 after signing a five-year agreement, while the Australian Round is set to return in 2022.
With the 2021 season set to begin in only a few weeks, the FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization are constantly working with Government Officials and Circuits in order to continue putting everyone’s safety first. Any further updates to the 2021 WorldSBK calendar will be communicated accordingly.
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director
“We are thrilled to welcome the Autodrom Most to our calendar for the next five seasons. Today’s announcement that WorldSBK is set to return to the Czech Republic for the first time since 2018 reflects the continuing popularity of the Championship among the Czech fans. With Czech teams and riders within the paddock, this is a great opportunity to showcase the Czech Republic on a world stage and I trust the Autodrom Most will be hosting exciting events in the future. Regarding Australia, all parties involved decided that analysing the latest changes in all major motorsport events and with the current uncertainty related to the pandemic, the best solution was to move the event to our usual start-of- the-season date in 2022. We look forward to returning there next year with the Australian Round a key event of the Championship.”
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