2020 WorldSBK Round Eight- Estoril

WorldSBK Race One

The records and the Championships keep coming for Jonathan Rea (KRT) as he secured his sixth consecutive Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, although the wait will go on for his 100th win as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) took a stunning victory for the Pirelli Estoril Round at the Circuito Estoril, while challenge Scott Redding (Aruba Ducati) retired from the race with a technical issue.

Razgatlioglu made a good start from pole position and held first place as he converted his first career pole into his second win of the year; following on from his victory at the season-opening Australian Round. He was joined on the podium with Chaz Davies (Aruba Ducati) and American Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) as they fought off Rea to secure a podium place.

Rea started from the middle of the grid following a crash in the Tissot Superpole session but soon found himself inside the top ten as he gained an impressive eight laps on the opening lap, and quickly improved his position on the follow lap as he passed teammate Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha) at Turn 1 to move into the podium places.

He moved into second place as he made a move on Gerloff into Turn 1 but the American rookie was able to respond a few laps later, after Davies was able to make a move on Rea to move into second place. Rea and Gerloff engaged in a sensational battle for third during the remainder of the 21-lap race; allowing Razgatlioglu and Davies to pull away at the front as they finished first and second. Gerloff moved ahead at Turn 1 on Lap 14 and started pulling away from Rea as he secured his second career podium.

Rea finished the race in fourth place as he lost ground to the riders in front of him but had a large margin over fifth-placed Leon Haslam (Team HRC), who battled hard with Alex Lowes (KRT) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC); the Spanish rider had been fifth until Lap 20 before he crashed out of the race. Lowes finished in sixth place after being unable to catch Haslam on the last lap.

2021 Ducati rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (GoEleven Ducati) finished in seventh place, just behind the Lowes-Haslam-Bautista battle but unable to take advantage of the trio battling each other, finishing ahead of Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti) in eighth and Frenchman Loris Baz (Ten Kate Yamaha) in ninth.

Tom Sykes (BMW) completed the top ten with the British rider finishing just behind Baz, but 2.5 seconds clear of Jonas Folger (Bonovo Action MGM) in 11th as the wildcard secured points in his second race of the season, finishing 10 seconds clear of Eugene Laverty (BMW).

Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) finished in the points as he secured a 13th place finish ahead of Takumi Takahashi (MIE Honda) and teammate Eric Granado; the Brazilian finishing in the points in his first WorldSBK appearance of the season. Sheridan Morais (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) finished just outside the points with 16th, with Bautista being classified in 17th place ahead of Loris Cresson (OutDo Kawasaki TPR).

Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha) did not finish the race after he crashed out in the second half of the race, with van der Mark not finishing the race after he came off his bike while battling for the podium. Redding retired from the race with a technical issue on Lap 6, effectively confirming Rea as a six-time World Champion as Redding had to win the race, while Matteo Ferrari (Barni Racing Team) did not finish the race.

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WorldSBK Rider Quotes

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P1

“Well, I’m really happy because of qualifying, and getting pole position for the first time – and also I am surprised by the lap time. In the race, I had a really good start, I pushed hard and then I could race alone and control the gap – this is also the first start-to-finish win for me! The Yamaha R1 was really good today, I had a good feeling on the bike and was able to be fast for the first five laps and then ride easy to save the tyre. Thank you to my team, it is nice as well for them to win again. This season, we won the first race and have done it again in the last weekend. In the final races tomorrow I will try to get the victory but it will not be easy, especially in the Superpole Race where all the riders push hard. It is good for me and Yamaha to come back strong in this last race weekend of the season, I hope to do the same tomorrow.”

Chaz Davies – P2

“Unfortunately I was not able to convert the best qualifying of the season with a good start. I immediately found myself in a rather difficult position but from the start, the feeling was excellent. I started to recover positions, chasing Van Der Mark (Yamaha) for the third place in the final standings. After his crash, I pushed even harder to get another podium. It’s a great result and I would like to thank the team for the work we have done in the last two months where we have made great progress. I will be back on track tomorrow with a little less pressure and this could help me to get other important results.”

Garrett Gerloff – P3

“I was definitely trying to be on my tiptoes around Jonny, I didn’t want to cause him any problems or anything like that! I am honestly a little frustrated with myself because in the beginning of the race I was making stupid mistakes and riding like an idiot. I’m not normally like that, I’m normally more consistent so I definitely need to work on that for tomorrow. Really happy to be on the podium again for the whole Yamaha crew and the GRT team. It’s been a really cool last few races and to be back on the podium is nice, but it’s not as nice as the first time! I’m going to have to move up some places to make it even sweeter.”

Jonathan Rea – P4

“I have no feeling right now; I cannot even look back. It has been an incredible journey this season. I want to thank WorldSBK, Dorna, all the circuits and organisers to even get racing this year. In the middle of what everyone has experienced in 2020 sport always comes second – but we managed to race. I miss the fans here, I miss not having my family and friends here, and all my travelling support from back home in Northern Ireland; I really miss that. They cannot be here right now but it is for all of them and my Kawasaki Racing Team, for keeping pushing this season. We started behind like last year but never gave up. It has been a hell of a journey and I am so happy.”

Leon Haslam – P5

“A good result in the end today. I was pleased to be on the front row of the grid but once the race got underway I didn’t have great feeling through the opening laps. I made a few mistakes, even running off track a couple of times which was a little frustrating. But by mid-race I had found good feeling and was able to catch up to both Alvaro and Alex (Lowes). And from there we had a good three-way battle, and ultimately I finished fifth. We made some good steps and were able to maintain strong pace throughout the race and I’m really happy to have another top five finish.”

Alex Lowes – P6

“First of all I am so happy for all the Kawasaki guys and Jonathan. For the whole of KRT, and especially for the guys on his side of the garage. It is so hard to win a world championship let alone six in a row, so big respect to them. I am proud to be part of the team and let’s hope next year we can get involved too and make it a bit harder for him. In Superpole I feel like I did not do a very good lap on the qualifying tyre. There are quite a few corners here that you are on the side of the tyre for a long time and with the Q it just upset the front a bit, which I did not expect. In the race I got a good start but I wasn’t fast enough in the first few laps. I got into a battle with the two Hondas and I felt I was faster than those guys but they kept passing me and I would get back onto them, but and then the same thing would happen again. It was a bit of a frustrating race because I could not find my own rhythm. I feel that if I could have done, I could have got away a little bit.”

Tom Sykes – P10

“We got a good start to today’s race one but I just got caught on the outside at T1. We then settled into a good rhythm and it was a shame as P5 was only a few seconds away, but I was at the wrong end of a big group. It’s clear to see that our bike is working really well in some areas, but I was just lacking a little bit today with mechanical grip and engine performance. But it is what is, the game is over for this year and now for me the aim is to get the best results possible and gather the information, blend that together going into the winter test and get to where we need to be next year.”

Eugene Laverty – P12

“This track is tough for us in general. These slow first gear corners are just not suited to our bike, but I did what I could today. We were slow but at least we were consistent and kept within three tenths of my lap time from the start. Regardless of that we gained some good information, I played around with my body position to try give the guys some direction to work in so again we will try something else for tomorrow’s final two races. Our problem is that we are struggling to get the bike stopped and have that punch out of the corners. But we have some ideas, it’s not going to be a miracle overnight but we must make progress.”

Alvaro Bautista – P17

“Today I’m a little upset about the fall, really sorry actually, because at that moment I was feeling very good on the bike after making a strong comeback. We improved the race set-up of the bike a little compared to all the previous rounds, especially in terms of the electronics. The only thing is that we tend to identify the set-up a little late. Even today, I had to find all the references again during the race itself because the bike felt different from the practices, though it was better, in that I could push harder. I felt good, I could ride hard, especially when I had a free track ahead after moving up the field. I could lap with pace very close to that of the leaders. It was a shame about the crash at turn six. But we’ll try to take the positives, and make another step forward with the electronics, bearing in mind that tomorrow we have two more opportunities to run good races.”

Scott Redding – DNF

“As I said at the beginning of this weekend, I came to Portugal to give everything. I was the fastest in all the sessions and the feeling with the bike was excellent. Unfortunately, I crashed in Superpole: it was a very strange crash and we will have to understand why. It was a shame that the bike came back to the garage so late. My team did an incredible job but I missed a few more seconds to try at least one time attack. In the race, there was a technical problem but starting from the last position it was really difficult to do something important. I want to congratulate Jonathan. It was a great battle, with a lot of respect. I will try again next season. I know I can do it. I never give up”.

Michael van der Mark – DNF

“I’m really disappointed, we were struggling quite a lot yesterday but this morning we made a good step forward with the bike. In Superpole, I wasn’t completely happy with the lap, but sixth on the grid and only 0.1s from P2 wasn’t so bad. In the race I felt confident with the R1, we changed a few bits so I had to get used to it, but after a couple of laps I started to feel really comfortable. I had quite a good pace, I think I even set the fastest lap time so I was going well and catching Jonathan and Gerloff. I think I was quicker than them but I made a mistake and lost the front going into Turn 7, I’m not really sure why. It’s a shame because we had good pace, we could battle for the podium and it would have been nice to be on there with Toprak – he did a fantastic job. Tomorrow, we will try again and I’m even more determined to finish my four years with Yamaha on the podium.”

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WorldSBK Race One Results

WorldSBK Championship Standings

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World Supersport

There was plenty of action across Race 1 at the Pirelli Estoril Round for the FIM Supersport World Championship as Andrea Locatelli (BARADHAL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) claimed victory at the Circuito Estoril in a Red Flagged and restarted race in Portugal, with the second part of the race reduced to 12 laps.

The race was Red Flagged on Lap 3 when Peter Sebestyen (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth) crashed at Turn 13, the final corner at the Circuito Estoril, spraying gravel onto the track. The Red Flag was shown in order to give marshals a chance to clear the stones from the tarmac, with the new grid set by positions at the last timing point before the Red Flag was deployed.

The restarted race started dramatically when Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) collided at Turn 2 on Lap 1; with de Rosa retiring from the race on the spot while Mahias was able to return to the pitlane with his Kawasaki machine. It meant Locatelli was able to move clear at the front of the field to take victory; his 12th of the season after 14 races in 2020.

Italian rider Locatelli was joined on the podium by Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) as the German continued his impressive rookie season with his fourth podium of the season and his best result of 2020, having finished third on three occasions, while Estonian Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) took his third podium of the season and his third in a row.

There was a titanic four-way battle for fourth place that was won by Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing), finishing 1.5s clear of South African rider Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing). Odendaal fended off the challenge of Turkish star Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) and Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team); 2019 WorldSSP300 Champion Gonzalez finishing just 0.007s behind Öncü as they crossed the line.

Axel Bassani (Soradis Yamaha Motoxracing) finished in eighth place as the highest-placed WorldSSP Challenge rider as he looks to snatch the title away from Kevin Manfredi (Altogoo Racing Team); the Italian down in 14th place. Jules Cluzel’s (GMT94 Yamaha) return from injury culminated in points with ninth place, finishing ahead of teammate Corentin Perolari who completed the top ten.

Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) battled from the back of the grid in the restarted race after crashing at Turn 3 in the first part to finish in 11th place, holding off Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) who came home in 12th. Federico Fuligni (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Manfredi and Andy Verdoïa (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) completed the points in Race 1; with Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) just missing out on points with 16th place.

Glenn van Straalen (MPM Routz Racing Team) finished in 17th place with Patrick Hoblesberger (Dynavolt Honda) and Vincent Falcone (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth) the last of the classified runners. Alejandro Ruiz Carranza (EMPERADOR Racing Team), De Rosa, Mahias and Victor Alexandre Da Silva Barros (Palkalgar Yamaha – Evan Bros), the first Angolan rider in WorldSSP, did not finish the race.

P1 Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team)

“Another victory! Today was not so easy and the conditions here were a little bit crazy with the wind. We are stronger when it is time to race, we are ready, and this is important. Now we are working a little bit for tomorrow, but I am confident I can make another victory and I will try for this.”

P2 Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)

“I’m really happy about this result. It as a really up and down race. I tried to close the gap to Andrea, but it was not possible. The track conditions were quite slippery and the front was sliding away all the time and also the rear was difficult to control and I tried my best to stay on the bike and take as many points as possible and now I’m really happy. The team did an amazing job from yesterday to today. It was an amazing race.”

P3 Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing)

“We had quite good speed, but I messed up the Superpole so had a really bad starting position. I had a good start and I could almost stay with Andrea. Unfortunately, there is the last sector where I am not so strong, but we will try to fix it for tomorrow and maybe we can fight for the victory.”

World Supersport Race Results

World Supersport Championship Standings

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World Supersport 300

Action all the way through the race was the story of the day in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as the World Championship was decided in Race 1 of the Pirelli Estoril Round at the Circuito Estoril as Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) took the Riders’ Championship as he finished in sixth place as Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300) won the race.

There was drama from the start as Alfonso Coppola (Kawasaki GP Project), Hugo de Cancellis (Team TRASIMENO) and Thomas Brianti (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300) all crashed out in the same incident while Filippo Rovelli (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) pulled up with mechanical issues on the opening lap. De Cancellis was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident and later declared unfit with a facial trauma, a deep wound to his third finger on the left hand and a right thigh contusion.

A four-way battle for the lead broke out as Perez claimed the victory by just 0.013s ahead of Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) and Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) in third; Booth-Amos just 0.055s away from taking another win in the 2020 season. Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) finished in fourth place as part of that battle, two tenths back from Booth-Amos. Perez’s winning margin of 0.013s was the second-closest victory of all time in WorldSSP300, and it was the third-closest podium finish of all-time.

Victor Rodriguez Nuñez (EAB Ten Kate Racing) finished in fourth place as he held off a five-way battle for fifth place including the two Championship contenders, with Buis finishing in sixth place and Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) in seventh; Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT), who had looked like taking the Championship battle to the final race, finished in eighth. Buis finishing ahead of Deroue meant the teenager claimed his first World Championship and became the first non-Spanish Champion in WorldSSP300. Buis beat Deroue on a race to the line with the smallest margin separating the two teammates.

Meikon Kawakami (Team Brasil AD 78) finished just two tenths away from Rodriguez Nuñez but was down in ninth place, half a second away from his brother, Ton Kawakami (Yamaha MS Racing), who rounded out the top ten. Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) finished in 11th place, ahead of Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT).

Marc Garcia (2R Racing) finished in 13th place ahead of ahead of Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300) in 14th and Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Machado Came SBK) completing the points-paying positions; fellow Spanish rider Adrian Huertas (ProGP Racing) missing out on points by less than half a tenth of a second.

Tom Bramich (Carl Cox-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) and Tom Edwards (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) did not finish the race after suffering issues throughout the 10-lap contest, while Petr Svoboda (WRP Wepol Racing) crashed on Lap 6 of the race which forced him out of the battle.

Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) and polesitter Nick Kalinin (Battley-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) racing collided at the chicane in the latter stages of the race but both were able to get up of their own accord following the incident, although both were forced to retire. Alejandro Carrion (ACCR Smrz Racing by Blue Garage) retired from the race following his trip through the gravel at Turn 1.

P1 Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300)

“This is an unbelievable feeling after one and a half years struggling a lot where I had really bad luck. I am back on the podium and also winning is very nice. The team did an incredible job and I am so happy. Tomorrow we have to go for another win!”

P2 Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT)

“I’m really happy with this podium especially after the bad luck we had during the last races. It was a tough race but a fair fight but now I am focussed on tomorrow to end the season strongly.”

P3 Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki)

“It was not an easy race. Starting from ninth, it’s always going to be difficult. I would be lying if I said I’m not disappointed to win it. I felt like I had the race under control, but I made a little mistake at the chicane on the last lap and I guess the guys behind me had enough to slipstream me to the line. I’m a little bit disappointed but we’ve got some things to work on to fix for tomorrow. Happy to be back on the podium after a while.”

WSSP300 Race Results

WSSP300 Championship Standings

Estoril Sunday Schedule

2020 WorldSBK Calendar

1. March 1 – Phillip Island
2. August 2 – Jerez
3. August 9 – Portimao
4. August 30 – Aragon
5. September 6 – Aragon
6. September 20 – Catalunya
7. October 4 – Magny-Cours
8. October 18 – Estoril

Source: MCNews.com.au