WSBK press office:
Bautista claimed Race 1 victory to take Ducati’s 1000th WorldSBK podium
The Spanish rider won in the Czech Republic to extend his Championship lead
Race 1 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista’s win gave Ducati their 1000 podium in WorldSBK. They are the first manufacturer to reach that milestone.
It was also Bautista’s 7th win this season, allowing him to consolidate his Championship lead to 29 points over Rea.
“I knew that here it was important to not lose time in the first corners because here with this rear tyre, with the harder compound, I struggled a little bit. I needed a couple of laps to warm it and after that I could make the same pace as Rea and Razgatlioglu. By mid-race, some drops of rain started to fall. It was a tricky moment. I saw that Rea and Razgatlioglu struggled. But in that moment, I felt quite confident, so I decided to take the lead. When the rain stopped, I tried to keep pushing and not make mistake. I’m really happy and also because it’s the 1000th podium of Ducati and to celebrate it with a victory is very special.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
A last lap move on Redding at Turn 13 gave Razgatlioglu the second place in Race 1.
He stands in third place in the Championship standings, having narrowed the gap to Rea in second from 26 to 19 points.
“Today I tried to fight for a great position. I tried to escape but it wasn’t possible because the acceleration was not good in the corner exit. I kept fighting for the podium. In the last lap, we had a great battle with Scott. I saw he was very strong in the last sector and also the second sector, I had just one chance. I tried. I passed him but I almost crashed, we both went a bit wide together. Anyway, we finished on the podium and we take good points in the Championship.”
P3 – Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
Redding was able to hold off Rea in a last lap battle to take third place.
He claimed his 39th career podium, and his second in as many rounds in BMW colours
“From Donington we’ve made a step. There were a few question marks if we’ll continue this rhythm. This weekend we’ve been strong. In the race we showed good pace in the middle of the race to catch the front group. With a little bit of rain which was in my favor as well. To have another podium this weekend is a massive achievement.”
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Fighting for third place with Razgatlioglu and Redding, Rea was denied a podium and finished fourth.
He gives up 12 points to Championship leader Alvaro Bautista and is now 29 points behind the Spanish rider.
“We have to be content with our race; I felt really good but just ran into some little issues at the end of the race which held me back in the braking areas in a couple of corners. A little bit of brake fade, with the lever coming all the way back to the bar and I couldn’t put the pressure on the lever. Coupled with the fact that I couldn’t put the bike in position or stop so much, I was losing a little bit of time. Anyway, I have to be very content as we made a step from yesterday with my consistency in the middle part of the race and the pace was quite good. I think there were just some spots of rain halfway through the rain and I was out front, and I didn’t want to be the guinea pig to go down in the wet.
P5 – Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing)
Bassani finished in fifth place and finished as the best Independent rider.
He has recorded 13 top-ten finishes in 16 races so far in 2022.
“I’m really happy about the race. We finished in the top five and this was the goal. Yesterday I wasn’t happy with the feeling with my bike. But today with the team we did a very good job. We will see tomorrow. I hope to stay with the top three guys. It’s difficult but not impossible. We are here for this.”
P6 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli was sixth as he finished with a three second advantage over Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).
He stands in fourth place in the standings, six points ahead of Rinaldi.
“I did a really good start but then I made a small mistake in the fourth corner and I ran wide. When I returned to the track, I lose immediately my position to Redding and Bassani. I tried to stay with them, and I tried to push but I made many mistakes during the race. I was trying to close the gap to the front guys. When it started to rain, they were a bit slower so I tried to close the gap. In the end, it’s a positive weekend for us, we started in a good way. For sure it’s not our position but I need to be happy because the feeling with the bike is much better. Tomorrow we have another opportunity.”
To note:
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was eighth for his 16th straight race in the points.
Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) finished in 16th place in Race 1 for his home round.
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday from 09:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 and Race 2 at 15:15.
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Kawasaki
REA JUST MISSES FIRST RACE PODIUM
The opening race of the WorldSBK race weekend at Autodrom Most saw Jonathan Rea ride inside the podium positions for all but three laps, then finally finish fourth – albeit just 2.718 from the race winner. Alex Lowes, suffering with a non-Covid infection, finished ninth after a battling ride in Race One.
For the third time this season and the second round in succession, Rea won the Superpole qualifying competition. He set a new track best of 1’30.947 to line up on the ideal starting position for Race One.
Lowes finished Superpole in a creditable fifth place, especially so after catching a non-Covid infection which robbed him of energy and stamina.
In the early stages of the 22-lap race Rea battled for the lead with Toprak Razgatlioglu. Eventual winner Alvaro Bautista was just behind until he took the lead on lap ten.
Jonathan had led for four laps across the start/finish line but dropped to second and then third with seven laps to go. Rea only lost his final chance of a podium place after an epic close quarters fight with Scott Redding on the final lap.
Lowes was on course for a top seven finish until the last two laps, when his intestinal infection told on his overall physical condition and he lost two places. He still scored strong championship points after displaying grit and determination, and hopes to be in much better condition to face Sunday’s races.
The strong predictions of heavy rain and even thunderstorms during the Saturday race were happily shown to be false but there were small drops of rain in the middle of the race. Although concerning for the riders the very light rain had little effect on the track surface and there was no need to change to wet tyres.
On Sunday 31 July Rea and Lowes will take part in the ten-lap Superpole Race and then another 22-lap race that will mark the end of the first half of the 12-round season.
STATEMENTS:
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team Rider): “The race was quite good, to be fair. I had a good rhythm and good pace. I was fast, just not fast enough at the end when it counted. A little bit like Donington last time out, I ran into some brake fade issues. The brake lever was coming back to my fingers so I could not keep the pressure on. Stopping the bike was a problem but also putting the bike into position. I just struggled. In traffic I was worried about hitting somebody. If I braked at my normal brake point the chances were I could not stop the bike. The finishing position does not reflect our true potential. I feel we were strong. Unfortunately we were off the podium, but only two seconds from the race win. It is a good and a bad thing when you are disappointed with fourth place and so close to the winner, but that is the reality today. I hope to make amends tomorrow and clearly we need to be faster at the end of the race.”
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team Rider): “My illness got worse today. Qualifying wasn’t too bad, over only one lap, but I still did not feel strong on the bike. I have been struggling to keep food in me and then you just don’t have the energy when you need it. The race was tough. I wasn’t too comfy on the bike, as it was sliding more than I expected. I had wear on the front tyre and I did not have the body strength to manhandle it round that problem. I was setting my pace but I lost two places on the last two laps. The effort to do the race, and then lose two places on the last lap… Seventh would have been a lot more acceptable. I didn’t find anywhere I could pass easily on the track so we need to think about that tomorrow – where I can pass the other guys a bit more easily. And, I hope I am a bit stronger in myself.”
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Ducati
Triumph for Bautista who celebrates Ducati’s 1000 podiums in WorldSBK. Rinaldi seventh. Tough race for Bulega (P9) in WorldSSP.
Alvaro Bautista celebrates Ducati’s 1000th podium in WorldSBK (212 conquered by the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team) with a stunning victory. Michael Rinaldi’s race is compromised at the first corner by an aggressive move by Locatelli (Yamaha) that immediately excludes him from the fight for the podium.
Starting from fourth position, Bautista turns third in the first corner and sticks with Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) and Rea (Kawasaki). The Spaniard gains confidence and on lap 10 makes a spectacular double overtake to take the lead and close with margin under the checkered flag.
After the front row (P3) gained in Superpole, Rinaldi is forced to lose 5 positions after a contact with Locatelli. The Italian rider lost ground from the leading group and found himself fighting with Lowes (Kawasaki) for seventh position, which he took with 3 laps to go.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“I am very happy with this victory. We have achieved a historic result for Ducati and to be the rider who took podium number 1000 fills me with pride. To have done it with the first place is then something exciting. I think I did a very good race, I found more and more feeling, lap by lap, and the battle between Johnny and Toprak in the early laps, if I have to be honest, helped me to stay close to them. From the middle of the race, the feeling was really positive and I tried to attack. Now, though, great concentration and all energy turned to tomorrow.”
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I’m really very upset with the way things went. After the incomprehensible maneuver, he made on the sighting lap, Locatelli pushed me out at the first corner and I had to lose several positions. From that moment it was difficult to think about recovering. It’s a real shame because the feeling was really positive. Tomorrow I will try to start even better than I did today so that I can avoid problems.”
WorldSSP
A very difficult race for Nicolò Bulega who, after getting a good start and gaining the lead, went long at the first corner finding himself in eighth position. The Italian rider was the protagonist of a good comeback but in the last lap, when he was fighting for the podium, he made a mistake having to settle for the ninth final position.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“It was a very, very difficult race for me. Despite losing positions in the first lap, I thought I was still able to recover. Unfortunately, however, I lost a lot of time trying to get past the second group. We still suffer too much under acceleration while the others have the ability to stop the bike and restart very quickly. Ever since Aragon, we have been fighting against this disadvantageous situation and I hope it will be resolved soon in terms of the regulations.”
Ducati 1000 times on the podium in World Superbike
The Panigale V4 R scores the thousandth podium for Ducati in World Superbike in Race 1 of the Czech Round, thanks to the results of Alvaro Bautista
The 1000-podium mark achieved by the Borgo Panigale manufacturer in WorldSBK represents a unique result, never achieved by any manufacturer in any motorcycle discipline
Six generations of Ducati super sports bikes in 35 years of the World Championship reserved for production-based machinery: in 10 years, the Panigale family has scored 70 victories with Davies, Melandri, Bautista, Redding and Rinaldi, and 219 podiums
Most, Czech Republic / Borgo Panigale, Bologna, 30th July 2022 – Race 1 of the Czech Round is destined to be remembered for a long time by motorcycle racing enthusiasts, as Alvaro Bautista on his Ducati Panigale V4 R notched up the thousandth podium for Ducati in the Superbike World Championship.
The Spanish rider painted another masterpiece, as he achieved the important milestone for Ducati with another great victory, his seventh this season. Third, immediately after the start, Bautista made his decisive move on the two rivals ahead of him halfway through the race, passing them both on lap ten and taking the lead, where he remained until the end. Thanks to this success, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider continues to lead the championship with a 29-point advantage over the second.
The one thousand podiums obtained by Ducati in WorldSBK represent a unique result, never achieved by any manufacturer in any motorcycle discipline. The Borgo Panigale manufacturer has written the history of the World Championship reserved for production-based machinery, constantly playing the leading role with six generations of super sports bikes that have taken a total of 383 victories.
WorldSBK has seen Ducati present and victorious right from the very first edition in 1988, with Marco Lucchinelli on the 851 winning at Donington the first round ever raced. Only two years later, in 1990, Raymond Roche obtained Ducati’s first world title in Superbike with the 851. In the following two years, Doug Polen replicated the success and Ducati quickly became the most popular bike on the starting grids of the World Championship, winning the manufacturers’ title in 1991, 1992 and 1993. The 1994 season marked the beginning of the era of Carl Fogarty and the Ducati 916 which won for two consecutive seasons. In 1996 it was Troy Corser who gave a sixth riders title to Ducati. In 1998 and 1999 “Foggy” – Carl Fogarty – won two more titles, bringing his total number of race wins to XX and becoming the most victorious rider in history riding the Borgo Panigale Superbikes.
In 2000, the baton was handed over to another Ducati legend, Troy Bayliss, who won three titles with the Rosse in Superbike – 2001, 2006, 2008 – becoming the only rider capable of winning with three different generations of Ducati superbikes: the 998, 999 and 1098. In the meantime, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland won two more riders’ titles (2003 and 2004), and in 2011 Carlos Checa took the championship title win with the 1198.
But there have been so many riders who have contributed to the legend in Superbike, with victories and podiums that have helped to indelibly engrave them in the memory of Ducati enthusiasts, starting with Giancarlo Falappa; Fabrizio Pirovano, Pierfrancesco Chili, Ben Bostrom, Ruben Xaus, Regis Laconi, Noriyuki Haga, Chaz Davies, Marco Melandri, Scott Redding and many others.
The latest triumphs bear the hallmark of the Panigale V4, the motorcycle that represents the most modern and clearest incarnation of those principles of Style, Sophistication and Performance that guide the collective and daily commitment of Ducati, in a path that through the 851, 916, 999, 1098 families and then the Panigale, has led the manufacturer to write another important page in its racing history.
SIX GENERATIONS OF DUCATI SUPERBIKES
THE 851 AND THE BIRTH OF THE DESMOQUATTRO
The history of Ducati Superbikes runs parallel to that of WorldSBK. The 851, born as a 748 cc prototype from the minds of Massimo Bordi and Gianluigi Mengoli on the basis of Ducati’s technical cornerstones – L-twin cylinder, desmodromic distribution, trellis frame – was the first Ducati Superbike, powered by the new Desmoquattro four-valve per cylinder engine. The displacement was boosted to 888 cubic centimetres with a bore increase. The model changed its name in 1992, adapting to the new cubature.
For many enthusiasts it was with the 851 that the Ducati of the modern era was born: technologically advanced, red and extraordinarily high-performance.
In total, the 851/888 family picked up three riders’ titles (1990 with Raymond Roche, 1991 and 1992 with Doug Polen) and three manufacturers’ titles: 1991, 1992 and 1993. From 1990 to 1994, it scored 78 wins and 170 podiums.
THE 916 AND THE LEGEND OF FOGARTY
In October 1993, Ducati left everyone speechless when it presented the 916, a bike capable of tracing a groove separating “before” from “after”. The 916 was lean, nimble, powerful, with lines and solutions drawn by Massimo Tamburini – also known as “Maestro” – still current today in their synthesis of beauty and effectiveness according to the concept of form-follows-function whose descendants are recognizable in the Panigale. With a completely revised chassis and highly-evolved Desmoquattro twin-cylinder, the 916 dominated all the formulas in which it raced.
As the years went by, the displacement increased. In 1998 Ducati launched the 996, the name with which an epochal model such as the 996 R made its debut in 2001, powered by the first 998 cc Testastretta whose heirs can still be found today in the twin-cylinder models of the Ducati range. In 2002 the 996 gave way to the 998. In its standard version, the Ducati superbike went from 114 horsepower of the first 916 to 123 of the 998.
The Ducati 916 is the most successful of the Ducati SBKs and between 1994 and 2003, with its 916, 996 and 998 versions, it won eight world titles (including four with “King” Carl Fogarty), 122 races and it took its riders to the podium on 311 occasions. And the 996 R is the model with which the career in red of Troy Bayliss, the other great Ducati Superbike legend, began.
THE DOMINATION OF THE 999
The 999 arrived in 2003; with ground-breaking lines, an evolved version of the Testastretta and a heavily revised chassis. The Ducati superbike abandoned the single-sided swing-arm, introduced a superimposed headlight and the under-seat exhaust became integrated into a single silencer. It is the Ducati Superbike with the highest victories/seasons ratio: in just five years (the 1098 only started racing in 2008) it achieved 63 victories and three world titles with Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and Troy Bayliss. Its riders stepped onto the podium 163 times.
1098, 1198 AND CARLOS CHECA’S TITLE
In 2008, the regulations allowed twin-cylinder engines to go over the one-litre displacement limit. Ducati presented the 1098 already in November 2006, continuing many of the stylistic and technical elements of the 998. The split headlight unit was horizontal again, and the single-sided swing-arm and split under-seat exhaust were back.
The twin-cylinder increased in power up to 160 hp and, updated in various technical solutions derived from the MotoGP bike, especially in thermal aspects, it took the name of Testastretta Evoluzione.
The 1198 arrived in 2009, more powerful (170 hp) but above all equipped with Ducati’s first electronic traction control. The displacement went up to just over 1,198 cubic centimetres, and with it came the 2011 title, which was won by the Spaniard Carlos Checa.
The 1098 and 1198 scored 139 podiums between 2008 and 2012, including 52 victories.
PANIGALE FAMILY
2012 saw the arrival of the Panigale family, which established new benchmarks in terms of technology, style and performance. With the Panigale, Ducati introduced the 90° V-twin Superquadro engine with desmodromic distribution with mixed chain/gear control, ride-by-wire engine management, Öhlins electronic suspension, but also the aluminium monocoque frame with integrated airbox. Finally, the style continued elements of the Ducati tradition by modernizing them, and defining a line – that of the Panigale family – recognized as a work of art and awarded with the Compasso d’Oro in 2014.
The 1299 evolution in 2015 made the Panigale take another step forward, and with the 2015 model the name of the “R” version also changed, becoming Panigale 1199 R, to indicate how the displacement of the racing model remained linked to the regulatory limit.
At the end of 2017, the most revolutionary Panigale ever arrived on the scene. Preceded by the presentation of its V4 Desmosedici Stradale engine, the Ducati Panigale V4 was unveiled, powered by the 90° V4 with MotoGP-derived Twinpulse timing and counter-rotating crankshaft capable of 214 horsepower and 13 kgm for a power/weight ratio of 1.1 hp/kg.
The chassis saw the introduction of the Front Frame, which continued to use the engine as a stressed element. With the 2020 model came the aerodynamic package based on the winglets introduced by Ducati for the first time in MotoGP in 2016 and the 2021 version further refined the electronics. The 2022 model again moved the performance bar upwards, with an even more sophisticated electronic management, a more effective chassis, ratios borrowed from the Panigale V4 R and a more efficient aerodynamic package.
The Panigale family has notched up a total of 219 podiums over the course of its 10 years of racing competition, including 70 victories.
STATISTICS
In 35 years of World Superbike, Ducati has scored 383 wins and 1000 podiums.
Ducati has won 14 Superbike riders’ and 17 manufacturers’ titles
YEAR BIKE MODEL RIDER
1990 851 Raymond Roche
1991 888 Doug Polen
1992 888 Doug Polen
1994 916 Carl Fogarty
1995 916 Carl Fogarty
1996 916 Troy Corser
1998 916 Carl Fogarty
1999 996 Carl Fogarty
2001 996R Troy Bayliss
2003 999F03 Neil Hodgson
2004 999F04 James Toseland
2006 999F06 Troy Bayliss
2008 1098 F08 Troy Bayliss
2011 1198 F11 Carlos Checa
The most successful riders on Ducati Superbikes are Carl Fogarty (55 wins), Troy Bayliss (52) and Chaz Davies (28).
The most successful bike is the 916/996/998 with 120 wins, followed by the 851/888 with 78 and the Panigale/Panigale V4 with 70.
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Honda
Satisfaction and regret for Team HRC men Lecuona and Vierge in race 1 at Most
The Most circuit in the Czech Republic is hosting round six of the 2022 Superbike World Championship, today’s mixed weather conditions making things more challenging for the WorldSBK riders who competed in both qualifying and the first race of the weekend.
The morning’s final free practice ran in wet conditions, which naturally prevented all riders from improving on their best times of yesterday. Having been passed fit to ride following a heavy crash in yesterday’s FP2, Lecuona completed seven laps on the wet asphalt to have a better understanding of his own physical condition and of his bike’s behaviour in these altered conditions. Vierge, keen to make as many laps of this new track as possible, also completed seven laps, the two Spaniards placing third and eleventh respectively in this session.
The track was dry again by 11.10 am local time as the Superpole got underway. The 15-minute phase therefore proved to be as hard-fought as ever, the entire field battling it out to secure the best possible grid positions for the weekend’s first races. Lecuona and Vierge were no exception, though both struggled to complete a totally clean lap. The factory duo rounded out the session in twelfth (1’32.359) and thirteenth place (1’32.367), meaning a fourth- and fifth-row start for the afternoon’s first race.
The weekend’s first full length Superbike race got underway as scheduled at 2pm local time in cloudy conditions. Lecuona got away well to place eleventh through the first turns, while team-mate Vierge lost a lot of ground in traffic, dropping back to twentieth off the line when another rider hit him. Xavi was quick to react, gaining five positions over the first three laps, while Lecuona’s strong pace allowed to him move in on, and pass, Baz on lap nine to place ninth. Having reached fifteenth in the early stages, Vierge struggled to maintain a strong pace and was therefore unable to gain further ground. By around lap ten, drops of rain began to fall in various sectors, causing the lap times of all riders to rise somewhat. Lecuona, comfortable and very fast in the tricky conditions, was able to pick up the pace again, lapping quicker than those immediately ahead of him and even slightly quicker than his own qualifying pace. Gaining one more position on the very last lap, the Spaniard crossed the line eighth, while team-mate Vierge finished fifteenth, just inside the points zone.
Team HRC will return to the track tomorrow for the 10-lap Superpole race followed, in the afternoon, by the second 22-lap Superbike race.
Iker Lecuona 7
P8
“All in all, today wasn’t at all bad to be honest. After crashing in FP2 yesterday, I had a tough night as I was in quite a lot of pain and didn’t sleep much. I want to thank the doctors for their help in dealing with that. I was declared fit for action this morning, and so was back on my bike for FP3. Conditions were mixed but allowed me to understand if I was feeling physically OK or not. Things went well but the same can’t be said of the qualifying session sadly. I didn’t have good feeling with the bike and finished the session pretty angry with anyone and everyone, myself including, because twelfth place and 1.4” off the pace is too much for us. Then in the race we moved back into positive territory, with a solid performance. The start wasn’t bad, but it was a bit hectic, with some riders hitting me in the leg, but I maintained my focus and just tried to do my best. I have to say that our pace was good, especially in the second half of the race. I actually set my fastest time on the seventeenth lap, quicker than my qualifying effort in fact, and I was able to finish P8, very close to Rinaldi. So, my thanks to the team and everyone around me who believes in me and supported me after my crash yesterday. I’m happy with today and now we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.”
Xavi Vierge 97
P15
“I’m really disappointed with today’s race because I was expecting to feel better and be fighting for a better result. At the start some other riders hit me and I had to cut the first chicane, which was a problem of course, but after a few laps, once I’d passed a few riders and finally had a free track on which to try and close the gap, the pace just wasn’t there, and I couldn’t ride comfortably. We need to understand why I no longer have the confidence to go faster, because I had a similar feeling at Donington too. It’s true that I’ve missed a few tests due to my hand injury and that has probably caused us to lose our way a little. We will try to make the most of the chance to race at this track again tomorrow, making some big changes to try and understand which way to go and regain the good feeling we had a couple of races ago. Thanks as always to the team as they continue to work hard and support me in every way.”
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Yamaha
Thrilling Most Race 1 Sees Razgatlıoğlu Fight To Second Place
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu took a sensational second place, while light rain did nothing to dampen the excitement of Race 1 at Autodrom Most at the sixth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship today.
Another record-breaking Superpole qualifying netted P2 and P8 grid positions for Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK’s riders this morning, and as Razgatlıoğlu got away cleanly from the front row to lead in the opening laps, it was teammate Andrea Locatelli who made the big moves with an explosive start that saw him up to fourth by Turn 2.
A small mistake under braking sent the Italian rider wide across the gravel trap, and he re-joined off line, conceding track position to Axel Bassani (Motocorsa). “Loka” crossed the line to finish sixth place but happy with the feeling on his #55 Yamaha R1 WorldSBK.
Attention was split across the battle at the front of the pack and rain spots appearing on camera lenses around the circuit, with Razgatlıoğlu in a tense fight with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) for the lead.
A chasing Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) capitalised on the battle during Lap 10 to snatch the lead and eventual win from his two championship rivals. But, with the race far from over, Razgatlıoğlu scrapped to the very end and, from fourth position, took second-place away from Rea and a resurgent Scott Redding (BMW) in another classic final-lap duel.
With fine weather forecast for tomorrow’s two races, the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK riders will prepare with a short 15-minute Warm-Up session at 09:00 (CEST), before the 10-lap Superpole Race starting at 11:00 which will determine the top-nine grid position for Race 2 (22 laps) from 14:00.
Shadow
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – Race 1: P2
“Today I tried to win, in the first laps I tried to go alone but it was not possible. I kept fighting for a good result and had a good battle in the last laps with Scott, and also earlier with Johnny. I see last sector Scott is really strong and in second sector not really strong, so I know I have just one chance – I try, and I pass him but I almost crash and together we go wide… but anyway we finish on the podium and take good points for the championship. Everybody was a little slower with the rain and I just follow the other riders, but after this the tyre starts to drop and I’m just fighting for good position. I’m happy because second is not bad, but I hope tomorrow we can improve the acceleration, especially out of the final corner, and we are fighting again for the win.”
Andrea Locatelli – Race 1: P6
“It was an “interesting” first part of the race because I overtook four positions, so I was in P4 after the second corner –it was a good start! But I did a small mistake in the braking of corner four and had to cut across the gravel into six, so I went wide and when I returned on to the track I lost position on the racing line, so Redding and Bassani overtook me. In the end, during the race I lost a bit more time from another mistake but I tried to close the gap back to P5 but I was a little bit late. It is a positive race because we took some good points and we understand something for tomorrow. For sure we can improve the bike and in general the feeling is not so bad. I can push during the race and I believe I can do better tomorrow, so this is important for me.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK:
“Changeable weather has made it a challenging day here at Most compared to yesterday, but in the end we can be happy with a massive fight from Toprak to get back second place and a very solid ride by Loka to finish in the top six. The conditions were very different today and we maybe didn’t have quite the same level of performance as FP2, but with better weather expected tomorrow and an opportunity to improve the setting a little bit, I’m confident we can take a small step and be in the fight again for the win.”
