Rinaldi pips Rea for P1 on Friday at Aragon II

2020 WorldSBK – Round Five – Aragon

Superbike World Championship action continues this weekend with the Pirelli Teruel Round as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven Ducati) continued to show impressive pace at MotorLand Aragon with the Italian rider topping both Free Practice sessions on Friday running as he edged out the reigning Champion by just 0.001s.

Rinaldi posted a time of 1’49.840s in Free Practice 1, a good enough time to top the combined timesheets, ahead of five-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) by the smallest of margins as just 0.001s separated the duo after the two 50-minute sessions. Rea’s team-mate, Alex Lowes, finished the session in third place.

Jonathan Rea – P2

“We had a completely calm day on schedule. In FP1 we decided to do some tests with the screen, to have a little bit different shape and try to see if we could improve our aerodynamics and pick up some KMPH. It was very difficult to tell from the data but we had a positive feeling. In FP2 we stuck to the plan to do a long run on the soft tyre, having a race simulation to get some info for tomorrow. I did a full 18 laps. I felt very good physically and the tyre consumption was OK. We worked to our schedule and we were second fastest, so it has been a positive day. I need to make a big effort in Superpole tomorrow because track position is everything here. With my pace being quite strong it means that if I am starting from the front row I may be able to dictate the pace a little bit better.”

Alex Lowes – P3

“We made a change to the bike set-up today and I felt good on the bike. This weekend it looks like the temperatures are going to be hotter than last time and the target is to have three really consistent strong races and get the best results I can. We do not know yet what we can achieve but we will focus on doing the best we can. We are using the settings we used at the test – also last Friday and Saturday – and it feels good; like I am quite competitive. If the temperature is higher this weekend then the races will be quite different from last time and that will be a challenge – and quite exciting, I think. It will not be the same pace or way of racing compared to last Saturday and Sunday.”

Tom Sykes (BMW) finished the day in fourth place as BMW started to bounce back from a challenging Aragon Round at the same circuit while his BMW team-mate, Eugene Laverty finished the day in 12th place as he also looks to rebound following a difficult weekend last time out.

Tom Sykes – P4

“I think we made some steps forwards today. I honestly feel that the BMW S 1000 RR is working very well in the corners, corner entry, and mid turn so we have so many positives to work with, its just the straight line performance that makes our life difficult. We saw this morning when I was out riding alone that I could do what I wanted with the bike, the consistency and lap times were there but we already had some signs that we were on the limit with the braking system, which shows the input I’m giving to the bike. I want to get where we all deserved to be, even this afternoon in the hot conditions the lap times were not too bad, but I was really on the limit with the front and rear so that’s where we need to improve for tomorrow.”

Eugene Laverty – P12

“I’m happy with the progress we made today because we changed the bike radically for this morning. We found some benefits but the negative was clear as we expected. Sometimes you have to make a compromise, that’s been the aim for FP2 to make a compromise but keep the gain we achieved this morning in the long corners. I think its been a good testing day but we are clearly not in the position we want to be in. The key for tomorrow is to get into those front two rows, but right now we don’t have the pace for that. That’s always been my aim but if we can get a good qualifying position for tomorrow, in the hot conditions It will be interesting to see where we end up.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) was another looking to make a step forward following the Aragon Round and finished the day in fifth place while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha) was in eighth place; Razgatlioglu lapping around eight tenths off Rinaldi’s pace.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P5

“We are working to find more rear grip and now it is one step ahead of last weekend. I am feeling better so far. This morning I had a good feeling on the bike and we tried a different set-up to help the grip. This afternoon was not as good with the hotter temperatures, so I hope we will find an improvement on the morning set-up for these conditions. I am feeling OK but we need to make another step forward – the race is the important part and we will see what is possible.”

Michael van der Mark – P8

“It’s good to be back here this weekend, the conditions are a lot warmer than last time out, so we are still searching a little bit with the set-up of the bike, but the base is there right away. Everyone did a lot of laps last week, and today we focused a little bit on the rear tyre life and worked on the whole package to improve our race rhythm. This will come into play especially towards the second half of the race, where we have to improve. We did not do a “time attack” but I think we did some good quality, important work today.”

Chaz Davies (Aruba Ducati) was sixth fastest after Friday’s action with the British rider chasing his eighth win at MotorLand Aragon while team-mate Scott Redding (Aruba Ducati) also finished inside the top ten with the ninth fastest time overall.

Chaz Davies – P6

“I am quite satisfied with what we did today. It was an interesting day also because the weather conditions were different from those of a week ago with the temperature of the circuit much higher. That’s why we used these two sessions to understand the behaviour of the tires and fix some details on the bike. Tomorrow’s first goal is to get a good result in the Superpole so that we can start in the best possible way both in Race-1 and in the Superpole Race“.

Scott Redding – P9

“We struggled a bit today. It’s true: we improved in the afternoon but the others have also made progress. So it is difficult to assess how effective our improvements have been. However, I am confident also because we are in a better position compared to the free practice a week ago before the great result we got on Saturday’s Race-1. It will be fundamental to qualify in the first row. This would allow us to fight for victory from the very first laps and keep our chances for the championship unchanged“.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), looking to take Honda onto the podium in back-to-back weekends, finished the day in seventh place while team-mate Leon Haslam was in tenth; capping a strong day for the Honda outfit.

Alvaro Bautista – P7

“It has been an interesting day and, all in all, a positive one. As we already had a good set-up from last week, this morning we tried something quite different but we didn’t find anything so special so we went back to the set-up that we know works, preferring to concentrate on the tyre test to see if everything was ok also in the hotter weather conditions. The track is definitely a little less high-performing but I’m still happy with the feeling I got with the bike. I hope we can be faster in tomorrow’s Superpole to get a good starting place on the grid for Race1 and then we’ll see.”

Leon Haslam – P10

“This morning was quite positive. We’ve been working to improve our race pace and the difference between my laps this morning and my last lap this afternoon was just one tenth, so I think we’ve made a good step there. We also wanted to check the bike setting in the hotter conditions and found good feeling through the final stages this afternoon, also managing to maintain good lap times. So we still have work to do but things are looking more stable than they were last weekend.”

Loris Baz (Ten Kate Yamaha) finished the day in 11th place despite a crash in Free Practice 2 at Turn 8; the Frenchman coming off his bike entering the corner. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti) had a strong performance last time out at MotorLand Aragon and continued that today with 13th in Free Practice, ahead of Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) and teammate Federico Caricasulo.

Marco Melandri (Barni Ducati) finished the day in 17th place ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance); Frenchman Barrier crashing at Turn 10 in Free Practice 1 but able to get out on track for the second session. Roman Ramos (OoutDo Kawasaki) was classified in 19th place with Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) and WorldSBK debutant Matteo Ferrari (Motocorsa Racing) rounding out the field.

WorldSBK Friday Combined Times

World Supersport

FIM Supersport World Championship action continued at MotorLand Aragon with Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) topping the combined Free Practice classification for the Pirelli Teruel Round after going fastest in both practice sessions on Friday; the Italian going more than half a second clear of his nearest rival.

Locatelli has won every race, claimed every pole position and secured every fastest lap so far in the 2020 WorldSSP season and has shown impressive pace again as he topped the times on Friday, finishing ahead of Raffaele de Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) as the second-placed Italian rider showed strong pace from the start of the action. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was third after Friday running as the highest place Kawasaki rider on the grid.

Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) was fourth fastest as the Estonian rider looks to rebound from a difficult Aragon Round where he retired from both races, beating Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) by just 0.060s in fifth place. Cluzel, currently second in the Championship, will be hoping to make a step forward ahead of Saturday’s Tissot Superpole and Race 1 in order to take the fight to Locatelli as he has done in the early stages of recent races. South African rider Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) finished the day in sixth place as he chases his first WorldSSP podium.

Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing) was seventh fastest for the day after showing impress pace in Free Practice 2; the Spaniard bouncing back from a crash in Free Practice 1 where he was unable to set a time. Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) was in eighth place with Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Hungarian rider Peter Sebestyen (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth) once again showing strong pace to be in the top ten.

Federico Fuligni (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) finished in 11th place ahead of Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) in 12th; Webb once again showing competitive pace in the team run by James Toseland. Alejandro Ruiz Carranza (EMPERADOR Racing Team) was the highest placed WorldSSP Challenge rider in 13th place, ahead of Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team); the Turkish rider crashing in Free Practice 1 but able to get back out on track for Free Practice 2. Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) completed the top 15. Australian Lachlan Epis started his weekend in P21.

It was an action-packed day for Galang Hendra Pratama (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) as the Indonesian rider crashed in both practice sessions on Friday but able to set the 17th fastest time overall. Patrick Hobelsberger (Dynavolt Honda) also suffered a crash in Free Practice 2 and was slowest overall after Friday running.

WorldSSP Friday Times

WorldSSP300

Action for FIM Supersport 300 World Championship got underway with two Free Practice sessions for the Pirelli Teruel Round at MotorLand Aragon, returning to the circuit just a week after two thrilling races. Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) drew first blood as he topped the combined timesheets as the Dutchman looks to return to the top of the Championship.

The Dutchman’s best time came in Free Practice 1, setting a 2’05.899s to top the timesheets on Friday, almost half a second clear of his next nearest rival in the standings. Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Scuderia Maranga Racing) finished the day in second place after a strong Free Practice 1 showing as he finished ahead of Thomas Brianti (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300); the Italian rider being classified in third place as he continued to show impressive pace at MotorLand Aragon having secured a second place finish at the Aragon Round.

Tom Edwards (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) finished the day in fourth place as the Australian looks to bounce back from a double Aragon retirement. Countryman Tom Bramich finished day one in 30th in what is a 51-rider field.

Nick Kalinin (Battley-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) was the highest-placed Group A rider of the day in sixth place; the Ukrainian rider lapping almost a second of Deroue’s fastest time.

2020 race winner Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WSSP300) finished the day in seventh place as the Turkish rider, like Edwards, also looking to bounce back from a double Aragon Round retirement. Teammate Alvaro Diaz was classified eighth, just 0.027s back from Sofuoglu, with Ton Kawakami (Yamaha MS Racing) and Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) completing the top ten.

Filip Salac (ACCR Czech Talent Team – Willi Race) was classified in 18th place on his WorldSSP300 debut. Free Practice 1 had been disrupted for Group B runners when Hugo de Cancellis (Team TRASIMENO) suffered a technical issue and track; with a Red Flag deployed due to track conditions while Adrian Huertas (ProGP Racing) and Gabriele Mastroluca (GP Project) both crashed at Turn 1.

Numerous riders were unable to take part in the second Free Practice session following sanctions applied after the opening session, while Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo), Sylvain Markarian (Yamaha MS Racing) and Matyas Cervenka (Smrz Racing – Willi Race) all had incidents in Free Practice 2.

WorldSSP300 Combined Times

Championship Points

Aragon WorldSBK 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