— World SBK 2012 – Round Ten – Silverstone
— Baz and Guintoli celebrate despite the weather
A remarkable day, thanks to the ever changing British weather conditions, saw two French riders on top at Silverstone in round ten of the eni FIM Superbike Championship in front of a weekend crowd of 42,000. In the first race SBK rookie Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) became the second youngest rider ever to win at this level, with the nineteen-year-old, who started the season in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, overcoming the changing conditions to win a close run thing.
In the second race a rider who parted way with one Ducati team at the recent Brno round and found a berth in the Pata Racing Team – Sylvain Guintoli – posted his second win of the year on a Ducati 1098R in horrendous conditions after a delayed and shortened race two.
The biggest names were all left struggling in both qualifying and races as the track conditions shifted from dry and sunny to fully wet, and everything in between. Points leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) was a non-finisher in race one, then only 11th in race two. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) is now only 10.5 points from Biaggi after finishing seventh and then eighth. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was eighth and 12th at his home round, Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) was fifth and sixth, despite crashing late in race two, then being included in the results on the lap count back.
Race 1
Baz won after weather conditions played an ever-changing role in the first 18–lap race of the day. The first attempt to run it was halted after two separate crashes, and the restart was declared wet, but with a mostly dry track surface visible over the length of the circuit. Light rains came and went as the lead changed a bewildering number of times, but with a few laps to go the rains got even heavier and rider movements forward and back got even more frenzied. Over the line for the last time, Baz won by 0.383 seconds, with BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet duo Michel Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini second and third respectively and Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) fourth. As Badovini crossed the line he fell on the edge of the track and the following Rea also crashed into Badovini’s machine, but after each had crossed the line. Checa was fifth, but championship leader Biaggi was a late faller and he no-scored.
Loris Baz: “At the beginning it was full dry and I was missing grip but when I saw the rain coming I kept pushing to the front. It was hard at the end because it was wet, but I stayed on the bike and I’m really happy. A big thanks for the team and our thoughts go out to Joan Lascorz.”
Michel Fabrizio: “It was the craziest race but I’m very happy to be on the podium. I don’t know what clicked in my head! We have to be happy with the first podiums this year for our team, and my team-mate was here with me as well so it’s a great result! I feel sure I was in a position to win, but there was only one problem, Baz!”
Ayrton Badovini: “It’s incredible! Finishing without a bike is crazy! I’m happy because I started from 18th position, but with these conditions I could push and I saw that the conditions were changing. A great result for me and my team.”
Results: 1. Baz (Kawasaki) 18 Laps/106.236 km in 40’46.128 average 156.349 kph; 2. Fabrizio (BMW) 0.383; 3. Badovini (BMW) 0.459; 4. Rea (Honda) 0.539; 5. Checa (Ducati) 1.012; 6. Haslam (BMW) 2.619; 7. Melandri (BMW) 6.123; 8. Sykes (Kawasaki) 9.170; 9. Giugliano (Ducati) 19.022; 10. Laverty (Aprilia) 19.087; etc.
Race 2
Guintoli was declared the winner of an eight-lap second race after the rains fell so hard that three rider fell on the same part of the track, and the red flag was shown. Half points were awarded to the top 15 riders. Baz had been in the lead on the lap that the flag was shown but he had fallen shortly before, so on the countback he was credited with second. Third went to long time second place rider Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) with Aprilia Racing rider Eugene Laverty, who was 16 seconds behind rain master Guintoli when the flag went out, fourth. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) was fifth, Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Aprilia) was eventually classified seventh.
Sylvain Guintoli: “What a day, what a last couple of weeks actually! It’s been an up and down road after Brno, but I’ve just bounced back quickly with the Pata team and Ducati. I made the wrong choice of tyre in the first race, but in race 2 I went from zero to hero! I was really angry with myself at the start then when the rains came I eased off for the podium because I didn’t want to go from zero to zero! It’s my first win with Pata and hopefully there are many more to come!”
Loris Baz: “A fantastic weekend, in the beginning it was not so wet and I was saving the tyres for the big rain to come, but Kuba and Sylvain were fast. I passed them then I crashed without doing nothing because there was fuel and oil on the track. A big thanks to the team, they are doing a great job, also Kawasaki!”
Jakub Smrz: “I’m really happy because it was a tough Sunday for us. I was taken down in race 1 and we were still fixing the bike and had no time to get new parts. In race 2 it was good, I was together with Sylvain, we were fast but there was so much rain that I just crashed without doing nothing. I’m happy that they counted the end of the race one lap before and this is the first podium for me this year.”
Results: 1. Guintoli (Ducati) 8 Laps/47.216 km in 19’42.051 average 143.799 kph; 2. Baz (Kawasaki) 0.881; 3. Smrz (Ducati) 1.671; 4. Laverty (Aprilia) 19.045; 5. Berger (Ducati) 22.116; 6. Checa (Ducati) 23.736; 7. Davies (Aprilia) 24.690; 8. Melandri (BMW) 26.197; 9. Rea (Honda) 26.861; 10. Hopkins (Suzuki) 27.194; etc.
Points (after 10 di 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 274; 2. Melandri 263.5; 3. Sykes 222.5; 4. Checa 220.5; 5. Rea 203.5; 6. Haslam 170; 7. Laverty 160.5; 8. Guintoli 122.5; 9. Fabrizio 108.5; 10. Giugliano 106; etc. Manufacturers: 1. BMW 316; 2. Aprilia 302.5; 3. Ducati 300; 4. Kawasaki 253.5; 5. Honda 209.5; 6. Suzuki 75.5.
World Supersport
A thrilling race long fight between three PTR Honda riders ended up in a man-to-man duel between eventual winner Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) and Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda). The contest was so close that they touched on the final corners but the French rider was not to be denied and won the race by only 0.157 seconds. Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) came from slightly behind the PTR runners to take third, 0.591 seconds back, while Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda) hung in with the leading group almost throughout the restarted race and was an impressive fourth. Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Lorenzini) ran off track early on but recovered to score fifth place, ahead of two more Kawasaki riders, Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) and Sofuoglu’s Lorenzini team-mate, Sheridan Morais, who was seventh.
Results: 1. Cluzel (Honda) 16 Laps/94.432 km in 34’48.860 average 162.747 kph; 2. Lowes (Honda) 0.157; 3. Parkes (Honda) 0.591; 4. Quarmby (Honda) 2.068; 5. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 5.067; 6. Foret (Kawasaki) 19.484; 7. Morais (Kawasaki) 20.038; 8. Baldolini (Triumph) 23.169; etc.
Points (after 9 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglu 148; 2. Lowes 134; 3. Cluzel 120; 4. Foret 118; 5. Parkes 98; 6. Morais 71; 7. Quarmby 67; 8. Baldolini 62; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 197; 2. Kawasaki 187; 3. Triumph 91; 4. Yamaha 73; 5. Suzuki 6.
Superstock 1000
A race-long fight between Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati) and Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) finally went the way of La Marra, by only 0.241 seconds after ten intense laps at Silverstone. Spots of rain on lap one had no real effect on the track surface as La Marra and Guarnoni made a break, with eventual third place rider Bryan Staring (Pedercini Kawasaki) and fourth placed Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) having a real fight at the end. Fifth was British rider Kev Coghlan (DMC Ducati Panigale).
Results: 1. La Marra (Ducati) 10 Laps/59.020 km in 21’42.623 average 163.111 kph; 2. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 0.241; 3. Staring (Kawasaki) 3.054; 4. Barrier (BMW) 3.198; 5. Coghlan (Ducati) 7.920; 6. Bergman (Kawasaki) 12.551; 7. Jezek (Ducati) 15.888; 8. Mercado (Kawasaki) 19.155; etc.
Points (after 7 of 10 rounds): 1. La Marra 119; 2. Barrier 88; 3. Staring 86; 4. Guarnoni 82; 5. Savadori 67; 6. Reiterberger 62; 7. Bergman 59; 8. Baroni 56; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 132; 2. Kawasaki 130; 3. BMW 116; 4. Honda 52; 5. Aprilia 17.
Superstock 600
A red flag after tw
o laps of the first running of the Superstock 600 race made for a five-lap restart. Michael van Der Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team Honda) led for a while but eventually a four-rider fight developed. Gauthier Duwelz (MTM Yamaha) fell and the win was taken by Riccardo Russo (Team Italia FIM Yamaha). Second in a dramatic final corner lunge was van Der Mark, third was wild card Lee Jackson (Chris Walker Race School Kawasaki).
Results: 1. Russo (Yamaha) 5 Laps/29.510 km in 12’45.692 average 138.745 kph; 2. Vd Mark (Honda) 0.600; 3. Jackson (Kawasaki) 0.708; 4. Schacht (Honda) 7.941; 5. Chesaux (Honda) 10.527; 6. Nestorovic (Yamaha) 13.294; 7. Morbidelli (Yamaha) 14.507; 8. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 17.355; etc.
Points (after 7 of 10 rounds): 1. Russo 147; 2. Vd Mark 144; 3. Duwelz 78; 4. Calero Perez 53; 5. Vitali 53; 6. Gamarino 49; 7. Schacht 48; 8. Nestorovic 47; etc.
KTM European Junior Cup
Jamie Patterson from Northern Ireland secured a win at Silverstone, just 0.327 seconds ahead of Connor Parkhill and Brandon Kyee seven seconds back on the winner. The five-lap race result means that in the championship Lukas Wimmer leads Javier Orellana 70 points to 62. Gaston Garcia was fourth at Silverstone.
Results: 1. Patterson (KTM) 5 Laps/29.510 km in 13’49.368 average 128.093 kph; 2. Parkhill (KTM) 0.327; 3. Kyee (KTM) 7.412; 4. Garcia (KTM) 9.573; 5. Pasek (KTM) 9.593; 6. Mikhalchik (KTM) 22.857; 7. Scarcella (KTM) 27.801; 8. Kaczmarek (KTM) 36.924; etc.
Points (after 6 of 8 rounds): 1. Wimmer 70; 2. Orellana 62; 3. Garcia 58; 4. Vidal 54; 5. Patterson 53; 6. Demoulin 48; 7. Pasek 46; 8. Wielebski 43; etc.
Official Tyre Supplier – “”We knew that the weekend on English soil might hold some surprises for us due to particularly unpredictable weather, and that is exactly what happened. In fact, the English summer proved to be particularly treacherous for the riders who had to face extremely demanding racing conditions due to the periodic rain showers on the track. Despite the adverse weather we can definitely consider ourselves to be very satisfied with the solutions we brought to Silverstone. In Race 1 for the Superbike class we had further confirmation of the quality and versatility of the rear R302 solution in SC1 compound which was used by most of the riders for the first start. Not only that, but for the second start of Race 1 some of the riders gambled on a wet tyre even if there were no optimum rain conditions to justify using it and, in spite of this, they were able to finish the race. Race 2 was naturally ridden by all the riders on wet tyres which confirmed their excellent performance when used in the rain, the very purpose for which they were designed. There was definitely no lack of show and, once again, Superbike showed that it is a Championship where any rider has the potential to win. This weekend belonged to Loris Baz and the Kawasaki Racing Team, whom I would like to compliment, but also other outsider riders such as Michel Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini with Team BMW Motorrad Italia Goldbet. There are just four races left until the end of the Championship, but the general standings are anything but decided. Anything can still happen and it will be interesting to see who is able to prevail over the rivals.” – Giorgio Barbier, Racing Director Pirelli Moto
— Kawasaki Report
Loris Baz took his Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10R to a race one victory and then second place in race two at Silverstone, on a day when Tom Sykes defended his third place in the points table.
Baz won an incredibly confused first race, which was delayed as the weather went from reasonably dry to wet, after pushing his way to the front of a group of riders who were running slick tyres on a damp surface. Risking a lot but riding assuredly Baz ignored that fact that this was only his 11th race start at this level of competition, and he became the second youngest rider in SBK history to win a full SBK race.
In race two, his 12th career SBK race, Baz finished second in strange circumstances. Running on wets on a track that got wetter and eventually covered in both oil and fuel from other rider’s machines, Baz hunted down early leaders Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrz. When in the lead on lap ten Baz was to fall but the race was stopped soon after, and thanks to the count back rules, it as called a result after only eight laps, placing Loris second overall. Half points were awarded, so Loris got ten points and not the 20 he would have normally been awarded, with race winner Guintoli getting 12.5.
For Sykes the promise of much at Silverstone was washed away by the weather and simple bad luck. Having had his bike rebuilt before raceday his set-up in race one did not last all the distance, and his lap one lead ended up as eighth place. In race two he fell on oil or fuel, which had been spilled on a wet track and with many other riders he persuaded Race Control to stop the race. He would finally be classified 12th.
Most importantly for Tom, his main championship rivals also had tough days so he kept third place overall. He is now 51.5 points behind the leader Max Biaggi, and 41 points behind second place rider Marco Melandri.
Kawasaki Team Pedercini Superbike rider David Salom was 15th and then a retiree in race two. His team-mate at Silverstone David Johnson fell in the first attempt to run race one, and did not start the real race one or race two.
Superstock 1000 FIM Cup rider Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS) was only 0.2 seconds from the win after a strong ride from the Frenchman and a great fight from Bryan Staring (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) put him third. In the points Staring is third, Guarnoni fourth, with three rounds remaining.
Loris Baz: “It is really special to win and to win in England because I raced here in BSB last year for a while. I would also like to thank Kawasaki for believing in me. We made no mistakes in race one and finished up front. I think in the dry we are also really fast and we can fight for the first five or seven places. I chose the slick tyre because it was the best choice in race one. The conditions in race one were crazy for a while and early on I was missing some grip but when I saw the rains coming I pushed hard even though it was quite wet but I stayed on the bike and I am really happy, as you can imagine, for this victory. I want to thank all the team and we are also thinking of Joan Lascorz, because this victory is for him now. As for race two it was amazing to be here inside the top three again. The start of race two was not so wet so I just tried to keep my tyres, and then it started to move back up to Kuba and Sylvain, passed them both and them before falling, I think it was the right decision to take the race results back to lap eight because there was a lot of fuel on the track for two laps, and a lot of water. I am really happy and thanks to all my crew and Kawasaki again.”
Tom Sykes: “The general conditions in race two I was very annoyed about. For sure there was some contamination on the track, it was very greasy and I saw it for two laps and had tried to get the race red flagged. Lots of people crashed and it was red flagged on the lap I crashed. Now, lots of people have been put in the results from previous laps. It could have been worse today but I am disappointed that we did not come away with more points when we could have done. We are still third in the championship so we will just forget this one and move on.”
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Lorenzini) left Silverstone with his championship lead trimmed a little after finishing in a battling fifth place, with two other top Kawasaki riders just behind him.
Kenan had been pushed off track early in the 16-lap contest and had to work hard to get close to the leading pack of four, but he was unable to close that gap and settled for fifth place. His injured left knee joint was not the problem in the race that he feared it may be.
Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki Lorenzini) improved on his qualifying position to get seventh place after a strong ride through the field, and he now sits sixth overall.
Kawasaki Intermoto Step rider Fabien Foret was sixth in the race after not finding a perfect set-up due to weather conditions in qualifying and practice. he remains in the championship hunt in fourth place.
Romain Lanusse (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) scored 14th place and MSD R-N Racing Team India rider Florian Marino was 19th, despite getting a ride through penalty for jump-starting. Joshua Day (GoEleven Kawasaki) and Kawasaki rider Dan Linfoot (MSD R-N Racing Team India) failed to finish.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “My knee was OK but in the early laps some riders touched each other and I almost crashed, then had to run straight on. When I got back on I think I was in about 20th position. Then I pushed hard to come back. But the problem is that we did not make a real dry session all weekend so my bike was not really set-up for dry conditions. I pushed as much as possible but I made lots of risk. I tried to close up to the front and I think I did so for a while, but there was not enough time. I eased it a bit on the last two or three laps. Anyway, only fifth but we made points and we can look forward to the next race.”
Sheridan Morais: “I had a good race really, to come back from 15th to seventh was not bad but I think we could have done a bit better had the conditions in practice not been so tricky this weekend. I am happy with the setup given that situation so the guys did a really good job again. I think we could have changed one or two small things but we did the best we could have. I am happy and really grateful to all the guys involved.”
Fabien Foret: “I have to admit that because of the conditions in practice we were running late in settings and so on. Also, starting from where I was starting from I gambled on a soft tyre, but it was just the wrong choice. I finished where I finished because of that, but it is all ifs and buts. It cannot always be like it was in Brno so let us move on to Russia and try for the same as Brno.”
— Fixi Suzuki
FIXI Crescent Suzuki racers Leon Camier and John Hopkins had mixed fortunes during today’s 10th round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship from Silverstone in England as inclement weather caused chaos in both races.
Camier looked like he would take a podium in the first race – which had already been red-flagged and restarted due to an earlier incident – as he moved up into second place with only four laps remaining, after an impressive race had seen him battle through the field to move into a top-three position. Unfortunately the conditions caught out the Englishman and he crashed in a wet part of the track. He tried to re-mount but was unable to continue, leaving him bitterly disappointed at what might have been. In the second race Camier had to take evasive action and get off the track as a mechanical issue made him head to the gravel and an early retirement. Camier had looked good on track all weekend and the Silverstone crowd rose to applaud his efforts as he walked back to the pits with little reward from his promising performances.
Hopkins scored his best result of the season so far during today’s second race, as he continued his return to form. The event was started late due to rain beginning to fall over the 5,902m circuit, which increased as the race wore on. Hopkins made a solid start on his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R and was looking comfortable and smooth in the very tricky conditions. As the race progressed the rain got heavier, causing many riders to crash and the red flag being shown to stop the race. Although the race was ended early a result was declared and Hopkins finished in 10th to give him his first top-10 of the season. In race one he suffered an electrical fault and was forced to retire early.
Today’s races were held in mixed and difficult conditions with crashes, red flags and unusual results being the order of the day. The first race was won by Frenchman Loris Baz on a Kawasaki, with his fellow countryman Sylvain Guintoli taking victory in the second event. Max Biaggi still leads the championship, with Marco Melandri now closing the gap to just 10.5 points after today.
FIXI Crescent Suzuki will next be in action at the new Moscow circuit on Sunday 26th August, when World Superbikes visits Russia for the first time, but Camier, Hopkins and the rest of the team will be on-hand at the Crescent HQ in Verwood, England tomorrow evening (Monday), for a very special open evening in honour of the team, that starts at 17.30 local time and is open to all fans and visitors.
Leon Camier: “It’s been a frustrating day really because I felt we had the pace in the wet or dry after setting the fastest lap of the weekend in free practice and the qualifying in second in the wet. These are both positive things for me and the team, but unfortunately the results didn’t come today. It was very difficult conditions in race one and easy to make a mistake. I didn’t think I did anything wrong, but the rear came round and high-sided me off, so that was it – which was really annoying as a podium was possible. In race two the bike felt all over the place in the drier conditions, but as it rained more the wet tyres worked better and it felt good. We had an engine problem early on and it meant that we couldn’t complete the race, which, as I said, was very frustrating. Although I took no points this weekend, I’m not too disappointed because we had really good pace, the bike has improved and we showed we have a really good chance of getting results now.”
John Hopkins: “In the first race the conditions were quite tricky and I got banged-up a bit in the first couple of corners and dropped back quite a lot. We had made some set-up changes just before the race and they might have hindered us a bit, because I never really got to grips with it and I got stuck in a group lower down the order, but then unfortunately I had an electrical issue that put me out of the race, so that was a bit disappointing. In race two we were hoping it would be either full wet or totally dry. We took the gamble with wet tyres and it rained as we got to the grid so it was the correct choice. I got off the line well enough and had a good race from the start. Then it started to rain heavily and it was carnage out there, lots of guys crashed and we were all hydroplaning, which was a shame because I felt good out there before that and the FIXI Crescent Suzuki GSX-R was going really well and I am sure we could have finished higher than 10th. The bike had huge potential here this weekend, the engine was working strong, I’d made a break-through in confidence and was feeling good, but for one reason or another it didn’t quite come together in the race, but it is what it is and that’s how racing goes. The bike is a lot better now and that is something we can take forward into the remaining races.”
Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “It started off a good weekend with plenty of positives. Leon was running strong in all sessions despite the conditions and John showed signs of his old self as his confidence started to return and it was good to see him in the top-10. We qualified well and just missed out on the pole, but it was the team’s first front row start of 2012, which was great at the home round for all our sponsors, guests and fans. The results on race-day were a bit disappointing, but we have shown that the team can now run at the sharp-end – where we should be – and we have made big steps this weekend on the engine side of things. Both riders said they were happy with the improved performance and as Leon showed, it helped him run up towards the front, which he hasn’t been able to do up until now.
“We will now go back to the workshop and work on what we have learned this weekend with our engine partners Yoshimura, to try and find some more improvements for Moscow and try to continue in the same way there as we did here at Silverstone this weekend.”
— BMW Report
At the tenth round of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship, BMW Motorrad extended its lead in the Manufacturers’ Classification of the FIM Superbike World Championship. In the Riders’ Standings factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) reduced his gap to leader Max Biaggi (ITA). Despite this Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport experienced a difficult Sunday with extra tricky conditions at Silverstone (GBR). Rain showers and thunderstorms made racing a lottery. Marco finished the difficult races in seventh and eighth respectively, securing important points. His team-mate, local hero Leon Haslam (GBR), was on course to win race one, but once again had bad luck and had to settle with sixth and 17th in the two races.
Race one started in dry conditions, although black clouds were already hanging over the track. At the start Leon took the lead, coming from fourth. But the race had to be red flagged during the first lap as it had started to rain and several riders crashed. More than half an hour later the race was restarted as a “wet race”. The rain had stopped, but the track was still damp. Most of the riders opted for slicks, including Leon and Marco. Leon took the lead on lap two, but slipped back to second behind Carlos Checa (ESP) on lap five. After that the Englishman was involved in an exciting fight for the podium places, and fought his way back into the lead on lap 13. He was then able to open a gap to the rest of the field. However, the rain became heavier, making the conditions tricky for the riders on slicks, and second placed Leon Camier (GBR) crashed on lap 15. As the race continued in the rain, Leon was struggling with grip as the temperature of his rear tyre went down and he was not able to defend his lead against the closely packed field that was chasing him. He finished the race in sixth. Marco was struggling with the conditions from the start, but rode a steady race and crossed the line in seventh. Michel Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini (both ITA) finished second and third respectively, so securing the first podium positions in the Superbike World Championship for the BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet SBK Team.
There was even more drama in race two. On the warm-up lap it started to rain lightly while a thunderstorm was getting nearer the track. The start was delayed and the race reduced to 17 laps. This time, Leon and Marco opted for rain tyres and, in fact, the rain became heavier with every lap and the conditions worsened. In addition on lap eight there was oil on the track causing one rider after another to crash. Leon also fell, but was able to continue. When the leaders were on their tenth lap the race was red flagged after several crashes. At this point, Marco was sixth and Leon had fought his way back to 14th. As some riders had not completed their ninth lap when the red flag was shown, the result was declared as the positions after lap eight. Marco was classified eighth and Leon 17th. Fabrizio was 13th, while Badovini also crashed on lap eight. For this race only half points were awarded.
In the Riders’ Championship, second placed Marco now has 263.5 points and has reduced his gap to leader Biaggi to 10.5 points. Leon is sixth with 170 points. In the Manufacturers’ Standings BMW now has 316 points and has extended its lead to 13.5 points over Aprilia. The races were won by Loris Baz and Sylvain Guintoli (both FRA).
Leon Haslam:
Result Race 1: 6th / Gap to 1st: 00:02.619 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 2:07.524 min
Result Race 2: 17th / Gap to 1st: 00:58.530 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 2:27.850 min
“It was another bad race day. It wasn’t the fault of the team or the bike. We could have won race one, but were unfortunate with the weather and the tyre. In race two we had an issue during the first half, and there was something strange with the centre of the tyre when it was dry. The more and more it rained the better the tyre became and I started to catch the guys again, but then I crashed on some oil. I was able to get back into the race and moved up to 14th, but then it was red flagged and the classification was based on the result after lap eight, so I was out of the points. It is really frustrating. They should have stopped the race before that.”
Marco Melandri:
Result Race 1: 7th / Gap to 1st: 00:06.123 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 2:07.596 min
Result Race 2: 8th / Gap to 1st: 00:26.197 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 2:28.664 min
“This day was actually unbelievable. The two races were completely different, but they were both equally as difficult. It was very important to finish today. Many young riders who are not involved in the championship fight were pushing very hard, so the races were not easy. However, I am so happy because we leave here without any damage and good points. Now I am looking forward to Moscow because the track is new for everybody. I just hope the weather will be more stable there.”
Andrea Dosoli (Head of Race Operations): “Overall we are happy because BMW increased its lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship, and that was also thanks to the good job done by Michel Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini. On top of that we reduced Marco’s gap to Max Biaggi, but we would have preferred to achieve these results in a fair competition with proper track conditions. The conditions were extreme and dangerous for the riders. I am happy with the job done by Leon and Marco because they were able to manage two very difficult races. Marco realised under these extreme circumstances there was nothing to be gained by taking any unnecessary risk. He took the right decision in the fight for the World Championship. Unfortunately Leon crashed in the second race on some oil on the wet track, otherwise he would have been much further up in the results. In race one Leon deserved a better result because he was able to lead the race. We are sure he can soon achieve his target and get this top result he deserves.”
— Honda Report
Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) finished fourth and ninth in the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship races at Silverstone today, after two races that were adversely affected by weather conditions and rider crashes. Jonathan was fourth in a remarkable race one, which finally went to the full 18-lap distance after a restart when four riders fell in the first attempted running.
A huge number of changes of position and a frenetic final lap of risk by the leading riders saw Rea cross the line 0.539 seconds from the winner Loris Baz (Kawasaki). The rider immediately in front of Jonathan, Ayrton Badovini (BMW) highsided as he crossed the line and Jonathan crashed into his machine, without injury, and then slid down the finish straight. Rea had been tenth after superpole, having struggled to get to grips with the Silverstone layout and surface conditions after losing track time in practice due to poor weather.
In race two Jonathan had another highly disturbed race, with rain falling just before the schedule start. The race was eventually classified – with half points – on lap eight, as it was red flagged on lap ten after several riders fell on a newly wet track made treacherous by a suspected fuel spill. Jonathan was ninth in the final classification, despite falling on lap nine. Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati) won race two.
In the championship points, Max Biaggi has 274, Marco Melandri 263.5, Tom Sykes 222.5, Checa 220.5 and Rea 203.5.
Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) ended his day in 13th place after race one and then 14th in race two, scoring good points on a day where merely finishing both races was an achievement in itself. He is now 17th in the rankings, with 41.5 points.
A new adventure for all in the SBK paddock will take place on Sunday 22 August when the series heads to Russia for the first time in its 25-year history.
Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) and Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) finished 1-2 at Silverstone in the FIM Supersport World Championship race after a close contest, which included a contact between the riders on the final complex of corners. Lowes had attempted to get back the lead he had enjoyed for most of the 16-lap race, but after a moment when both riders were forced off line after their touch, Cluzel and Lowes swept across the line on a good day for the CBR600RR riders.
Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) was part of the four-rider group that dominated proceedings on an eventually completely dry track at Silverstone, after many wet periods of practice had held up the business of finding a good set-up. He was to hold off the push of PTR Honda rider Ronan Quarmby in the final laps, after Quarmby missed a gear and that break in his rhythm allowed Parkes to get within 0.591 seconds of winner Cluzel. Jules has now won races at Silverstone in the Moto2 and WSS classes.
This was Cluzel’s second win of the year and one that drew him closer to both Lowes and championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki), who was only fifth today. In the overall points at the top of the table, Sofuoglu has 148, Lowes
134 and Cluzel 120, with Parkes in fifth place, on 98 points. Quarmby, only 2.068 seconds from Cluzel after 16-laps moved up to seventh in the championship thanks to his 13 points for fourth place today. There will be four rounds to run now, with confirmation that the Portimao round is definitely on.
The first attempted race was started then stopped after riders fell on the tricky track conditions, so a complete re-run was called, causing some other support classes to be run after the second Superbike race.
Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team): Race result: 4th / 9th Championship position: 5th “Race one was just crazy, but I enjoyed because I knew it would be tough to race for a win, but we genuinely had a shot at it there! I got a bit wide a one the first lap and the rear came round when I hit the kerb and I was dead last. But I never gave up and it was nice to be in the hunt for a race win until the last corner, which gave me motivation for race two. That was strange starting on full wets when the track wasn’t completely wet – it was difficult for everyone. I was looking after my tyre at the beginning, which is why I was so far back, but when the monsoon came I started to push a little bit. My crash, like pretty much everybody else’s out there happened on the rear tyre, which has no grip. There have been so many crashes in the wet like that this year – off the gas, at the apex – it’s getting a bit frustrating. Overall, we took points out of the championship leaders, so it’s not been a bad job today. To come out with a fourth and a ninth is better than I expected last night, so we’ll take these results and move on.”
Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team): Race result: 13th / 14th Championship position: 17th “Both races were very tough because of the conditions and we had two starts to each race. So we had to think a lot which tyre was the right one to choose, and each time I think we made the correct choice. In race one I finished 13th and it was tough because we had rain in the middle of the race, but it had already been declared wet, so we had to keep going. I think my lap times were not too bad; I just lost a bit of time early in the race, which was a pity. Race two was strange because we had to put on a rain tyre without real rain to start, but the last part of the race there was a lot of water and some petrol on the track. I tried to stay on the bike just to finish. I thought I was 12th but the final result is 14th, which was a pity.”
Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda): Race result: 1st Championship position: 3rd “That was a hard race, but I had my race plan I wanted to do and I stuck to it. I drafted Sam on the last lap,but then he came back at me on the final corner and we touched, it was very close. I am pleased to win and also very happy to enjoy racing here and the feeling I have with my PTR Honda. It is good for us in the Championship as well, I am happy to be third again and close in on the riders in front.”
Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda): Race result: 2nd Championship position: 2nd “The race was not too bad because we did not know if it was going to be wet or dry and it in the end it was dry so that was nice. I struggled a little in the lead because I did not have awesome pace, but I wanted to keep in front and did as much as I could. I knew Jules would have a go and my move on the last lap probably was not the best, but I just wanted to win so badly. So I apologise to him and well done to him for his win, and to Broc for an all-Honda podium. Sorry that I did not win the race, but I tried my best and hopefully we can put that right in Russia. I’m a racer and I always aim to win, so bring on Moscow.”
Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda): Race result: 3rd Championship position: 5th “It was a good race and just a shame to be the last Honda on the podium not the first! The two boys up front were really quick and Quarmby the other one that was there, I started from 18th on the grid so to get on the podium means we had a good day. I am very happy with that. In the middle of the race I was struggling to stay and at one time I had to pick the bike up and lost a lot of time so I could not be there for the last two laps. I tried very hard, but third is good and two podiums in a row now, so I have to thank the Ten Kate Honda team as they always work very hard for me over the last two races in particular and it has made a big difference.”
Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda): Race result: 4th Championship position: 7th “I really enjoyed that race and was right with Jules and Sam until I made a small mistake and Parkes came past me. After that it was hard to get back with them, but I am delighted with fourth and want to say thank you to the PTR Honda team for giving me such a good bike, it’s been a very strong and positive weekend.”
Mathew Scholtz (Bogdanka PTR Honda): Race result: 11th Championship position: 28th “The first start was very bad for me. I lost a few positions and then got taken out from behind. The handlebar had been snapped and when I pulled in, it took some time to fix it, so I had to take the restart from the pit-lane. I had a good pace and was doing the same times as the top six. It was a bit unlucky to be taken out, but I’m happy with scoring points and want to improve from that in the upcoming races.”
Martin Jessopp (Riders PTR Honda): Race result: 21st Championship position: 38th “I didn’t make the best of starts and then struggled to ride the bike the way a Supersport machine needs to be ridden. I am still riding it like a Superbike and that doesn’t work. I will take the positives in that my lap times at the end of the race were good and my qualifying position and wet set up are good as well.”
Alex Lundh (Bogdanka Honda PTR): Race result: 16th Championship position: Not classified “The first start was very good for me and I felt really confident with the bike, but then the race was red-flagged. The restart went very well too, but I was pushed wide and lost about five positions in one corner. It was a hard fight and there was quite a lot of traffic, but with a few laps to go, I got the feeling back and was actually 15th on the last lap, but was pushed out wide and lost a position. I still need more laps in the dry after not riding a Supersport bike since October. I’m happy with the qualifying and a bit disappointed about the race, but it was still a promising debut in the Bogdanka colours.”
— Althea Ducati
A very difficult day’s racing for team Althea and riders Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano with heavy rain showers that conditioned both of today’s SBK races at the Silverstone track. Despite the less than ideal circumstances, current champion Checa was able to score some good results, crossing the line in fifth and sixth place, while Davide secured points in race one thanks to a ninth place finish.
Race 1- Althea Racing had to battle against the elements again today with a first race that was declared dry, before being red-flagged and restarted as a ‘wet’ race that became increasingly difficult over the course of the 18-laps. Carlos made a good start to the restarted race and was sixth at the end of lap one while Davide was ninth through the first corners, slipping however to seventeenth by the end of the first lap. During the next few laps both riders were able to recover; Carlos passed a group of riders, including Biaggi and Sykes, and took the lead by lap five and Davide was up to twelfth by lap eight, having been the fastest rider on track in the early laps. Carlos built up a three second gap between himself and the chasing group, made up of Sykes, Camier and Haslam but on lap eight it began to rain and he was forced to reduce his speed. He lost several positions as a result but, evaluating the conditions, he decided it was preferable to finish the race rather than risk a crash. The current world champion thus crossed the line in fifth position, behind a group of four riders who battled it out right to the line, with two of them – Badovini and Rea – crashing just a fraction of a second after passing the chequered flag. Davide, despite suffering from pain in his right hand as a result of a crash on Friday and dealing with a small technical problem with his boot, fought long and hard against Laverty before making up a few places in the final stages to cross the line in final ninth position.
Race 2 – the second race started exactly as the first had done, with the start delayed due to instable conditions. The race was then declared wet, as a result of the damp track. This time all riders opted for rain tyres and this proved to be the right decision, as heavy rainfall arrived as soon as the race got underway. Carlos lost ground in the opening stages and was in fourteenth place at the end of the first lap while Davide lay in ninth. Both found a good rhythm and while Carlos moved up through the field to reach sixth position, Davide, now fourth, was pushing to close the gap between himself and Baz, third. Reaching a very slippery section of the track, that was perhaps oil-coated, Davide unfortunately crashed out on lap six, with team-mate Carlos suffering the same fate just two laps later. The race was stopped during the course of the ninth lap, and half points were awarded according to riders’ positions at the end of lap eight, meaning that Carlos scored five points for his sixth place finish.
At the end of Round ten of the championship Carlos is now in fourth position in the standings with a total of 220.5 points. Davide is now tenth with 106 points. Ducati lies in third position in the manufacturer’s standings with 300 points behind Aprilia (302) and BMW (316).
Carlos Checa: “The conditions today, especially in race 1, were dangerous; racing in the wet with slick tyres is obviously no fun for anyway, although it probably makes for exciting races for the spectators. Before the rain started to fall I was going really well but then once the rain came, and certain sections of the track became wetter than others, I lost a bit of confidence and slowed down a bit, thinking that maybe one or two guys would come past me but instead there were five or six of them! In the final stages, when I saw how the front group was pushing and how hard it was just to stay upright, I chose to stay put and follow them rather than push and take risks. Fifth isn’t bad considering the conditions. In race 2 I lost some ground at the start but then managed to make that up again over the subsequent laps to arrive close to Berger who was in fifth. I saw some oil on the track and went wide to avoid it – I put my hand up at that point to indicate to Race Direction that conditions were getting worse but then I fell. Anyway, we’ve made up a few points in the standings and now we have to concentrate on the Russian round.”
Davide Giugliano: “In race 1, I decided to take it easy for the first couple of laps to see what conditions were really like and then I started to push and felt quite comfortable. Unfortunately once I got up near to Badovini I had a problem with my boot and I couldn’t change gear easily. In the second race I had a strong pace and was feeling quite happy in the now full wet conditions. I was there in fourth and felt I was in a position to push and try to catch Baz for third but at a certain point I unexpectedly crashed – I don’t know it if was just me pushing too hard or if there was oil on the track but anyway there was nothing I could do. It’s a pity because I know I had the pace in that race and could have taken a good result.”
— Rivamoto Report (Jed Metcher)
Round 10 at Silverstone did not bring great results for the Rivamoto team with Edik Blokhin being the only rider to finish in Sunday’s race. Luck wasn’t on Jed Metcher’s side after he was unable to complete the race due to technical issues. Jed was improving with his dry suspension setting in the morning warm up session, however he ran into other issues later in the race. The afternoon Supersport race was declared dry as the clouds held back the rain until just before the second Superbike race. The track and air temperatures were still very low, with 18 degrees being the maximum air temperature.
Jed got up into 12th position in the race when a red flag was called due to an incident on the second lap. Metcher’s second start was not as impressive as he ended up in 24th position after running wide at one of the corners. Metcher fought his way back up into 21st position; however he was unable to keep up with the pace when a technical difficulty resulted in a DNF. Jed remains in 13th position in the Championship standings and says he is eager to compete and “fight back” at the next round at Moscow raceway. This will be the first Superbike round held at Moscow so Jed believes this will even out the track set-up knowledge.
Oleg Pozdneev was not able to compete in the Supersport race after highsiding in yesterday’s wet qualifying session.
Quote Jeremy McWilliams: “Jed had a great start and we really thought all the bad luck of this weekend was behind us, then the race was stopped and it all went downhill from there. The new engine developed a problem during the restarted race and although Jed hadn’t capitalised on the restart he was not able to race as the motor lost power. It was a weekend to forget.”
— Matt Davies
Matt Davies slid out of a potential debut win in wet conditions at Silverstone earlier today.
Having previously led the first attempt to run the race, the talented Aussie got to the front early on in the re-run and was looking strong. However the reigning European Junior Cup champion lost control and crashed luckily being avoided by the riders behind.
Despite this disappointment Matt has shown once again that he has front running pace in both the wet and dry and is confident of being back at the sharp end in Germany when the championship resumes in early September.
