WorldSBK hits Donington Park
The legendary Donington Park circuit will play host to the sixth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend.
The English circuit of DoningtonPark was built in 1931 with the intention to host the first motorcycle races. With the onset of World War II the circuit operations were interrupted and the track was closed until 1971 when it was reopened by a local businessman who was a motorsports enthusiast.
DoningtonPark is located in the East Midlands about 180 kilometers north-west of London, not far from the famous Sherwood Forest, and is designed in a natural amphitheater in order to offer the possibility for spectators to follow the races in an optimal way.
Donington is particularly special in World Superbike history, as it hosted the very first race event in 1988. Home rider Roger Burnett picked up his first and what proved to be only pole position before Italians Davide Tardozzi and Marco Lucchinelli triumphed in the two heats, with Lucchinelli coming out the overall winner. This would prove to be the only round split into two heats, with the two-race format known today coming in for the following event.
The track is 4023 metres long and has 12 curves- 7 right-hand turns and 5 left-handers with the turn radii stretching from a minimum of 24 metres to a maximum of 333 metres. It runs clockwise and the pole position rider starts on the left. Maximum slope is 8%, while the finish straight measures 550 metres.
In the past the eni FIM Superbike World Championship has stopped in Donington in different periods of the year such as March, then September and May. No matter what time of the year in which you visit, Donington is still an ‘unknown’ from a meteorological point of view: you can have summery conditions and good temperatures as well as cold and even rainy days. In the first case it will be possible to use solutions in soft compounds such as the SC0, in the second case more protected tyres to prevent cold tearing or of course intermediate or wet tyres.
The British circuit of DoningtonPark provides a mixed track although quite fast with many changes of elevation (eg. Hollywood) and some sharp corners which require braking and sudden acceleration, which put a strain on the riders (eg. Melbourne Hairpin). On the straight stretch coming out of the Coppice (turn 8) the highest acceleration coming out of a corner is reached.
The most interesting part, however, is made by the two medium turns that break up the straight opposite the finish (Old Hairpin and McLeans Corner), because they are at the same time sharp like a chicane but fast like a long turn, with the bikes never dropping below 100 kph. Riders that keep up their speed can benefit greatly here and earn very helpful tenths.
Compared to other tracks, Donington Park is not a circuit that gives particularly high speeds, the maximum speed is just over 270 km/h, and the average speed settles down to just above 160 Km/h, these data are very distant from 320 km/h with average of 180 Km/h logged at Phillip Island. Considering also the local climatic conditions, the tyres are usually found to work with rather low surface temperatures that oscillate from a maximum of about 110° celsius up to a minimum extreme low of 50° celsius. That is why their flexibility is critical and must ensure they reach the usual 55° and usual lateral accelerations despite the operating temperature being similar to that of normal street use.
The first part of the track requires a great stability at the front and the front tyre must be able to maintain its shape providing the necessary support on the downhill corners.
The rear is interesting in particular in the phases of abrupt and violent acceleration which are typical of this circuit, especially the one coming out of Coppice. With the cold the tread compound, in particular the soft ones, cannot easily reach the correct operating temperatures and, in cases of high rigidity, may suffer in the opening throttle phase superficial lacerations and tearing. In these cases, it is recommended to use mechanically stronger rear solutions.
Heading to England in 2015, four British riders head up the World Championship, but only two of them have ever won at Donington. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) is the second most successful rider at the track after only Carl Fogarty, having done the double for the last two years. Sykes also impressed in 2008, finished second in race one as a wildcard rider while Troy Bayliss celebrated victory.
Without doubt, KRT’s Jonathan Rea is the British rider generating headlines this season. Perhaps his best Donington memory is that of 2012, when he won the second race after the BMWs of Leon Haslam and Marco Melandri came together at the last corner. Haslam will certainly be hoping to avoid such drama this weekend; he heads to Donington off the back of three ‘bogey circuits’ for him in Aragon, Assen and Imola, with his second race in Italy having featured one of the biggest crashes of his racing career. The Aprilia rider is now attempting to put the title attack back on track in front of his many fans, friends and family members at Donington.
Jonathan Rea: “I think the formula we have found in the working relationship between me and the rest of the team, my crew chief and the engineers at KHI is going very well. We need to continue that way of working because Donington has presented some challenges to me in the past, as a rider. But last year, when I look at the results and watch the races again, it is clear that it is a track that really suits the Ninja ZX-10R, thanks to the stability of the bike in the last sector and the agility and handling of the KRT ZX-10R in the first sector. I expect to be strong but we do not know how strong we can be until Saturday qualifying, after we have completed our preparations for the race. Being a home race does not change how I approach the weekend, or how I ride. I do find it bizarre how some guys at home find that X-factor, but we just treat it like another race. I have a lot of family coming over from Ireland and a lot of my British fans have been telling me on social media that they are coming, so it is going to be amazing to come home and see all my supporters. Especially after the run I have. I would say that the UK is where I have most of my fanbase, so hopefully I can meet a lot of people and make them all proud.”
Tom Sykes: “I’m looking forward to Donington because as the season has progressed I have managed to make myself more comfortable with this year’s regulations. So much so that we set a new lap record in Imola, at a place I did not expect to do that. We are definitely getting there now and I am looking for a setting that allows me to do that kind of lap time, but for 20 laps. We still miss a little bit but this is just purely from the balance between the bike and me. I am really looking forward to improving that and then we can be very consistent for the races. There is no reason why we can’t be. The rules have changed for everybody and Kawasaki is doing a great job, reacting fast to the rule changes and they have made things happen quickly. If we have been fast in previous events we can also be fast at Donington. It’s a track where we have had good results in the past so hopefully, after the improvements in Imola, we can aim to do something similar. At your home race you see a lot of familiar faces from your racing history, and you get to see more family and friends. We have had special memories at Donington in the last two years and it would be nice after the difficulty of the start of the season to feel that kind of magic again.”
Elsewhere, Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) has become the first Spanish rider to collect a World Superbike podium trophy since Carlos Checa. However, he has another new track to learn. On the other hand, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team) will be praying for race finishes and a strong haul of points following two very costly race retirements – both because of matters beyond the rider’s control – last time out. The Welshman’s team-mate Davide Giugliano took the paddock by storm two weekends ago, dramatically clinching pole position before picking up a Race 1 rostrum finish; all the more impressive considering this was his first round back since his pre-season testing crash.
Leon Haslam: “I can’t wait for Donington, it’s my home race and the only chance I get to race in front of my home fans. It’s also a track I know very well and should suit the Aprilia. I have to wait and see how my injury is but I’m confident it will not affect me. Also I know the team has been working really hard to improve the bike, so I’m excited to test the new components”.
Jordi Torres: “I’m very motivated after the podium at Imola. We want to stay in the top positions. Donington Park is a new circuit for me but it is very different than Imola. The first two parts seem to suit us, both for the RSV4 RF and for my riding style, whereas the last section is where we’ll need to improve: tight turns and abrupt braking sessions. I know that it will be difficult playing on the English riders’ home pitch, so we’ll need to give it our all because they are always very fast. To prepare for the new track I’m still watching a lot of videos and playing on the simulators in order to streamline the learning process as much as possible.”
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #7) – “Last year we had a pretty average weekend at Donington. It’s always been a bit of a difficult one for me actually and I’d class it as similar to Assen, though having said that we did alright at Assen this year so I guess it’s a case of turning up and seeing what we can do. Anyway, it’s a home race for me so the extra support will be nice and my aim, as ever, will be to finish both races on the podium.”
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #34) – “I really like the Donington track and we did well there last year, scoring pole position and fourth place in race 2, though I crashed in race 1 when my glove got caught up with the throttle. This week I’ve focused on training, as I want to get back in shape as soon as possible. Over just a few days I haven’t been able to do a great deal but I’ve already improved a little. The races keep coming, and I really suffered at Imola, so it’s important to return to competitiveness as quickly as possible. I’ll do my best to do well again this coming weekend…”
The UK Round could be a telling one for the respective Pata Honda World Superbike Team and Voltcom Crescent Suzuki; both are still looking for the consistent rate of success they yearned at the start of the campaign. For the Suzuki outfit, based in Dorset, the learning curve has increased in size since the introduction of a new electronics package from the Aragón Round onwards. Last year, Alex Lowes finished on the podium at Donington.
Randy de Puniet last raced in Donington Park in 2009, when he clinched the second of his two career MotoGP podium finishes, taking third behind current MotoGP front-runner Andrea Dovizioso and two-time WorldSBK Champion Colin Edwards on a very wet day.
Alex Lowes: “Donington has always been one of my favourite tracks and as it’s only 10 minutes from where I live it really is a home race! I’ve made some great memories here over the years – including getting a WSBK podium on the Suzuki last year – and the UK fans are always in great spirits, really supportive of all the British riders, and Crescent as the only British-based team, so it’s a fantastic atmosphere all weekend. It’s a technical layout and I always enjoy the challenge but I know the track so well, so I’m really looking forward to getting started on Friday and getting back out there on the GSX-R.”
Randy de Puniet: “I have good memories of Donington Park because I had my last GP win there in 2005, in the 250cc class, and in 2009 I also finished on the podium there for MotoGP™. It is a small track and I really like it, especially the first part, although not so much the final two corners. I really like to race in England because the British fans love motorcycles, they respect the riders, the atmosphere is always great and it is always a pleasure to race there. The weather is always critical, but we haven’t had a wet race yet this year, so maybe it will be our first one! I really hope that we can find the solutions to set the base for the GSX-R this weekend so we can start to work on Friday morning, I want to enjoy riding the bike and to be able to ride a good race on Sunday.”
At Honda, memories of the longest ever run of consecutive points finishes are but a distant memory for reigning World Champion Sylvain Guintoli, who at Imola registered a second non-finish of 2015, while Michael van der Mark also had a difficult weekend following the heroics of Assen when the Dutchman clinched top three finishes in both of his home races.
Sylvain Guintoli – “We managed to salvage something in race one at Imola and took some positives from that, but we were quite a bit off the pace and we still have some steps to make so I can ride the CBR the way I’d like. We’ve got some new things to try this weekend at Donington though, and it’s really good that the team is working so hard and responding so positively. I really like the Donington track, especially the fast rhythm of the first part and, although some other riders don’t like the back section, I see it as a couple of good overtaking opportunities and a lot of fun. I’ve had some good races at Donington in the past and it’s always nice to be racing at ‘home’ with my family close by. There will be a lot of friends coming to support this weekend so let’s hope we can put on a bit of a show for them.”
Michael van der Mark – “I really like the Donington Park circuit and I’m looking forward to going back there this weekend. I had a pretty good result there last year and I’m hoping it will suit the CBR a little better. The first part is really fast and free-flowing and a lot of fun, but we’ll have to work hard to get the bike working in the last part with the two hairpins. I’m still a rookie and still learning to ride a superbike but it would be good to get back to a position where we can fight for the podium on Sunday.”
Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) is another rider with a Donington Park podium to his name, having finished on the rostrum racing alongside Max Biaggi at Aprilia in 2011. The Kent rider had made his World Superbike debut at the circuit two years earlier, as a wildcard with the Airwaves Yamaha Team with which he won the 2009 British Superbike crown.
Expected to return to action is Nico Terol, who was replaced at Althea Racing by Michel Fabrizio for Imola. Terol had been injured in the previous gathering at Assen and now hopes to be back in action at a circuit he knows from his Grand Prix racing days. Others are looking to back up a strong Imola performance as Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing Ducati), Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven) strive for success.
2015 eni FIM Superbike World Championship (5 of 13 rounds completed)
1 – Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Racing Team – 240
2 – Leon Haslam Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils – 153
3 – Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team – 128
4 – Chaz Davies Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team – 123
5 – Jordi Torres Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils – 99
Expectation high as WSS heads to Donington
Heading to the Land of Hope and Glory, Donington Park will bring the curtain down on the first half of the World Supersport season for 2015. Last year at the British circuit, it was Michael van der Mark who triumphed after a last-lap pass on Cluzel. The Dutchman would go on to take that season’s title prior to his switch to the World Superbike class.
Australian Aiden Wagner will make his second European appearance and will be hoping to make strides forwards at Donington. Likewise, countryman Glenn Scott will be looking to put the AARK rider further up the field.
As for Frenchman Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), he is attempting to fight back to the front of the championship, having led it after his Phillip Island victory at the top end of the season. He finds himself 40 points in arrears of Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and still feeling the effects of costly engine problems in Thailand and Aragon. Sofuoglu, on the other hand, sealed a very impressive win at Imola despite the knowledge that his baby son was critically ill in hospital; a true mark of the Turk’s determined character.
Another rider still in the fight and not to be forgotten is P.J. Jacobsen. The New Yorker has impressed this season and is officially Sofuoglu’s closest challenger. The Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki rider heads to Great Britain off the back of two podiums and a pair of fourth place finishes; he sits 37 points behind the championship leader with a maximum of 175 points up for grabs between Britain and the Qatar season finale on 18 October.
Back on the podium in his home race, Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) seems to have readjusted to his F3 675 motorcycle, while British riders Kyle Smith (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) and Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) are keen to impress the home crowd. In Smith’s case, this will be his first race since debuting as a television commentator, having provided the soundtrack to Imola’s round of the Pata Junior Cup powered by Honda. Another rider looking to iron out some ups and downs in World Supersport is Ratthapark Wilairot (CORE’’ Motorsport Thailand Honda), who has gone through a poor patch of form since winning for the first time at Buriram.
Finland’s Niki Tuuli will take advantage of the break in the STK600 calendar by making his World Supersport debut with his Kallio Racing Team, while Alexey Ivanov will return to action after his encouraging thirteenth-place finish in a one-off ride at Aragon last month. British wildcards Kyle Ryde (Pacedayz European TrackDays Yamaha), Luke Stapleford and Sam Hornsey (Profile Racing Triumph) elevate the number of entries for the UK round to 28. Stapleford and Ryde currently sit atop the British Supersport Championship table.
2015 FIM Supersport World Championship (5 of 12 rounds completed)
1 – Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing – 105
2 – PJ Jacobsen Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres – 68
3 – Jules Cluzel MV Agusta Reparto Corse – 65
Superstock 1000 back at Donington after five-year absence
Lorenzo Savadori (Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia) heads to the fourth round of the 2015 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup after clinching a second consecutive victory of the season at Imola. However, Donington Park could present a more difficult challenge for the Italian, who has raced there on only one previous occasion: 125 Grand Prix racing in 2009.
The last FIM Superstock 1000 Cup race at Donington came in 2009. Xavier Simeon started on pole position with a Ducati, winning the race from Claudio Corti’s Suzuki and Honda-shod Maxime Berger.
This time round, Savadori holds the advantage points-wise, helped by the crash that took erstwhile championship leader Roberto Tamburini (MotoxRacing BMW) out of the Assen race earlier this season. Similar happenings have affected the likes of Ondrej Jezek (Triple-M by Barni Ducati), Kev Coghlan (MRS Yamaha) and Raffaele de Rosa (Althea Racing Ducati), who are all in contention but have lost points through an assortment of incidents.
Out of action completely will be Coghlan’s team mate Florian Marino, who will be replaced by fellow Frenchman Mathieu Gines. As spectacular as his Imola highside was, the Frenchman was left with an arm fractured in two places which means he misses Donington and hopes to be back for Portimao. Since the Imola race, he has undergone surgery in Italy before heading home.
The Superstock 1000 class will be the only Superstock class racing at Donington, as the Superstock 600 riders had two races in Aragon as they do not compete at the UK Round.
2015 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup (3 of 8 rounds completed)
1 – Lorenzo Savadori Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia – 70
2 – Roberto Tamburini MotoxRacing BMW – 45
3 – Ondrej Jezek Triple-M by Barni Ducati – 43
Rider’s play ahead of Donington Park WorldSBK
The official press conference of WorldSBK round six took place today at Donington Park Circuit, involving the current top-5 riders in the championship standings, four of them being native to the UK. KRT entries Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, together with factory Aprilia duo Leon Haslam and Jordi Torres and Ducati’s Chaz Davies answered a variety of questions regarding the upcoming race weekend.
The biggest hype surrounded the potential in-team fight for the win between Kawasaki’s Rea and Sykes, who scored a double one-two last time out in Imola. “It’s true that between us we have won the last five races at Donington” said Isle of Man resident Rea, “but it would be foolish to discount a number of other riders. There are other British riders capable of winning” he added. Rea’s confidence is buoyed, in light of his remarkable winning start to 2015.
Four time race winner at Donington, Sykes is equally confident of his chances on Sunday: “At Imola we made another step forward. If we can improve things for the latter part of the race, then we should be in with a shout.”
Local man Leon Haslam is not concerned by the recent rib injury sustained at Imola a fortnight ago and hopes to return to the podium aboard his RSV4 RF machine: “Donington Park is definitely one of my favourite circuits. It won’t be easy to race with cracked ribs but I’ve been doing everything I can to give myself the best chance of doing well. The team has also worked hard to improve the bike and we have some new things to try tomorrow.”
Despite not being one of his kindest tracks, Donington will be a very important hunting ground for Welshman Chaz Davies after the double disappointment of Imola. “Anything can happen, with the way Johnny is riding it will take a lot of effort to overcome him. You never know what’s around the corner, the key for us is to focus on our own performance and to try to put the Ducati back on the top step.”
Spain’s Jordi Torres is yet to familiarise himself with the Leicestershire track, but was warmly welcomed by the fans who clearly like his witty approach to life in the WorldSBK paddock. “The podium in Imola was lucky because Chaz had a problem, but I celebrated anyway. This weekend is another new track and my goal is the same as it was since Australia. I need to continue to change my riding style and I hope to finish this time less than twenty-six seconds behind the leader” joked the Spaniard.
Earlier today, a typical British sports day comprising several traditional events saw the stars of WorldSBK round 6 go head to head, with Team GB vs Team ROW (Rest of World) in a fun competition.
Each team consisted of four riders. Team GB brought together riders from 3 manufacturers, Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team) and Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) while the Rest of the World squad comprised Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven), Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing) and Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who was the fourth team member due to his Andorran residency.
Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils rider Leon Haslam was also present, but took up the role of official starter and referee following his recent Imola spill.
There was a single race of the following disciplines: Egg & Spoon race, Sack race and 3 Legged race, with points awarded to the first 3 in each. The points were then added together to give the overall winning team which after several highly entertaining close finishes saw Team GB crowned as pre-event champions, beating their rivals 11 points to 7.
Whilst Team GB triumphed in 2 of the races, Roman Ramos was impressive, convincingly winning the sack race much to the dismay of Tom Sykes who stumbled in the run in to the finish.
