Despite tough conditions, Brazil’s Kevin Fontainha charged through to take his second pole of the season at Round 4 of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship at the classic Donington Park circuit in Great Britain.

While a few of the riders in the field had taken on the technical track prior to Friday morning’s Free Practice, including wildcard Katie Hand, for the majority of the young riders it was a steep learning curve to adapt to the ups and downs of Donington, and this was made harder still by the chilly and windy conditions. Fontainha and Marc Vich looked especially strong in the session, with title-leader Emiliano Ercolani chasing close behind, but it was Misano Race 2 winner Aldi Mahendra who outran all his rivals on the last flying lap to take top FP honours with a 1’46.216, just +0.029 ahead of Fontainha.  

Friday afternoon’s Superpole session started off with some more useful dry track time for the R3 riders, allowing them to continue getting to grips with the circuit. But just as the hot laps started coming in, around 10 minutes from the end of the session, the rain began to fall. The Brazilian riders weren’t put off by conditions, and both Fontainha and Manso maintained good pace, while Ercolani tried to close them down. Krittapat Keankum and Mahendra also looked on promising form before the rain arrived. As the chequered flag flew and the times failed to improve, it was Misano pole-sitter Fontainha who once again set the quickest time, a 1’45.417. The front row was completed by Manso, +0.053 behind and Ercolani, +0.194 back. 

After qualifying three riders – Manso, Mahendra, and Keankum – were ordered to drop five places on the grid for tomorrow’s Race 1 due to slow riding on the racing line.

Full Superpole results can be found here

Kevin Fontainha said: “It’s been a good day, it’s my second time here in Donington and it’s a good track. But the temperature is quite low today and in Superpole we also had some rain, so it’s been different to what I expected. But I’m very happy with this second pole position of the season and let’s go for tomorrow’s races!”

Source: WorldSBK.com

The rain fell at Donington Park in the FIM Supersport World Championship on Friday afternoon to cause shocks and surprises, with Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) leading Thai star Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) in the wet conditions. In the combined classification, it was Navarro’s teammate, Stefano Manzi, who led the way by just 0.015s as the Prosecco DOC UK Round shapes up to be an unpredictable and classic battle.

WHAT HAPPENED IN A WET FP2? Navarro fastest, Sarmoon soars

The session started in wet conditions and riders generally took their time to head out on track. A few riders went out as the session went green, but the vast majority waited until track conditions were at their best towards the end of the 45-minute session. Lap times started in the 1’50s bracket before they got quicker as the session progressed although they will still some 13 seconds slower than their dry times. At the end of FP2, Navarro was fastest with a 1’43.646s ahead of Thai rider Sarmoon. The pair were separated by just 0.154s with Italian veteran Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) securing third place.

THE TOP THREE OVERALL: Manzi leads tightly packed front of the field in the combined standings

With rain and wet track conditions greeting the field for FP2, it was the morning’s FP1 times that decided the order on Friday. Title contender Manzi fended off compatriot Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) for top spot with the pair separated by only 0.015s. It was a dramatic day for the Italian, currently second in the Championship, with two huge moments in FP1 including a miraculous save at Turn 7. The pair finished more than two tenths clear of Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) in third with the Championship leader aiming to move up the order on Saturday.

A BRIT SHINES AT HOME: Booth-Amos flies to the front

Fourth place belonged to Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) after he set a 1’30.449s and he missed out on a spot in the top three by just 0.019s. The star of Friday was British rider Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) as he secured a top-five finish on home soil, lapping 0.352s away from Manzi’s fastest time. French rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), continuing to substitute for the injured Can Oncu, showed impressive speed on Friday as he took sixth spot and finished half-a-second down on the fastest time.

STRONG STARTS: four manufacturers inside the top ten…

Spanish rider Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was another who impressed at Donington Park after he secured seventh place, setting a best time of 1’30.745s and finishing more than a tenth clear of De Rosa in eighth in FP1. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) was ninth with Frenchman Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) rounding out the top ten. The gap between Manzi and Debise was just 0.825s to set up the weekend’s action perfectly, while there were four different manufacturers in that group.

HOUSEKEEPING: updates on Mantovani and Sofuoglu after FP1 crashes

Andrea Mantovani (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was declared unfit following an FP1 crash at Turn 5, with the MotoE™ race winner diagnosed with a left knee sprain and leg injury. He was transported to Derby hospital for further assessment following his crash. Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was 13^th in the combined classification after an opening-session crash, with the Barcelona Race 2 winner ruled out of Friday’s action with suspected concussion; he will be reassessed on Saturday morning.

The top six following Friday’s WorldSSP action, full results here:

1. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 1’30.177

2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.015s

3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.253s

4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.272s

5. Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +0.352s

6. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.534s

Don’t miss WorldSSP’s Tissot Superpole session from 10:25 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) was one of the standout riders on Friday as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship hit Donington Park. The German rider took advantage of mixed conditions across Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 to claim third spot during the Prosecco DOC UK Round and he finished as the fastest Ducati rider on Day 1 as he, along with other Ducati competitors, looks to end the Italian manufacturer’s drought at Donington.

Oettl completed 16 laps during Free Practice 1, a session which was sporadically hit by rain, and posted a best time of 1’27.757s to secure third place. He was just over a tenth away from pacesetter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in second, while he was four tenths clear of the next fastest Ducati rider. This was reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth with the Spaniard setting a 1’28.143s.

In FP2, rain fell throughout much of the 45-minute session which disrupted running. Only seven riders set a lap time and Oettl was not one of these. The 27-year-old only completed a single out lap, right at the start of the session, before returning to his box. He did not go back out on track throughout FP2 and his time from FP1 was good enough to secure a place in the top three at a circuit he finished outside the top ten at in all three races last season.

Explaining his goals for Donington, Oettl said: “It’s a good way to start the weekend. There weren’t a lot of laps today but I’m happy with the feeling I had on the bike and especially in the last sector. That was a difficult part for us last year and I think we already made some small improvements. The new surface feels great and I’m looking forward to riding tomorrow. You have to be optimistic after today and I think we can be competitive. A top five like in Australia would be great. We made a good improvement at Misano and I hope we can continue on that way. We need a good Superpole and then, in the race, we can be competitive.”

Can Oettl repeat his Friday heroics? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

There’s nothing quite like racing at home and that will be the feeling that Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) will have after a very positive opening day at the Prosecco DOC UK Round. Donington Park has been the scene of much elation and celebration for Ray in the past and he’ll be looking to compete inside the top ten in WorldSBK this year at the very least. With good potential and a package that has done well at Donington Park in past years, it’s a good chance for Ray to show his potential on a circuit he knows.

Getting down to business in the morning and opting to stay inside the box during the even tricker FP2 session, Ray set 16 laps and was less than half a second away from Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) top time and was looking strong to finish as the second Yamaha on the opening day. A best time of a 1’28.057s means that whilst Ray will have time to find in normal dry conditions, it was very impressive during tricky conditions.

Speaking about a strong first day at his home round, Ray said: “It was a very good day; obviously, coming to Donington Park, it’s the only UK round, and I know this track very, very well. It was nice that in FP1, I knew where I was going and I could get up to speed very quickly. The bike felt very good, we did a lot of work throughout the race weekend at Misano and we seem to have carried the momentum forward here. It’s nice to be in the mix with the top guys, I feel like it is where we can be and we just need to carry the momentum to tomorrow. We have a good package, we’ll do some work tonight with the team and go into tomorrow in a good way.”

Donington Park has been a happy hunting ground for Ray during his BSB years, with his first win in the class coming in 2018 in freezing cold weather, before he doubled up to lead the Championship for the first time. Ray also got points in his WorldSBK wildcard later in that year, whilst he won at the track in his BSB title season last year which was aboard Yamaha machinery.

“I want to be able to be in the top ten in the races. I need a strong Superpole on Saturday, as that’s very important! I’ve learnt that coming into World Superbike, that the Superpole is so, so important to make the outcome of your race better. I need to concentrate on getting some strong laps in during Superpole. Then, we’ll try and stick in with the top ten and try and get the best finish of the year at Donington Park.”

Watch all of the 2023 Superbike season take-shape round-by-round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship hit the iconic Donington Park circuit on Friday for the first day of action with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) leading the way ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) could only manage eighth with both Free Practice 1 and 2 impacted by rain. With Donington historically being a weaker track for Ducati, could the Prosecco DOC UK Round be a turning point in 2023?

FP1 was held in mostly dry but occasionally rainy conditions and it was six-time Champion Rea who led the field as he set a 1’27.627s with 11 laps to his name. With the rain falling sporadically during the 45-minute session, riders were selecting when to head out on track carefully. Rea’s time was less than a tenth clear of Razgatlioglu in FP1, with the 2021 Champion completing 16 timed laps in the morning.

The rain fell more consistently in FP2 and only a handful of riders set a lap time. One of these was Razgatlioglu who actually improved his time from FP1 as he posted a 1’27.639s and found 0.040s between the two sessions; his best time in FP2 came at the optimal moment when the circuit was at its driest in the afternoon. Ulsterman Rea opted not to head out in the second practice session, and he was one of 17 riders who did not set a lap time as well as one of three who didn’t complete an out lap before returning to the box.

Bautista took eighth place in the combined standings with the reigning Champion setting a 1’28.143s in FP1 to lap half-a-second down on Rea. The Spaniard was one of the 17 who did not set a lap time in FP2 as he opted to stay in his box, although he did complete one out lap right at the start of the session. At a track that has, in recent years, been difficult to Ducati, will Rea and Razgatlioglu be able to take the fight to Bautista and make Donington a turning point in the season?

Talking about whether he could fight with the Spaniard, Rea said: “Alvaro’s the guy. It’s up to him to pull it together. Today was a difficult situation for everybody. I don’t want to say I risked a lot, but I was pushing hard. I have track knowledge. I picked my track time well, when it was at its driest. It was easy to be a hero today, but it also would’ve been very easy to crash and make a mistake. I fully expect Bautista to be there tomorrow and why not? He’s riding so well right now. The package is there. I think he’s the guy for the weekend.”

Discussing his chances of beating Bautista, Razgatlioglu commented: “I don’t know but we will see. I am trying more than 100% because I love this track and, last year, we took three wins. For this year, why not? It looks like Jonny is always strong and I hope we are fighting in the race because many people are coming to watch. I think everybody who’s watching wants very good racing. We are focused on the race. We didn’t take any risks today and I hope we are winning the races. Bautista’s normally a fast rider. He’s the Championship leader and I think he didn’t take risks today. He’s riding very calmly. I didn’t ride aggressively today and didn’t take the risk. We will see in the race because he’s a strong rider.”

Watch WorldSBK action from Donington on Saturday LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

After drizzle at the start of the day, the heavens really opened for Friday afternoon of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s first day of the Prosecco DOC UK Round at Donington Park. Whilst it was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) led Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at the head of the field, Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) remained fastest from the morning session.

FP2 ROUND-UP: seven riders brave the conditions, Razgatlioglu and Bassani improve

Razgatlioglu and Bassani lapped together on the circuit, with the #54 ahead of Bassani, giving the Italian a look at his style around his ‘second home’ of Donington Park. Both riders improved in comparison to their morning time but dry running was curtailed by a big rain shower. After nearly 20 minutes in the box with nobody on the circuit, track action reignited with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) heading out into the rain with Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) also venturing out. Both completed lap times good enough for the top four in FP2, whilst it was Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) in fifth. Only two other riders hit the track, with Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) returning to action and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in behind him.

BRITS SHINE OVERALL: Rea at the front, Ray in contention?

Taking advantage of the difficult weather for everyone, Jonathan Rea was the rider in fine form and at the head of the field on the overall timesheets. Rea set a 1’27.627 and stayed in the pits for FP2, albeit finishing just 0.012s clear of Razgatlioglu. Teammate Alex Lowes was fifth overall, ahead of fellow countryman and day one headline-grabber Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), with the #28 looking good at a circuit he had good history on. Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was seventh overall and top BMW, as teammate Scott Redding took 13^th and didn’t head out in the afternoon, one place behind Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and two places ahead of Gerloff’s teammate, Loris Baz.

BAUTISTA RESERVED ON DAY 1: thinking of the long game?

Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) would have surely preferred stable weather running at what has been a bit of a bogey circuit for him and Ducati in recent years. Teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi headed out too but was ninth on the combined times. However, the top Ducati effort was courtesy of German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven), who took third and looked competitive in the morning, even in the tricky conditions. Completing the day for Ducati, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was 14^th on his return to Donington Park.

HONDA LIKEWISE QUIET: Lecuona and Vierge get through Day 1

Whilst the Independent Hondas of Syahrin and Granado ventured out in the wet FP2, it was only dry running for the likes of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge, as they set 17 laps each in the morning. In far from ideal conditions, they finished the day in 11^th and 17^th respectively, but without any conclusions to draw with the weather playing havoc.

NOTEWORTHY MENTIONS: Gardner crashes as rain plays havoc

Other bits of housekeeping include a crash for Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) at the final corner this morning and he was only 16^th at the end of the day, two places higher than teammate Dominique Aegerter. Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was 19^th but felt the anger of Iker Lecuona in FP1, after getting in his countryman’s way at the Foggy Esses. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 21^st and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was 24^th.

Top six after day one at Donington Park in WorldSBK, full results here:

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’27.627s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.012s

3. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) +0.130s

4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +0.154s

5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.230s

5. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) +0.430s

Watch all of the 2023 Superbike season take-shape round-by-round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Championship contender Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) struck first at Donington Park as the FIM Supersport World Championship burst back into action. In a red-flagged 45-minute Free Practice 1 session, Manzi and rival Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) traded fastest laps at the end of FP1, with only 0.015s separating the two Italians. It was also a strong start to the Prosecco DOC UK Round for Britain’s Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) as he shone on home soil.

The two-time WorldSSP race winner had been the long-time leader during FP1 and had a dramatic session with a couple of huge moments, with one coming at Turns 6-7 when he pulled off a miraculous save and later at Turn 12 when he ran into the gravel. Montella went fastest after setting a 1’30.192s before the Yamaha rider usurped him with a 1’30.177s. Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed third place as he lapped more than two tenths slower than the two Italians ahead of him.

Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) narrowly missed out on a place in the top three with his time just 0.019s slower than Bulega. Home hero Booth-Amos had a solid FP1 at the venue he won at in the British Superbike championship as he took fifth. His best lap was a 1’30.529s to put him around a tenth away from the top three while Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) rounded out the top six as he went around half-a-second slower than Manzi’s best time.

2021 WorldSSP300 Champion Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was another who enjoyed a strong FP1 as he finished in seventh. He was 0.568s slower than the fastest time but secured a place in the top seven by fending off Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) with the Italian in eighth. Finland’s Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) was ninth and French rider Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) completed the top ten.

The session was red flagged with around nine minutes left when Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) crashed at the Foggy Esses after losing the front of his F3 800 RR machine. When the red flags came out, the Barcelona Race 2 winner was tenth in the classification but dropped down to 13^th place as other riders improved their times. The Turkish star was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash.

The top six from WorldSSP FP1, full results here:

1. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 1’30.177

2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.015s

3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.253s

4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.272s

5. Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +0.352s

6. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.534s

Don’t miss WorldSSP FP2 from 16:00 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has kicked off at Donington Park and the Great British weather had its say from the start. A dry start to the session before rain flags were being waved, and although the rain did come down harder with 20 minutes to go, the track dried and fast laps came in, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on top.

Rea had a small technical issue at the start of the session and headed out before the bigger of the rain showers, before hitting the top with just over five minutes to go. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was strong in second, after leading a large chunk of the session, whilst it was a mighty session for Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven), who took third and was top Ducati. Fourth place honours went the way of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), but it was Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) who stole the show with a strong fifth place, as he swept through the English countryside and even topped the sector times in the first intermediate.

Making it four British riders inside the top six, Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was top BMW at his beloved Donington Park, whilst Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was only seventh, ahead of teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took ninth as he hopes to bounce back from a tricky home round at Misano, whilst Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) made it five manufacturers inside the top ten with tenth.

Top six after WorldSBK FP1 at Donington Park, full results here:

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’27.627s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.052s

3. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) +0.130s

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.230s

5. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) +0.430s

6. Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.481s

Watch all of the action unfold in style with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com