Image: Foremost Media.

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Wayne Maxwell suffered another blow to his 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) title ambitions after being taken out of race one at The Bend.

Maxwell was bumped by former teammate Daniel Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team) into turn one on lap three, forcing him out of podium contention and the race altogether.

The 2013 champion had just made a move on Falzon by drafting past into third position when the pair came together – the South Australian local going on to finish in fifth place.

“I came out of a slip-stream and definitely was going way faster than I had all weekend, but as I turned in I was hit,” Maxwell explained to CycleOnline. “I was really unsure who I was hit by at first… It was Falzon, he couldn’t stop on the way in.

“Obviously nothing deliberate, he didn’t want to take me out – I understand that – but at the end of the day it’s the same result. It’s up to race direction to review the matter and put a penalty in place or let it go by. It was a very soft crash, so I’m alright and we can try to bounce back for points tomorrow.”

Maxwell’s non-finish today now sees him sit seventh in the championship tally following the opening six races of 2019, 39 points in arrears of factory Yamaha pilot Cru Halliday.

It’s the second time this season that Maxwell has been involved in a multi-rider incident, also tumbling out of race two at Phillip Island’s opening round after overall victor Aiden Wagner made contact into the final turn.